Though it may be one of the more common questions college
students are first asked, the question of what they will do after
graduation is also probably one of the most terrifying.
The beginning of the last quarter of most seniors’ college
careers makes the question even more pressing. But guidance
counselors say not all hope is lost.
“Spring quarter is not too late,” said Kathy Sims,
director of the UCLA Career Center.
While the Career Center encourages students to begin planning
for life after graduation as early as their freshman year, it
offers many programs during spring quarter specially tailored for
the under-prepared graduating seniors.
One example is the Job Search Jump Start, which compresses five
Career Center workshops offered earlier in the year into one
three-hour seminar on how to write resumes, look for jobs, and act
in job interviews.
“(Jump Start acts to) hone the skills that students need
to best communicate with employers,” Sims said.
With six sessions offered for a discounted cost periodically
throughout the quarter, seniors are given many chances to learn the
skills they will need to get hired.
To put these skills to good use, the Career Center is hosting
the final career fair of the year, Bruin Roundup. More than 100
employers will gather in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom for four hours
of networking for students that have not yet secured a summer
position.
The Career Center Web site also has tips for how to prepare for
the job fair and links to information about most of the employers
that will be present at the event.
“Preparation is really a key,” said Albert Aubin,
Career Center counselor, adding that recruiters tend to be the most
impressed by applicants that have done research about the company
before their interviews.
The center also provides one-on-one counseling appointments
during which students can get their questions answered and
counselors can attempt to alleviate any confusion.
Programs offered earlier in the year, including Senior Night and
Interview with a Bruin, showed a large turnout of students that had
not necessarily attended any Career Center events before.
“I’m pretty behind, but it makes me feel better that
I’ve done a little something,” said Susie Caplan, a
fourth-year sociology student who attended one of the events.
Though these programs are generally geared toward graduating
seniors, and programs are even offered to alumni, counselors stress
that the earlier students begin preparing, the better for
individual counseling, workshops and general research.
While not all students will find the Career Center helpful, and
others have not quite explored all the options available,
counselors and students say it is important to remember that UCLA
offers many resources to prepare students for life after
graduation.
As Megan Chan, a fourth-year English student said, “People
will feel the benefits of a UCLA education if they use their time
wisely. But just sitting around and not participating in anything
on campus accomplishes nothing.”