Q) Where are you located? A) We are located on the first floor of Reno Hall. Reno Hall is on the southwest (Livernois/Puritan) side of campus near the dorms. Mailing address: Career Education Center University of Detroit Mercy 4001 W. McNichols Road 143 Reno Hall Detroit, Michigan 48221 Q) What are your hours? A) Offices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Summer hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Evening hours are at the discretion of the Career Advisor/Co-op Coordinator. Q) What services do you offer at the Career Education Center? A) Services include individual career advising or coaching, drop-in appointments, seminars, on-campus recruiting, internships, job listings, career fairs/expos, and resume critiques. Q) Do you offer computers for student use? A) The CEC has two computers available for use. In order to use one of the computers, you must sign-in at the CEC reception desk, providing your name, major and student ID. Q) How do I find a job on campus? A) A good place to find work study is outside the Financial Aid Office, located in the Fisher Building on the McNichols Campus. You can also visit the TitanCareerLink website www.udmercy.edu/cecc for on campus listings. Q) If I am relocating to another part of the country, can Career Education Center still help? A) Yes! We can arrange reciprocal services at other Jesuit colleges/universities around the country. Include your name, college, major(s), month and date of graduation, your current mailing address, and up to three schools where you would like reciprocity. Letters will be prepared on your behalf and copies sent to you. NOTE: Some schools may charge a fee for services. Back to top Counseling and Resume Critiques Q) How can I meet with a career advisor? Q) When can I have my resume and/or cover letter critiqued? Q) I am a senior and I haven't done much about planning my future career. How do I decide what I want to do and how to get there? Q) I am a sophomore and I need to declare a major, how can I figure out what to major in and how it relates to a future career? Q) I want to major in history, but my parents want me to major in business. They're concerned about future job opportunities with a Liberal Arts degree. What should I do? Q) Does the Career Education Center offer any skill or interest assessments? Q) Do I need to wear a suit for a practice (mock) interview? Q) How can I meet with a Career Advisor/Co-op Coordinator? A) You can schedule an appointment with a career advisorfrom your TitanCareerLink account and clicking on the Appointment icon. You will dates and times your Career Advisor/Co-op Coordinator is avaialble. For times or dates that are not listed please contact your advisor directly, see the staff directory for contact information. During busy times, there could be a wait for an appointment, so please plan accordingly. Q) When can I have my resume and/or cover letter critiqued? A) Most resumes are reviewed online for overall accuracy (no obvious typos, inappropriate or inaccurate statements) by submitting a resume to TitanCareerLink. You can meet with an advisor to review your resume or cover letter in greater detail, or attend one of the resume clinics that are held during the fall and winter semesters. Sessions last about 15-20 minutes. Q) I am a senior and I haven't done much about planning my future career. How do I decide what I want to do and how to get there? A) The CEC staff is attuned to the stresses that seniors experience as they complete their degree requirements and seek employment or admission to graduate school. Call the office to set up an appointment to meet with a career advisor. The CEC also offers workshops on a variety of topics—keep checking the event calendars to sign up. For information on typical employers, and strategies to maximize your career opportunities visit “What Can I do With this Major…” or Graduate School Guide located on the TitanCareerLink web site under the Resources link. Q) I am a sophomore and I need to declare a major, how can I figure out what to major in and how it relates to a future career? A) It is common for first-year students and sophomores to be unsure about their choice of majors and future career plans. Contact the CEC office and schedule a one-on-one appointment with a career advisor. The career advisor can explore with you a variety of career options that suit your interests, skills and personality. If you prefer a self-directed approach, you will find information on TitanCareerLink by clicking on the Resources link. For your convenience, the Career Education Center provides Virtual Workshops and other resources to assist UDM students. Q) I want to major in history, but my parents want me to major in business. They're concerned about future job opportunities with a Liberal Arts degree. What should I do? A) Bear in mind that academic choices and career choices are not the same. If you're a history major, that doesn't mean that you must become a historian or history teacher. Many employers that recruit at the University of Detroit Mercy are more concerned with skills than one's major. They are looking for strong communication, writing, analytical, and organizational skills. Your Liberal Arts degree can help you to develop those skills. Visit “What Can I do With this Major…” for each major that interests you, choose either the PDF or HTML version to find an outline of common career areas, typical employers, and strategies designed to maximize career opportunities. Q) Does the Career Education Center offer any skill or interest assessments? A) Call to inquire about skill or interest assessment instruments. Q) Do I need to wear a suit for a practice (mock) interview? A) We recommend that you come for your practice interview dressed professionally. It helps to better simulate an actual interview. Back to top Co-op Internships Q) How do I find a co-op/paid internship? Q) How do I find out about getting credit for a co-op/paid internship? Q) Is it ever too late to find a co-op/paid internship? Q) As a first-year student, can I participate in the co-op/Paid internship program? Q) Do you have any internships listings in my field? Q) I am an F-1 international student looking for an internship. How can I identify companies that will hire me? Q) How do I find a Co-op/internship? A) Visit the Career Education Center website at http://www.udmercy.edu/cecc and log in to TitanCareerLink, after successfully logging in click on "job posting only” under the Co-op/Paid Internships tab. You will find current postings from