Job-seeking students sick of sorting through ads from less appealing employers on the eRecruiting Web site, the CDC's previous online job service, will now have a more streamlined option - the Brown Career Connection.
The Career Development Center is launching the new online system to facilitate students' job searches by limiting content to material handpicked by the CDC, not from external sources like advertisements, said CDC Senior Associate Director Barbara Peoples.
"One of the big differences is that with eRecruiting, information was coming into the system from a variety of sources. With this new Brown Career Connection, the only source of information coming into the Web site will be from the Brown Career Development Center," Peoples said, adding that the new Career Connection will include improved search features and a calendar system to track deadlines and interviews.
Peoples encouraged all seniors to attend a 50-minute senior meeting at the CDC - now housed in the Hemisphere Building at 167 Angell St. - to activate their own Brown Career Connection accounts.
"In these meetings, we give them information, answer their questions and send them out with a packet of material giving them step-by-step instructions," she said.
During September, in addition to various career fairs and half-hour counseling appointments for seniors, staff and peer counselors are available in the CDC library for questions, resume and cover letter critiques. Scheduled workshops focus on applying to graduate school, on-campus recruiting and independent job searches.
"We are here to assist (seniors) no matter what their career direction might be, if they're still exploring or, as we love to say, if they're clueless," Peoples said.
Currently, three counselors are available to help students and another will be hired this year.
Peoples said the CDC's resources are available to seniors "up and until graduation and even after," noting that the biggest challenge for the CDC is figuring out how best to communicate with students.
"We're considering going back to mailbox stuffers because students are so inundated with e-mail," she said.
Peoples said 85 employers have already signed up for career fairs scheduled for later this month, and she expects the number to increase to "almost a hundred."
Seniors and one recent alum said previous CDC programs have been helpful in their summer and full-time job searches.
"I found it really helpful in a lot of ways - with my resume, cover letters and lots of tips on interviews," said Dia Muthana '07, who applied for her current job at Google through the CDC.
As a senior looking for a transitional job before pursuing graduate-level education, Caitlin Smolewski '08 said though the process of searching is "a bit overwhelming," good resources are available.
"The CDC will give me a better idea of what's out there and narrow down my search," she said.
Elizabeth Backup '08, who interned with Citigroup this summer, said she used eRecruiting last spring and attended an interview workshop which was "useful."
This year, she said, she "will be utilizing an alumni network to find a film production kind of job."
But some seniors, like Jesse Maddox '08, have used the CDC once and may not have a need for the new program. Maddox interned with the Boston Consulting Group in Atlanta this summer.
"I got advice on my resume, books and other resources when preparing for interviews," he said. "I'm not in the dark anymore. I already have two interviews with other consulting firms coming up."
