Career Centers on help

by Jennifer Dodd
Staff Writer

The University of La Verne's Career Development and Placement Center is a resource for current students and alumni who may be searching for full or part-time jobs and need a little help in doing so.

The center's services are free and offers help with everything from resumé and cover letter writing to interviewing techniques and applying to graduate school.

Jill Bergman, assistant director of the center, said that the first step is to come in and meet with a career counselor.

From there, the staff can help develop resumés and prepare students for interviews. Even after they get a job, the center will provide assistance in moving up the career ladder.

"We have alumni who graduated in the 1970s that still come back to us, whether it be due to being laid off or them deciding they need a career change," Bergman said.

The center has numerous in-house listings and publications.

The Informer, the center's monthly newsletter, lists many full and part-time positions available to the ULV community.

Some of the current positions listed are a wherehouse assistant for the Old California Trading Co., a Spanish-speaking tutor for grades four and five, an animal keeper for Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and a police officer.

The center provides graduate school counseling as well.

We work in collaboration with the faculty to help undergrads find information on graduate schools, help them prepare for the interviewing and testing process and help them with the application procedure, said Laura Kiralla, center director.

Kiralla stressed the importance of developing a "network of professionals" as soon as possible in one's college career.

"Sophomore or junior year is a really good time to start building up a network of contacts, similar to a mentor or internship, so by graduation you have developed a solid contact base in your prospective field," she said.

The center's website at www.ulv.edu/cdc offers a four-year model that can help guide a student into a successful career by graduation time.

"Starting early is the key," Kiralla said.

Currently, the career center is offering free resumé paper and envelopes with a scheduled counseling session, and printing is always free.

The center's next event will be the "Dress for Success Fashion Show" on Oct. 21.

It will take place from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m at Stein Mart in La Verne.

For more information, call extension 4054 or visit their website at www.ulv.edu/cdc.