Santa Clara University

Open Letter to Students of Santa Clara

April, 2009

As you consider your next step when you leave Santa Clara, we in the Career Center know that many of you are worried about your future prospects for jobs, internships, and options for your life after SCU. While this recession is deep and will be with us for a while, you can take several actions to prepare for and navigate these uncertain times. Employers are still hiring, internships are still available, and your skills and energy are still very much needed. Yet, you do need to be active in preparing for this turbulent time, and that’s where the Career Center can help.

Employers are still coming to SCU and hiring you for jobs and internships.

So far this year, we have had over 330 employers attend our career fairs and participate in on-campus interviewing for jobs and internships. We also connected over 200 Freshmen and Sophomores with 16 organizations during our second annual Freshman-Sophomore Internship Fair. Over 700 jobs and internships are currently posted on BroncoLink, with 80% posted for SCU students only.

In order to increase our visibility with employers, we are also making personal connections with hundreds of employers to provide them with ways to continue to invest in their own futures by hiring college graduates and being active on campus. One strong differentiator for us is SCU’s outstanding reputation for educating for competency and values, a unique combination that carries a special appeal for employers.

What you need to do to stay competitive in this market.

This is not the time to pull a blanket over your head, hoping the situation will change! Nor is it the time to panic or live in fear! It is time, however, to take steps to be ready for your own future, steps that will not only help you at this challenging point in your lives but will also prepare you for future career decision-making.

Specifically, you need to consider the types of jobs and environments in which you would like to exercise your skills; develop a focused and well-written resume and “elevator pitch”; practice and perfect your interviewing skills; and become knowledgeable about the most effective ways to find and approach employers. The Career Center can help you with every step in the following ways:

• Individual Career Counseling – A counselor can help you think about your life’s direction and assist you with self-assessment, developing a plan for your job/internship search, writing a resume, and practice interviewing (videotaped, if requested).  We offer an excellent on-line assessment tool in MyRoad.com as well as other resources.  Call 408-554-4421 to make an appointment.

  
  

• Workshops and Presentations – Upcoming workshops include Resume Writing (March 31), Internships (March 31), Resumes for Athletes (April 9), Resume Review with Employers (April 13), and Job Search Strategies in a Tough Market (April 27).

  
  

• Upcoming  Recruiting Events - Spring Career Fair (April 14) and Spring On-Campus Interviewing (April 27-May 1).
  

  
  

• BroncoLink Job and Internship Listings – Use BroncoLink to search for jobs and internships as well as on-campus jobs. In addition to Bay Area postings, our site gives you access to jobs in other parts of the U.S. posted through our national association. We also provide access to over 185 search engines for jobs and over 100 search engines for internships. Use our Guide if you need help with accessing BroncoLink. 

  
  

• Career Field and Graduate School Information – The Career Center Web site has links to hundreds of resources including how majors relate to careers, descriptions of industries, qualifications for specific types of work, international opportunities, non-profit jobs, and graduate school options.  

  
  

  
  
• Career Center Guides – Both on-line and hard copy guides are available on resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, networking, negotiating, obtaining internships, and other important topics. 

  
  

  
  
• Same Day Appointments – We offer 18 hours or more each week of 15-minute, Same Day appointments where you can start your connection with the Career Center, ask questions, or have your resume reviewed.

  
  

  
  

• Call on us to help you manage during this difficult time.

  The Career Center Staff