ASUCD to host UC Davis Jobs and Career Initiative Tuesday

On Tuesday at the UC Davis Jobs and Career Initiative, students will have the opportunity to gain tools to prepare themselves for employment after graduation.

Organized by ASUCD, the free event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Freeborn Hall, where speakers, employers and various campus groups will be ready to help students navigate what often feels like a rat race for employment among college students.

ASUCD has set up the jobs initiative in partnership with the Cal Aggie Alumni Association, the Internship and Career Center (ICC), Student Affairs, the Provost and the Office of the Chancellor.

“All UC Davis students were taken into account in the planning of this event,” said ASUCD president, Rebecca Sterling in an email interview. “It will be especially useful for seniors, but also for freshmen who are looking for what they can do while they are in school to better prepare themselves for a post-graduation job, as well as gain the experience and skills employers are looking for.”

The day will be divided into two parts. The morning “Building Your Experience” session will be aimed toward first- and second-year students who wish to find resources and opportunities they can utilize during the rest of their time at Davis. The afternoon session, “Launching Your Career,” is catered to third- and fourth-year students who may soon be searching for a job in “the real world.”

Informational booths including tables for building résumés and interviewing, will be present throughout the day for students who cannot make it for the whole event and can only attend on a drop-in basis.

There are many things students are expected to know when looking for a job on or off campus, according to Marcie Kirk Holland, a coordinator at the ICC.

“They need to know how to make résumés. They need to know how to interview well. And they need to know how to properly search for a job,” Holland said.

For students who are looking for employment and internship opportunities pertaining to their specific field of study, the ICC will have four tables set up: health and biological sciences, engineering and physical sciences, liberal arts and business, and agricultural and environmental sciences.

One-on-one sessions will also be available with on- and off-campus employers at the event.

This event is a part of the UC Davis Jobs Initiative campaign, an ongoing job and career campaign promoted by ASUCD to help Davis students prepare for and obtain employment during school as well as after graduation.

“The UC Davis Jobs Initiative aims to give our unique and highly qualified students the necessary information and materials to seek their desired employment and remain competitive in today’s difficult economy,” the ASUCD website states.

ASUCD and the chancellor have specifics planned for how to meet this goal.

“We aim to increase the number of jobs and internships offered throughout the departments on campus, better track the number of alumni who are hired after graduating and in which fields, as well as continue furthering the initiative and providing the campus community with our progress by a website on the Student Affairs site,” Sterling said.

Many of the resources that will be present at the event are also available to students on campus year-round.

“There’s something for everyone that comes into the ICC. Peer advisors are available 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. They perform triage. They listen to students’ needs and direct them to the necessary resources,” Holland said.

The UC Davis Jobs Initiative is from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Freeborn Hall on Tuesday. For more information visit asucd.ucdavis.edu.

LAUREN MASCARENHAS can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.