Blog

Last December, I wrote a blog post introducing three different reasons for seeking out academic advising at the University of Michigan. During this post, I discussed how advisors can help you explore course options, plan for the future, and troubleshoot academic struggles.

With that in mind, please consider this new post a spiritual successor to my previous entry. In this piece, I’ll break down how to utilize the twin resource to academic advising: career coaching. I spent two years as an intern at the LSA Opportunity Hub, an office serving students in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. But the great thing about Michigan is that each school on campus has its own individual career prep resources. Additionally, the University Career Center serves all students at the university. (And of course, all of these offices are offering virtual assistance to students during the pandemic.) So, without further ado, here are three different ways to use career prep resources on-campus.

1. Career exploration

Many people would classify a student who hasn’t determined their major or future career path as “undeclared” or “undecided,” but I prefer the term used by my mentor, Ben Anderson, over at the Opportunity Hub: “exploring.” The term implies that a student is curious about how different components of their academic, personal, and professional life fit together in order to find the right balance between these things as they go into their future. Using the Opportunity Hub as an example, if I’m a freshman LSA student who simply wants to explore my career interests with somebody, I can go to the Hub and meet with highly trained coaches who can help me do that. These coaches can also help you set goals for the future or start an internship search. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a senior or a freshman; if you are just starting to think about life after college, I highly recommend you stop into your school’s office.

2. Career resource and internship/job search-related assistance

Do you need help finding a way to fund yourself through an internship? Do you need help finding an internship, or perhaps you have secured one already and need help preparing for an internship? Maybe you found an internship opportunity already but haven’t applied just yet and need help putting together a resume or cover letter? Good news: the various career offices around campus can help you with these things. Whether you need help finding a position to apply to, or putting together the materials needed to apply to said position, these offices have you covered.

3. Making new connections and finding new opportunities

Sometimes, you can literally walk into one of these offices or hop onto their website and stumble upon an opportunity that you never knew was available. For example, these offices host free professional development workshops (sometimes with free food! A list of university-wide events through the Career Center can be found here). Second, they bring alumni from a wide array of industries and career functions every year to speak with students. And third, many offices source internships specifically for their students!

All in all, it never hurts to check out your options. A list of all of the career offices around campus by school is available here. Finally, if you’re an incoming member of the #Victors2024 class, sit tight! At least in the Opportunity Hub’s case, they have to wait until your first semester begins to assist you.