Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Get to know the University Career Center

The Career Center offers assistance to students from the time they set foot on campus and even past the point of graduation. There are many benefits students can expect to gain from a visit to the Career Center. Support is given throughout the development of each student’s own career action plan and decision-making process. The Career Center also offers practice to students who need to sharpen their interviewing and networking skills as well as guidance on how to write a résumé, how to stand out among applicants, where to find networking opportunities and how to connect with the “world of work.”

For underclassmen, the Career Center provides assistance in exploring careers, support in choosing a major and assistance with employment, such as work study, part-time and both on- and off-campus jobs.

Some of the services the Career Center offers are appointments, workshops, events, fairs, expos, mentors, group mock interviews, guest speaker seminars, employer informational events, on-campus interviews and a personal career planning elective course. This gives each student the opportunity to explore his or her interests and obtain guidance and inspiration to pursue his or her career goals.

Karen Ivy, assistant director of student services of the University Career Center says, “For all of our students, we recommend many different ways to network with professionals in their field(s) of interest. Most definitely, internships are a wonderful way to do this as well as joining professional organizations, conferences and doing informational interviews.”

The University Career Center is included in all students’ tuition and fees. It is essential that they make sure to utilize this asset and put their services fully towards the benefit of each student by teaching them successful strategies for job search and career development.

A great place to start your job search is through the Career Center’s Rowdy Jobs network. Monthly, this system lists new part-time and full-time jobs, as well as paid and unpaid internships. You can access this online through the Career Center website. Additionally, Rowdy Jobs has information regarding fairs, workshops, employer information sessions, table recruiting, expos and on-campus interviews with various employers and mentors. This allows students to conveniently have access to key information and know exactly what opportunities are available to them, which will better service each student as they pursue his or her career goals.

“The benefit to using this system is that we have built a relationship with these companies, and they, in turn, are interested specifically in UTSA students. They see the value of the education provided at this university,” Ivy says.

Another valuable service provided through the Career Center is the On-Campus Recruiting Sessions. This gives students the opportunity to engage directly with employers working in various fields of interest. This also provides the potential for students to reach out to employers for future employment opportunities.

When attending on-campus recruiting sessions, Ivy advises, “it is typically in a student’s best interest to dress the part if they want the job as well as bring a copy of the resume. It is also a great idea to research the company or organization before [going], so that you can ask informed questions and show that employer how invested you already are in them.”

If you have the skills and qualifications but lack professional attire, check out the Career Closet. This allows students to select from an assortment of men’s and women’s suits to check out for free for one week. If you are interested in this service, stop by the office during business hours to see what is available. The Career Center requires that students dry-clean their checked-out items before returning them.

Student success stories happen every day through the Career Center. Visit hireroadrunner.blogspot.com to read about each student’s accomplishments and his or her overall positive experience with the Career Center, and visit utsa.edu/careercenter for other important information.

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