Five Services Provided by Your Career Center . . . and How to Use Them Drew C. Appleby, PhD (Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) You may not realize this, but part of your tuition is used to staff and maintain your college or university’s Career Center whose purpose is help you prepare for and enter the job market. It would be a real shame to waste this money by not taking advantage of what this office has to offer, especially if you are uncertain about your post-graduation future. The purpose of this poster is to bring your attention to the services that your Career Center offers and to provide you with advise about how to take advantage of these services to obtain the career of your choice. Career Fairs and On-Campus Interviews These might be large, semi-annual events scheduled months in advance, or they could be small, almost pop-up sessions with a single employer. To ensure you don’t miss any opportunities, sign up for electronic alerts and stay in touch with your career advisor throughout the year. Internships Almost all schools offer at least a basic internship matching program. The sooner you connect with your Career Center, the better, as some of these opportunities are competitive. Even without a formal program in place, it’s reasonable to ask your school for help in landing an internship for the summer after graduation. This can be an especially good strategy if you think your job search won’t produce an offer by graduation. Mentor or Alumni Matching Programs Even if your school doesn’t have a formal matching program, they should be able to link you with others in an occupation you would like to explore. Your goal in accessing this help is to jumpstart your networking while gaining helpful tips for entering and succeeding in your career. Job Matching, Job Leads, Direct Placement Depending on your program, you may find that your Career Center is able to link you directly to employers seeking candidates. The best way to receive this assistance is to make your goals known and check in often. Not all of these matches are made formally, so sometimes the student who is best known is the one recommended to employers who call. Job Search Preparation Strategies Such as Interview Practice, Resume Development, and Hidden Market Strategies In some schools, you can’t miss these offerings because they are bundled into required classes. Even so, it pays to access all the advice you can. Preparing your cover letter, resume, and LinkedIn bio early will make it easier to respond to last-minute opportunities, and participating in practice interview sessions will give you the confidence needed to succeed. This poster is a modified version of an article titled Make Use of Your College Career Center’s Services by Amy Lindgren that appeared in the March 6, 2016 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.