Jobs are in high demand among college students, however many of the high paying, specialized jobs that students want require intensive investigation and time to acquire the skills necessary to secure them. Simply stated, students are in need of an advocate to help them along in their search for a job or even an internship.
An underutilized spot on campus that specializes in this exact area is the Brickley Center. Reputable for its counseling and healthcare services, Brickley also provides career services, in addition to organizing job fairs.
The job fairs are usually hosted on the last Thursday in February and have been held every year since 2009, with the exception of 2015. Approximately 100 different companies and organizations looking to hire new employees or interns are invited to participate at the job fair. Job opportunities range from Eliot Community Human Services to Northwestern Mutual, and students can generally find career opportunities in their field of study or interest.
The number of companies present at the event also depends on various economic factors, but some students will not find exactly what they are looking for at the job fair, and this is where career services steps in.
Assistant Director of the Career Center Krista Bogertman is in charge of the college’s career services. Students can meet with Bogertman to learn about career opportunities, or they can check out the career services page on the ENC website, found here: www.enc.edu/career-services/. There they can find links dedicated to “Job and Internship Postings” as well as answers to questions like: “What can I do with this major?”
Bogertman says that the majority of students she helps are either freshmen or seniors, but she does help those in between freshman and senior years through internship opportunities.
“The biggest service I offer is personalized resume creation, which can be tailored to specific job types,” says Bogertman.
The clearest advice she can give to students is “don’t be intimidated, and be proactive” when hunting for a job, as it usually takes three to four months to find a job that one wants. With career services available on campus, students should utilize them not just at the beginning of their college career, but throughout.