Career Services Tips for Incoming Freshmen

By Erica Hauer, Career Services Marketing Intern

Everyone on this campus has been a freshman at one point of their college education and knows what you are going through. Upperclassmen have stories of great success and bad mistakes. I bet most are willing to share their knowledge and experience with you. Everyone is here for a reason: to get a job!

When building up your resume, it’s never too late to start early. This a huge part of why you are here going to college and on your way to getting your degree. The PACE Center and Career Services are here to help you through your fears.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Make sure you have your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) information from the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office before you apply for on-campus jobs. It’s good to know what you qualify for (for example: work study or regular wage jobs) because Career Services can’t provide that information. We can, however, assist you with finding a job.
2. Make use of the PACE Center. This office is strictly for freshman. Don’t just go to fulfill an assignment that your University Seminar class assigned. PACE (which stands for Personalized Academic and Career Exploration) is there for a reason: to help you! Check out our blog post for a detailed description of the PACE Center.
3. Create a resume. Whether you had a lot of jobs in high school or none at all, it’s okay! Making a resume will give you the drive to go out there and apply for jobs early!
4. Make a list of goals. How many jobs/internships do you want to have before you graduate? Where do you want your career to be in the next four years?
5. Explore your interests. The Pace Center and Career Services have an online resource called Focus2 - Interactive Career Exploration. This assessment will take you through your interests, skills and values and give a list of career possibilities based on your results. It’s free, too!
6. Create your Jobs4Cats account through Career Services before fall classes start. Get ahead of the game! Don’t wait until November when the semester is almost over.

Don’t be afraid to branch out. It’s your education and college life. Be productive and make the most of the services you have on campus. Everyone here wants you to succeed so in four years you can walk across that stage with a degree and a job.

Career Services Summer hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm | Phone: 512.245.2645
PACE Center: UAC – Undergraduate Academic Center Room 120 | Phone: 512.245.2218

Heat Up Your Career Development This Summer

It's been a while since we've posted, but Career Services has been bustling with career-related activities all summer long. Students (and even some of us "adults") often think of summer as a time for rest and relaxation, a chance to take a break from what we've been doing and refresh for the big wind-up to fall.

There's definitely something to be said for that, but summer is also a great time to work on your career development, double down on your job search, or overhaul your resume like you've been meaning to all semester.


Not convinced? Check out this list of five reasons summer is the best time to jump-start your career:

1. Summer internships. If you've wondered how you'll translate your coursework to a real world setting while gaining professional experience, an internship is the solution for you. Internships provide students (and non-students, too!) an opportunity to apply what they've learned in a professional setting, with less of a time commitment than a full-time job and ample opportunities to learn and develop professionally.
   
   While it's a little late in the season to seek an opportunity in a well-established internship program, there are plenty of smaller businesses and organizations who hire interns on a rolling basis. Search on Jobs4Cats for opportunities and check out popular internship sites like internmatch.com and internships.com. Or, call up an organization you're interested in working for and see whether they're taking on interns (this is easier if you're seeking unpaid internships).
2. Resume overhaul. Been meaning to reformat, rewrite or rethink your resume all year? Now is the time to take stock of what you've accomplished over the last year and craft it into a great professional document. Career Services can help!
3. Seasonal work. Scooped ice cream at Ben & Jerry's for the last three summers? Waited tables on the River Walk? Worked as a camp counselor at the local YMCA? Seasonal positions like these are an important element of your career exploration and development. Reflect on positions you've had: Did you like them? Why or why not? Were they challenging?
   
   Use the answers to questions like this to explore the kind of work you might be interested in doing full-time. For example, if you loved your work as a camp counselor but hated helping out with administrative tasks at your mom's small business, you may want to consider a career that deals directly with people.
4. Job search. Away from the crunch of homework, tests and campus activity, summer is the perfect time to search for jobs. Commit to your search by creating an application tracking system (find Career Services' Job Search log here), attending industry networking events (such as association meetings) and organizing all your resumes, cover letters, references, etc. so that you'll be ready to apply at the drop of a hat.
5. Volunteering. Much like the internship, volunteering provides career-relevant (and resume worthy) experience. Call up your favorite charity or nonprofit and see if they need your help. The time you give to help others can help you gain skills and make contacts--and may just be your ticket to full-time employment in the near future.

Why do you think summer is a great time to focus on your career?