OXFORD, Ohio — It's graduation season, and Miami University is using a photo booth to help college students break into the workforce. 

What You Need To Know

  • At Miami University's career center in Oxford, educators say about 1,300 students have used the photo booth

  • Through an app, or on the booth's touch screen, it provides the lighting and background to take a high quality professional photo

  • Educators say the professional photo is an important tool for students trying to market themselves for a new career

Aidan McKeon is still in college, but he already has a career lined up for when he graduates in May.  

“I kind of came with a bit of an unconventional background, like a more business type of job," he said. "I’m going into consulting."

He said this photo booth is part of what helped him get to his new career. 

“I’m a lot more confident with kind of how I stepped into interviews and emailing with employers," McKeon said. "I think it definitely gave me a confidence boost, and it was one less thing to worry about going out for a job."

The picture that came out of the booth is a professional head shot that he used with his resume online. It was a free session that university leaders say can help you stand out among students they often see. 

“The head shots I see a lot working with students, many of them are when they had a formal attire, so that could be from prom or something, which it’s formal, but not really appropriate for professional space,” said Katie Bowling, associate director at Miami University's career center. 

She said in the six months since the booth went online, about 1,300 students used it for their professional head shots. 

“The professional head shot really shows the employers that you are serious about your career and serious about that job search and separates from your personal life and maybe your social media life and really creates that professional presence,” Bowling said. 

As more students take advantage of the booth, Bowling expects it to stay to continue to help students like McKeon have a headshot for their careers. 

“I think it’s a good opportunity for anybody that wants to do it,” McKeon said.