Frequently Asked Questions

The Center provides services, programs, and resources which facilitate the lifelong career development process and assist students and alumni with implementing and securing satisfying careers. We meet with students during individual appointments as well as group workshops and seminars. The Center offers job postings, resume writing and interview preparation assistance, career fairs, and on-campus recruiting opportunities.

We work with all current Claflin University students in any major or classification. We also assist alumni and employers.

Students may come by the Center at any time to ask a staff member a question, use the extensive collection of resources in the Career Resource Library, or pick up free magazines and literature to help with job search or graduate study. We encourage them to schedule appointments in advance for more in-depth career planning assistance by calling (803) 535-5333.

Because the Center offers resources and programs to help students explore majors and careers, students are encouraged to begin using and become familiar with the Center starting with their first year on campus. The range of services available can assist students of all classifications, not just seniors who are looking for employment.We offer career advisement, career courses, the Career Resource Library, job and internship listings, and on-campus interviews. For more information, please make an appointment with our counselors.

An internship is a chance for a student to gain experience in a career field before entering the job market. Internships can confirm a career choice or help a student realize that a particular field is not a good fit. Almost half of the student interns receive offers for full-time employment after graduation by the organization where they interned. While some internships are paid, most are not because the emphasis is on skills and experiences that will give students an advantage in the job market. Most internships are one semester or summer long but can sometimes have a greater duration. The length of an internship is often negotiable.

An internship will provide a unique opportunity to learn while working in a specific career field and allow you to test your skills and interests in that field. It can help you see, while ;you are still a student, how your specialized skills and classroom theory apply in a work setting. An internship will tell you much about your own personal aptitudes and preferences. It will give you that hard-to-come-by prerequisite for many kinds of employment: 'documented experience.' An internship will also give you practice in some valuable job-hunting and networking skills, such as setting up an interview and cooperating with your work supervisor and fellow workers. Through this experience you will make some useful contacts and possibly references for future employment.

Each company, agency or business will have individual time tables. However, the earlier you begin planning your internship, the more options you may have. Some companies have formalized internship programs while others utilize interns on an as-needed basis. The more competitive internships often have early application procedures.

• Students can acquire practical and meaningful work experience
• Improve their verbal and written communications skills
• Identify and/or test their interests and talents
• See if their selected career path is the one they truly wish to travel
• Determine whether their interests match their skills
• Learn day-to-day businesses functions
• Find out what it is like to work full-time every day in a business environment
• Increase their marketability and value to employers.

Some internships will be paid internships and others will be unpaid. The organization providing the internship determines whether or not an intern will be paid. There are some internships where it is possible to receive both payment and credit. If an internship is unpaid, students are REQUIRED to register for credit for the internship. Please remember what is most important: Internships are all about gaining experience in your chosen career field; performing an internship will give you a competitive edge when it comes to your future job search.

The Career Services Office offers five Career Planning Steps:

• Assess Yourself
• Explore Possibilities
• Inform Yourself
• Prepare Yourself
• Present Yourself

Learn more about Career Planning.

While a one-page resume is best, two pages are acceptable so long as the information you include relates to your skills and abilities and indicates to the reader that you are qualified for the position for which you have applied. Do your best to keep your resume to one page, but know that two pages are acceptable in most situations.

Each year, The Career Services Office receives Job Search Books that helps students to create cover letters and resumes. The books includes such information as hints for success, job search timeline, resume/cover letter information and samples, letters of application/thank you letters, interviewing information. You can also meet with any of the counselors in Career Services for assistance in creating/reviewing your resume.

The Career Services office is one of many resources students can use as they search for a job. It is the responsibility of the student to conduct the multifaceted job search. Students may visit with a Career Counselor to assist with resumes, cover letters, practice interviews and discuss job search strategies. In addition, students have the opportunity to attend job fairs during each academic year and participate in On-Campus Interviewing in which they can meet representatives from a diverse group of companies. There are also various workshops on topics such as; Interviewing Skills, Career Fairs, Graduate and Professional Fairs, and Law Enforcement Fairs offered during the course of the academic school year.

No. If you have a resume that is more than one page, it is best to print each page separately and then staple the pages together.

Remember, it is the quality of the information you include in your resume that will help get you the interview, not the color of paper. Use good quality, heavyweight, white paper. Recruiters are busy people and they are rarely impressed by the color of paper used in the documents they read.

Absolutely not! Putting your picture on your resume does little more than allow the reader to make judgments (positive or negative) about you based on physical characteristics. Such judgment by an employer has nothing to do with your ability to do the job for which you've applied and it is illegal.

Generally, three to five references are enough. Each of your references should be thoroughly familiar with your academic preparation and your work history. Give each of your references a copy of your resume. It is polite to notify your references when you have applied for a specific job or internship and you anticipate your references may be called.

Cover letters change depending on the position for which you are applying. As a general rule, your cover letter should address three areas--why you are writing, why you are qualified for the position and a simple closing statement.

Learn more about cover letter tips.

A curriculum vitae, or CV, are typically used by individuals who are searching for career opportunities in higher education, research, academic studies or a related field. Resumes are typically used by individuals who are searching for employment in other fields. What is major difference? A CV highlights experiences such as degrees earned, research completed, articles or books published, classes taught, presentations given, grants applied for and/or obtained and similar categories. Resumes highlight experiences related more to the various jobs the individual has held; the two documents can be used interchangeably.

Research the company and position for which you are applying. Know your resume and schedule a mock interview with Career Services at (803) 535-5333.

Arriving 15 minutes prior to your interview is appropriate. Doing so will give you time to relax, review your resume one more time, and prepare for the interview.

While a formal business suit is not required for all interviews, dressing like a professional (sport coat, tie, slacks, dress shoes, if you are a male, and a blazer, blouse, slacks or knee-length skirt if you are a female) is always preferable. Remember, an interview is your chance to present your professional self. Make the most of that chance.

While you may be eager to find out how well you did and if you got the job, the general rule is that waiting at least five business days after an interview before calling the company is best.

While using e-mail to communicate with a potential employer is very convenient, electronic communications (including e-mail and instant messages) is still viewed in business as being casual. For this reason, send a formally typed, one-page thank you letter after your interview. Doing so will reinforce your professional image.