The Anderson School of Management is hosting Career Week, beginning today, to help students get a job after college.
Career Week, which ends Sept. 14, attempts to prepare students for ASM’s Sept. 16 Career Fair through mock interviews, résumé workshops and other events.
Career Week events are open to all UNM students.
Emily Ortiz, president of the UNM Society of Human Resource Management, said students are sometimes unprepared for the post-graduation job search.
“Being out in the work force has been an eye opener for me to see what we learned in school and also what we haven’t learned in school — sometimes we think we know everything, but in reality we don’t,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz said top employers like Hewlett-Packard and Sandia National Laboratories will have representatives at the events to mentor students. She said they are volunteering their time to share their experiences and advice. They’ll also go over students’ résumés and help them make cover letters.
Ortiz said a “Résumé Express” will be offered, where Albuquerque business volunteers review students’ résumés and suggest improvements.
Students can then move on to the “Rock the Interview” event, where they’ll sit down for mock interviews, she said.
“The résumé is the employer’s first look at their potential employee,” Ortiz said. “If you pass that then you might get the interview, which is why we have the mock interview set up – for the students to get their jitters out.”
Karin Kase, manager of Career Services at Anderson, said an effective résumé is crucial for students on the job market.
“Real employers spend less than 10 seconds looking at a résumé that is submitted to them,” Kase said. “That’s why it’s so critical that the résumés are done well to capture the employer’s interest or to even get an interview.”
Kase said many employers receive hundreds of applications for a single job — something almost unheard of before the recession.
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Steven Rappuhn, a UNM business major with a concentration in entrepreneurial studies, said Career Week is a good idea for people who want to get a job now and after graduation.
“I think that, regardless of your major, it’s important to have an impressive résumé and interviewing skills,” he said. “It shows a potential employer that you are responsible and would make a good employee.”
Rappuhn said Career Week will be great preparation for the Anderson Career Fair.
“It’s cool to have a Career Fair at UNM, but if you aren’t prepared to talk to employers, then it’s kind of pointless,” Rappuhn said. “I think that having a whole week beforehand to practice will help a lot of people.”
For the Career Week schedule, go to:
jobs.mgt.unm.edu
