If you are a current student or alum of the University of Denver and are in need of career advice or professional clothing—visit DU’s Career and Professional Development Program, which is located in the new Burwell Center for Career Achievement building.
DU’s’s Career and Professional Development Program provides a range of helpful sources for students and alumni—from one-on-one advising and career fairs to employer connection events, peer advising drop-ins and resume writing drop-in hours.
Here are five to know about DU’s Career and Professional Development Program:
- Location
The DU’s Career and Professional Development Program’s brand new building is located in the heart of campus in the Burwell Center for Career Achievement. Its new location is right off of Asbury Street, across from Sturm Hall and the Ritchie Center. The building has been open since September of 2020. Its new structure is meant to provide an inviting space for student career development, student employment, employer connections and alumni engagement.
Due to the center’s recent move and how Covid put a halt to on-campus life, Rita O’Connell states that, “not a lot of students know where we are yet.” The center still remains a sprawling 21,000 square foot space with new features still going up. Rita O’Connell, a career advisor for students in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences says the center’s recent move and the impact of COVID-19 on campus life is part of why “not a lot of students know where we are.”
- How to get involved in Pioneer Careers Online (PCO)
Pioneer Careers Online (PCO) is a resource which provides access to students who are looking for a job or internship associated with DU. It is available to all current DU students, and to alumni for one year after they graduate.
“In PCO I would highlight the job listings page, appointments tab, and the event page. I would say those are the three most important and what students find the most useful,” saidO’Connell.
The OCI and job listings page is a tool used to help users find open applications for jobs, and depending on what kind of job they are looking for they can apply filters, which include the type of job, city, application start date, and more. The appointments tab is used to make the process of making appointments with Career or Peer Advisors convenient. The events page can be used to easily see what events are coming up, when and where they are happening, if registration is required or not and includes detailed descriptions of what each event is.
- Major career & internship fairs
The all major career & internship fair happens once a quarter. One that happened this past quarter was split into two days. The first focused on STEM, government, education, and health and human services. The second focused on finance and accounting, creative arts and marketing, hospitality, business development, and account management.
At the fair, students are encouraged to connect with employers, who are looking for DU students to become a part of their team. Every DU student is able to talk one-on-one with employers to ask them any questions about their organization. The next major career & internship fair will be this upcoming winter on Jan. 25 and will be held in The Burwell Center for Career Achievement.
The Career Closet provides professional clothes to any student or alumnus of DU. “It’s a service not many students know about but it’s really awesome and free,” saysO’Connell. Whether it is for an interview, conference or an event with certain dress requirements, the Career Closet can be a great resource for students who do not have access to this sort of clothing. Students can take up to four clothing items home with them, which they can keep after using them.
O’Connell says that “Students can also donate clothing to the career closet.” In order to get your professional wear, visit the Burwell Center for Career Achievement and ask the front desk for assistance. The Career Closetavailable Monday to Friday, from 9 to 4 p.m. However, due to social distancing guidelines, only one client may be in the Career Closet at a time.
Our Impact can be found on the about section on the Career & Professional Development website. It covers how graduate and undergraduate students who receive degrees from DU have consistently reported first destination outcomes higher than national averages. It also speaks on the number of students in career development activities in the high percentages. First destination outcome reports can also be found on this page. These reports document the graduating classes’ six month destination points. Destination points can include student employment, continuing education, and service activities after graduation. These points are critical indicators of student success for DU. The first destination outcomes report for the class of 2020 indicated that they had strong reports, despite the challenges that COVID-19 presented. After graduation, 90.8% of undergraduates, 91.9% of master’s students and 95.5% of doctoral students were either employed, continuing education, or in service or military activities six months after graduation.
