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survival
guide
CDC helps students
land the perfect job
By DaMonique Sampson
Special to the On-line Forty-Niner
Nestled in a corner
on the second floor of Brotman Hall, the Career Development
Center is a facility that is available to current students
as well as those who have graduated from Cal State Long Beach.
Offering everything from internships to full-time off-campus
jobs, the center is in service exclusively for CSULB students.
Senior Ajah Herbert,
21, has never gotten a job through the CDC, but she's more
than willing to recommend the center to her fellow college
mates.
Herbert, a marketing
major and communications minor, is in her fourth and final
year at CSULB, and she says it was through the Student Orientation
and Registration program during the summer before her freshman
year, that she became familiar with the CDC.
"One of the
few things that I do remember about SOAR was that they mentioned
the services that the Career Development Center provides,"
Herbert said. "I thought it was interesting that there
was a place on campus that could help the students out with
job searches."
Through the use
of online databases, several binders that list various types
of jobs, resume writing workshops, job fairs and numerous
other services, the CDC is an essential tool for students
who wish to be employed while going to CSULB or even after
they have earned their degree.
Career Development
Center Intern Director Robin Lee estimates that every month
1,000 students use the services at the CDC. While finding
a job or internship may be the ultimate goal, just getting
familiar with the resources and job-finding techniques the
center has to offer may be the difference between being employed
or unemployed.
"For the most
part, I've always found good leads and positions that seem
to be right for me, I just never pursued them," Herbert
said.
Students using
the CDC have to do their own follow-up work, but the staff
does all that is possible to assist CSULB students for the
initial job search. Whether it is through one-on-one consultations
or group workshops, the individuals working in the CDC are
dedicated to helping students find employment.
"My roommate
found her present job by going on BeachTrak at the center,"
Herbert said, "and she seems to really like her new position
[as an administrative assistant with the Chancellor's Office]."
BeachTrak, one
of the databases in utilization at the CDC, allows students
to enter certain job criteria and conduct a search based on
personal preferences. BeachTrak is easy since it allows students
to sign up for an account to use the database at home.
"I have remote
access to BeachTrak, so if I don't feel like going to campus,
I can search the job bank from home," Herbert said.
BeachTrak is one
of the many services that the center offers, but Herbert wishes
some things were different.
"For one thing,
the location of the Career Development Center could be better,"
Herbert said. "Someone not familiar with Brotman Hall
may not know where to find the room, and that's not good.
"Also, the
Career Development Center does a good job of advertising themselves
when a Job Fair is coming up, but besides that, they don't
have much of a presence on campus that I'm aware of and that's
unfortunate," Herbert said.
Students who wish
to learn more about the Career Development Center can visit
the office in BH 250. The hours are Monday through Thursday,
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to noon.
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