Great hires

College graduates applying for jobs have known for years that internships -- usually more than one -- in their chosen fields would catch the eyes of prospective employers. And many colleges and universities, including Southeast Missouri State University, require "experiential learning" to make sure students are exposed to on-the-job opportunities before graduation.

Now Southeast has added another dimension to the process of preparing students to enter the work force. It's called "Transitions," and it's a program that assesses what fields students are best suited for and gives them the necessary skills to prepare resumes and cover letters.

Transitions is a four-part process that begins early in every student's college career. The first step is a career assessment that includes follow-up from trained counselors. The second step is completing a personal profile using a Web-based career service that matches prospective employees and employers. The third step involving demonstrating the ability to prepare a resume and cover letter. The final step, in the senior year, is to polish resumes and cover letters and add them to the GreatHires Web site.

For many students, Transitions will do much more than make them ready to apply for jobs. Because the process begins early, it will help some of those students decide on majors best suited for their career potential. And because Transitions continues to upgrade students' job-seeking skills as they near graduation, they will be well-equipped to compete for the best jobs based on their university training.