Looking for a new job or some professional experience in your field of study? Have no fear, here on campus there are plenty of helpful resources on campus to do so.

Career Assistant at the Career Development Center (CDC), Brett Sonflieth, advises students to use Handshake, an online website for employment purposes. “Handshake is a nationwide program that universities like Harvard and bunch of Ivy league schools have been using for years,” Sonflieth said, “It lets employers recruit students by letting students look to see what employers have jobs that are available.” Sonflieth is a senior in construction engineering management that has worked for the CDC for three years and sees Handshake to be helpful as it really narrows down what you might be particularly looking for. “It asks you preliminary questions like what kind of location are you looking for, what kind of job or specific organization you’re a part of, and what are some of your past experiences. It uses all that information to filter and give you the best result possible. The more broad your major the more jobs you will see.” Because of the accessibility and convenience of the website, all students are recommended to use it. 

In addition to Handshake, having a conversation with the people at the CDC is highly advised as it can be extremely beneficial. “Even if students think they are prepared for their professional careers and think they know what they have to know, I strongly advise to come here and have a face to face conversation. There’s always something new to learn from your peers and advisor.”

The CDC has professional credentials that will be sure to aid any students who need help in finding employment. “Our student workers are trained in resume, cover letter, and interviewing skills. We have a week long training session where we put all our student staffs through,” Brett said. They also have faculty members who specialize in certain majors, “We try to have our advisors focus on specific colleges.”

Be sure to also participate in the events that CDC hosts each new school year as they will provide professional openings. “Every fall we have a giant career fair,” Brett said.

The Career Development Center is located at the Kerr Administration building in the basement room B008. It’s available Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm. If any students are seeking employment, they should highly consider checking out the Handshake website and taking a visit at the CDC as they are all great resources for employment needs.

Photography by Clem Onojeghuo (via unsplash.com)