The latest UCUES survey reveals that nearly 70 percent of all Cal students think internships are extremely or very important to their future careers. The Career Center has always provided internship advising, programs, resources, and fairs, but to address the increasing demand around internships, we are ramping up our efforts by instituting UC Berkeley’s first Internship Week.  

Internship Week takes place October 29-November 2 and features the Early Bird Internship Fair along with a mix of general workshops and customized panels regarding internships in specific career fields. Internship Week’s comprehensive offerings have something for everyone from all class levels and all majors.

Sample Programs & Panels:
Early Bird Internship Fair
Creating your Own Internship
Speed Resume Critique Session (with free Dreyer’s Ice Cream!)
How to Land Your First Internship
Internship Opportunities in Engineering
Internship Opportunities in Medicine & Public Health
Destination Internships: Media & Communication
Business Internships 101
Going Global - International Internships
Government and Public Service Internships

For more information and a detailed list of programs for the week, please visit our new web section devoted to internships: internships.berkeley.edu. For more information on our array of internship initiatives, contact career counselor Sarah Backes-Diaz.

 

Before: the InfoLab

After: the InfoLab with brighter colors and functional furniture

At the Career Center we encourage students to present a professional, polished, and friendly image. Recent upgrades to our facility reflect our own desire to "dress for success." With an emphasis on redesigning our public areas, the Career Center is now more functional, colorful, and inviting for students and employers alike. Once all the finishing touches are in place, we will invite the campus to join us for an open house in early December.

Our "makeover" begins with the exterior of our building where fresh vibrant colors and signage let our clients know they have arrived at the Career Center. But most of our changes are to the interior of the building. They include:

Lobby: renovated floors, walls, and functional furniture welcome visitors to the Career Center

Workshop rooms: renovated walls, new carpet, and movable furniture add flair to these student seminar spaces

InfoLab: new furniture especially configured for 3000+ Mini-Appointments and comfortable space for students to lounge with their laptops boost the utility and attractiveness of this hub of Career Center activity

Recruiting Lobby & Interview Rooms: contemporary colors and resurfaced walls give these spaces a "professional" look. At our students’ request, we have also added lockers for safe storage of their personal items during interviews

Corridors: colorful signage, carpet, and paint help students and employers find services

We are excited about our upgrades and will issue an invitation to campus for an open house soon. For more information on our "makeover," contact Assistant Director Andrew Green. 

For the fifth year the Career Center is honored to participate in the US Department of State's Diplomat in Residence Program. We are proud to introduce Anne O’Leary to the Cal community as its latest representative. Direct from a posting in Washington, DC as Senior Recruiter for the Outreach Branch/Diplomat in Residence Program, O'Leary will be talent-scouting for the US Department of State in an effort to recruit a new generation of foreign policy professionals. 

 

O’Leary will moderate a discussion with the U.S. Department of State’s Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs during the 9th Annual International Career Symposium, Oct 24-25.

With more than 25 years of experience in the Mideast, North Africa, and South Asia, Anne's diplomatic career has included formidable public and cultural affairs assignments in Afghanistan, Libya, Morocco, Lebanon, India, and Egypt, among many others.

There are many ways that you and your students can benefit from the Department of State's Diplomat in Residence program. This year, O’Leary will:

• Represent the Department of State at Career Fairs and events
• Engage in outreach to underrepresented students
• Guide candidates through the Foreign Service application and examination process
• Hold student appointments and answer staff, faculty, and student questions via email

For more information on how to involve O’Leary in your panel presentations, classes, or student organizations, contact her at caldip3@berkeley.edu. To learn more about O’Leary’s fascinating career, check out her online biography.

For the past year, various local and national news outlets have asked the Career Center to comment on a new trend in hiring: checking applicants’ online profiles (such as facebook, myspace, and google searches). Has this trend transferred to the world of law school admissions? We polled the 63 law schools that attended our Law School Fair to find out.

Most law schools reported that they never look at online sources to aid the admissions process. Of the 63 schools, 31 never consult online sources, 22 do so occasionally, and 7 school representatives were uncertain regarding the policy. None of the schools reported that they always look at online profiles for all applicants.

Most schools that occasionally look at online profiles do so to seek clarity. They may want more information on an applicant’s scholarships or employment or campus group participation. The schools that never look at online profiles cite a lack of time and resources and a level of discomfort, stating that they want to avoid making judgments based on appearance or isolated instances.

Law schools look beyond facebook for information. Google was the preferred source of information with facebook, myspace, blogs, and youtube also garnering attention.

An interesting perspective shared by more than one law school is that while they might not look at online profiles, future law graduates should be aware that their employers will. Legal employers are looking for ethical employees who will represent them in the best way, so applicants would be wise to start monitoring their online profiles now. In other words, photos and comments posted today can have repercussions -- even a few years after the fact.

This fall the Career Center launched a new service for students who would like 24/7 assistance with their resumes for jobs, internships, or graduate school. Cal Resume Wizard is an interactive online program that will not only help first-time resume writers develop a resume but will assist those who want to improve their current resume.

Within weeks of the launch, 700 students and alumni from all Berkeley schools and colleges have taken advantage of Cal Resume Wizard where they can:

• Download final copies of resumes to their desktops and then upload them into the CalJobs system for On-Campus Recruiting and job listings
• Quickly tailor resumes for various employment opportunities
• Choose from thousands of styling options
• Manage up to 5 different resumes

Cal Resume Wizard is an exciting addition to our profile of online services for students, including CalJobs (job/internship listings and On-Campus Recruiting), appointment scheduling, workshop registration, Employer Information Session registration, employer profiles, graduate school statement reviews, and free access to Vault Employer & Industry Guides and Wetfeet Insider Guides. All of these services can be accessed through our website: career.berkeley.edu

At the Career Center we strive to give students convenient ways to access our services, recognizing that they are often busy during typical business hours. Making workshop sign-ups available online is one of our latest innovations that provide students with “24/7” service. 

Students can now log-in to the Career Center account via CalJobs to see the list of workshops that require advanced registration. With a few keystrokes they can RSVP for events, including Employer Information Sessions and Job Search Workshops.

When students sign up for workshops via our online system they automatically receive an email reminder. Workshop facilitators can also log-in to the system to see how many students they can expect and from what colleges and class levels they hail. This knowledge helps career counselors and employers customize their workshops for their audiences.

For more information on Online Workshop Sign-Ups, please contact Career Center Assistant Director Linda Hernandez.