Summer is almost here!

I know we are all in need of some good rest and celebration after the year ends, but the summer is a very important time for your career and work experience.                                      

I keep finding myself asking people “Can you believe the school year is almost over?!” 

You can feel it in the air, the school year is coming to a close, internships are ending, and the weather is improving, these are the signs that summer is almost here.

Summer is a great time to begin to network professionally.

Explore conferences, seminars, and training's that are offered throughout the summer. These professional events are great for networking and expanding your social work training.

Volunteer work is also an important career and resume builder that can be explored during the summer. For many of us we have more free time over the summer than we do during the school year. This is a great time to volunteer, even if it is one day a week, volunteer work is another great way to network and build resume experience. As I look back on my two years at the graduate school of social work, I reflect in the importance of my summer volunteer work and how that has brought me to my career after graduation.

There are many agencies working with many unique populations that are in need of summer volunteers (take a look!)

For summer volunteer opportunities, click here.

                            


For those of you who are graduating in June, CONGRATULATIONS!!! You have made it!

*Remember that the graduate school of social work’s career services are available to you for a year after graduation. We can help you with resumes, cover letters, interviewing, and job searching.*

Good luck in all your future endeavors, I have enjoyed being your assistant in career services and your classmate!


                          

Hello Spring quarter! Graduation right around the corner? Entering your second year of graduate school in the fall?

Graduation right around the corner? Entering your second year of graduate school in the fall?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may be asking yourself “what do I do next?”

Whether you are graduating and are looking toward your future as a professional social worker, or entering your second year of your MSW and are looking to strengthen your skills regarding internships and future career, remember you still have time!

Tip: Did you know that you can always access DU career services as an alumni, and the GSSW career services are available to you for 1 year after graduation.

GSSW career resources available:
    one-on-one advising
    resume and cover letter assistance
    connections to alumni
    LinkedIn information
    interviewing practice
    services to help you understand and develop transferable skills

One on One Advising
To make an appointment, email gssw.careers@du.edu

GSSW Career Connections Newsletter
Sign up for the GSSW Career Connections Newsletter which is sent every 14 days highlighting current job openings, professional development opportunities, and career tips.

Social Media
Learn about opportunities, jobs, events and resources by following us on social media. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! We also have a Career Blog written by a current concentration student! #gsswcareers #keepflying

Attend Upcoming Workshops
All workshops are held 11-11:50am unless otherwise stated.

Week 4
Navigating a Career Fair!
Monday, April 11th, Rm 448

Week 5
Career Connections Networking Luncheon - Concentration Students only
Wednesday, April 20th, Community Room

Non-Profit and Governmental Career Fair
Wednesday, April 20th, 2pm-5pm, Driscoll Student Center Ballroom

Week 6
Social Work Licensure A to Z
Tuesday, April 26th, rm 448

Week 7
The Art of Salary Negotiation
Monday, May 2nd, rm 448

Tuesday May 3rd, rm 448
How to Plan for Loan Repayment

Week 8
Monday, May 9th, rm 448
Beyond Loan Repayment: Financial Planning for the New Graduate

Tuesday, May 10th, rm 448
Learn How Linked In Can Help YOU Find a Job! Advanced LinkedIn Strategies


To learn more about the upcoming workshops, click here.

                         

                  University of Denver's Career Resources:

Take advantage of DU career resources to explore professional opportunities and develop the skills necessary to succeed in your job search. Check out the DU Career Services calendar to learn about upcoming graduate student events, including workshops and career fairs. Make an appointment with a career counselor to learn about job search tools, career assessments, resume and CV writing, and much more, click here!

Resources provided for current/continuing students:

• Career planning
• Career Assessment
• Career Advising
• 24/7 Career Help
• Practice Interviews
• Field/industry resources
• Financing education
• Resume review
• CV review

For more information, click here.

