For those of you headed off to college in the fall, make sure to check out your campus’s career services center once you get there. It offers a variety of resources and services designed to help you succeed in college and in your chosen career at no additional cost to you (they are already covered by your student fees!) Here are three of the top services they offer:

‍1. Mock interviews

‍Along with the career services counselor, you will prepare as you would for any other interview. But unlike a real job interview, there is no position at stake, so you can focus more on your answers and less on your nerves. At the end of the interview, the career services counselor will give you feedback on your performance. Some career counselors will even record your performance and play it back so you can see for yourself how you did.

‍2. Job databases

‍I know what you’re thinking: Big deal, there’s jobs all over the internet. Yes, there are, but most of these college-specific job databases provided by career services are password-protected, meaning only current students and alumni can access them. These career and job ads are only seen by a fraction of the job-seeking population, meaning your competition is automatically decreased before you even apply. Databases like these include ads for both on- and off-campus jobs, career-related internships, work-study programs and more.

‍3. Career counseling

‍In these 45-minute sessions you will sit down with a counselor to discuss virtually anything school- or job-related. Career services counselors can help you figure out which major to choose or which career to pursue based on your interests, personality and skillset. They can help you snag a job by assisting with the search process, proofing your resume, giving you a mock interview, or all of the above. And closer to graduation, you can even come to them for help with your grad school application.

Defining yourself, picking a major, and charting a career path are all formidable tasks. The great news is that with career services, you don’t have to do it alone. With your career right ahead of you, it’s a smart idea to make an appointment with your career services center several times throughout your undergraduate career.

‍Career Services at PSU

‍Career Services at Berkeley

‍Career Services at Texas State

‍Career Services at Colorado

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