Ask CDC...

Welcome to the second "Ask CDC . . ." column in Newspeak.

I am not graduating this year. Is there any reason I need to attend the Career Fair on September 20th at Harrington Hall?

Career Fair '95 is truly a Career Fair, not a job fair. Company representatives at the Fair want you to learn more about their company and what they do. For Juniors, you can meet potential co-op or summer employers, develop contacts for your job search and find out what you'll need to best market your skills.

Sophomores can learn what skills they will need to be marketable in the near future. They can also explore cooperative education options and learn what companies will be seeing resumes for summer employment.

First-Year Students can discover career opportunities you can pursue with your major. If you are still deciding on a major, you can talk to professionals to learn what their degrees are and how they are using them. You can also hear what are becoming "hot" skills that you can acquire while at WPI as well as companies that may have summer positions.

Sixty companies have all ready reserved for Career Fair '95. With such a high number, there will be a great diversity in career opportunities and disciplines that will be represented.

How does CDC work with students who are receiving degrees in majors that have a smaller number of students?

This time of year there are always questions about what companies are recruiting at WPI and for what majors. During our job development outreach, we "market" all majors at WPI to current and potential employers. When they call to schedule an actual interview date, CDC asks that companies interview the broadest range of majors as possible that will meet their needs. Our goal is to have on-campus interviews for all majors at WPI!

In addition to on-campus interviewing, we forward resumes to companies who contact us. Last year, we sent out over 3500 resumes to employers. CDC takes the same steps with these companies as we do with those that come on campus, we market all the majors and ask them to take the broadest range of majors as possible. Many times, resumes are pulled from the Resume Expert database based on skill sets. This means that it is critical to complete the registration information and keep it up to date.

Both on-campus interviewing and CDC resume referrals are only part of a comprehensive, self-directed job search. These two CDC services only represent a very small part of the opportunities available to students. Identifying companies, conducting research, networking, sending resumes and making sure to follow-up are essential to securing the first position following graduation. The CDC staff is here to assist you with your career search.

CDC staff will answer your questions on career and employment related issues. Questions can be submitted via campus mail to CDC, posted to cdc.wpi or dropped off in our office on the Third Floor of Boynton Hall.

The Career Development Center is located on the Third Floor, Boynton Hall

HOURS: 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

8:30am to 5:30pm on Wednesdays

PHONE: 831-5260

Give feedback: newspeak@wpi.wpi.edu
Maintained by: Troy Thompson