Welcome to the Mount! Life may seem a little overwhelming right now. Between separation from family, adjusting to new class schedules, balancing a new workload, trying to make and maintain friendships, and so much more, we all have a lot going on! With all these responsibilities, it can feel even more overwhelming to think about career planning. Fortunately, the Mount's Career Center offers resources and guidance that can make this process less stressful, whether you are just starting your career journey or trying to build on what you've already accomplished.
A good place to start with the Career Center is with a resume or cover letter review. Reviewing these vital tools with a professional career counselor can help you learn your work-related strengths and weaknesses, as well as areas for improvement. Don't have a resume or cover letter yet? The Career Center offers easily accessible online guides to crafting both these documents.
Another easy way to begin is with a career planning and major exploration appointment. During this type of appointment, a career counselor helps you learn what career paths fit with your major and your interests. The counselor also offers guidance in assessing your overall career readiness and acting to improve that readiness. Having one of these meetings can help you to focus your goals and form your career plan.
What if you already have a resume and a plan, but want to prepare more? The Career Center offers a wide variety of workshops and events to help students hone specific skills. Some upcoming events include the Internship Workshop, two Resume Check-Ins, and Accounting Evening. Not only do these workshops help you learn important skills, but they can also give you an opportunity to connect with other students and with potential employers.
Speaking of connecting with others, the Career Center has programs to help you get in touch with people who can guide you. A new program starting this year is the Student Career Coaches program. Through this program, students are able to work with peers who can offer student-to-student advice on topics such as working at an internship or job searching. Additionally, these student career coaches are available during walk-in hours and for scheduled, one-on-one mentorship, giving you more scheduling flexibility and enabling you to tailor their services to your career needs.
Once you are prepared, the next step is to start searching for an internship or a job! The Career Center offers many resources to help with this process. Handshake is a useful website that allows you to search for jobs and internships, network with employers and other professionals, and find career-related events to attend. Unsure of how to use Handshake? If you schedule an appointment or drop by during walk-in hours, a Career Center staff member can assist you in setting up an account and learning how to use it. Beyond Handshake, a wide variety of job searching resources and programs are listed on the Career Center website.
When you enter the final stages of securing an internship or job, the Career Center is there for you too. The interview rooms in the Career Center provide a quiet, professional space for students to interview for positions, and one of the services the Career Counselors offer is mock interviews to help you prepare for the real thing. If your major requires a credit-based internship, the Career Center will help you register and manage your internship.
If you are in need of any of these career services or just want to learn more, visit the Career Center in Upper McGowan, Room 240. The Career Center's hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and walk-in hours are 1 to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. The sooner you visit, the better. A student who graduated just last semester said of the Career Center, "The Career Center is an excellent resource all students should take advantage of. I wish I had started going my freshman year just so I could simply build connections then." Take this alum's advice and stop by soon. Stay tuned to the Career Corner blog for more news and events!