Career Services
TEXAS COLLEGE> Career Services

Welcome to the Texas College Career Services home page. The mission of Career Services is to educate, develop, and assist students in successfully meeting the challenges of the ever-changing work environment for which they are preparing. Career Services will assist students and alumni in exploring part-time and full-time employment opportunities, internships as well as applying to graduate schools.

Career Services is divided into three areas:
Career Planning, Internships, Graduate School Career Planning

• Resume Writing
• Interview Preparation
• Job Search Resources/Skills
• Life Skills Seminars
• Job/Career Fairs
• Financial Literacy Sessions
• Computer Lab for Career Research

Internships

• Business and community partnerships for up to 25 internships
• Assistance with working with academic advisors for student placement
• Skills development for all applicants in the internship program
• Students will apply to be in program with 2.5+GPA and teacher recommendation

Graduate School

• Graduate School Research/Application Assistance
• Graduate program research
• Assist with acquiring Recommendation letters
• Application assistance
• Financial aid seminars
• Graduate Studies Prep Seminars
• Professional Development

Resume Information

• Tips for Electronic Resumes
  A section of JobTrak devoted to resumes, in particular E-Resumes, but also information about cover letters, key resume phrases, resume checklist, and tips on designing a resume. Access to many other services offered by JobTrak services, too.

• Resume, Cover Letters and More!
  Useful site full of tips about resumes, cover letters and the job search process. Includes links to job boards.

• What's the Right Resume for Me?
  Full of information about different types of resumes, such as chronological, functional, electronic, and curriculum vitae. Templates and examples and advice.

Job Search Websites

• 4,000 Company Listings
  Large site with web addresses of over 4,000 companies, large and small. Includes both the home pages of these companies and their job listings. Impressive!
• America's Job Bank
  Over a million jobs offered, and over a million resumes online.
• Auto Body Jobs
  Site specific to automotive industry. Online want ads and positions desired.
• Career Hub
  Career planning site which helps people make career changes and explore new careers. To utilize this site, you must pay for its services.
• Career Mosaic
  Online resume submission and career fairs. Jobs offered in finance, health care, human resources, insurance, public sector, sales and marketing, and technology.
• Careers, by the Wall Street Journal
  Informative site in newsletter format. Includes articles, job offerings, on-line job alert, salary data, career events, and much more!
• Career Site
  Totally free site offering anonymous profiling, automatic notification of matching jobs, online resume and resume forwarding, and other services useful to the job search.
• College Grad Job Hunter
  Jobs, and information on resumes and interviewing.
• Community Career Center
  Non-profit organization job postings, resource postings and projects.
• Cyber-Sierra
  Environmental career opportunities.
• Dice.com
  High-tech jobs; jobs for computer professionals. Resume tips.
• EcoJobs
  Environmental career opportunities and internships in the areas of environmental policy, conservation and natural resources, environmental engineering and technical services, environmental education. International job opportunities.
• FedWorld
  U.S. government jobs, within the United States as well as overseas; includes military positions.
• For Nannies
  No fees for access to nationwide database of live-in child care positions. Both employer and employee may post.
• Green Industry Job Openings

Website dedicated to jobs in the agricultural and horticultural fields. Includes jobs in landscaping, irrigation, nursery, and tree care.

• Head Hunter
  Massive site for job seekers that allows customized searches, from area and professional field to salary range. Jobs never more than a month old. Professional and non-professional positions. Resume posting and more!
• Hospitality Online
  Site dedicated to the hotel and resort business, offering both hourly and managerial positions. Includes extensive nationwide employer database, positions within the continental United States as well as overseas.
• Job Bank, USA
  Job search site, online e-resume and resume broadcasting. Information about Career Fairs, relocating, career building, and other helpful tools and hints.
• JobDirect
  Website devoted to employment for students, with access to the Fortune 500 companies. Nationwide and local services.
• Job Find
  Offers job listings, resume posting, career events, and corporate information.
• Job-Hunt
  Billed as "the job-hunter's super-site," this one includes the usual, but also links to classified ads, educational and academic sites, companies, recruiting agencies, job fairs, resume banks, other large job-search engines, and lots of other helpful links.
• JobsJobsJobs
  Website offering a variety of positions, both full and part time. Also provides services for free-lancers and short and long-term projects.
• Job-Search- Engine
  Not a Job Board, but an infomediary web site dedicated to employment. It searches the top USA and Canadian job boards in parallel and in real time. Job Search Engine will bring back a composite result of how many employment openings match your query.
• JobSite
  Site offering searches for jobs in a variety of fields. Has a site for jobs in the United Kingdom.
• Job Web
  Linking jobs, job seekers, and job-search information.
• Minorities Job Bank
  Site dedicated to building a more diverse workforce. Includes information for African-American, Hispanic, Native American, and women. Global minority news, as news of interest to minorities within American culture.
• Monster.com
  Large web-site with jobs nationwide and in other countries. Services include e-resume, career resources, and the opportunity to research large employers.
• Online Sports Career Center
  Interested in a career in sports? This site is a resource of sports-related career opportunities and a resume bank for potential employers within the many segments of the Sports and Recreation Industries.

