Graduates who take a gung-ho approach to career placement ontheir own can be at a disadvantage to those who use all the helpthey can get, one University of Memphis career expert said.
Career and Employment Services provides resources for studentslooking for a job after college or a temporary part-time job.
The office, located at 400 Wilder Tower, provides help withresum� writing, interview skills, job listings andinternship information.
However, eRecruiting, a tool to post resum�s, searchthrough 3,000 job listings and see campus career events all withthe use of a computer, is the office's most popular service.
One-on-one advising is also a popular service at Career andEmployment Services, including resum� help and interviewskills. Mock interviews are staged, and students are asked typicalinterview questions. The sessions are videotaped, and at the end,the interviewer reviews the answers and gives the student tips andhelpful information to improve their interview skills.
"I used the whole entire (Career and Employment) office," saidDarci Ann Caesar, U of M alumna, who used the services to acquire aposition at Baptist East. "I went on one-on-one interviews, andthey (Career and Employment Services) sent in resum�s forme."
Those one-on-one interviews that benefited Caesar are covetedthis time of the year because of the approaching graduation date.Students should make appointments as soon as possible, said KarenHayes, director of Career and Employment Services
The on-campus interviews with representatives from variousprospective employers are also popular with many U of M students atCareer and Employment Services because instead of students going toa business to be interviewed, the business comes to them.
Most of the interviewers are from government agencies,businesses and other local and national businesses.
But in order to get interviewed, a resum� must be writtenfirst, something Career and Employment Services representativeswill also help with. Clay Woemmel, the office's assistant director,gives students pointers on how to write an effective resum�and then critiques the students' attempts.
"They (Career and Employment Services representatives) gavegreat examples" of good resum�s, Caesar said. "A lot ofpeople don't know what to put on resum�s."
The office also sponsors three career fairs throughout theacademic year - a graduate school fair, a career fair and aneducation fair for those who want to enter the education field. Theeducation fair will be held Jan. 20, 2004.
Career and Employment Services also offers resources forstudents interested in salary and service information and the typesof careers that are available.
"It is a great resource for all students," Caesar said.
