Using the Career Center, Part II

The last time I wrote about the Career Center, I mentioned that I had met with a counselor to try to figure out what career path I might follow in the near future.  Today, I'm writing a follow-up post about one of the other services the Career Center offers UNC Asheville students:assistance finding jobs while attending school.  

The Case for On-Campus Jobs

The pressure to find employment can be stressful to students who need (or want) to work and study during their college experience.  Although Asheville is teeming with restaurants and coffee shops, the competition is tough, and not everyone is going to be able to land this kind of job.  There is, of course, the Asheville Mall, whose stores employ a good number of UNC Asheville students, but not everyone has the transportation resources to get there.  Freshman are not allowed cars, and so would have to take the bus, walk, or travel by bicycle to a job off campus, and in my opinion, working on school grounds is a lot more convenient and flexible a form of employment anyway.  This is where the Career Center's awesome job and internship board comes into play.

Although students can physically go to various campus employers to find work (library, fitness center, etc), and fill out job applications, it's also very easy to go online to accomplish the same task.  The Career Center's online job posting board allows students a convenient way to find jobs and internship opportunities offered on campus.  Two years ago, I read a job posting on this website that caught my attention, filled out the application, and got an interview.  Now I am writing this blog.  Rather an easy and convenient way to find a job on campus, don't you think? At my previous school, which is a bit larger than UNC Asheville, the online forum for on-campus jobs was rarely updated, I spent a great deal of effort searching for jobs on campus, and was rewarded after several months.  In contrast, the UNC Asheville career website allowed me to quickly and efficiently find a job that fit my abilities and interests.  


Now, although I am clearly an advocate for employment on campus, I also have several jobs outside of my campus involvement, and know that it is unrealistic for everyone to expect to find work on-campus.  This is where the website makes itself even more valuable: it offers community employers the chance to post openings that might include working retail or range from less "formal" employment (community members post opportunities to babysit, tutor, or help with yard work or house cleaning.)  Because the Career Center approves each of these postings, students can feel safe contacting a perspective employer, a big bonus in internet job hunting.  


The Career Center is such a useful resource for students who are hoping to find employment on and off campus during their college experience.  When I step into their office, or use their online job posting system, I feel the advantage of attending a small institution: job listings are updated and regularly maintained, which allows students to search for jobs from the comfort of their favorite residence hall common room, library study area, or campus cafe.  Just because you might think the word "career" implies real-life, long-term employment, don't discount the Career Center and its many resources in your search for a job.  Give it a try; I'm sure that like me and many of my friends, you'll be happy with the end result.