• Public Service Employees
  Site dedicated to working in the public sector in federal, state, county, and city agencies. Includes information about civil service examinations, interview and resume information, employee benefits.
• Spring Board

Find the perfect employer, then the perfect job.

• Techies
  Large site for those interested in employment in computer-related fields, such as in hardware, software, networking, web design, and other areas. Employment in computer-related fields, such as in hardware, software, networking, web design, and other areas.

Internships

• Rising Star Internships
  Click "STUDENTS: Search for internships" then select your field of interest to find an internship. Nationwide.
• InternshipPrograms.com
  Searchable database for internships of all kinds, nationwide. Requires registration. Research tools, resume posting, other useful information and services.

Career and Occupational Info
Career Choice & Decision Making

• O Net Online http://online.onetcenter.org . The O*NET system serves as the nation's primary source of occupational information, providing comprehensive information on key attributes and characteristics of workers and occupations.
• Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) www.bls.gov . The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future careers.

Accounting & Business

• CPA Exam Structure and Format
  Covers the different elements of the CPA examination. Includes Business Law and Professional Responsibilities, Auditing, Accounting & Reporting.
• Careers in Business
  Covers the many areas of careers in business, from investment banking to working in non-profit corporations. Includes numerous links to job sites and other careers-in-business sites.

Biology

• Zoos and Aquariums of American Zoo and Aquarium Association
  Website of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. Excellent site for those interested in working with animals.
• Careers in Biology
  Discussion of what biologists do in the many fields needing their services.

Science and Mathematics

• Career Opportunities in Mathematics and Science
  Site devoted to mathematics. Discusses mathematics and its importance in a variety of fields, from teaching to robotics.
• Careers in Mathematics
  Website of the Mathematical Association of America. Covers many topics, including professional development, teaching and learning, publications, and employment opportunities.
• What is Engineering?
  Website for American Society for Engineering Education. Information for those interested in engineering, schools and programs in engineering, admittance to engineering schools.
• Information for Engineering Students
  Website for National Society of Professional Engineers. Hosts news, email, employment opportunities, future outlook and timely articles.
• Guides for Specific Careers
  Website for JobStar. Includes information on resumes, career choices, salary information. Excellent information for exploring careers available in a number of majors. Access to different job databanks.

State and Federal Employment Information and Resources

• Texas Labor Market Information
• Information about employment data, workers' rights, filing unemployment claims, and much more.
• United States Department of Labor
  Federal site about labor statistics, programs and services, links to other federal websites, and a host of other interesting topics.

Graduate School Resources
It is estimated that only 7% of all people in the United States have a post-graduate degree. If you thought that it was a strenuous process to obtain an undergraduate degree, you'll want to make sure that your reasons to pursue a post-graduate degree are important enough to invest the time and money, and that your new credentials will make a significant difference in your chosen career.

If your plan is to become a doctor, then it's an obvious choice to make : you must trudge through medical school. But if your aspirations lie in the field of website design, the current job market is generally more interested in your hands-on experience than the graduate degree on your wall. As with anything in life, there is always a trade-off for decisions made. Just as you will need to estimate the financial cost of your graduate program and study the state of the job market in your field, you will have to value the personal cost of graduate school on your quality of life.

The good news is that you have choices. If you decide to make a seamless transition from an undergraduate to a graduate program, you will be out on the market in a competitive position in the most efficient time-frame possible. Many people take this approach based on fear that they may never go back for the secondary degree once they taste a study-free money-making life. The downside to this scenario is that you'll be banking on the fact that you'll enjoy working in a particular profession without truly testing the waters! What happens if, after eight straight years of studying veterinary medicine, you realize that you dislike working with people? Oops.

The delayed approach, after obtaining your undergraduate degree, may give you the opportunity to work within your profession of interest and actually help further define your specific aspirations within the industry. This could prove to be extremely valuable, as many graduate programs often zero in on very specific areas of study. The other opportunity that may emerge is that often companies are willing to help supplement the cost of further education as they benefit from the added knowledge as well!
Either way, we urge you to gather as much information as possible.

How do I choose a Grad School?

Once you have decided to embark on the quest to obtain a graduate degree, you must figure out which school will meet your requirements and offer you the biggest bang for your buck.

