University Career Services is located on the first floor of Student Service Center 1. | File Photo/The Cougar
Choosing a career can be difficult, with students having loans to pay off and a job lined up after four years of undergraduate study, but University Career Services can help students with their professional life.
For UH students who are unsure about what path to follow, or what steps to take to advance in their chosen field, UCS offers career selection, resume help and more.
“It’s absolutely vital,” said Monica Thompson, executive director of UCS. “I recommend all students start planning their freshman year. It’s never too early.”
What is University Career Services?
UCS is an on-campus service offered to UH students. It is designed to help students at every stage of the job search process. It identifies majors that are most suitable for individual skills and interests, and even a plan to map out what they can do during their time at UH.
UCS also sponsors and organizes all the career fairs on campus, as well as reaching out to employers and connecting them with UH students.
“We want to empower students and have them take control of their career development,” Thompson said. “Our greatest need here is having students be career-focused.”
What resources does UCS offer students?
UCS offers a variety of different resources for students in all stages of their academic journeys. It can help students unsure of what they want to study and require help choosing a major, but it can also help those who are about to graduate and need tips for interviews and negotiation tactics.
“Career Development is a lifelong process,” said Megan Akogyeram, a career counselor for the College of Liberal Arts and Social sciences students.
Students can just drop by, Akogyeram said, for anything from a job search to a resume critique.
For students who are undecided about their major, UCS offers vocational assessments to help them find what they are best suited for.
UCS even offers a “Career Closet,” where students can rent suits for career events and interviews.
All of the UCS programs and services can be found on Cougar Pathway.
What happens when I go to UCS?
When students arrive at UCS, they will have the opportunity to meet with multiple different counselors. Each counselor has a college or colleges they work with to help students. UCS has drop-in hours so students can come in at any time, Thompson said.
Counselors at UCS will then work with students for any number of career-related questions and issues. It also will help students create a game plan, Akogyeram said, in order to focus their studies on their future careers.
Why should I go?
“Students need to know how to find a job and how to market themselves,” Thompson said.
Thompson said that early career preparedness can lead to lifelong success and that UCS can provide that.
While both Thompson and Akogyeram agreed that thinking about a career early is important, they also said it is never too late to come into UCS.
“Any classification of student, we are going to add value to that student’s time here at UH,” Akogyeram said.
Thompson was proud to say that a good number of students were utilizing UCS, but wished that more students would come in for counseling.
“We obviously don’t see every student,” Akogyeram said. “But, we really wish that were the case.”
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“University Career Services helps students find their path” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar