Colorado Mesa University is dedicated to helping students find new jobs and careers throughout the country through the use of a newly located and revamped CMU career service office and a “handshake.” The office has officially been moved to the first floor where Wells Fargo Banking used to be. One of the coming avenues for students will be the new job link program called Handshake.
“Our new CMU Job Link program will be powered by Handshake, a national platform and job-search software used by more than 400 colleges and universities and more than 20 thousand employers. We plan to have it operational in October,” CMU President Tim Foster said.
Foster suggests that having Handshake integrated for the students will give them more opportunities with a number of colleges and universities already involved.
“One of the messages CMU has heard from both students and employers is that it needed to make it easier for students and alumni to connect with prospective employers,” Foster said.
CMU’s effort to help students get and find jobs is all a part of CMU20000. CMU’s careers services will help any student that have questions regarding Handshake or other job-related questions. Students can schedule an appointment or use walk-in hours.
“As a student, having an internship reinforced what I was learning in the classroom and allowed me to utilize the skills I obtained in the political science major in [a] practical, real world setting,” Darcy Weir, a CMU alumnus, said. “Ultimately, my internship resulted in a full-time job with the Grand Junction Area of Commerce.”
CMU has been able to move career services into a new room. When a student sets up an appointment or walks in the staff will work closely with that student to develop the best strategy and plan for that student to gets closer to an internship or career.
“Students can just stop in if they have a quick, 10-15 minute, question on career guidance. Then we can sit down with them during those times and meet with them,” Assistant Coordinator of Career Services Alecia Dembowski said.
Students that struggle with resumes and cover letters have full access to career services. Career services have two employees that can support the learning process of Handshake.
“Handshake came about roughly the same time as CMU20000. Handshake [is] a free tool that local, regional and national employers can utilize to share their opportunities,” Dembowski said. “What makes it unique to students is that it’s a very interactive platform.”
Dembowski suggests that Handshake will help students and employers connect more through a free tool that is used locally, regionally and nationally.
CMU looks at new opportunities to give back to the students through career services, advising and new platforms.
