Official Career Center Connection Event at Tate Center Plaza

Rain might have soaked heads but not spirits as the University of Georgia Tate Center Plaza filled with students on April 1. Games, puzzles and free pizza attracted more than 200 visitors to the Official Career Center Connection event hosted by the Career Center in an effort to increase student awareness of the services they provide.
The Official Career Center Connection or OC3 was organized by four Career Development Interns last semester who, according to the Career Center website, participate in the program to gain experience as peer mentors by advertising Career Center services, assisting in the promotion of career development issues and bridging the gap between students, alumni and the Career Center. Erin Parks, a third year Telecommunications and Sociology major worked with, senior Dustin Page and juniors Kristina Schwartz and Nichole Morales, to organize the OC3.
“When I would talk to some of my friends about the Career Center they told me that they thought it was intimidating, or that it was only for seniors,” Parks said. “I felt as though introducing the facts and dispelling the myths with fun games, prizes, and free food would be a good way to go.”
The Career Center provides services such as reviews of resumes and cover letters and help building interview skills. It organizes career fairs, work with students to find jobs and internships and are simply there to assist students in preparation for the professional world.
Parks said that students do not always take advantage of the staff and services afforded to them by the Career Center. OC3 was designed to better inform the students of the benefits of visiting the Center and encourage them to take advantage.
“The main goal of the OC3 is to introduce students to some of the career consultants, educate them on Career Center services, and help them realize that it can help any student from first years to students who graduated two years ago, with fun music and no pressure,” Parks explained.
Throughout the plaza was entertainment such as the “Give a Dawg a Bone” game, a career Go-Fish and magic tricks, which attracted students who were given information about the Center. Both career consultants and career development interns were present at the event to meet with students and answer questions.
Career Center Director of Employer Relations Holly Getchell and Program Coordinator Aaron Brown were two of the various staff members running the information table. Brown described some of the games in which career related questions are asked such as what color suit would not be appropriate to wear to an interview: blue, black or green.
“I would hope the answer would be obvious,” Brown laughed.
“We wanted to show students that the Career Center is not a scary place,” Getchell said. “We wanted to play games and give away prizes to encourage students to stop by to learn more about how we can help!”
In an email interview, Getchell listed tips given at the Career Center’s recent presentation, “Job Searching in a Tough Economy,” including the importance of networking, using a variety of job search methods, maintaining a positive attitude, staying honest in interviews and on resumes and being persistent.
Such tips and events such as OC3 equip students with opportunities to gain as much knowledge as possible before entering into an increasingly difficult job market and better ensure a successful course of action upon graduation.