It’s April 8th, which means we are just weeks away from the conclusion of the Spring 2022 semester, as unbelievable as that might sound. For most FSU students, this means they are that much closer to a well deserved break before coming back to class in the Summer or Fall, but for seniors it means they are weeks away from receiving a degree and going off into the sunset. For some, this idea might be anxiety-inducing if you feel as if you aren’t fully prepared for the rigors of the workplace, but fear not! Florida State’s Career Center is chock full of incredibly helpful resources that will help you prepare for many aspects of the job search process. From mock interview stations to an alumni mentorship program, here are 7 resources at the Career Center that you might not be familiar with.
Imagine for a second if there was an entire social media network designed only for students of a certain college, and all current and former students of this college would get exclusive access to this network that would allow for both students and alumni to connect as well as allow employers to post exclusive job listings just for students of said college. Wouldn’t that be great? Well, welcome to Nole Network. Found on the homepage of the Career Center website, this free resource is fantastic for finding internships, part-time, and full-time jobs that vary from on campus to anywhere in the country. A prospective student browsing Nole Network will find an array of helpful tools and info that will guide them through the job hunt, and with over 26,000 employers listed on Nole Network, there is surely something for everybody!
Ever stress or worry about what to wear for a job interview? Well, thankfully for Florida State students, there is the ProfessioNole Clothing Closet! This incredible resource allows students to rent out professional-level attire for anything from a job interview to a career fair to simply going to work. Located in the Dunlap Success Center on the 3rd floor, this fantastic service is free of charge and couldn’t be easier to set up. To book an appointment, simply go to the Nole Network and click on the “Appointments” tab where there will be a section that will allow you to “Request New Appointment”, then simply click “PressioNole Clothing Closet” and pick your desired time and date. The ProfessioNole Clothing Closet is always looking for donations for the closet, so if you have any spare business clothing you would like to donate, contact Heather Lazar at: heather.lazar@fsu.edu or call her at (850) 644-6493.
One of the most stress-inducing parts of the job search is the looming presence of the job interview, which can be a daunting task for many. Fears of not knowing what to say or what not to say can be squashed thanks to the Career Center’s Big Interview Program. This free training system features a new and innovative way to help you prepare more effectively for interviews as well as help you build confidence and improve interview technique. Big Interview includes challenging interview scenarios for all experience levels and dozens of industries, a database of thousands of interview questions with tips on how to answer them, and a comprehensive video training curriculum covering all aspects of landing a job. On top of all of the knowledge offered through Big Interview, the Career Center does also offer a mock interview program that will allow you to use the skills learned through Big Interview in practice. To schedule a mock interview, simply log into your Nole Network account and click on the “Appointments” tab and request a new appointment for “mock interview”.
A shared experience between two individuals can usually create an initial trust between those two people and create an immediate conversation starter. This is exactly why alumni programs at colleges like Florida State are so important, and thankfully for the students, Florida State has had one of the longest running and most successful alumni programs in the state since 1988! ProfessioNole Mentors is one of the Career Center’s flagship programs, and is a comprehensive online database of Florida State alumni. How it works is an FSU student will create a profile of themselves and their field of interest, and the ProfessioNole Mentors program will match up students with alumni in their database that closely align with the student’s major and interests. Then, all the student has to do is message one of the alumni recommended to them and then a mentorship is created! There is no time commitment required as the program is for the students benefit; you can have one conversation with your mentor or create a friendship that lasts a lifetime, whichever the student prefers. To create a profile as a student, simply click the link provided and create your account. Who knows, maybe you will find your next job through this service!
Starting in the 2012-2013 academic year, Florida State University mandated graduating seniors to fill out the Graduating Senior Survey, which asks questions about post-graduation plans and as well as the students opinions on their Florida State experience overall. The over 90% participation rate of this survey has allowed the Career Center to collect years of relevant data that shows that Florida State students are set up for post-graduation success unlike many others. The 2020-2021 Graduating Senior Survey document shows that 61% of Florida State students were seeking employment after graduating, and 84% of students were offered at least one job post-graduation. Other figures that are included in the document include showing that nearly 71% of Florida State students completed an internship, and over 67% of students engaged in community service, which is so awesome to see from Florida State students. These documents do a great job of listing helpful data to a soon-to-be-graduating student to ease some of the stresses they might be feeling about post-grad life, and will help them be ensured that their education at Florida State University will tremendously help them with their work lives!
Finding the perfect internship opportunity that is just for you can seem difficult at times, but thankfully the Career Center offers a fantastic resource to help with this problem. Introducing the Search Internships Program, a comprehensive list of links organized by the FSU Career Center Library that lists dozens of different companies and programs that are known to offer internships. There is a “General” category as well as 8 other categories of varying topics and skill sets that are designed to perfectly meet the needs of the student and help them to find the perfect internship opportunity for them.
The FSU Career Portfolio Programs is designed to prepare students for the working world through skill development, planning, reflection, and portfolio documentation. By building your Career Portfolio, students will stand out from the crowd as well as will be able to showcase their skills and accomplishments. Having a solid portfolio is very helpful in many aspects of the job hunt, but most importantly it can help ease anxiety during the interview process by allowing the portfolio to do some of the talking rather than having that responsibility fall to the student.
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