Resources provided for alumni:

• Access to Alumnifire, an exciting networking platform for alumni and students. Leverage the connection capabilities of LinkedIn and the robust job bank of Indeed.com.
• Access to the Alumni Career Services web pages.
• Personalized career counseling with an expert career counselor. Services are free for your first year, post graduation. After that, two free sessions are available each year with ongoing low-cost services.
• Career assessment tools (at cost).
• Resume and cover letter writing resources. 
• On- and off-campus career fairs and events.
• A variety of career-focused workshops
• Access to a range of job and internship listings.

For more information on resources for alumni, click here.

Regardless of what lies ahead for you and your personal social work journey, we at careers services are here to help you plan for your school and career future!

              Foundation year student? Concentration year student? Advanced standing?

No matter what year you are in, or where you are at in your social work program, you may be feeling some type of pressure to begin planning out your future. This could be trying to figure out where you want to intern next year, or where you want to work this summer! You may look around in your classes and notice students are looking more stressed, or you may hear rumblings of discontent.This time of year can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! I am writing today about tips and helpful hints, to stay clam, cool, and collected this time of year.

                                                          Foundation year

New internships are on the horizon. You may be asking yourself what you want to do next year and where you want to be. Below are helpful hints and tips to guide you through this process.

• Plan ahead! If you need to have your resume reviewed by career services or a friend. Did you know that you could email me or Lisa for resume guidance. My email address is kristcha.deguerre@du.edu and Lisa’s is lisa.Ingarfield@du.edu. We can give you tips and edits regarding your resume. 
• Tip: It is suggested that you customize your resume for every agency and program you apply to for next year’s internship. Make sure your resume highlights previous similar experiences, show the agency what work you have done that is relevant.

• Practice, practice, practice. Make sure you practice your interviewing skills, have a elevator speech ready. Know that interviews can be unique and that you can be asked unexpected questions. 
• Tip: An elevator speech is a clear, brief message or “commercial” about you. It communicates who you are, what you're looking for and how you can benefit a company or organization. It's typically about 30 seconds, the time it takes people to ride from the top to the bottom of a building in an elevator.

• Try to AVOID the rumor mill. You may hear false information such as “All the good internships are taken” “There is not enough internships for everyone.” These are both not true! Did you know that there are more internship placements than students? 
• Tip: Attend upcoming career workshops, that are offered at GSSW. Click here.

• TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! Practice self-care. This is a stressful time of the year, but you you take time for yourself it can be less stressful! 
• A great list of self-care ideas can be found here.

                                         Concentration year/advanced standing
For all you concentration year and advanced standing students, it is jobs that may be on our mind. “What am I going to do after graduation?” may be a question you are grappling with. If you are asking yourself this question, below are some tips for you.

• Reach out to career services at GSSW to talk about your hopes for after graduation, we can help with resume review, job interview skills, and to talk through any career questions.
• Tip: It is suggested that you customize your resume for every job and program you apply to for next year’s internship. Make sure your resume highlights previous similar experiences, show the agency what work you have done that is relevant.

• Network,network,network! Start to ramp up your networking. Meet with people in the field who are working in areas that interest you to learn from them. This kind of networking isn’t about asking for a job it is about building your connections and developing your professional reputation prior to beginning your job search. Contact alumni and employers to set up informational interviews on a weekly basis.

• Attend Workshops- GSSW and the main DU Career Center host  numerous workshops throughout the year  to help  you prepare for the job search. These include resumes,cover letters, licensure,salary negotiation and financial planning.Watch your email and check the GSSW Career Development website for details. Click here.
• Tip: March/ April: Begin applying for jobs There is a benefit to applying for jobs before you graduate because your job search could take as much as six months, sometimes longer.You will get practice at crafting cover letters/resumes and interviewing skills as well as make contacts in the field. If you see a position that you like that requires an MSW,  reach out to them to ask if you can apply prior to receiving the MSW (since it will be expected). This shows interest and initiative.

Please review the career timeline for concentration year and advanced standing students, click here.