Whether you're looking for a quick résumé critique, want some information on career counseling and major exploration, and/or are interested in preparing for professional or graduate school, you can come in to meet with a Career Development professional.

Learn more about how we can help!

Ongoing Workshop Series Coming this Summer

Professional & Graduate School Planning Workshop Series

Career Success Workshop Series

Complete Calendar of Events

1. Go to the JOBS webpage & add it to your favorites.

2. Select "Login for Students"

3. If you are a new student and aren't sure about your NetID, then view the online video available on the login page. To create a New account, select "New Users Register Here" and enter your NetID.  Your password to access Career Navigator will be EMAILED to you shortly.

4. Login (your email address is your password and  and select the red link entitled "Search Jobs On & Off Campus".

5. Sort jobs by POSITION TYPE!

Help Us Help You!

1. Working in Career Development
2. Take This Job and Use It
3. Do you want to go to a Party – Third Party, That is?
4. Do You Know Where You're Going And How You Will Get There?
5. Employers Give Us Their Opinion!
6. Is Professional or Graduate School in Your Future?

A Student Employee's Perspective by Rugieyatu Bhonopha

My experience working for Career Development has been great. Using the resources of the career counselors has made me well prepared in getting ready to enter the work force. I have been able to write a resume that shows my qualifications of working in this office and having the self-confidence walking into an interview and presenting myself. I feel good that with working for Career Development it will make it possible to get a good job, combined with the education that I have received from the University of Nevada, Reno. For the past two and a half years that I have been an employee of Career Development, I have been able to see the positive effect of the career fairs, and what it brings to the students of UNR. Working for Career Development, I have learned great customer skills, answering phone skills, working with employers, students and being able to multitask. Career Development has been a second family to me and there is no other on-campus job that I would rather have. I loved working for Career Development! Everyone has truly made a great difference in my life and in making me who I am today. THANK YOU!

Rugieyatu graduates this May 2008 with a Bachelor of Art degree in Social Work.
Congrats Rugie!

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By Abby Kitchin, Graduate Assistant

The weather is warming up, classes are over for the semester, and you may have a little more free time on your hands. What are you planning to do with your new found freedom? Are you starting a new job or internship, adding extra hours to your current job, volunteering somewhere locally, traveling, or sitting at home perfecting your musical abilities on Guitar Hero? As you start to think about life after college (scary and exciting, I know) I recommend taking advantage of your time this summer. Each of these activities has the potential to have a great impact on your future. You just have to know how to take advantage of these opportunities.

How you ask? Well, what is the first thing you do when you apply for a job? That's right, you turn in a resume or application. And that document is filled with all of your experiences. So why not make the most of those experiences right now? Start to develop the skills you will need for your future career through your current work and extracurricular experiences.

When you apply for future jobs employers will be looking for the "soft" or "transferable" skills you have that are relevant to the jobs you are applying for. These include communication skills, intercultural competency, leadership, teamwork, time management, flexibility/adaptability, and the ability to be supervised and trained.

You can begin to develop many of these skills in some of the most basic summer jobs and activities:

Are you working in retail or food service? Look for ways to develop customer service skills and improve your communication. Take advantage of opportunities to take on more responsibility or get additional training. Look for opportunities to develop leadership skills.

Are you working as a lifeguard, camp counselor, or coach? Think about how you are developing your interpersonal skills, teamwork skills, and personal responsibility. Your daily interactions with the public, your supervisors, and fellow employers are prime opportunities to not only develop skills, but think about the type of people you want to work with (or not work with) in the future.

Are you doing administrative work in an office? Work on your ability to interact in a professional environment. Develop your time management skills. Look for opportunities to learn from those who have been working in the field for several years. Build on your oral and written communication skills. Think about how ethics play into your daily work.

Are you working construction or another hands-on/outdoors type of job? Develop teamwork skills. Take opportunities to interact with your supervisor and gain additional training. Take on additional responsibilities and set yourself apart from the crowd. Think about whether you want to work in this kind of physical environment in the future. Does it leave you with a feeling of freedom or simply exhausted?

Are you traveling to a foreign country? Look for opportunities to learn about and take part in the local culture. How do the types of jobs you are interested in look like in a different culture? Do you want to be a teacher? Find out what their education system looks like. Do you want to work in marketing? Take notice of the local advertising and how it differs from what you have seen in the U.S.. Do you want to work in science, history, music, art, or anthropology? Look for museums that match your interests. (Who knows, maybe you'll come back to this country one day to work or study.)

