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Exploring All That UNC Asheville’s Career Center Has To Offer

By UNC Asheville

January 31^st, 2023

Over the summer of 2022, walls came down and carpet came up to make room in Ramsey Library for the new Career Center space, with the team leaving behind their previous office in Highsmith Student Union. Gone is the tucked away office, and in is a fresh coat of paint and desks arranged for quick conversations about your resume, grad school, majors and minors, or even life crises that strike some students. The Career Center, home to professional coaches and trained student “career peers,” is open to all UNC Asheville Students, even after graduation. Any question, worry, or ponderance that even remotely relates to your career can be discussed with someone knowledgeable about just what you’re going through.

With a new location and an expanded force of career coaches, there’s plenty of new events happening with the Career Center that will help students and alumni in whatever stage of their career life finds them in. Here’s just a sneak peek into a host of exciting opportunities coming this semester:

On-Campus Events

Many UNC Asheville students have probably stumbled upon the Career and Internship Fair while cutting through Highsmith, and found themselves collecting cards from local employers like The Biltmore Estate or Pisgah Legal Services. But not all of these events are one in the same, and all have their own important purpose.

“For starters, we have the Graduate School fair every fall,” Abby Sgan, the career peer coordinator, explains. “There'll be representatives from different grad schools in all different fields, and you can go around and get established with the programs they offer.”

Following that is the Internship Pitch Event, where employers who are looking for interns get up on stage and give an elevator pitch of what they’re looking for in a candidate. For those overwhelmed with internship searching and networking at large career fairs, this event aims to level the playing field between employers and interns, and make it easier to get to know a local company.

“Every year we have the Career and Internship Event, which is a regular career fair,” says Sgan. “We have great opportunities with local businesses, so for students looking for internships in Asheville, or job openings after college, that’s a great option to meet employers.”

One of the newer events to campus is the Free Clothing and Fashion Show, sponsored by the Career Center and in partnership with Success Outfitters. This event aims to provide students with access to professional attire that they can wear for an interview, an office job, or even a headshot. As a part of the Greenfest festivities, students can mingle and shop from the donated clothes, supporting sustainability and visit Greenfest tables as well as talk to career peers while they check out.

Smaller, more informal events are always popping up around Ramsey, where the career peers can be found tabling on the warmer days. But students don’t have to wait for an event to seek out a peer, or even a professional staff member.

“Don’t limit yourself,” said Sgan. “Careers don’t have to be scary. Even if you don’t have a specific career path in mind, if you don’t know your major or any prospects for jobs, that’s what we’re here for. Don’t be afraid to just talk to us, no matter where you are in your career path.”

Upcoming events include the Career and Internship Fair on February 9 from 12-2p.m. in the Blue Ridge Room, the Internship Pitch Event on February 21 from 12-1p.m. in the Blue Ridge Room, and the Fashion Show on April 13 from 11-1p.m. in Reed Plaza.

Career Treks

If students want to go off campus to explore opportunities, the Career Center also holds Career Treks, which aim to connect students with alumni or professionals in their industry. This spring break, students will be trekking to Washington, DC. This trek will bring students to federal departments, like Justice and Labor, to discuss policy around wages and environmental justice. Students on this trip will also meet with Chuck Edwards, Western North Carolina’s House Representative, speak with the Council of Foreign Relations, talk with an epidemiologist that worked on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, and finally connect with College to Congress, which aims to bridge the gap between graduating and working professionally in politics and lobbying.

The DC trip is already full, but fret not. “We're doing three local career treks; these are a little bit more accessible and a little bit easier for students to be a part of,” explains David Earnhardt, the associate director of employer relations at the Career Center. “The first is with a local company called AVL Technologies, and they make satellite dishes for broadcasting and the military. We're doing a career trek to Pisgah Legal Services after spring break. And then in April we're going to a local company called Kudzu Brands. They’re a marketing firm in Asheville. Those are three really cool career treks that students can sign up for here in the Career Center.”

Cool Jobs and Internships Newsletter

If students can’t make it to events or treks, the Cool Jobs and Internships Newsletter is the perfect way to stay on top of employment opportunities. Each week, Earnhardt compiles jobs from across the country and here in our town that stand out. Cool Jobs can truly be anything, from park rangers or museum curators—Earnhardt sends a list of diverse opportunities with his own spin.

“I started adding some commentary at the bottom, which is just my thoughts for the week. And it's things that I see and I hear about,” said Earnhardt. “Before the holiday break there was a lot of talk about quiet quitting, this idea that people are only doing what they're asked to do. So, you know, a little bit of commentary just so students can see one person's perspective on the economy and on the hiring outlook and everything that plays into it.”

Earnhardt is passionate about getting the newsletter into the inboxes of all students who want to explore their career paths, and see where their degree can take them.

“I try to highlight the different types of careers that a student can have,” Earnhardt explains. “So, hopefully there's something for everyone, and I also encourage them to respond and say, ‘Hey, you know what? I haven't seen anything from fill-in-the-blank in a while. Would you mind kind of keeping an eye out for this?’ I try to make sure that they get what they're looking for.”

To sign up for the Cool Jobs newsletter, email career@unca.edu or sign up through this link.

“I always encourage people to ask at the end, ‘who else should I talk to?’ so you can start to dig into their network as well.” —David Earnhardt

Some Advice for Students

The spring semester, just like the season, is a period of change and growth for many students. Seniors are approaching their last moments on campus, and what the real world looks like today. The constant waiting for internships or summer jobs weigh on students' shoulders. Freshman are celebrating their first year through, and thinking about their next steps towards their career. Even high school seniors are facing college decisions and the upcoming new phase of their lives. So with everything going on in a student’s life, how can they prepare for their years after college?

For starters, one of the biggest aspects of finding a job is the process of networking. Having an “in” with a company is helpful as you approach the application process. Whether your professor is friends with the hiring manager, or your parents know someone in the organization, these are great ways to enter with a bit more information and connection than just being another resume or applicant.

“That idea of networking often sounds scary to students who are unaccustomed, really it's the ability to connect with someone and find something you have in common,” said Earnhardt. “Even if you’re in a conversation with someone not in your industry, they might know someone who is. I always encourage people to ask at the end, ‘who else should I talk to?’ so you can start to dig into their network as well.”

Many students are in the process of applying for internships during the spring semester, some here in our neck of the woods and others all over the country. But it can be disheartening to apply to programs at the Smithsonian, NBC, or Wells Fargo, and know that you could be one out of 20,000. For many, the main question with these positions is, “how could I ever stand out?”

“Students jump to ‘What can I brag about? I’m a hard worker, I’m committed and I’m motivated,’” says Earnhardt. “But it’s really easy for the employer to say, ‘they’re really motivated…at what?’ The more detail, the more storytelling you can do in your documents, the more likely a student can put their hooks into the employer.”

In the end, careers, jobs, majors and internships can be confusing. The Career Center provides a home for resources like resume reviews, interview prep, and even headshots. Whether you’re a undecided sophomore, or a senior entering the workforce, the Career Center is here to help.