Most of us have all heard of a career center, but what exactly is it? How can it benefit you as a student? Here is all you need to know about the career center at Purdue!
What is the CCO?
The CCO stands for the Center for Career Opportunities. Our mission is to inform and empower students and graduates using transformative career services, innovative technologies, and collaborative synergies to connect with professional opportunities within Indiana, the United States, and the world.
Where is the CCO located?
We are located in Young Hall, Room 132.
What resources does the CCO offer?
If you need help with immediate job search strategies, career planning, pre-professional advising, or mock interviewing, appointments with a Career Consultant are available to you! What we call “Quick Chats” are offered Monday-Friday from 1:00-4:00pm during the academic year. These appointments allow students to have a professional review their resume, cover letter, or LinkedIn account. Consultants can also give you advice on how to negotiate a job offer.
Appointments regarding career planning will include developing a career plan, or even choosing/changing your major. For PhD students, during these appointments you would explore industry, nonprofit, and federal careers as well as review applications for positions.
Pre-professional advising allows students to explore professional careers including law, medical, dental, veterinary, and other health careers. Consultants will help you navigate through the application process consisting of aptitude tests, personal statements, competitiveness, choosing schools, recommendation letters, and interviews.
As mentioned earlier, we offer Undergraduate Peer Mock Interviews as well as mock interviews with the CCO staff for graduate students. It is a great way to practice your interviewing skills prior to attending a career fair! Big Interview is also a great resource to gain access to a full video curriculum for interviewing, job search, and resumes. You get the opportunity to video record yourself answering interview questions and receive access to a whole library of interview questions.
For more information about our available resources, click here.
Where can I find information about career fairs?
Check out the CCO Calendar on our website! It will provide an upcoming schedule for the semester including career fairs, information sessions, workshops, and other important events. The calendar also depicts more information about the event like how to register, what employers are attending, as well as times and locations.
To view the CCO calendar, click here.
How often should I visit the CCO?
We recommend that you come see us 1-2 times a semester! Purdue reported that 95% of students who use the CCO’s resources have successful career outcomes. Those graduates said the experience was extremely helpful and were more likely to say that Purdue prepared them for life post-graduation.
What is myCCO?
MyCCO is where Purdue students and alumni search and apply for internships, full-time positions, and part-time community jobs, including Federal Work-Study. You can also schedule interviews and see which companies are coming to campus for career fairs and information sessions. If you are a current Purdue student, you can access your account by entering in your Purdue login information and password.
Resume Books are an amazing feature of myCCO! It allows employers to pull resumes from students who meet the criteria of a position they are looking to fill. All you have to do is say “Yes” to Resume Books in the Privacy section of your Account Settings.
Note: Your myCCO account will not be active until you upload a resume!
To access myCCO, click here.
Can I still utilize the CCO as an alumni?
Yes! As a Purdue alumni, you will have lifelong free access to many of the same resources and services offered to current students. These resources include those that are embedded in myCCO that allow you to network, research employers, and do customized career exploration. Additionally, you are welcome to attend all Center for Career Opportunities campus workshops and resume and/or job search correspondence reviews.
To view the alumni services, click here.
If you still have questions, visit our website at https://www.cco.purdue.edu or follow us on social media @purduecco on all platforms! We post frequently about upcoming events, career fairs, and professional development opportunities. We hope to see you this fall! Boiler Up!
