For many students, the transition into the working world can be both challenging and confusing. With the economy slowly recovering from the economic downturn, students of all levels are seeking new ways to gain an edge in a competitive job market.
For this reason, the Creighton Career Center held Career Cram Sessions in order to give students some tips on how to be both successful and efficient in their job search.
Senior Director of the Career Center Jim Bretl decided to host this event because he felt “students needed it.”
“We host five [Career Cram Sessions] at the beginning of every semester because we think students really need to get [their job search] launched, and a lot of students don’t know where to start,” Bretl said.
During the Career Cram Session, Bretl provided attendees with information about today’s most prominent job markets, common mistakes students make when searching for jobs and how to overcome these mistakes.
In order to be successful in finding a job, Bretl encouraged attendees to spend a bit more time navigating the “hidden job market” as more people are getting jobs through referrals and asking around than through applying for highly publicized jobs posted online.
“You can’t just apply for jobs based on online openings anymore,” Bretl said. “You really have to get in there and get referred and call people you might want to work for.”
Bretl feels it is most important for students to know that the job search is a “process” consisting of little experiences that ultimately help to develop future careers. He also emphasized the fact that students must begin familiarizing themselves with the job market as soon as possible in order to have a series of worthwhile jobs that eventually translate into a successful career.
“We need to reach people at an earlier age because internships are just beginning to become more and more important in building careers,” Bretl said. “It’s not just about the senior walking in when they’re getting ready to graduate, students have to do it all four years now.”
Arts & Sciences senior Katie Kastl was one attendee at the Career Cram Session. Kastl decided to attend this event because she wanted to receive some quick tips on how to improve her job search.
“Since I’m a senior, I’m starting to get really serious about my job search,” Kastl said. “I thought [the Career Cram Session] would be a great 30 minute session on how to start.”
Kastl found this event to be very beneficial because it opened her eyes to several different ways to go about obtaining a job that she had never considered before.
Kastl also found the information discussed at the Career Cram Session to be very informative and would recommend that students attend at least one session before they graduate.
As an education major soon to receive her degree, Kastl found Bretl’s recommendation about using referrals to find jobs to be most applicable to her job search.
“I know a lot of teachers, so I will start emailing and calling them to ask if they know if a position is opening up or if they can put a good word in for me with the principal,” Kastl said.
For more information on the Career Cram Session and the Career Center, please log on to: www.creighton.edu/careercenter.