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Career Center helps UCLA grads find footing in job market

Bijun Liang / Daily Bruin

By Chris Campbell

June 9, 2014 12:00 a.m.

In June, the UCLA Class of 2014 will graduate and face a growing but competitive job market. What does it take to start a successful and fulfilling career in 2014? The UCLA Career Center seeks to answer this question while helping recent graduates find their footing in the job market.

TRANSCRIPT:

CAMPBELL: This June, the class of 2014 will graduate from UCLA and face a competitive but growing job market. According to Sheila Benko, a career development research analyst at the UCLA Career Center, the National Association of Colleges and Employers reports that college hiring is currently increasing by roughly 7.8 percent. However, she stresses the need for students to remain competitive.

BENKO: We’re talking about a lot of driven, bright candidates who are all seeking jobs no matter where they’re at university. But that questions kind of aligns with, “What are my chances of getting an A in this class?” Well, what are you doing about it to make sure you get that A? So, what are you doing to make sure you are one of the candidates that are hired by employers?

CAMPBELL: As a career development research analyst, Benko researches career trends among recent college graduates in order to help future graduates assess their employment opportunities. She also opposes the idea of any specific career path for guaranteed employment.

BENKO: Sometimes we look at majors and their different job opportunities, but I think it’s important to look at the skills employers seek. They’re not looking specifically for majors; they’re looking for skill sets like working in a team or making decisions or solving problems.

CAMPBELL: Benko advises recent and future graduates to actively seek out their ideal jobs.

BENKO: For those students that are currently in the job market, what I would focus on is making sure that their resumes are strong, making sure that they start doing that networking, letting people know what they want to do, talking to people about their careers.

CAMPBELL: For those who feel unsure about their future career path, the UCLA Career Center offers several services, including career fairs, access to job listings and access to publications from different fields. The Career Center also offers access to Peer Advisors, undergraduate students who help students sharpen resumes, cover letters and employment skills. One such adviser is fourth-year psychology student Natalie Aguilar. Aguilar advises future graduates to base their career paths on their personality and values.

AGUILAR: Everyone has different values, whether it’s helping others or receiving recognition. You also have to take into account your fit with certain fields, whether or not you’d be good at it, if your strengths would flourish in those fields, and your personality type – whether it’s a fit with the company or a fit with the organization or field as well.

CAMPBELL: Third-year economics student Steven Ng will graduate from UCLA in June. He plans to make a career in business, a passion found through trial and error with numerous jobs.

NG: After college, I plan to continue my entrepreneurial adventures. Right now I have a product design company which retails products online. I explored a lot of different fields, and after working all those dead-end jobs, in my opinion, I decided to create something for myself and start a company at the beginning of my second year of college.

CAMPBELL: Like Aguilar, Ng encourages future graduates to follow their passions.

NG: Really explore what you’re passionate about. If you don’t know if you want to do something, I suggest trying it out or getting an entry-level position. Even if it’s not exactly what you want to do, take a position in that field so you can learn the ropes and find out if you want to do it.

CAMPBELL: Although the 2014 job market is competitive, it also offers recent college graduates the opportunity to follow their passions as they carve their own career paths.
For Daily Bruin Radio, this is Chris Campbell.

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Chris Campbell | Alumnus
Chris Campbell was the Daily Bruin Opinion editor in the 2015-2016 school year. He previously served as Radio Director and as a Radio contributor. He writes about everything, but focuses on Westwood and city issues.
Chris Campbell was the Daily Bruin Opinion editor in the 2015-2016 school year. He previously served as Radio Director and as a Radio contributor. He writes about everything, but focuses on Westwood and city issues.
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