Career Services office adjust to student needs in hard economic times
In preparation for the heightened need among students seeking jobs and internships in the midst of the economic crisis, the Center for Career Services extended its hours and launched a new series of workshops.
The center will now be open an hour later, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. Friday. Drop-in hours have also been extended.
Mike Cahill, director of Career Services said the new schedule change is more accommodating to students.
‘We extended our hours to times that have been popular in the past. The job market is going to be tough this year. Employers are still hiring, but they’ll be bringing in less graduate level students for jobs and internships,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of uncertainty. Fortunately, employers are trying to maintain hiring levels.’
Neal Powless, career consultant at the center, said the office staff agreed on the decision to extend hours.
The new workshop series concentrates on resume and cover letter building, internship searches, interviewing skills and networking. They are meant to extend individual services to a larger group of people, instead of going through the same process and answering the same questions person by person, Powless said.
In these workshops, counselors help students understand how to be successful while interviewing, job searching and at career fairs.
Presentations like ‘Finding a Job in a Tough Job Market’ and ‘Networking’ are new additions to the services offered by the center. The ‘How to Succeed at the Career Fair’ presentation is aimed at students planning to attend the spring Career Expo on Feb. 5, with more than 80 employers expected to attend. Students are taught basic knowledge of ‘working the room’ and presenting themselves in a good light, Cahill said.
Charron Matthews, a sophomore English and textual studies major, said he’s had positive experiences at the center.
‘I feel as if the workshops are very productive and give the students interactions and tools that will help them excel in the real world,’ Matthews said.
Powless said that while the job market is getting competitive, student success with jobs and internships depends on the students themselves and the quality of their resumes and cover letters.
‘In a tough market you have to be flexible, sometimes you might have to put your dream job on hold,’ Powless said. ‘Nonetheless, some agencies flourish in this type of environment, it depends on what kind of service you are willing to provide.’
Amidst the economic turmoil, the career center staff remains positive. Cahill said he believes that the current job market gives students the opportunity to focus on the job they actually want, instead of taking their first offer in the job market. He recommended students be prepared and expand their job search options.
‘Become the most skilled job seeker you could possibly become,’ Cahill said, ‘And you will find a good job. It is not a gloom and doom market, but it is something to take seriously. When the market becomes more competitive, the students need to compete better.’
Published on January 26, 2009 at 12:00 pm