employers seeking candidates for these unique educational employment opportunities. It is also recommended that you meet with a Co-op Coordinator to discuss your unique co-op/internship needs or to answer any questions you may have about the co-op process at the University of Detroit Mercy. Q) How do I find out about getting credit for a co-op/paid internship? A) The ability to receive academic credit for a co-op assignment is based on your college or major. Students seeking to earn an undergraduate degree in Nursing, Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil), Architecture (5-year Master’s) must complete a series of co-op assignments. All students (mandatory and non-mandatory) interested in participating in the Co-op Program are required to successfully complete CEC 300 (Co-op Preparation Course), register for the proper co-op course with the University and submit an Application for Co-op Credit. Q) Is it ever too late to find a co-op/paid internship? A) The CEC receives co-op/paid internship listings throughout the year. These openings are immediately posted on TitanCareerLink. It is important to start your co-op/paid internship search several months in advance to increase your chances of finding the perfect opportunity. Most students begin actively searching between November and February in order to secure the most competitive summer co-op/paid internship opportunities. However, it's never too late. Q) As a first-year student, can I participate in the Co-op Program? A) Generally, UDM students do not take the CEC 300 course until their sophomore or junior year (depending on the college/major). Many employers are looking for juniors, seniors, or graduate students only, but some will consider candidates in all years and all majors. The Co-op Coordinator for students in your major is the best person to provide you with advice in this area. Visit the CEC department staff listing for contact information for Co-op Coordinator. Q) Do you have any internship listings in my field? A) Each year the Career Education Center receives hundreds of internship listings for most majors in over 30 job categories. If you are a Liberal Arts major it is important to be flexible in your internship search and consider a variety of opportunities both related and unrelated to your major. Q) I am an F-1 international student looking for an co-op/paid Internship. How can I identify companies that will hire me? A) First, you need to visit the international student office on campus, if you have not already done so. They will explain the types of positions for which you can apply. Clarifying this information will help you market your employment status to employers. A Co-op Coordinator may assist you to prepare for a job search. Second, whether or not employers can hire students with F-1 Visas will vary depending on the employer and their specific hiring policy. Many employers who hire co-op/paid internship employees do so because they are looking to identify potential full-time hires, and they cannot hire an F-1 Visa candidate for full-time employment, based on their hiring guidelines. In addition, you may want to schedule an appointment to discuss your situation in more detail. This will give you an opportunity to identify additional resources or avenues to pursue your internship search aside from the on-campus recruiting program and online listings for which you may not meet the requirements. Finally, you may want to consider looking for an internship abroad, in your home country, if this option works for you. Back to top TitanCareerLink/Job Listings Q) How do I access full-time jobs listings? Q) How are "job postings" different from On-Campus Interviews? Q) Are all of these positions paid? Q) How do I access full-time jobs listings? A) Visit the Career Education Center website at http://www.udmercy.edu/cecc and log in to TitanCareerLink after successfully logging in click on "job posting only” under the Full-time Jobs tab. Many different job search options and services are available for your review. We also suggest that you might want to meet with the career advisor for your major, to review your unique job search needs. Q) How are "job postings" different from Campus Interviews? A) TitanCareerLink offers UDM students and alumni access to entry-level and experienced career opportunities with employers in the Metropolitan Detroit area. Positions cover a broad range of opportunities, primarily in Michigan and adjacent states. Employers have specifically targeted these jobs to University of Detroit Mercy. Interested students apply directly to the employer and can be interviewed at the employer’s site. Campus Interviews are managed through TitanCareerLink, but unlike regular job listings, it brings employers to campus to recruit students for full-time jobs and co-ops and/or paid internships. Q) Are all of these positions paid? A) The majority of the positions listed on TitanCareerLink are paid. However, some unpaid internship listings are posted. This information is usually included in the job description. Back to top TitanCareerLink Q) What is the TitanCareerLink system? Q) How do I update my user profile and resume? Q) How many resumes can I have on the system? Q) How do I find out which employers are coming to campus to recruit? Q) How do I check which employers I have submitted my resume to? Q) What if I forget my password? Q) What if I have two records on the system? Q) When are the "event" listings, including cancellations, updated? Do I need to keep checking? Q) When do recruiting "events" begin? Q) What is meant by "Does Not Meet Requirements for this Event?" Q) What is an employer information session? What if I can't attend? Should I contact the employer? Q) How can I find out more about the job or the employer? Q) How do I know if I have an interview? Q) What is an alternate? Q) What if I missed the sign-up period? Q) How do I cancel an interview? Q) What if I missed the resume submission deadline? Can I contact the employer on my own? Q) What is the TitanCareerLink system? A) TitanCareerLink is the University of Detroit Mercy’s on-line recruiting system. Each year employers post positions that they are seeking to fill on the system. Employers who are interested in interviewing UDM students use this system to conduct interviews for full-time jobs and co-op positions directly on-campus at the Career Education Center. This system also supports several key employment services for UDM students and alumni: the ability to sign up for on-campus recruiting (current students only), resume