Landing the perfect job can be a difficult task. Fortunately, the Career Center, located in the Student Services Arcade Building at 715 S. Wright St. in Champaign, is a helpful place for both undergraduates and graduate students.

Many students use the Career Center because it “opens up a lot more options,” said Stanley Wong, sophomore in FAA.

No matter where you’re at in your job search, keep in mind these helpful tips.

1. Discover your resources

There are five main areas that are covered at the Career Center: career and major exploration, internship information, job search information, job search resources, health professions information and graduate school information.

A vast amount of information and help is available in each of these areas. There are also a number of career offices around campus that focus on specific fields. A key service offered at the Career Center is the mock-interview. A real life interview is simulated and video taped for critiques, according to Whitney Kingsbury, graduate assistant at the University’s Career Center.

“It is one of our most helpful services,” Kingsbury said.

2. Attend workshops

A number of workshops are held at the Career Center. Workshops are a good way to get a lot of information on a specific matter.

A popular workshop is “Fast Track Your Job Search,” according to Kingsbury. The next one will be held at 5 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Career Center, she said. “Winning Resume” workshops are also available throughout the semester.

3. Critique your resume

According to Brandon Bute, assistant director of the University’s Career Center, “your resume is your most important tool in the job search process.”

It is important to come in after you have a resume started – counselors won’t write it for you, according to Kingsbury.

“It’s your resume, we just make suggestions,” she said.

Walk-in services are available Monday through Friday 2-4:30 p.m. for resume critiques in addition to the workshops offered.

4. Define your goals

The counseling services are used most for career and major exploration, according to Bute. The first reason most students go to the Career Center is to define what they want to do, he continued, because “with a clear goal, you’re going to be able to narrow in on your search.”

If you know exactly what you’re looking for it’s going to be easier to find.

5. Utilize electronic resources

Many helpful services are available online at the Career Center’s Web site.

I-Connect is an interactive Web site in which both recruiters and students look through to find the employee, job or internship they are looking for.

On I-Connect, “you can also sign up for interviews if (the compan) is coming to campus,” Kingsbury said.

6. Prepare early

A lot of graduate students wish they had come to the Career Center earlier, according to Kingsbury. It is important to start early because “there’s a lot to do now to prepare,” she said.

Many undergraduates don’t take action because they’re not completely sure of what they want to do. But you can “build skills even when you don’t know what you want to do,” Kingsbury continued.

There’s a lot to get involved in on campus, so take advantage.

7. Show passion

A good way to set yourself apart from other applicants is to express a desire for the job. If they can tell that really want the job, you are more likely to get hired.

8. Convey skills

According to Skills for Success, a brochure available at the Career Center, employers aren’t necessarily looking for experience, but rather skills.

The five key skills are communication, technical, leadership, teamwork and interpersonal.

On a resume, it is important to show that students have gained these skills from certain experiences. That way, even if you don’t have the work experience, applicants still have what they’re looking for.

9. Take the job search seriously

A common mistake made by job searching students is not taking the search seriously. It is important to “treat your job search like having a job,” Bute said.

Research. Keep records. Put in the extra effort to land the job.

10. Be patient

The job search process can be a lengthy one and it’s easy to become discouraged. Don’t expect to get the perfect job or internship in the first few weeks. But, remember to be persistent and not give up.