Living on Ramen noodles may be sufficient for now, but some BYU students admit they are ready to bust out of the college scene and land a career.

Yet many students do not know where to start.

In addition to the hundreds of online job boards students can refer to for industry updates, BYU also provides resources on campus to help students find a job or prepare for a future career.

Richard Cox, the liberal arts advisor in Career Placement Services, said the services are available to all BYU students for their benefit — most just do not know what advisers can do for them.

“We’re here to show students how they can be better,” Cox said.

Advisers like Cox help students practice interviewing techniques and direct them to workshops and classes offered at the university that teach job skills.

Students can stop in and pick up free brochures and fliers that provide pointers on interviews, job searching and writing resumes.

“We want to make our students and alumni more effective and competitive in the job market,” Cox said. “Our objective is to better prepare them for jobs and internships.”

Although there are many helpful hints to find a job after graduation, Cox said he thinks it is in the best interest of students to plan ahead and get an early start.

Laura Scott, who works in the Career and Learning Information Center on campus, said there are classes offered everyday to help students learn skills right now to prepare for a career.

Students can also go in and take a test that will show them their strengths and list careers they might be good at.

“It’s more of a resource office to research careers,” Scott said. “It’s the best kept secret at BYU.”

Kelsey Harris, a senior humanities major, works in the Education Placement office. By using BYU resources, she was able to land herself an internship in Italy.

“We get students connected here,” Harris said.

Cox said he thinks students should be making career choices as early as they can and utilizing the services for networking.

“Students should prepare well before graduation in anticipation of their future,” Cox said. “They should determine a focus of what they would like to do, conduct research on the occupation and employers, network and consider experience.”

Cox said experience is the factor that will benefit students more than anything else, and 80 percent of college graduates across the United States have had at least one internship before graduation and 60 percent have had two.

Another resource to help students find these kinds of opportunities is career fairs. BYU holds several each year.

Students can find more information at www.careerfair.byu.edu.



Copyright Brigham Young University 19 May 2005