The search for jobs and internships is in full swing, and thousands of students are looking for positions — many through the University Career Center.
The Career Center assists over a third of students during their time at the University, said Everette Fortner, University associate vice president of career and professional development. It does so through a variety of services, including individualized meetings, office hours, public events and on-Grounds interviewing.
Personalized meetings tend to be the most common form of help that students seek as they allow for specialized service.
“Every student’s needs are a little different, and students expect and deserve customized solutions to their career needs,” he said in an email statement.
More than 1,000 students have come in for appointments this year. Those that have attended individual meetings have been roughly 30 percent fourth, 25 percent third, 25 percent second and 20 percent first years.
Most of the students who attend the Career Center wind up leaving satisfied, Fortner said, no matter what stage they are at in their search.
“I think the big hurdle is just to come — most students don’t even know what they would do if they came in for an appointment,” Fortner said. “Our goal is to meet the student where they are. Our counselors are really good at getting students started no matter where they are.”
Many of the students that counselors see are stressed, especially those currently undergoing the on-Grounds interviewing process.
“They’re on edge — they’re so focused on these new companies that come on-Grounds,” Fortner said. “When it’s an on-Grounds interviewing situation, it’s a make-or-break opportunity for them to go for one or two particular companies.”
However, this growing interview trend has helped hundreds of students find positions across disciplines, he said. Stress is not limited to those students doing on-Grounds interviews.
Fourth-year College student Graham Rockwood said it was tough not to be stressed as he tried to juggle school, looking for a job and his current work. He said he is looking for jobs in any statistic-related field, which he realizes is probably the case with most statistics majors.
“When you go into a stat class, you’ll often sit with people who are talking about where they’re interviewing, where they’re applying, what job offers they’ve gotten,” he said. “And that definitely adds to the stress level of it all because we’re all looking in the same areas.”
Second-year College student Sierra Teate is looking for research-affiliated jobs in the fields of cognitive science and psychology. She said she has been through a few interviews.
“I know some of my friends are working two work-study jobs at the moment. So applying for these jobs, getting in, having to work all these hours along with studying, is really stressful,” she said.
Anna Pollard contributed to reporting.
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