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| Vol. 19, No. 10 | Nov. 4, 1999 |
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| Vol. 19, No. 10 | Nov. 4, 1999 |
Be your own career counselor with our help, and start thinking about and planning for future careers when you are freshmen." That's the advice to students from Marianne Green, career services.
She has written a new book, Majoring in Success, primarily for underclassmen and also high school seniors, which is the culmination of 25 years of experience in career counseling of college students.
"When it comes to getting a job, times have changed," Green said. "It used to be that a college degree was all that was needed to open doors. Now companies are looking at the total picture when they interview students. Students who have meaningful work experience, internships, volunteer work, leadership positions and other activities have the leading edge over those who don't. In fact, it's become a necessity to offer extracurricular experience on the résumé.
"I call this the second curriculum. Academics are very important, but outside activities, work experience and internships build skills, help students define who they are and demonstrate what they can do," Green said.
"I wrote this book with Anthony Arcieri, a former UD graduate assistant in the office and now at George Mason University, to reach underclassmen and high school seniors so that they will seek out and take advantage of the opportunities that come their way. I hope high school guidance counselors can use it for workshops to help prepare students for college and to get the message out to parents. By the time college students are seniors, it is somewhat late to get involved in these kinds of activities, and it's frustrating for them and for me that they lack these experiences as they seek to enter the job market," she said.
"From day one, college freshmen should be thinking in terms of careers they may wish to pursue," Green said. "At freshman orientation, many by-pass our table, but students should be getting to know our office and what we have to offer-we are their allies in seeking co-op work opportunities, internships and summer jobs, as well as jobs after graduation. Volunteer work is a good way for freshmen and sophomores to begin the process and may lead to other opportunities later."
Although some disciplines, such as teaching and nursing, require practical training, Career Services has 30 volumes of information on internships that are cross- matched by field and location. There also are more than 300 local organizations that offer internships and other opportunities for work experience through the center. These internships are posted in notebooks and on the CSC web site.
The book offers practical advice to students and is interspersed with vignettes of students Green has counseled. They range from the student who is overextended in activities and the one who has placed total emphasis on academics to a volunteer tutor, a student leader and a participant in a work co-op program.
The book also includes worksheets for students to complete on assessing achievements, abilities, aptitudes and interests.
Green suggests that students find related activities that will build on their career interests. "What employers are looking for are bright, alert, capable graduates who have work experience," she said.
The book is one of a series published by Octameron Associates, which offers college-planning books on topics ranging from academic scholarships and financial aid to preparing college applications and SATs.
A graduate of Goucher College, Green has master's degrees in counseling and education from Washington University in St. Louis and Xavier University in Cincinnati. She joined the UD staff in 1985 and is the author of Internship Success, a guide to help students get the most from internship experiences.
-Sue Moncure
