Step 1. Choose a major
Step 2. Find a job that relates to your major after you graduate.
Sounds easy enough, but for most U students, getting from one step to the next can involve tiny, unexpected bumps as students shift majors through their college careers or leap between jobs after they graduate.
“Most students have expectations about what their outcome will be once they graduate, but others don’t,” said Stan Inman, director of Career Services. “We help them make that transition from the world of education to the professional world of work.”
To do so, Career Services helps students learn how to put rsums together, write professional coversheets and learn the do’s and don’ts of job interviews.
To help narrow down the job-market search, students can search its website, careers.utah.edu, for job opportunities in Utah, across the country and even abroad.
“The search engine is the U’s own version of Monster.com,” said Elizabeth Mimms, career counselor at Career Services. “But with our system students are actually talking with real employers, not just sending in their e-mails to a mysterious website.”
In case students want to take extra steps or need extra guidance between the time they choose a major and land a job, U Career Services can help students figure out their interests in order to make the search process easier, Inman said.
“We work with students a lot by helping them find information about themselves,” said Inman. “Sometimes a student just needs help discovering who they are and how their interests will help them get on a career path.”
And to help students along their path of discovery, students can also chat with career counselors who are assigned by majors at Career Services, located in Room 350 of the Student Services Building.
“A lot of people come in here without any idea of what they are looking for,” Mimms said. “That’s why we have someone here on walk-in duty at all times.”
Inman said he receives a “rush” of students toward the end of Spring Semester, as most students scramble to find jobs after graduation. However, he wants students to know that services are available year-round.
“We can help them at any point in the line, but it’s better if they come early on,” Inman said. “Coming early helps students cultivate relationships with employers during their sophomore and junior year.”
Career Services allows students to apply for internships, which can help them see if the job is right for them by experiencing it first-hand.
And if students prefer to focus their studies even more, the Career Services website offers a list of graduate schools around the country.
Furthermore, students can find potential job opportunities at the Employment and Volunteer Fair hosted by Career Services today in the Union Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“It’s a really low-key event — you don’t have to be dressed up or anything,” Mimms said. “Just walk up to a booth and tell them you want to make money.”