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Career Services provides wealth of online resources to help Huskies 

January 28, 2021

Career Services has embraced the virtual world with vigor, and Huskies are encouraged to take a closer look at all the program has to offer.

Virtual career fairs and workshops. Individualized online appointments and counseling. A wide range of self-serve resources. New and returning students have access to anything and everything they need for each stage of career preparation.

COVID-19 restrictions may have prevented in-person visits, but the program continues to provide a world of opportunity, Director Cathy Doederlein said.

“We’re still very much here for students and want them to take advantage of everything we have to offer,” she said. “In a tenuous time and market, knowing you have people in your corner is comforting. That’s what we’re meant to be.”

She encourages students to engage with Career Services as soon as possible. Staff will help students, from freshmen to seniors to graduate students and of all majors and interests, “create a roadmap for what the world might look like these next few years,” she said.

Huskies can get help connecting their majors to careers that interest them and creating resumes and cover letters. Career Services staff also provide a wide range of resources, tools and tips on internship and job searches, graduate school planning, interview skills, LinkedIn profiles and so much more.

A wealth of information can be accessed at any time of the day or night with one click on the program’s website. The program became nimbler as a result of the pandemic, and staff worked hard to ensure students would continue to have access to as many resources as possible, Doederlein said.

Many offered in partnership with The Graduate School and JobsPLUS, regular virtual workshops hosted by Career Services cover everything from resumes to internships to career fair prep.

Students also are encouraged to schedule online appointments with counselors.

“We especially encourage students to take advantage of the career information housed at the new Career Services Learning Lab organization in Blackboard,” Associate Director Joyce Keller said.  “The new Blackboard site features a curated collection of the best videos, articles and resources on essential career topics.”

Another featured product, Big Interview, offers students and alumni the chance to practice video interviewing. Faculty and instructors can easily create mock interview assignments for their classes using Big Interview.

To request faculty/staff access to the Career Services Learning Lab in Blackboard or Big Interview, contact Keller at jkeller@niu.edu.

Among Career Services’ other offerings are numerous career fairs and events, with several scheduled in February. Students can directly engage with employers and network.

Even in a virtual world, employers are recruiting, paying attention and looking for students who stand out, Doederlein said.

Upcoming virtual events include a Career Fair Prep Workshop from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 9; an All-Majors Internship and Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 17; an Education Job Fair from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 22; and a Government, Public and Social Services, Health and Wellness Fair from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 26.

All students, alumni, faculty and staff have access to Huskies Get Hired, where they can connect with employers and jobs offered both on campus and off.

Students are assigned Huskies Get Hired accounts free of charge during their first semester at NIU and can continue to use the service after graduation. Along with searching and applying for jobs, they can upload multiple resumes and cover letters, schedule on-campus interviews and get labor market outlook information and career advice.

“This is a challenging job market right now,” Doederlein said. “I think it makes it all the more vital that students engage with as many resources as they can.”