It is not too late to register with Career Services

Finding your way through the many systems,
policies and procedures on your way to graduation can sometimes seem
overwhelming. Career Services is just one of the many offices here to
help.
Students have many questions and in this article,
we have attempted to provide answers to some of those most commonly
asked. After you read the information, I would suggest you call our
office at (517) 774-3068 to schedule an appointment with your career
adviser. It could be the first step toward a successful job search and
a great career.

Question: I am graduating in
May and have not had time to register with Career Services. Is it too
late to get any benefit from completing the process now?
Answer: Absolutely NOT!! In fact, this year
registering with Career Services has been made easier than ever. Most
students have a resume’ on Word97 (IBM compatible) so they are half way
there already. Come in to or call our office to get started.
One of the major benefits for ALL STUDENTS, regardless
of major, is our employer referral database. Our office receives a large
number of requests from employers who are unable to come to campus to
recruit. They need all types of majors for open positions and ask for
resume’s from our database.
This services is heavily used by school districts
from now until the end of Sept. Even though you maybe at home enjoying
the sun, if your resume’ is in our database, it is still working very
hard for you by participating in our resume’ referral system.

Question: I want to get a subscription
to the Job Vacancy Bulletin and my roommate told me it was free. Is
that right?
Answer: Your roommate is right, but there
are some things that you need to do first in order to get the Vacancy
Bulletin for free and those things are:

• Register with Career Services by completing the
  registration component and then upload your Word97 (IBM compatible)
  rsume’ onto the WEB (easy to follow instructions are available in
  Career Services, Bovee UC 215;
• Complete the Job Vacancy Bulletin request form
  and turn in to Career Services;
• Be receiving your first bachelor’s degree from
  CMU.

Question: I have just finished
the entire registration process and am really hoping to get an interview
with a school district as a result of this. My friend said that I was
just dreaming – schools don’t recruit like that! Is he right or am I?
Answer: This one you win. School districts
use the referral process extensively during the peak recruiting months.
However, they are just one of the many types of companies/organizations
that choose to use our service.
Often times factors beyond a district’s control make
time a critical factor. Settlement of contracts, increased students
in the district and staff requirements are reasons they call our office
and request resume’s from our database.
They have no time to wait for a listing to appear
in the Bulletin. You may be the best teacher in the world, but if you
are not in our database, the school district will never know about you
and it is a good possibility that you will never hear of the many jobs
that are available.

Question: I am interested in
looking for an internship, but my roommate tells me that I am way too
late. Is he right?
Answer: It is never too late to get started.
True, you may have missed some opportunities but late is better than
never. In fact, there are some very good companies still looking for
interns. New opportunities are being added daily to our Internship web
site. You can get to that location by entering the following web address:
www.careers.cmich.edu.
To get more information, you may want to make an appointment with Scott
Mertes in the Career Services office. Remember, it is never too late
but often the hardest step is the first one.

Question: How will companies
I know that I am still looking for a job after I graduate and what do
I do when I finally get one?
Answer: You just need to make sure that your
current address and phone number is correct in the demographic/registration
portion of your registration materials. Also, make the changes on your
resume’ and upload a current one. When you get a job and you don’t want
other companies to continue contacting you, complete a blue form that
lets us know that you are employed.

Nancy Benaske is coordinator of
office operations in the Career Services office.