Two of my roommates have really taken advantage of the career services office we have on campus. They always come back with a positive report, and sometimes even go there just to explore and see what else they can find.  I was lucky enough that my major provided a class that revolved around how to apply to our internships or graduate programs, which also covered resumes, cover letters, application tips, etc.  This meant that I never felt like I needed to stop by the career services, I thought I already knew the things they would provide me help with. 

Oh, I was wrong. Very wrong.

There are a LOT of buildings on this campus, but very few of which I’ve never stepped foot in.  This was one of them.  It’s in a convenient location on campus, and looks nice and big from the outside.  I opened the doors and wasn’t prepared for what I saw.

First of all, it’s HUGE. It’s warm, inviting, open, and appealing.  There’s a desk right inside the door, and I was immediately asked if I needed help finding anything, or if I had an appointment. Nope, just scopin’ things out.

As you walk in, there’s a doorway to offices on the right, a nice café straight ahead, more building space/stairs/rooms to the left, and a lounge area that resembles a library.  There is a wall-to-wall bookshelf full of resources, a row of computers for student use, lounge chairs, and an abundance of pamphlets/informational brochures/booklets on anything and everything that has to do with work.
 
 I picked up a booklet on the services that they provide. It’s amazing. They have career counselors that will meet with you to look over your resume or cover letter, help you edit it, give you tips for interviews, talk with you about job options, etc. They also have workshops throughout the semester that students can attend based on all of the above!

There is a career fair (which is common on most campuses) each semester where students can talk with companies they are interested in working for.  You can even set up interviews, which companies can hold in this building, and there is a locker room so you can bring your “business casual” clothes to change into. 

On top of all this, there’s a web site for students to use so they can access these resources from anywhere. Not only are these services available to students, but they are also there for the alumni! They provide networks through which the alumni association is in connection with, and post-graduation tips on job searching, recruiting, preparing for interviews, etc.  So even if you’re a little late in the game (graduating…without a job set up? don’t you worry), you can breathe easy. 

I wish I had stumbled upon this resource a lot earlier. Even though I had help and I got what I needed (see previous post—good internship news!!), the career center would have saved me a few hours of searching on what I wanted to do with my life and how I was going to do it. I took advantage of appointments with my major-adviser, and the class we had to take, but every  resource helps!  And it’s never too early, or too late, to take advantage of the things that are out there for you as a student!

Posted by Mary Ellen Nunes at 05/14/2008 08:25:31 AM |