Photo illustration by Bryan Cole / The Collegian

As Fresno̢۪s unemployment rate hits a high of 15.7 percent, students at any stage of their education have on-campus access at the Career Center to help them prepare for their own job search or guidance in picking their major and the correct classes necessary to meet their graduation goals.

With the rising unemployment numbers, the Career Center is seeing a rise in the students coming in requesting assistance.

“Our individual counseling appointment numbers have been steadily increasing over the last three years,â€Â said Rita Bocchinfuso-Cohen, the center’s director.

The Career Center, which is located in the Joyal Administration building, room 256, provides multiple avenues for students who may be questioning the direction they have chosen for their future career.

It offers workshops throughout the year to aid students with resume writing, interview techniques, preparations for graduate school and career fairs that are held through the year.

It also holds special events, (students need to sign up in advance), that give them experience in the interview process, how to work a room at a career fair and even how to fine tune a resume.

Center attempts to give students necessary skills

Students have long thought of the Career Center as a place to go to find a job, said Bocchinfuso-Cohen.

Its main function is to counsel students to gain the proper tools to identify what their job goals are and the ability to market themselves well. It also provides access to employers that offer part and full-time jobs, as well as internships in the student̢۪s field.

“We’re seeing a lot more students coming in earlier, where they used to wait until right before graduation,â€Â Bocchinfuso-Cohen said.

In economic hard times like the present, it̢۪s important to get in to see a counselor as soon as possible. Bocchinfuso-Cohen recommends that students call in to make an appointment to review their goals and assess their future schedules, that way they can be sure of their plans and avoid taking the wrong classes.

If they are looking for an internship, they need get to the center to start their searches the semester before they expect to have the job.

Every year, during the fall semester, employers come to Fresno State to do on-campus interviews.

The center offers, “Mock Interview Day,â€Â which will be held this year on May 6th and “Jobseeker Readiness Bootcamp,â€Â which will be held on May 7th, to give job seekers the experience they need to be successful in the interview process.

Online resources

One of the biggest requests, according to Bocchinfuso-Cohen, is help with resume construction.

Along with in-person counseling, students can access the centers Web site, www.csufresno.edu/career, for multiple free resources, one of which is a quick link resume system, Optimal Resume.

It has a tutorial system to help students write professional resumes and to submit those completed resumes for review.

The center regularly checks with the different counselors in each major on campus to see what concerns students are having.

Some students are choosing to avoid the job search all together.

“Counselors are seeing trends where many students are deciding to go to graduate school to delay their career search,â€Â Bocchinfuso-Cohen said.

“We have tools available to help these students as well.â€Â

Whatever the needs of the student, the Career Center is well equipped to get the future employee focused in the right direction and the tools to be successful in the real world.

“If you are unsure about any part of your future stop in or call,â€Â said Bocchinfuso-Cohen.

“We can give you the individual attention needed and get all your concerns and issues addressed.â€Â