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Students look to the Career Development Center for answers How can students
navigate their way? How can they prepare for a career that will be just
right for them? And how can they pinpoint possible employers and present
themselves as strong candidates for the position they want?
The CDC does this not only by helping students to develop and master basic job search materials and skills, but also by designing programs that are responsive to students' interests and needs, programs that are inspiring as well as informative, and programs that expose students to whole new worlds of career possibilities. And because the CDC makes a point of providing students with the opportunity to meet and talk to alumni and other professionals at these programs, students are able to explore and envision careers that captivate and capitalize on their interests.
Tap Your Passion is just one of more than 110 career-related programs and special events produced by the CDC that garner more than 11,000 student contacts each year. Other programs range from the annual Employer Fair and Graduate School Fair to Dynamite Resumes and Cover Letters, Careers for Liberal Arts Majors, and programs geared to students interested in the legal profession, teaching, nursing and more. For a more complete listing of the many programs held this year, go to Programs and Special Events. "Our mission is not just to help students find jobs, but to help students along the whole spectrum of career exploration and development," said CDC Director Nancy Paul. Moving
with the times: Bringing students to employers The downturn in the economy has changed the way employers do recruitment, said CDC Associate Director Bill McCarthy, who oversees employer and alumni-related programs. "In the '90s, when the economy was super-heated, recruiters came to campus," said McCarthy. "When the economy went down, they entrenched and stopped doing much recruitment." "Now, they like students to come to them," added Paul. So that's just what the CDC is doing. In September, McCarthy took more than 20 students to visit Goldman Sachs in New York City for a panel presentation by the company's human resources manager and other managers from different divisions, plus several smaller breakout sessions. "We joined with other students from the metro New York area," said McCarthy. In fact, BU was the only institution of higher education from outside metro New York that attended.
Students were required to submit their resumes and attend an information session prior to the visits. At that session, McCarthy gave what he calls his "substance and polish" talk: He outlined what would be expected of students, including appropriate attire and basic pointers regarding how to present oneself, such as how to introduce oneself and how to shake hands. Students are not only appreciative of such etiquette tips, they actively seek them out, noted Paul. "Students aren't confident of their social skills," Paul said. "The know they need polish, and they want it." In March, the EOP program held a small "etiquette lunch" at which both Paul and Joe Laskaris, catering manager for Sodexho Campus Services, spoke. Laskaris provided dining etiquette tips, while Paul focused on appropriate attire (for example, what "business casual" means), introductions and how to make conversation. She was so well received that she has since been asked to present the same talk for a presentation hosted jointly by the Bert Mitchell Minority Management Organization, the Students of Color Support Center and the Black Student Union. "We love it when students make requests and give us ideas for programs," said Paul
Alumni Career Network Binghamton's new Online Alumni Career Network , a searchable database that just went live in February, already boasts more than 2,600 Binghamton alumni who have volunteered to be contacted by students and alumni regarding career information. "We want alumni who are doing what they love and want to share," Paul said. "Please sign up! Remember what it was like when you were a student about to make the transition to the working world. You won't get bombarded; you can put parameters on how many students can contact you." Students contact you only in the manner that you prefer, she added, plus you can inactivate your Career Network Volunteer status at any time and reactivate it with the click of a button. "It's the best tool, an incredible resource," Paul said. "Every student I've shown it to says, 'Wow!' And they love it that they can use it in their own dorm rooms 24/7."
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Where do I go from here?
For
example, in February the CDC presented Tap Your Passion, a week-long series
of presentations, panel discussions and forums designed to enable students
to "explore careers that make the world a better place." (see 