You can take advantage of these same things while traveling the U.S. as well.

Are you interested in government work? Visit a state capital or legislative building. And while you are busy doing all of this exploring make sure to stop and talk to people along the way. Ask them what they like and do not like about their job. Ask if you can even shadow someone for a day and really get the feel of what it would be like to be in their shoes. All of these practices lead to increased intercultural competency, interpersonal skills, and your knowledge of the world of work.

Every job and travel experience provides opportunities to grow and develop. Sometimes you have to seek them out and sometimes they are right in front of you. You just have to have your eyes open and know what to look for. No matter where you are working, take time to get to know your boss and the people with whom you are working. Networking plays a huge role in finding jobs and these people may be the contacts you need or have the connections you are looking for. 75% of jobs are found through this "hidden" job market. So get off the couch, put down the plastic guitar, and take advantage of all the summer has to offer. You might be surprised at the opportunities that are out there waiting for you.

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A Student's Guide to Interviewing With Third-Party Recruiters

As you conduct your job search, you will find that some employers hire third-party organizations to assist them in identifying and hiring college students. An employer can hire a third-party organization to do on-campus recruiting, represent the company at a career fair, screen job candidates who apply through an Internet web site, or other hiring activities. Many college career centers allow third-party recruiters to work with students through their offices. Some have special policies that apply to how, when, and where third-party recruiters can work with students. Career Development at the University of Nevada, Reno has an established policy regarding Third-Party recruiting on the University of Nevada, Reno campus (Refer to UNR's Career Development policy on third-party recruiters at: http://www.unr.edu/career/employers/policies.aspx).

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) defines third-party recruiters as "agencies, organizations, or individuals recruiting candidates for temporary, part-time, or full-time employment opportunities other than for their own needs." Categories of third-party recruiters include:

1. Employment Agencies - Organizations that list positions for a number of client organizations and receive payment when a referred candidate is hired. The fee for listing a position is paid either by the firm listing the opening (fee paid) or by the candidate who is hired.
2. Search Firms-Organizations - that contract with clients to find and screen qualified persons to fill specific positions. The fees for this service are paid by the clients.
3. Contract Recruiter - Organizations that contract with an employer to act as the employer's agent in the recruiting and employment function.
4. Online Job Posting or Resume Referral Services - For-profit or commercial organizations that collect data on job seekers and display job opportunities to which job seekers may apply. The data collected on job seekers are sent to prospective employers. Fees for using the services may exist for the employer, school, or job seeker.
5. Professional Associations - who recruit for their membership.

Questions to Ask

A third-party recruiter may be helpful to you in your job search, but be a wise consumer. Read all materials carefully. Ask questions. Ask Career Development office staff for information. Ask your parents to read any contracts you are asked to sign. Here are some general questions you may want to ask:

1. How many job openings are there for someone in my field? If you have the opportunity, inquire about the positions being filled or the number of openings related to your field. These are important questions because, in some instances, recruiters may not really have the type or number of openings they advertise. They may be more interested in adding your name to their candidate pool as a means of attracting more employers or clients to their services. Or, they may be collecting resumes from students for potential job opportunities. UNR's Career Development does not allow third-party recruiters to interview students unless they are trying to fill actual job openings.
2. How is this information being used? A third-party recruiter is allowed legally to share your resume with the contract employer for positions that you are actually seeking. The recruiter must tell you, in clear terms, that your materials and information will not be shared outside the organization or used for any purpose other than with the company they represent at the time they interview you. The third-party recruiter cannot sell your information to anyone else. You may choose to authorize the recruiter to share your data elsewhere, but your authorization should be given to the recruiter in writing.
3. Are candidates treated equally and fairly? If you are qualified for the job opportunity, the third-party recruiter must pass your information to employers without regard to your race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
4. Who pays the fee? As a student and an applicant, you should not pay any fees. Career Development does not endorse 3rd party recruiting firms who ask applicants to pay a fee.

For assistance with these questions or other related topics, contact Career Development between 8am and 5pm; Monday through Friday.

