How Career Services Has Helped Me

By Kelsey McWilliams, Marketing Intern at CU-Boulder Career Services

I’ve been interested in Career Services since I first came to Boulder as a freshman. With two past internships under my belt I knew Career Services would be a great resource to help me critique my cover letter and resume as well as find jobs and internships. What I didn’t know was just how involved I would become with Career Services.

The first time I visited the Career Services office in the Center for Community (N352) was at the beginning of my freshman year when I was already thinking about internships. I scheduled an appointment with a career counselor and brought in my resume and cover letter for them to critique. I took their advice, updated my resume and got a summer internship with Smashbox Cosmetics with the help of the Career Services office.

The best thing I learned from this experience is that Career Services helps students with jobs and internships all across the country. If you live out of state it’s not necessary to stay in Boulder or Denver over the summer in order to find a job or internship. I was looking to work in Los Angeles the summer after my freshman year. Career Services helped me prepare to find an internship with Smashbox Cosmetics, a deluxe beauty brand in Culver City, California.

I am currently the Marketing Student Assistant for Career Services here at CU-Boulder. Career Services Online (CSO) is the FREE jobs/internships/career events database for CU-Boulder students and alumni that helped me land this job. After signing up for CSO as a freshman, I began receiving newsletters called, “Careers in the Buff” or “CITB.” CITB is a weekly compilation of career-related events and services provided by or sponsored by CU-Boulder Career Services. There are also interesting jobs and internships listed in there weekly.

I saw a job posting in CITB one week for a Career Services Brand Ambassador. This sounded like a great opportunity to work on campus and earn some money, so I decided to apply and got the job. I started in August 2011 by beginning to market and promote the Fall Career and Internship Fair. I also wrote press releases, edited articles, and helped with outreach to various CU student groups. This was a great experience because it allowed me to see inside Career Services and truly appreciate how much I could gain from the office.

After several months I was promoted to my current position, Career Services Marketing Student Assistant. My job includes writing and editing press releases and the Career Services blog, designing marketing collateral with Adobe Illustrator, social media marketing, and creating each week’s Careers in the Buff newsletter.

Working at Career Services has increased my knowledge in marketing, social media, and public relations. Being on the inside has shown me how much this office has to offer students at Boulder, and I encourage all of you to take advantage of their free services.

If you need help with your resume, attend one of our “Resumes That Rock” events with Career Services’ Peer Career Advisors (PCAs). If you’re looking for a job or internship, sign up for CSO and browse the 10,000+ employers who frequently post jobs on the site. If you’re preparing for an interview, come do a mock interview and see yourself on film. There are so many services that Career Services offers, you’ll be glad you came in for a visit.