No one likes the idea of being broke, thus we pursue education so as to provide a means for us not to be broke. I am quite certain that most people reading this are students who are either attending college with an end goal of beginning a successful career that provides them with satisfaction or, students that are part-timers looking for a more flexible schedule. The process of selecting a major, a career track or even job hunting can be quite daunting. A lot of students usually get overwhelmed because they don’t know where to start. Hunter College is not only committed to delivering high quality education to its students, but it has also dedicated an entire department towards ensuring a student’s success post-graduation. That department, namely the Hunter College Career Services Department, devotes itself to helping students gain a job which can either be part-time at the school or full-time after graduation with reputable companies. It also helps students who are undecided to explore and choose a major that aligns with their personal attributes, guides students on how to plan their career track, provides coaching on how to prep for internships and interviews and even helps students build a resume from scratch. The Hunter College Career Services department can shed light on any aspect of the planning or building your career process, regardless of a student’s background.
The Hunter College Career services department has their resources well packaged via their online website. Accessing their website was quite easy. You can locate it either through the Hunter College website or simply by googling Hunter College Career Centre/Service. Their website contains additional contact information such as their direct address, telephone number and email address. However, the website failed to highlight the department’s social media presence. The department also has an Instagram account which is only made known through orientations, in person meetings or brochures. This account, which has amassed a substantial following, is where the department would post some of its job postings, career events, tips and tricks for career planning and much more. Though the department’s website and social media platform are quite informative I also found it quite helpful to actually visit the department. The department can be visited by appointments that can be easily made through the student’s app Navigate, or via the hyperlink on the department’s website.
As mentioned above, the career services department presents their resources quite efficiently through their webpage. Upon visiting their website you’d be greeted with weblinks and videos that could answer a range of questions you may have, regardless of whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned career hunter. The website provides links for students to access jobs or internships via their app Handshake. It also provides links to inform students of upcoming career fairs along with links to resources and templates that could help guide students in the process of creating or editing their resume’s. Not sure on a major? The website also provides a link to the Focus 2 assessment which helps students to select a major or career based on their interest, skills, personal traits and values. The website also supplies students with brief but informative descriptions of the different career tracks one could choose, along with links to resources that students could use to become more engaged with whichever career track they choose. Along with all these useful links the website even provides a four-year plan which students could follow in order to help them properly make use of their abundant resources and develop their career.
Though the department’s webpage serves to be quite useful I also found it worthwhile visiting the department and having a meeting with a career counsellor. As previously mentioned, using Navigate I was easily able to set up this appointment. The meeting lasted for 30 minutes. The meeting consisted of the counsellor questioning me regarding my interests, talents, values, educational background and so forth. After a bit of getting to know me, the counselor was able to advise me on the resources I should be aware of and using, the goals I should be setting regarding my academic studies and even advised me on the current state of the job market and the skills employers are looking for. The counselor stressed the importance of making use of their internship programs to build necessary experience and to also attend career fairs which provides us with a great opportunity to network ourselves with other companies and build key connections with other students, alumni and other reputable company personnel. The counselor made me aware of the fact that I can set up appointments to do mock interviews and pointed out that our next meeting would entail setting up a professional LinkedIn account for me as well as start building on a resume. Since I’m a part-time working student I also inquired about the school’s part-time jobs for its students to which the counselor responded that there are always available jobs for students’ year-round, regardless of experience. The department is quite flexible with the hours and work schedules given to students as they very well understand how hectic a student’s schedule can get. The counselor and even the department heavily emphasize the usage of their app, Handshake, in order to apply for jobs and be notified of internships and career events. It is quite easy to download and set up. The app provides a personalized feed of job market news, job postings, internships, career events, and much more. I was absolutely satisfied with the information provided to me and would definitely be making many more appointments in the future.
Wrapping up this discussion I’d say that the Hunter College Career Services department is essential for every student to make use of, especially since the service wouldn’t cost you anything. The department can make quite an impact on the development of your career and could definitely expedite the process of a student landing their first job. The career services department can be tailored for the use of a student coming from any background, so I do urge you to take full advantage of your resources and pave a successful career path for yourself.
Citation:
Hunter College, Hunter College Career Centre, Accessed on 10/03/2023,https://hunter.cuny.edu/students/career-center/