critiques, workshops and information sessions; to view and apply for employment opportunities (current students and alumni); and available information and resources for career planning and job searching. Q) How do I update my user profile and resume? A) You should review your profile and resume on a regular basis (2 - 3 times per year) to make sure the information is up-to-date and accurate. Simply go to TitanCareerLink at www.udmercy.edu/cecc, click on the logo and then type in your username and password. Once you have accessed your account click on My Profile and then click Edit. Q) How many resumes can I have on the system? A) You can have up to three (3) resume versions on the system, but you should need no more than one or two versions, depending on your career objectives. At the minimum, you should have at least one version of your resume on the system: 1. The first should be uploaded from a disk or your home computer. This document must be created in from Microsoft Word or other software and then save in Rich Text Format (RTF). This resume will be used as the default resume and is the one that a CEC Co-op Coordinator/Career Advisor will send to employers through the TitanCareerLink system. 2. A second resume can be another more specific that you will use to send to employers when you see a posting that is not necessarily in your major, but that you feel that you are also qualified for, this resume may highlight certain skills that you have gained through volunteer or extra curricular activities. Q) How do I find out which employers are coming to campus to recruit? A) From your TitanCareerLink account, click on the type of job you are interested in (Co-op/Paid Internships; Full-Time entry-level) and click on Interview only. Be sure to note the resume submission deadlines, which are typically four weeks prior to the interview date. Q) How do I check which employers I have submitted my resume to? A) From your TitanCareerLink account, click on My Profile, then on Job Application/Activity history. On this screen you will see a history of the postings you and/or your Co-op Coordinator/Career Advisor have submitted your resume to, and a list of CEC sponsored events you have registered for. You can also see if you were pre-selected for an interview and sign up. Q) What if I forget my password? A) From the TitanCareerLink sign on screen you can click on "Forgot Password." Enter your First Name, your Last Name, the Username you are using on TitanCareerLink, select Student and enter your Email Address. Q) What if I have two records on the system? A) It is only necessary to have one record on the system. If you have multiple records it can complicate and hinder resume submissions and the on-Campus interview process. If you have two records on the system, contact the Career Education Center and a CEC staff member can assist you by removing one of the records for you. Q) When are the "event" listings, including cancellations, updated? Do I need to keep checking? A) Event listings are updated daily, so it is important that you keep checking TitanCareerLink on a regular basis. The students who have the greatest success on TitanCareerLink are using the system daily. Q) When do recruiting "events" begin? A) Typically, recruiting events first appear on TitanCareerLink in Late September/Early October for spring recruiting events. Many of the large corporations begin their recruitment period in the fall, especially for highly coveted engineering and business co-op/paid internships. Q) What is meant by "Does Not Meet Requirements for this Event?" A) Each employer has its own set of selection criteria that are used when selecting candidates. The criteria may include GPA, academic major, citizenship requirements, or graduation date. If the recruiting event has specific requirements, they will be listed beneath the "Job Information." Q) What is an employer information session? What if I can't attend? Should I contact the employer? A) Employer information sessions are typically held before the employer's on-campus interview. We strongly recommend that you attend these events because it is a great opportunity for you to learn about the employer. If you can't attend, it is not necessary to contact the employer unless they specifically require you to RSVP. Explain to the recruiter at your interview why you were unable to attend. Recommended attire at information sessions is business casual. Q) How can I find out more about the job or the employer? A) Typically the best way to learn about an employer is to go right to the employer's website. For example if you want to research Johnson & Johnson, go to www.jnj.com. You can also use a search engine such as Google, using the employer name as the keyword. The Career Education Center also offers a “Researching Potential Employers” workshop twice a year. This workshop is in conjunction with a UDM Reference Librarian who can offer additional tips on how to learn more about an employer. This information is especially helpful in the interviewing process or when you meet employers at recruitment events (Career Fairs/Expos). Q) How do I know if I have an interview? A) For each listing on TitanCareerLink, there is a sign-up period noted. If you have submitted your resume to an employer who is conducting a campus interview, click on "Pre-selected signup” You will see a list of interviews that employers feel you may be a good candidate for and a list of interviews/events on the system that you are eligible for. Alternate candidates are chosen a day or two before the on-campus interview by the employer. Q) What is an alternate? A) Many employers choose two lists of candidates, a "pre-select" list and an "alternate" list. If the pre-select candidates do not fill up all of the interview time slots, the alternate candidates can take the available slots. This is on a first-come, first-serve basis and alternates are not guaranteed a time slot. Q) What if I missed the sign-up period? A) If you have been selected for an interview but have missed the sign-up period, contact your Co-op Coordinator/Career Advisor immediately. Q) How do I cancel an interview? A) If you are canceling an interview during the regular sign-up period, you can do it right on the TitanCareerLink system. When cancelling after the sign-up period, you must contact your Co-op Coordinator/Career Advisor before the interview to explain the situation. Q) What if I missed the resume submission deadline? Can I contact the employer on my own? A) Contact your Co-op Coordinator/Career Advisor. Back to top |