By Sarah Nanbu
Think back to your campus tour. For some of you that might have only been a few days ago; for others it might have been almost three years ago. I bet you remember walking past Orrico Hall thinking that is where you will end up when you get sick. But I'm guessing if you're like me, you forgot to note that Orrico Hall is also the home of Career Services, probably because you thought that Career Services is someplace that you'd only need to visit your senior year. I am here to dispel that silly notion right now.
Why should you believe me? Well, you should believe me because my relationship with Career Services developed late in my academic career and I want you to learn from my lessons.
Career Services does exactly what is in their name. Their amazing staff can help you with all things related to starting your career: they will help you (create and) edit your resume, write cover letters and conduct practice interviews. Career Services will also connect you with people in your field of interest, which is invaluable in finding internships and jobs.
And the staff at Career Services is very familiar with the application processes for graduate school and post-graduate service programs.
With the exception of one appointment my sophomore year, I didn't begin taking advantage of all the resources Career Services has to offer until last spring. In the last few months, Career Services has helped me network with professionals in the environmental field both in Portland and Hawaii (which is my other home). Realizing the opportunities that have developed in the last few months definitely makes me regret not having stopped by Career Services sooner.
So to all the underclassmen: it is never too early to begin taking advantage of Career Services. To the upperclassmen, my story should be proof that it is never too late to start taking advantage of Career Services.