To do this, it is imperative that you understand exactly what your goals are. Will you participate on a full-time or part-time basis? Are you searching for the school with the highest ranking within your educational interest or do you simply just want the credentials? Is it possible for you to physically move to another city or state? Have you Considered Advance Online Degrees? How do you intend on financing your graduate education?
Once you have defined exactly what you are looking for and thoroughly searched various graduate programs, you will need to make a list of the acceptable prospect schools. Academic fit is usually the most important criteria in defining your school list. Does your existing transcript fit into their application requirements? Does the faculty share your research interests and are they willing to become involved in your prospected work as well as allow you access to theirs? Also, remember to keep the larger picture in mind and make sure that you are comfortable in your “life” as well as your academic prospects. Does the institution offer additional resources outside of your initial course of study and cultural communities that fit well into your social requirements?

Applying to Graduate School

Applying for graduate scholarships can be competitive. Don't allow this process to deter you from graduate school. The best advice is to begin early; make sure that you have a listing of the schools and each of their requirements together. This will help you through the process of applying for graduate school scholarships.

Most importantly, apply for every graduate scholarship you can find - and Apply Early! Make sure you know all of the deadlines for applying for scholarships. A good tip is to create your own deadlines about three weeks before the actual deadline. This will help you mail all of the forms on time. After all of this paper work is complete, let the waiting game begin! Every year, thousands of scholarships either go unused or have a handful of applicants competing for them. Our graduate scholarship tools and resources will help you locate many of these scholarships and make the most of your scholarship search.
The Internet offers a wide array of research and database tools that can help you find and apply for millions of scholarships and grants, totaling over $20 billion each year. Use our resources to find and earn your share!

Resources for Graduate Student Scholarships:

• Student Scholarship Search Free Scholarships Site - over $9 billion in scholarships listed
• Free Scholarship Search Secrets eBook - learn how to use Google to find scholarships!
• ScholarshipPoints.com - You can win free scholarships
• Graduate School Scholarship Search - From Edvisors Online Education Directory
• International Education Financial Aid - For International Students

Hints, tips and advice for finding Graduate Scholarships:

• File your FAFSA early so you can apply for scholarships early. Some college and federal scholarships require you have completed the FAFSA before they can grant you the scholarship.
• There are many agencies and organizations that will conduct searches for a fee. Some even "guarantee" being able to procure the fee amount in awards. Nearly without exception, the information provided is available through one of the resources listed on this page. Further, some of these groups provide information about federal sources of aid that you can research on the U.S. Department of Education's site or are programs your school's financial aid office would award in the normal course of business.
• Be wary of any solicitation from an agency that offers to conduct a scholarship search for you. If you have a few hours and access to the Internet (or can get to your local library), you can probably obtain the same information for free. Alternatively, often the free scholarship search engines will collect your data and offer it for sale to the highest bidder. Student Scholarship Search from the Edvisors Online Education Directory offers a free search to students but you don't have to register or give them your personal information.
• The Department of Education has posted warnings about fraudulent or deceptive agencies and how to ensure you are not fooled by such organizations.
• Finally, follow all application instructions to a "T". Meet all deadlines and follow up to ensure all materials get to the appropriate party by in a timely manner.

Further, think about the important people who have surrounded you during your undergraduate experience. Feel free to compile a list of faculty members, administrators, and old employers or supervisors who have seen you in action. Remember, these people should know a lot about who you are as a person. They will be writing about how you performed in various situations and even about your professional career goals and how your work is compared to your peers. These people will be the greatest resources you may have for graduate school letters of recommendation. Be sure to give them ample time to write you a letter because they may want to spend a lot of time on it. It is also very helpful to provide your writers with a current résumé. Remember, they may have seen your work in the classroom or on the job, but they may not know all of the co-curricular activities that you participate in.

Determining how to pay for school after you may have already taken out student loans to pay for your undergraduate degree is complicated and may become stressful. But don't allow it; there are many options for graduate students. Often, institutions will send you financial aid information upon acceptance to a program. You can take out graduate student loans for living expenses or for tuition just like you may have during your undergraduate work. However, if you are still concerned with the payment look into graduate fellowships, assistantships and teaching assistant positions. Frequently, if you are hired for any of these positions, the department will finance your education and give you a paycheck. If you're still worried, know that there are many graduate scholarships available depending on the institution.

More Graduate Admissions Resources

• Applying to Graduate School
• Search for Graduate Schools
• Online Graduate Degrees
• Grad School Requirements
• Guide to Graduate School
• Grad School Admission
• Paying for Graduate School
  

Graduate School Search

GradSchools.com
The #1 grad school website on the planet.

Welcome to GraduateGuide.com
A directory of Graduate Schools in the United States and Canada. This site will help you find colleges and universities that offer accredited graduate programs that most interest you.

Graduate School Resources - Graduate Center
Graduate student resources at Graduate Center the online graduate school resource for both graduates and graduate schools.