By: Courtney Carter, Peer Advisor
Are you looking to get a head start on your career search? Do you want to know how to stand out to employers? Are you wondering where you can go to find a job or gain experience? Being a part of the 49er family, means there are several resources available to you! Two major resources that I’ve used are the University Career Center (UCC) and Hire-A-Niner. Both resources helped me to get my first on-campus job and with future opportunities.
When I was an incoming freshman, I was looking for an on-campus job and did not know where to look or go, until I heard about Hire-A-Niner. Hire-A-Niner is UNC Charlotte’s very own job listing and hiring portal. This is where internships, jobs, and other opportunities are posted by employers to hire UNC Charlotte students. I went here to find different on-campus job listings for UNC Charlotte. I uploaded my resume for approval first and then started applying to different jobs I was interested in. After a couple of weeks, I got contacted by the employer for an interview and received a job offer as a Data Entry Assistant for the University’s Career Center. Without using Hire-A-Niner I would have never found out about the different jobs available to me as a student at UNC Charlotte. I still use Hire-A-Niner when it comes to looking for internships, part-time jobs, and professional development opportunities. Using Hire-A-Niner also helped me to see what employers were looking for when it came to the job descriptions and if I felt like I would be a good applicant for the position. There are so many opportunities listed on Hire-A-Niner, do not be afraid to take advantage of them!
While being a Data Entry Assistant within the UCC I got to see the different kinds of professional development sessions, career resources, and career talks the Career Center offered. I’ve used the UCC to help me with my interview skills by doing a mock interview session with employers, got my resume reviewed by one of the peer professionals, and got my professional headshot taken. From doing this I was able to interview better and have a solid resume for potential employers. I would say that this had a big impact on me getting my internship with PwC. I was well prepared and stood out to them from my resume and my interview. Although I have only been to a couple career talks, they are very insightful and informative. The talks range from how to transition to corporate life to how to properly eat at an etiquette dinner. The UCC also hosts job fairs and summer leaderships fairs on campus. This is where you can go to meet with employers face to face and talk to them.
Going to both the career and summer leadership fairs helped me to put myself out there to employers. It was overwhelming at first, but I was able to get comfortable with speaking to potential future employers. Although I did not get job offers at both events, I left with the experience of going to a job fair and found different companies I was interested in. It also helped with connecting with different employers and reaching out to them afterwards. I would say that this helped by leading me to an internship opportunity with PwC. As a freshman I went to the Summer Accounting Leadership Fair, this is where I met with recruiters from PwC. I was not qualified to apply for their internships, but I was able to apply to their Career Preview program, where I got to know more about the firm and what it had to offer.
The Niblock Student Center is another great resource for your career. The professional development team offers a variety of activities to provide experiential learning opportunities for students. They help with things like resume tips and host professional development sessions throughout the year. In these, you might learn things such as time management, your personal brand, and getting involved. They also host Lunch and Learns. See the upcoming events here!
I’ve worked with the professional development team and have been to a couple of their sessions since my time here and each time I walked out learning something new or a way to better my professionalism. If you would like to participate in professional development on your own time, the Niblock Student Center has a 24/7 access Canvas page where different assignments are posted that you can complete on your own time. The page also gives you access to upcoming events within the Niblock Student Center.
Using these career resources will help in multiple ways. I know that getting an internship or a job offer is the main goal, but they also help in enhancing your professionalism, networking, finding your interests, and getting connected with the university. Being engaged and utilizing these resources will not only prepare you for meeting professionals, but make you stand out to them!
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