The Buena Vista University (BVU) Career Services office is hosting four workshops aimed at teaching students valuable skills in order to excel in interviews and find jobs after graduation.

The program, Jumpstart Your Job Search, targets five areas: producing a resume, writing a cover letter, practicing interview skills and job search strategies, as well as getting familiar with a networking website: Linkedin.

Director of Career and Personal Development Jeff Stocco, said that in order to incentivize students, Career Services will be giving a professional portfolio to those who attend all four workshops or who otherwise prove they have an understanding of all five skills.

“Our contention is that the earlier you start, the more likely you’ll be employed by the time you graduate,” Stocco explained.

Stocco said that it’s common for most colleges to have 50-60% of students employed by the time they graduate.

At BVU, 98% of students are employed 6 months after graduation. Stocco’s goal is to have more students employed by graduation so that they don’t have to worry about those 6 months after graduation.

Through the Jumpstart Your Job Search workshops, Stocco wants students to realize that they can do little things to begin their job search before graduation instead of waiting until the summer to begin.

Career Services will also begin piloting an online interviewing service called “Interview Stream” as another resource for students to hone interviewing skills.

The online program allows students to practice interviews in the comfort of their dorm room and on their own schedule. The program helps alleviate the potentially uncomfortable environment of face-to-face practice interviews. The program also gives feedback on how the user looks and feels on screen.

With the increasing number of interviews done over services like Skype, students can become more comfortable with online interviews, and the art of interviewing itself.

Photo by Kiley Wellendorf