Thursday, May 3, 2012

What would I do without Career Services?

By Amanda Barrell, news-editorial journalism major at CU-Boulder

Now that I am settled into my job, I find myself asking this in retrospect. What would I have done without the caring and dedicated staff at CU’s Career Services Center?

Six months ago, I started a job at CU with a temporary contract working at an information desk.  As I would come to discover, the job was… not what I was expecting.  I never seemed to find enough tasks with which to fill my time, and I rarely felt accomplished at the end of the day.

I sought help from CU’s Career Service office where I began a friendship with two of the employees, who happened to have a strong connection with the Boulder Chamber. They helped me look for a job that would not only keep me busy, but would also leave me feeling of fulfillment and importance. 

With the help of the employees at the Career Services office, I tightened up my resume, wrote an engaging cover letter and applied for several promising positions.  Most recently, the people I had befriended let me know about a job opening with the Boulder Chamber of Commerce.  With my much-perfected resume and cover letter, I applied for the position and was asked to come in for an interview. They offered me the position that same day!

With my skills and the wonderful assistance and encouragement from everyone at Career Services, I was able to land the job and started my first day of work this week with the Boulder Chamber of Commerce.

Everyone at Career Services was so encouraging and helpful.  I really don’t know what I would have done without them. I would highly recommend a visit to Career Services to anyone looking to land a great job or to learn how to succeed in today’s competitive job market.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Using Career Services After You Graduate!

By Brittany Moore, senior business marketing and broadcast news major at CU-Boulder

CU Boulder’s Career Services is unique among career centers across the nation because its services are available even after you graduate. Our office is always open to alumni, allowing them access to all services including career counseling, free job fairs and other networking events, continuous access to Career Services Online (CSO) job postings, and much more!

Career Counseling
Career Services welcomes all alumni to visit the office for counseling as they begin or continue their professional careers. One of the counselors at CU’s Career Services office is Lea Alvarado, who works specifically with alumni to help them address concerns after college.  She works with Forever Buffs, the Alumi Association's initiative to engage alumni. Lea develops career programs, events, and one-on-one counseling specifically for alumni both locally and across the country.  Alumni are allowed two free career counseling sessions. There is a $30 fee for each additional session, for up to four sessions. Alumni are allowed a total of six sessions per year.  For more information on alumni career counseling please contact Lea Alvarado.

Career fairs and other events
Every week Career Services hosts a variety of events catered towards students and alumni.  Some events held include: job fairs, networking nights, employer coffee or lunch events, workshops, and more!  All of these events aid in helping students and alumni transition to professional world, building professional skills and networking opportunities. 

The All Colorado Alumni Career Fair is coming up on June 12, from 2-5pm at the Marriott Denver Tech Center. Registration is open on CSO, so register today!

To see the list of additional events, such as the Alumni Assessment Series and the Nuance of Networking workshop, click here.


Support through social media outlets
There are a variety of ways to find support after you graduate. Career Services and their social media outlets are just a few of those support systems. Check out these additional ways to stay connected after you graduate.

The University of Colorado Alumni LinkedIn group is a great way to join your fellow buffs and make connections worldwide! See the additional social channels, including chapters here.

Engage with Forever Buffs on Facebook ,Twitter, YouTube and pin them on Pinterest.

CSO
CSO is a unique online service that provides information on Career Services, events, on campus interviews, an employer directory, and an exclusive job listing database specifically for CU students and alumni.   The employer directory consists of in depth information about all the companies and employers Career Services has ever worked with (that’s a lot!).  This resource gives you easier access to current information about relevant companies you may be interested in.  In addition, CSO lists over 1200 jobs catered specifically to CU-Boulder students and alumni. There are new job postings added every day and we encourage you to constantly be checking the site!

Other Services
- Mock interviews
- Resume critique and workshops
- Professional social media tips, critiques, and workshops
For more information about Career Services you can visit our website and additional alumni information. Call to make an appointment with Lea or any of the other counselors, and visit our office!

Career Services Office: C4C N352
Phone: 303-492-6541
Hours: 8am-7pm Monday-Thursday & 8am-5pm Friday
Summer Hours: 7:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday