Richard Halliburton, renowned author and explorer once said, “Just about a month from now I’m set adrift, with a diploma for a sail and lots of nerve for oars.” Halliburton should have added “and help from the Career Center.”
Across from the EMU, facing west, is Hendricks Hall, where an inconspicuous white banner bearing the words “Career Center” drapes the building’s facade.
“We are always surprised that students don’t even know we are here,” said Richard Guerra, associate director of employer development at the Career Center.
At the center, students can have career counselors review their résumés and cover letters to provide the best chance to make the best first impression. Videotaped to provide direct feedback, mock interviews are offered so students can learn to present themselves effectively to prospective employers.
The Campus Interview Program provides the unique experience of having recruiters seek the student instead of the more common student-seeking-employer scenario.
“That is the one thing where students miss the boat, because it is the one time in their life where recruiters are coming to see them,” Guerra said.
Another popular way to connect to and learn from professionals is through the mentor program, a one-credit, upper-division class that links students with professionals from their career of choice.
Students identify the type of jobs they are looking for, essentially creating a wish list, and after the list is compiled, research assistants scour the nation, seeking those who fit the students’ mentor criteria. It can be surprising how closely the researchers are able to satisfy the specifications of a student’s wish list.
“There was someone who was a psychology major who wanted to get their Ph.D. in psychology, but they were also a martial arts master, so they wanted to find someone who used martial arts as part of their psycho-therapy program. We were able to find someone,” Guerra said.
When students are assigned to their mentors, the mentors help students develop their résumés, learn how to write a letter of introduction, acquire interviewing skills and attain a more focused, in-depth understanding of their desired career, said Pat Ferris, who works in employment services.
After students work with their mentors, they end the class by writing a brief report and giving a small presentation.
“I think it’s a really great program,” Kristina Mullins, a University senior at the time of the interview, said. “You get a chance to really meet and talk to people… someone who’s in that field, like a New York Times reporter.”
Even if a student fails to identify the career he or she is most suited to, all is not lost. Mullins can attest to it.
“Sometimes it’s disappointing because some of the jobs, you are like, ‘yeah, this is going to be great,’ but it’s not. I learned what I didn’t want to do from my mentor matches more than what I did want to do. But it saved me a lot of time.”
Mullins said the Career Center is good at saving time because it can unlock doors.
“You can bypass those impossible barriers that would otherwise be closed,” Mullins said. “It shows you have the smarts to get into the door.”
A place where students can cultivate their smarts is the Career Center’s library. It’s a place to discover and learn about jobs, sometimes jobs students never knew existed, jobs they never knew they could like.
“The library here is extensive, not in size but in depth, and students can learn about their career and how to get hired,” said Shawn Garrett, an assistant at the Career Center at the time he was interviewed, and a University student.
The Career Center also offers the Etiquette Dinner, an annual event conducted in the spring that teaches students social graces, perhaps for that dinner with the company CEO or possibly with that special client. It also teaches students how to network, and there is a fashion show where students model appropriate attire.
The Career Center staff and counselors are always looking to help students develop the skills and knowledge necessary to find their dream careers. They will work with students in a vast variety of areas, so students can improve their chances for being successful after college.
“The people here are really, really helpful,” Mullins said. “They’ll help you find things.”
Not all visitors attest to having pleasant experiences at the Career Center.
Tucker Owen, a senior at the time he was interviewed, visited the Career Center to get help in finding a job abroad, but said he received anything but help.
“I was two sentences in and they interrupted me and pointed to another area, to the library,” Owen said. “They didn’t even ask what I wanted. They didn’t ask where I wanted to go or anything.”
Regardless, the Career Center offers services students will not find anywhere else, services that will allow students to make the transition from the University to a professional career. The Career Center is a place students should continuously consult during their entire stint at college.
“It’s not just senior year, it’s freshman, sophomore, etcetera,” Guerra said. “Over time you get to build relationships with recruiters and get that résumé together.
This article originally appeared on April 26, 2006 in an Emerald special section

What is the Campus Interview Program?

The Campus Interview Program is designed to connect University students and alumni with organizations that want to hire students. “Employers from leading companies and organizations come to campus to interview for career positions, internships, and part-time or seasonal jobs”, according to the Career Center’s Web site. If you aren’t certain what to look for some recruiters hire students from all majors. For more information visit:
http://uocareer.uoregon.edu/students/jobs-and-internships/interview-with-recruiters-on-campus.aspx