When it comes to helping students embark on a career after graduation, Ohio State has many resources that do just that. And if you’re a skeptic who thinks that using a career services office on campus is not worth your while, read on.

Yonatan Necoechea used Career Services to find a successful job.

Yonatan Necoechea, who graduated from the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department in winter 2004, registered with career services and received many helpful hints on how to improve his resume. Shortly after, career services referred his resume to Lincoln Electric, a company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, where he now works.

“Through career services I was able to make contact with Lincoln Electric, a company that only hires graduates from certain universities,” Necoechea says. “I would have never had the chance to talk to them if it hadn’t been for career services”

Dick Conklin, director of staffing for Lincoln Electric, says there are three basic factors he looks for when examining a resume and if any of those aren’t satisfactory, then the resume doesn’t make the first cut. For Conklin, the three most important elements in a resume are an excellent grade-point-average (GPA), previous work experience in internships, co-ops or other projects, and demonstrated leadership skills, such as participation in a student organization.

Now that we have your attention, take a look at the different career services available for students at this university.

Arts and Sciences
http://career.asc.ohio-state.edu
The Career Services Office in the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences assists students with learning about their particular career fields, finding internships, and searching for employment after graduation.

To take full advantage of available resources, students in the Arts and Sciences should attend the career panels and employer information sessions that career services hosts. These events are geared toward all undergraduate students in the Arts and Sciences, but students often think they are just for seniors. Attending these sessions helps students learn about career fields and about employers who hire graduates with similar skills and interests, and it allows them to practice networking skills.

Business
http://fisher.osu.edu/services/career-services
This office’s mission is to help Fisher students be the best prepared job seekers. They accomplish this by providing assistance with resume writing, practice interviews, job search classes, one-on-one coaching, and FisherConnect, an online tool that provides job listings and on-campus interviewing opportunities.

Much of the preparation for a successful job search is organized through its Qualified Undergraduate Interview Candidate (QUIC) program. For a student to become a part of QUIC, they must first complete an on-line course teaching them about their services, policies, and basic job search skills, such as interviewing. Next, students need to schedule and pass a mock interview so they are eligible to participate in on-campus interviewing opportunities.

Education
http://www.coe.ohio-state.edu/placement
Most of the students who register with Education career services are from the College of Education; however, students from different departments who want to get into teaching careers are always welcomed.

Some of the benefits of registering with career services is the opportunity to attend some of the workshops offered, such as job transitioning, and to receive advice on adjusting to working outside of Ohio. Since there are around 350 recruiters in the database from all over the United States, students are encouraged to take positions outside Ohio, or outside their comfort zones. Also, there are advisors to counsel students in resume writing and in on-campus interviewing. Many school districts and companies come to campus and interview students in their field.

Engineering
http://career.eng.ohio-state.edu
Engineering career services offers a variety of resources, including very active on-campus interviewing, as well as resume referrals, mock interviews and help with resume writing.

The website is very comprehensive and has all the resources available for students and alumni in the College of Engineering. Students can look for a job 24 hours a day. There are different workshops on such subjects as interview skills, job search strategies and professional correspondence. The staff also assists with resume and cover-letter writing and with interview training.

To take advantage of all the resources available through career services, students need to visit their offices and ask questions.

Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
http://cfaes.osu.edu/current/undergrad/career.html
One of the advantages of registering with Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences is that students can register online to have access to the positions posted by employers and departments for internships, co-ops, full- and part-time jobs.

Another big advantage is having access to a list of contact persons from different companies so that students can contact a recruiter directly instead of going through a website. Joining career services is a great opportunity to network with companies, even if you are not currently looking for a job. It is good for companies to get to know you early, and know that you are interested in a position sometime in the future.

Career Fairs
Another important resource is the different career fairs that take place throughout the year. Some are geared at specific disciplines while others are more general. This is a great opportunity for students to be exposed to different opportunities, especially if they are unsure of what path their career is going to take.

An example of this is the Annual Career and Job Fair, which helps establish a connection between students and employers. This job fair is one of the largest in the region and is open to all students.

During the 33rd Annual Career and Job Fair, some of the recruiters said that besides looking for the technical skills needed to perform well in a job, employers seek candidates who are able to absorb information, analyze problems, make fact-based decisions and propose innovative solutions. In addition, company representatives were unanimous in stating that a good candidate is a good team player. So keep in mind that performing well as part of a team, as well as having good communication skills and respect for others, are essential assets in the marketplace.

John Blakely, a student in the International Business and Political Sciences Department who attended the fair, said: “I got to meet so many companies, all in one place; it is more people than I could have ever hoped to meet on my own.” His advice to students planning to attend a career fair is: “Talk to as many people and companies as you can.”

Students and recruiters interact during the 33rd Annual Career and Job Fair at OSU.