Career Development/GAMP
By: Meredith Aronson
Greetings, Zag Families!
As summer is winding down (where did it go?!) and you start to think about bringing your Zag to campus—whether for the first time or the fourth time—I want to make sure you will recognize at least one friendly face! My name is Meredith Aronson and I am the Employer & Alumni Relations Manager here in Gonzaga’s Career Center & GAMP. As a Gonzaga alumna myself, I am particularly proud to be working with students and families in the area of career development. I have the best job on campus because I get to talk with companies like Nike and Amazon about how amazing our Zag students and alumni are, and help them realize that they want to hire more Zags! In my role, I work to develop and maintain relationships with employers that can lead to both internship and full-time opportunities for Gonzaga students and alumni all over the country and even the world.
I know you are getting inundated with information this summer about campus resources and departments, so I will make this short and sweet. Below you will find the top three questions parents ask about the Career Center & GAMP services and my answers.
Q: Can the Career Center & GAMP help get my son/daughter a job so they will move out of my basement?
A: Yes! The Career Center & GAMP (Gonzaga Alumni Mentoring Program) provides students and alumni with career support, opportunities, and connections to help translate the Gonzaga experience into meaningful life work. We offer a variety of services, including career preparation workshops, individual student appointments for resume and cover letter review, and multiple Career Fairs, both in Spokane and other cities. We also host and maintain an online job board called ZagTrax. Your student is automatically registered for ZagTrax and can use his or her Gonzaga login credentials to access it, so remind them to get in the habit of checking often! For more information about our services visit www.gonzaga.edu/CareerCenter
Q: When is the Career Center open, and what does my student have to have prepared to start working with your office?
A: The Career Center is open 8-5, Monday through Friday, INCLUDING SUMMERS! Your student doesn’t have to prepare ANYTHING before they visit—they just have to come in. Students can make individual appointments on ZagTrax, and we have Drop-In Hours (no appointment necessary) from 2-5, Monday through Thursday. Students can also make phone appointments or email us a resume or cover letter for review if they are home for a break or studying abroad. Visit our website for hours and an up-to-date calendar of upcoming workshops and events.
Q: How can I help with my student’s career development?
A: We love to partner with parents to provide the best possible support and opportunities for students, and there are a number of ways you can start the ball rolling in your student’s career development. Remind your student to take an active role in the process of making career decisions. Remember that it is OK to support and challenge, but don’t over-manage. Emphasize the importance and value of quality internship experience, encourage extracurricular involvement, teach the value of networking and open your network to your student. Also, encourage your student to come see us early and often—it is never too early to start the career development process, and we are ALWAYS here for Zags, even after graduation!
Please feel free to contact me any time with questions, and don’t forget to stop by our office on the second floor of Crosby with your student in September! All of us here in the Career Center & GAMP are looking forward to meeting you and working with your student!
Sincerely,
Meredith Aronson
Aronson@gonzaga.edu
509.313.4055
GO ZAGS!