Take Advantage of College Career Counseling

Even if you head to college with a declared major, plan to take advantage of the college career counseling services on campus. Often, students assume the purpose of the college career counselor and counseling center is simply to help them declare their major and find a job before graduation.

In reality, it's more of a process than a single experience. The varieties of services available through a university career counseling center are beneficial throughout the college experience and even as a long-term alumnus. Often, the services are offered at very low rates or in some instances are free for students and alumni. Some of the key services you'll benefit from include:

Course Study Counseling/ Major Declaration

If you enter college with an undeclared major, the career counseling center is specifically set up to help present you with course study options and direction. Counselors will interview you and help you determine where your talents and interests lie--making suggestions and recommendations but not choosing for you. If you find that you want to change your major after entering college, the center can help you seek out other options you might be interested in and refocus you course study in a new direction.

Internship Opportunities

Summer and semester-long internships provide essential experience and contacts for your future job search. Companies look for ambitious graduates who have the benefit of career-related job experience on their resume even before graduation. The college career counseling center can put company contact information, internship opportunities and resources to extend your internship search right at your fingertips. 

Job Search Services

Whether you're looking for a part-time on-campus or off-campus job, a full-time job after graduation or help in securing one of the jobs you've found, the career counseling center has it all. In one stop you'll find:

• resume writing assistance and critics,
• online search engine access,
• job posting boards,
• job search workshops,
• job search support and networking groups,
• resume cover letter instruction,
• interviewing skills training,
• interview follow-up techniques and tips, and
• creative ideas for compiling work samples for perspective employers.

Current Employment Event Schedules

Campus career counseling services typically keep an updated schedule of a variety of career-related events all year long. Center staff are constantly looking for new innovations in assisting you with your career journey and updating their calendar to reflect the most beneficial events near the university. Regardless of what time of year you graduate, you can consult their schedule of events to find job fairs, workshops, professional networking forums and career expos. Many universities also provide information on events outside of their city and state.

Alumni Career Resources

One of the best kept secrets of campus career counseling centers is that they are great resources for their alumni, long-term. Since fewer and fewer professionals work for just one company after graduation until retirement, the need for career-long services is real.

Campus centers are in the business of staying current on best-job-search-practices and opportunities, so it's the perfect place for alumni to turn when they seek to make a career change, upgrade their employment status, look for fresh-talent for their own company and even make new contacts within their industry.