September. This is the month in the year where people like me begin to get sad that warm weather and sunny days are on their way out and the cold and rainy days are on their way in. This is also the month that people like my friend Ben look forward to, as it acts as his glimpse into the upcoming cold months. Weather (hehe, puns) you are like Ben or like myself, September also acts as an active time in pursuing jobs and careers.
The month of September for the average Grover is a time where school is beginning to really kick into gear and a time in which the College’s Career Services Office makes their biggest push of the year to help students find jobs. During this month there are loads of events going on and loads of opportunity for students of all ages at the College. From the kick-off party to the College’s large Career Fair, this month is packed full of opportunity and promise.
My personal account of my experience with Career Services and the various events and opportunities they supply, sadly, due to my own neglect, did not take place until my junior year at the College. It was September of last year that I entered the Career Services Office for the first time. At this point in my college career, and life, I had come to the realization that, firstly, I need to get a job at some point and, secondly, that since I am going to college I should probably get a job in my field. With this realization, I then set the goal of obtaining an internship for my junior year summer, which are highly common for Grove City College students. The only problem at this point, though, was that I had no idea where to start. Aimlessly lost, I decided to approach the Career Services Office on campus and in our first meeting they assisted me in setting up an account on the colleges new, at that point, job website and set up another meeting with me where we could go over my resume and get it ready for an on-campus mock interview they encouraged me to sign up for. So, just like that, I went from lost to found and was on track to my end goal. A few days after the initial meeting I went into the Career Services Office to look over my resume, which was accomplished by the end of the meeting. After leaving this meeting I had some work to do to my resume but was on track and ready for my on-campus mock interview. About a week later the mock interview arrived and I showed up with my new and improved resume and dressed to impress. After a 30-minute interview with the head of Human Resources at one of the companies I was planning on applying at, I was able to receive some constructive criticism. It was this mock interview that prepared me for the slew of interviews I was about to undertake.
As I applied for as many interviews as possible via the College’s job website, the response began flooding in. Instantly I was signed up for multiple first-round interviews with various types of companies. This feat alone was a huge accomplishment from where I was a short month ago. I found as I went through my first round of interviews that as I progressed I seemed to get better and more comfortable. Thus, allowing my second round of interviews to progress and become better than the first. After first, second, and even third rounds of interviews with some companies I had finally done it… I had received that elusive internship offer.
Needless to say, if you find yourself in a similar scenario as I did, do not fret. The Career Services Office is there to help. Your career needs are never too far gone!
