In the midst of the shortened spring semester, seniors and staff are among the many people scrambling to make up for lost time. In a normal academic year, seniors have eight months to perfect their résumés, search for the right interview attire and most importantly, find the job that they have been preparing for over the past several years. The staff at the Counseling and Career Services Center also usually has ample time to host career fairs, setup résumé workshops and give seniors the confidence and skills they need to enter the professional world.

This year, though, things are different. Time has been cut in half. While some seniors have already found jobs, others are struggling to ready themselves for their futures, and the staff members at Loyola’s Career Services Center are racing to try and help.

OFF THE MARKET

Melissa Lyons, accounting senior, attended the University of San Francisco during the fall semester. Through one of the university’s many career fairs, Lyons became one of the fortunate few to have already landed a post-graduation job.

During Lyons’ second week at USF, the school hosted a “Meet the Firms” career fair, and her adviser strongly encouraged her to attend.

“I wasn’t going to go at first,” Lyons said. “I didn’t feel like I was really prepared. I somehow managed to put together a résumé, and I went … and I’m glad I did.”

Lyons visited all of the major firms that were present that day and was soon called back for six on-campus interviews. “I was amazed they were interested in me because I had never even had an internship,” she said.

The interviewing process began in early October for Lyons.

“It was actually really fun being interviewed by these major firms. They would take us out to dinner, order bottles of wine – it was great,” she said. “They were definitely trying to schmooze us, but I didn’t mind. I was eating at the best restaurants in San Francisco.”

All of the firms offered the same base salary – $51,000 a year – forcing the applicants to look more closely at the company itself instead of the money offered.

By mid-November, Lyons had two offers on the table: one from Price Waterhouse Coopers, the other from Grant Thornton LLP. Lyons chose the latter.

Before Hurricane Katrina, Lyons had planned on moving back to San Antonio after graduation to begin her job search. Lyons believes that if she had not gone to the career fair, things would have turned out differently.

“I would have never had this opportunity,” she said.

Lyons feels fortunate for the way this school year has progressed.

“Had I not used the resources at USF, this may have never happened. I really feel like the job that I got is going to give me the foundation that I need,” she said.

ON THE HUNT

Not every senior has been as fortunate as Lyons in finding a post-graduation job. Laura Burgmeyer, communications senior, said, “After graduation I have no idea what I am doing or where I’m going to go.”

Burgmeyer is pursing a track in advertising and admits that due to the shortened school year, she is completely unprepared.

“In order for me to even get a job, I need to create a portfolio, but I have nothing to put in it,” she said.

Burgmeyer not only blames the shortened school year but also herself.

“I don’t think that I have really used my resources as well as I should,” she said.

With graduation just around the corner, Burgmeyer feels the pressure becoming a little overwhelming.

“Everything is being pushed on me and it just seems that it is happening so fast,” she said.

Burgmeyer has not lost all hope for her plans after Loyola. She is planning to move back home to Summit, N.J., and begin networking the advertising scene there through her family and parents’ friends.

“So, I may have to serve tables for a while. I think most people do,” Burgmeyer said.

THERE TO HELP

For the seniors who see themselves in Burgmeyer’s position, there is help. Shannon Murphy, the Job and Internship Development Specialist at Loyola said, “We recognized from the get-go that the seniors have one semester to do two semesters of preparation.”

The Counseling and Career Services Center has been reduced to a two-man crew and is working diligently to squeeze in as many events as time allows, Murphy said.

“This year we are really trying to reach out and go to the students,” she said.

Murphy said she realizes additional pressure has been placed upon seniors this year. But, she said, “it’s time to allow that pressure to push you into action.”

The staff has planned a full calendar of events to aid seniors in this time crunch. There are nine events taking place this month alone. The Counseling and Career Services Center is currently hosting its first online career fair in cooperation with 16 other Jesuit colleges and universities. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this event until it ends on March 31.

Loyola will also take part by hosting the Spring Consortium Career Fair on March 16.

“This event is going to be taking the place of our usual ‘Mardi Gras Career Fair.’ There are going to be over 100 employers here at Loyola,” Murphy said.

The Counseling and Career Services Center advises that one of the most important things for seniors is to have a well-constructed résumé. “Most employers want to know that you can work,” Murphy said. “Don’t be embarrassed to put small jobs like McDonald’s or Wal-Mart on your résumés.”

The Counseling and Career Services Center has an abundant amount of resources available to all students in their office on the second floor of the Danna Center in room 208.

“We strongly encourage students to come in and take advantage of these materials,” Murphy said.

In the office, there are packets of information on how to put a strong résumé together, offering advice on everything from word choices to font styles. After the students complete their résumés, the staff recommends making an appointment at the Counseling and Career Services Center so those in the office can help edit and perhaps make a few last minute changes.

Students are also encouraged to register and post their résumés on Pack Trak, an online job board designed only for Loyola students and alumni. After posting their résumés, it is recommended that students check the job postings once a week at minimum.

“There are new listings almost everyday,” said Murphy.

The Counseling and Career Services Center also warns students that they need to do more than search the newspapers or the Internet for jobs.

“Some students think they can just get their jobs online. Well, the Internet can be very misleading,” Murphy said.

Only 25 percent of all jobs are actually listed, according to Murphy. This means that seniors must be aggressive in their pursuit to find the job they want.

The Counseling and Career Services Center has added walk-in hours to better accommodate schedules of students. Appointments are recommended, but students may walk in between 3:30-4:45 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday or between 10-11:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.

“We want students to come to the career fairs and stop by our office. We are here working for them,” Murphy said.

Jared Bailey can be reached at [email protected].