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Work Experience Valuable in Job Search Mary Green Program Manager Career Center Do you want to earn more money than your peers when you graduate?? Work experience can help you to do this and more.... When you think about work experience, most students think about internships and part time jobs. Both of these are certainly excellent ways to gain experience while you are attending USC, but there are many other options. Students can also participate in volunteer work, job shadowing, campus activities or organizations and cooperative education (co-op). Each experience can help you by giving you the opportunity to build or gain valuable skills, which will be critical in pursuing and landing your full time position upon graduation. Which is the right option for you and when should you start? At the Career Center, you can meet with a career counselor to discuss your career goals and decide which options would be best for you. Once you have decided on your options, you may want to continue using Career Center services. At USC, many companies use the Career Center to recruit students to fill their internship, volunteer, part-time, and co-op positions or participate in shadowing experiences. Each semester, employers conduct interviews on-campus for full time, internship and ____1—L—^ - co-op positions. The Career Center posts positions for employers on a web site (http://wjl.resumeexpert.com/0415/student.htm) and refers resumes every day. The Campus Activities Center can assist you with finding volunteer and campus activities, which would allow you to get involved and build/gain necessary skills. So what are the skills that employers want? The chart below shows those skills employers are looking for as cited by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). How does work experience help you? Besides gain ing/developing valuable skills, work experience can translate into higher start ing salaries as well as faster career progress and increased job satisfaction. A recent study cited in the NACE Journal revealed that students who had career related work experience were able to secure employ ment more quickly following graduation, and were paid higher than their peers without experience. They were also more likely to be employed within their fields of study, and were more satisfied in their current jobs. Employers rate new-hire skills 1 ~1 it' . 0 1 2 3 4 5 (5-poinl scale vrtwe l^aallettertNBandS-teKfreraelyetfBctiee) www.bam.com A wireless leader that's moving ahead j and taking its team with it. That's how many of our professionals know us - from their experience - at Bell Atlantic Mobile. As we've become the East Coast's largest provider of cutting-edge wireless voice, paging and data communications solutions, their backgrounds have become diversified in an industry that's booming. In short, — with us, you can move forward in your career without moving on to another company. Because we're the second largest wireless service provider in the entire country, have over 8,000 employees, provide service to over 5.5 million customers, and cover an area that has 56.8 million potential customers, there has never been a better time for talented and qualified professionals to join our dynamic team. So, if you'd like the opportunity to develop an exceptional career with a renowned industry leader, take a look at the exceptional customer-focused career opportunities which we currently have available. We offer competitive salaries and excellent benefits featuring: • Health/Dental • Life Insurance • 401 (k) • Profit Sharing • Tuition Assistance • Discount Phone Program Visit our booth on March 23, 2000 to find out more about Bell Atlantic Mobile's Job Opportunities. For immediate consideration, send your resume and salary requirements to: Bell Atlantic Mobile, Attn: HR Dept, Richland Center, Suite 2132, 3400 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC 29204. Fax: (803) 400-4185. We are an equal opportunity employer, m/f/d/v. Visit our Home Page at: www.bam.com ©Bell Atlantic Mobile