November 2009

On the job

Jobs are a hot topic these days, whether finding a job, hiring, internships, mentoring or reinventing yourself. If you have a career questions, the Career Services Center can help.

Once you become a UNCG alumnus, you have life-long career services available to you, including SpartanCareers, an online employment database exclusively for UNCG students and alumni. Employers from the Triad and around the nation post openings. To establish an account on the site, email career_services@uncg.edu with your telephone number (including area code), first and last name, email address and graduation date.

Alumni may also attend one of the many career fairs offered throughout the year. The spring Career Expo will be Feb. 10 and employers will be looking to fill both full-time and internship openings. Dress is professional. If attending, be sure to bring copies of your resume.

If you're considering starting fresh, take advantage of Discover online assessment, which focuses on interests, values and abilities and then connects the user to career information about hundreds of occupations. Contact Career Services Center for a user ID, then visit http://www.act.org/discover/login.

If you are fortunate to be in a job you love, consider mentoring current students and helping them find their niche. UNCG is preparing to launch its Alumni Career Mentor Network. As you complete your registration for Spartan Village, UNCG's new online community, make sure you note that you are willing to be a mentor. Students will then be able to contact you by email for career information and advice.

Mark your calendar for these other opportunities to help:

• Schmooza Palooza, a networking event where alumni and members of the community mentor current students by serving as networking contacts for practice. The event will be held Jan. 27 from 5-7 p.m. in Cone Ballroom. If interested in volunteering, contact Charmaine Curtis.
• Recent alumni can participate in an alumni panel March 29 from 4-6 p.m. Give advice and strategies on the job search process. Answer questions about past internship and current job experiences. Discussions include: what employers are looking for in the hiring process, how to handle a first big job, and what students can do to increase their chances of career success. Contact Chad T. Collins to volunteer.
• Sponsor a table at the Etiquette Lunch April 8, noon-2 p.m. Sit down with students and offer mentoring advice while they learn the finer points of table manners. Contact Leslie Nguyen.
• Last but not least, attend one of the career fairs as an employer and hire UNCG students. More than 400 students attend the fall and spring career fairs. Alumni can register on SpartanCareers as an employer to post jobs and internships and sign up for career fairs.

If you have any other questions about how UNCG can help you or how you can spur on the next generation of alumni, contact Lisa Tandan, assistant director for employer relations for the Career Services Center, at lctandan@uncg.edu or (336) 334-3762.