There are many reasons to select a particular college: prestige, ranking in your favorite major, location and cost are some of them. But one of the most important considerations that very few students think about when choosing a school is what companies actively hire on campus. One of the main reasons of getting a college degree is to get a J-O-B. We know there are some exceptions. There is a group of students that intend to pursue advance degrees (masters, PhDs, medical degrees, law degrees, etc.). Others might be interested in working in a family business after graduation. However, the majority of college graduates are going to school to increase their chances of getting a good paying job in a field they are passionate about. If the goal is to get a job, and hopefully at a location where the student wants to move to, it is important to know who is hiring.

One of the key aspects of the college search is understanding the services the Career Center at each university offers. The Career Center can provide the list of companies that hire at their campus, how many students are hired and the number of hires for each particular major. When applying for a permanent job after graduation, it is critical that students have meaningful work experiences in their resume. By meaningful, we mean experiences that are closely related to the permanent jobs students are applying for. The Career Center not only provides permanent jobs opportunities, but also opportunities for internships. There are some colleges that only offer internships opportunities after students complete their second year of studies, while others allow applications right after their first semester on campus. A resume with two or three meaningful summer job experiences is a powerful tool to get a job right after graduation. Also, a professional internship will result in a considerable amount of income when compared with regular student summer jobs, like the ones offered in restaurants or youth camps. A student can easily double or triple their salary with a professional job versus a regular summer job.

So make sure you include a tour of the Career Center as part of your college visits!