Students who will remain on campus this J-Term, either for class or for sports, will have an opportunity to learn valuable information on how to conduct their future job searches after graduation.

Faye Finnegan, academic internship coordinator, and Mary Ellen Carroll, dean of experiential learning, will be teaching sessions during J-Term to help students get a head start in preparing for the “real world.” The sessions are not an actual credited J-Term class, but it’s free and open to all students.

“Especially with the economy the way it is, we know finding a job is a challenge,” said Finnegan. “There are so many things students can be doing at an early time, but there are a lot of students waiting until their senior year to deal with the situation.”

Finnegan said she was amazed at how many students leave Loras without ever knowing where the Center for Experiential Learning office is located. So, the first session will delve into the details of what the CEL is all about. Additional topics will include: Discovering what your interests and skills are, researching careers, networking and making connections, how to research a company, building a resume by doing service, and how to conduct an informational interview.

Finnegan also hopes to have some Loras alumni come in to talk to students about their particular fields of work, and advise students in how to prepare for job opportunities.

The sessions are not geared to any particular major. Finnegan says the subject matter is important to all students, since most employers don’t look at what type of degree you have or how many majors you completed, as long as you have honed their people skills. She also said that a lot of employers won’t consider a person who has not completed an internship.

Finnegan and Carroll plan to offer the course in the future as well, and Finnegan said they are hopeful that, eventually, they will be able to offer a credited course during J-Term and to structure it so that students could spend a day in Chicago with some Loras alumni.

If you are interested in the sessions, e-mail Faye Finnegan at faye.finnegan@loras.edu.