As the fall semester comes to a close and December graduation approaches, many students have jobs on their minds. YFor many, the top concerns may be résumés and interviews, or even just making connections.
One thing is for sure, looking for that first job for after graduation can be overwhelming.
Whether you’re looking to stay in Dallas or go out of state, students unsure of how to embark on their career path should visit SMU’s Hegi Family Career Development Center located in Hughes-Trigg Student Center.
The Career Center’s recruiting and job search program includes full-time positions, internship opportunities, part-time jobs and summer jobs.
SMU’s top recruiting employers include Deloitte Consulting, Ernst & Young, Frito Lay, JP Morgan Chase, KPMG, Southwest Airlines and Teach for America, just to name a few.
Students may visit the Career Center’s website to research jobs, companies and salaries.
The Career Center offers students help with everything from career planning to résumés and interview preparation, as well as assessments.The three different assessments provided at the Career Center are the Strong Interest Inventory, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and MyPlan.
“There’s a whole host of things. You can start out as a freshman, you can come in and take an assessment called MyPlan, which helps you figure out what your interests are, your strengths, it’s a whole program that actually helps narrow down where your interests lie,” Alicia Love, a graduate assistant at the center, said.
Once you have decided on a career path, whether it is investment banking, teaching or pursuing a career in acting, you can then narrow down your job search by choosing what city to live in.
SMU finance major Kelci Thomasco goes to the Cox Career Management Center for help with job searches. Thomasco anticipates graduating in December and is searching for jobs in Texas and New York.
“The Cox Career Center has helped me set up at least four interviews with companies in Houston and Dallas,” she said. “MustangTRAK makes it a lot easier to make connections with companies in the Dallas area too.”
MustangTRAK is a job search engine that helps students search for full-time jobs, part-time jobs, and internships, on-campus interviewing and volunteer opportunities.
Students may also turn to online job search sites such as Monster, LinkedIn, CareerBuilder and HotJobs to make connections and set up interviews.
Economics major Phil Friis graduated from SMU in August. Friis set up interviews and got a job working for Real Energy Solutions in Dallas within two weeks using Monster.com.
“I created a Monster profile, made a résumé, and then received emails from recruiters in the Dallas area,” he said. “From there I set up interviews with various companies and was able to land a job here.”
Even though the job market may not be in the best shape right now, there are plenty of resources available to students both on campus and online. These services look to help students actively network and ultimately become employed.
The Hegi Family Career Development Center’s hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit smu.edu/career.
