Phuong Le
Staff Writer
Use of the University of Houston's University Career Services Center has steadily increased over the past year.
According to David Small, assistant vice president for student services, this is because of students seeking employment through UH, counseling tools available and the demand for college graduates.
"Historically, when the job market has improved, student utilization of (UCS) goes down, but because of the (center's) capabilities to reach students through e-mail ... more students are aware of (the center's) services and utilization has gone up," Small said.
Some numbers from this report show what students should consider when thinking about using UH Career Services:
Over 85 percent of students using the services receive at least one job offer.
There was a 55 percent utilization rate from graduating students in 1997 (of 2,800 undergraduates who receive degrees each year, 1,555 are looking for jobs when they graduate).
There was a 21 percent increase in internships obtained.
Of the 30 percent of students with jobs obtained from UH Career Services prior to graduation who responded to the Career Status Survey, 52 percent said they stayed with their jobs.
The most productive job searches were from campus recruitment services.
There has been a steady increase of Internet use by student registrants, showing that 15.6 percent currently use Internet resources.
The center's outreach includes orientation presentations, residence-hall presentations, student organization involvement, Web site advertisements, newspaper ads, telephone hotlines and bulletin ads.
UH Career Services provides students with individual and group counseling, the Résumé Bank, skill evaluation, internships, salary comparisons and more.
The Résumé Bank registration is a service by which students scan submit their resumes into a database, so employers can request résumés of qualified students. Last year, the annual report showed that employers requested over 30,000 students' résumés.
Another service available to students is the internship market, which provides opportunities for employment. Internships are necessary, said Small, since they make the students competitive and marketable.
Jobs provided go beyond the boundaries of Houston city limits. Last year alone, it was reported that there were 640 corporate recruiting visits from several national and international markets. Countries included those in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.
"The demand is for students who are bilingual, multicultural, who can re-locate or go back to their own countries and work," Small said.
Statistics in the annual report show that seniors rank the highest among students using UCS. Coming in second are graduate students. The rest include juniors, alumni, freshmen and sophomores, respectively.
Students pay for the UH Career Services through their student fees of $7.50 per semester per full-time student. Part-time students pay less, while alumni receive free service for one semester after graduation.
A nationwide survey, based upon compilations of 300 college career centers, concluded that students attend college to achieve career advancements in pursuing their career goals, said Small.
One of the most "in demand" jobs, right now, he said, is information technology obtained from either a business, computer science or technology degree. The number of recruiters coming to UH and the increasing salaries show a demand for information technology students, according to the report.
High-tech skills are also in demand ranging from operation of software such as Excel to familiarity with PowerPoint and word-processing skills.
"Students' goals should not be (limited) to getting a job, but the job," Small said. "(UCS) is a resource that is very important for students looking for a job, whether it's a job as an enrolled student or a job for graduated students, whether non-degree or career level. If students are not using UH Career Services, then they are really short-changing themselves."
Future goals for UH Career Services include an interactive Web site for the Résumé Bank process, whereby employers and prospective employees can interact in finding a job.