Organized by the Career Center, this year’s Career and Internship Connections events will take place between Jan. 5-10, spanning the four metropolitan cities of New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Boston.
Now in its fifth year, the CIC events have given both seniors and the rest of the undergraduate student body job opportunities with some of the top employers in the nation.
“Students are very interested in post-graduate careers in these types of companies,” Career Center counselor Laurie Valentino said. “These companies offer a wide variety of career opportunities. It’s important for us to generate interest among students on campus.”
Students are surveyed in order to determine target cities for employment post-baccalaureate. A list of participating companies is then compiled.
Prior to last year, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Boston were the only cities participating, but due to an increase in student interest, Chicago was added to the list.
The job and position listings represent the variety of majors, concentrations and interests that thrive on this campus, making certain that all students have the opportunity to search out careers in their fields.
“If you look at the cities and fields offered, they are among the most challenging and diverse employers that our students have direct access to,” Career Center Director and Assistant Dean Burt Nadler said.
Employers that are looking for prospective workers include the American Cancer Society, NBC, Bear Stearns, the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Justice and many more.
The process of signing up is very user-friendly. “It’s a very simple procedure,” Valentino said. “Students upload their rsums on our Web site and apply for employer interviews. The Career Center sends all rsums to the employers by Nov. 30. That’s why it is crucial for students to submit their rsums by the deadline, Nov. 29.”
Students are urged to check their e-mails during both Winter and Thanksgiving Breaks to ensure they receive the most updated information about the status of their interviews.
However, while some students may not get an interview, they are still advised to attend the conference. “If you don’t get invited, please come to the event to communicate, to meet employers, submit rsums and get business cards,” Nadler said. “Students should show up and go table to table.”
The atmosphere at the event is very much like an open forum, where students can take the opportunity to network and show the employers their interest in working for them.
UR is only one of the consortium of 16 participating colleges and universities that include Cornell University, University of Chicago and Boston College.
“We’re teaching true job skills,” Nadler said. “Employers tell us all the time, ‘we want UR students.’ We want the students to go to the employers at these events. This shows them that the student is truly interested in working for them.”
In order to participate in the events, students can go to the Web site and read through many position descriptions. There are career postings for the specific event.
For a complete listing of employers and more information go to http://www.rochester.edu/
careercenter/students/cic/index.
Buitrago can be reached at
jbuitrago@campustimes.org.
