Greetings from Gonzaga’s Career Center & Alumni Mentoring Program!

 

Greetings from Gonzaga’s Career Center & Alumni Mentoring Program!

Summer at Gonzaga is a buzz of planning for the upcoming year as the University anticipates welcoming students back to campus.  As we gear up for the 2011-2012 academic year we thought a great way to start is for me to introduce myself as staff writer from the Career Center/GAMP office.

 

My name is Belinda Bobko, and I currently serve as the Manager of Employer & Alumni Relations for the Career Center/GAMP offices.  My primary responsibility is working with alumni, employers and parents to create and foster new internship and full time opportunities for our students and recent graduates.  As a Zag myself (Class of 2004), it is personally fulfilling to work with our different audiences to bridge the gap between academic setting into the “real” world.

 

Part of my outreach efforts is working with you, our parents and families, in a capacity of informing of the services our office provides with various ways you can be involved in the career development process.   Each month, our article will feature tips and tricks for getting your son or daughter off the family payroll while inviting you to consider joining our office as a volunteer.

 

To get the ball rolling, below are some FAQ’s from parents to our office that could be helpful in understanding our services and programs.   We look forward to meeting you in the upcoming academic year.

 

Frequently Asked Questions: From Parents to the Career Center/GAMP

 

• What life skills do you work with students to assist in the transition process from classroom to work force? Our office offers a wide spectrum of workshops and seminars to help students to gain skills necessary for the professional working environment.  This includes interviewing, networking, Etiquette Dinners and job search tips and techniques.

 

• What majors do you serve?  The Career Center/GAMP office serves students from all academic disciplines and standing.  We are also flexible in working with students who are participating in study abroad programs.

 

• We’ve heard a lot about internships recently, is it really necessary for my son or daughter to have an internship? Internships provide invaluable field experience for students as they develop understanding of the professional world.  Also, having a solid internship could help land and keep their first “real” job.  According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers will draw upon 40% of their new college hires for 2011 from their internship / co-op programs.   NACE also reports that after one year on the job, hires drawn from an employer’s own internship or co-op program were retained at a rate of 75.8%. By contrast, 60.7% of hires who came on board without any internship experience were still with the company after one year.   Considering these stats, internships are a valuable professional development opportunity for all majors.

 

• What tools are on campus to help with the assessment process in determining declaring majors? The Counseling Center have assessment programs including Strong Interest Inventory (SII) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) may be used to help student assess characteristics relevant to making satisfactory career decisions.  After the assessment, students are the referred to our office for the next steps.

 

• What is GAMP? GAMP stands for Gonzaga Alumni Mentoring Program which is comprised of 2,400 alumni, parents and friends of Gonzaga who have stepped forward to volunteer as a mentor students interested in exploring career field or industry.  If you are interested in participating or more about the program, simply go to: www.zagsonline.org/gamp

 

• My son/daughter is a Freshmen, is it too early to start? It’s never too early to start the career development process.   Our office can work with your son/daughter in identifying ways to become involved on campus, connect to a relevant mentor in a field of interest or assist in polishing resume for on-campus jobs.

 

• My son/daughter is a Senior, is it too late to start?  It is never too late to get started!  If your son/daughter is a senior with no post-graduation plan, the Career Center/GAMP office can work in indentifying steps necessary to complete during their last academic major.

 

• Are there clubs and organizations that help connect students to the professional world? Yes! Depending on the academic program/major your student has access to various clubs and organizations that allow for development and networking to local, regional and national professionals. To get started, encourage your student to visit the academic department of interest where information is typically housed.  Or they can visit www.gonzaga.edu/community

 

• How can I help in the career development process for another student? We welcome parents to become participants in the various stages of the career development process.  From becoming a GAMP mentor to representing your company at a career fair, we have plenty of options for you to become involved.  I’ll be writing on this topic throughout the year, but if you’d like more information on getting involved now, feel free to e-mail me directly at bobko@gonzaga.edu