The job hunt starts now: learn to market your skills at Senior Open House
If finding a career is a three-step process, the Office of Career Services is ready to guide students every step of the way.
The Senior Open House, which will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, September 30, offers a low-key environment where seniors can learn about the programs available and begin thinking about the type of work they hope to do after graduation. Food will be served throughout the day, and several Career Services staffers will be on hand to offer assistance exploring the office’s library, Web site, and job listings.
“Sometimes I think the time goes by more quickly than students anticipate, and then it’s spring and they’re thinking, ‘What am I gonna do?’” says Deborah Halliday, the assistant director of Career Services. “This is a way to kick off the year, and get them thinking.”
A key part of the open house is the “three-step process room,” where career counselors will be available all day to explain how to get started on the three steps of finding a job. The first, Halliday says, is learning about an individual’s personal goals, skills, and motivation. The second is to find out about “what’s out there in the world of work,” she says, “and how you might best fit into one of those opportunities.” The third step is actually beginning the search process by creating a résumé and going on interviews.
Another space will be devoted to the office’s Web site and an explanation of how to navigate it. A résumé review center will also be open, and guided tours of the library — which contains information on work, study, and travel resources — will go on all day.
This year, a recruiter from Liberty Mutual will be available throughout the day to give students an insider’s view of the hiring process. “She’s here to speak with students from a recruiter’s perspective about what makes a good interview and what makes a good candidate,” Halliday says.
Career Services also has several new resources that will be available to students later this year, including a new Web site scheduled to debut later this semester and a new program called Perfect Interview, which consists of computerized interview simulations and grades the user’s performance.
Most Boston University undergraduates can access CareerLink, the office’s online job database; graduate, transfer, and Tulane University students can request access to CareerLink by calling the office at 617-353-3590.