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Friday, June 1, 2012

Career Services

I know, I know: here I am writing a post about helping career services to help you, the student...and many of the people who most need this info, have already graduated. Many of  you are (unfortunately) unemployed and curled up in the fetal position, wondering if there's anything  you can do to ensure that the revolution will occur before your student loans come due. (Short answer: probably not. The zombie apocalypse, however, is looking more and more likely...)

But, anyway: don't despair. For those of you who graduated, without ever darkening the door of your career services...all is not lost. I promise. In fact, some universities nowadays, are offering free career counseling for a limited time, so how about you go to your university's website, join the alumni association, set up an online account, and see what resources you can take advantage of? How about you do this RIGHT NOW. 

Because, remember all that money you (or, your parents) paid in tuition? A great part of it was basically for the privilege of gaining access to your school's resources, both in the classroom and afterwards...not just for all the partying, the pretentious 4am conversations, your decision to be a Women's Studies major (Okay, I went to a women's college and that major still makes me giggle.)and the walks of shame. Not that I'd ever hate on a good walk of shame. But, let's focus on priorities: you need a job. Job first, shame later.

So, for those of you are still enrolled in school, AKA still free of the horrors of corporate America...use this opportunity to help career services help you! I can't tell you how many clients I have, whom, when I ask, "What kind of job search did you do while still a student?," look at me like I just showed up for a session wearing a t-shirt with a grouchy kitten on it, reading, "I don't do Mondays." (#Haters.) I don't own, btw, that t-shirt. I do, however, have cat earrings but since I enjoy romping with the opposite sex, I tend not to wear those earrings in public.

Anyhoo. Your university's career services cannot just divine you a job. You kinda need to introduce yourself, bring a copy of your resume, and some ideas as to what fields/jobs you might be interested in and what your relevant experience is. Then, they can help you tweak your resume, they can give you contact info for alumni who are working in those fields, they can even help you write contact emails, they can make helpful suggestions...but you need to do your part in helping career services help you get a damn job! Use their resources, because these resources should have been a major decision in why you chose to attend that particular school in the first place. (This is, for example, one of the reasons it drives me insane to see people going to a brand spanking new, unaccredited law diploma mill school...yeah, good luck with those "alumni" "networking" events. Tell me how it works out for you. #saveyourself!)

You are correct: I'm cranky.  But I also have clients who, prior to working with me, would spend hours applying for jobs on websites, or going to career fairs, or drinking heavily at 10am...but couldn't be bothered to call their school's career resources and ask if as an alumni they got free counseling, or reciprocity with other schools in the area or if the school had any connections within the industry they wanted to break into. These are the clients who get The Look...and then an ominous silence descends, as I remind myself that battery and assault are against the law, and that all the starchy prison food would ruin my bikini figure.

Need some help with your career search? I promise I'm a pussycat! Email me @carlotazee@gmail.com

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