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If you were a Career Navigator registrant at the beginning of the spring semester, you may recall receiving information about a series of workshops designed to help 1st and 2nd year students who are undecided about their major, re-thinking their choice, or perhaps trying to confirm their current choice of major.

The Gaining Perspective Series (GPS) has now completed the "pilot" program offered during Wintermester and Spring semester's and has received rave reviews from student participants and career counselors alike. You may be interested in reading some of the feedback received from the students' evaluations of the series. If you like what you read, you might just consider the series for yourself!

Here is what the student participants had to say:

What they expected to learn:

• "A more clear idea about a career path and major"
• "A glimpse into what careers are available + figure out what I'm truly interested in"
• "Direction. Confidence in attaining goals. Options"
• "More direction & confirmation for my decision to be an English major"
• "A clearer idea of what I want to do with my life"

The most helpful component of the series was:

• "The assessments and explanations of results"
• "The tests and myth busting and online resource information"
• "The resources! I'm really excited to use some of the websites & think I learned a lot about myself"
• "Interest Inventory, but also just talking everything out"

Some of the narrative comments include:

• "Thank you so much. This made me feel comfortable about not settling for the life I want. I'm not so scared about the future"
• "I really enjoyed GPS and thought I got more out of it than I thought I would"
• "Thank you! I hope you keep doing these workshops"
• I'm really glad I did this and I'm excited to do some research & work with you more"

Additional evaluative data revealed that 100% of the students rated the series as very effective or extremely effective- it doesn't get much better than that!

The Career Development office is committed to continuing the GPS program this summer and in the fall. If you are a 1st or 2nd year student and think you too could benefit from participating in this series, please contact Brandis Bernard, Career Counselor, at bernard@unr.edu or call 784-4678. This may be just what you've been looking for!

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Over 150 employers attended the Spring 2008 Career and Internship Fairs! In the table below, you will find the average number of students who visited each table, the number of students each employer spoke with, as well as employers' estimations regarding potential hires following these Fairs:

The following charts reflect employers' level of satisfaction with the number of students attending the Fairs, and their satisfaction with student readiness. ALL employers declared themselves satisfied with student readiness, and half of them were either 'very' or 'extremely' satisfied!

Please check out the next issue of our Student Newsletter to learn how students evaluated their experience of the Spring 2008 Career and Internship Fairs.

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Preparing for graduate school requires planning and persistence, and we're here to help! Professional & Graduate School Planning is a centralized, "major neutral" program for all students interested in pursuing post-baccalaureate education. Our services include:

• Individual Advising Appointments: Students can meet with the PGSP counselor to discuss plans for graduate study, set up an action plan, and review details of the application process. To schedule an appointment, please call 775-784-4678.
  
  
• Walk-In Appointments: During summer '08 the PGSP counselor will have walk-in appointments Tuesdays, 9-11am. Sessions are 15 minutes in length and are intended for quick questions only.
  
  
• PGSP Workshops: Throughout the year, PGSP conducts workshops to assist students in the graduate/professional school application process. The schedule is available in our department in 200 Thompson or at http://www.unr.edu/career/students/pgsp_workshops.aspx
  
  
• Graduate/Professional School Resource Library: Located in Career Development, 200 Thompson, the Library contains books and catalogs to help students as they research graduate programs and admissions requirements in their field of interest. The books can be checked out by UNR students.
  
  
• Critique Services: Writing the personal statement is often one of the most challenging components of the application process. To assist in this endeavor, the PGSP counselor will review statements and provide feedback for students; resumes used for the graduate school application are also critiqued.
  
  
• Mock Interviews: Some graduate/professional programs require interviews as part of the application process. Students may schedule a mock interview to practice before the "real thing" and receive constructive feedback on their performance to help improve their interviewing skills. To set up a mock interview, please call us at 775-784-4678.
  
  
• Letters of Recommendation Service (LRS): We offer the LRS which stores, duplicates and submits your letters of recommendation to the schools to which you are applying. For more information about the service, contact our office or go to http://www.unr.edu/career/student/pgsp_lrs.aspx
  
  
• Professional & Graduate School Fair: Every September PGSP hosts the Professional & Graduate School Fair! Representatives from a wide variety of graduate and professional programs, such as the arts and sciences, law, business and health professions. For more information about the fair go to http://www.unr.edu/career/students/pgsp_fair.aspx
  
  

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