UCS Helps students get connected

In a shifting job climate, University Career Services is giving UNC students opportunities to define their career path and make informed decisions regarding their future.

The office is offering a series of “networking nights” to give students the chance to meet with local business professionals in many careers across fields that, according to the office’s Web page, can be “hard to break into.”

Many students are unsure of what to expect when they hear about the events, but representatives from Career Services said they are informative.

“Networking nights are informal events for students to come and meet with employers — not necessarily recruiters, just company representatives — to share what it is they do in a particular field or industry,” said Sue Harbour, assistant director for career exploration.

“It is a really good way for students to hear from 15 to 25 people working in different jobs.”

Career Services is holding networking nights throughout the year, with four already scheduled for the fall semester.

The first event, on Oct. 8,will feature careers focused on the environment and sustainability.

Harbour said the events are designed for career exploration.

Many students, including freshman Dulce Castillo, said they think the events sound interesting.

“I think I will do them,” Castillo said. “It sounds like a good way to find internships and job opportunities and make connections with people.”

Making connections is a key purpose of the networking nights and other events organized by Career Services.

“They are a great way to build a network,” Harbour said. “When people go on and get jobs, if it’s something they’re really truly interested in, then those are connections they’re going to have made.”

According to Harbour, the nights are popular, with 183 students attending the international careers event last spring.

“It’s really not a bad problem to have, because it’s a service we provide to you and is covered by your fees, so we want you to take advantage of it,” she said.

Harbour also said students interested in the events should RSVP online at the Career Services Web site and print off the “Networking Night Tips for Students” pamphlet. The pamphlet offers suggestions about how to meet with professionals, as well as general business etiquette.

Students going to the networking nights should also bring an open mind.

“All Carolina students have a wonderful set of skills they’re developing. And a skill can be used in a plethora of different settings,” Harbour said.

“It’s helpful for students to kind of sit there and just open up and say ‘Yes, I’m an environmental studies major,’ for example, ‘but where else can I be, where else can I use these skills?’”


Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.