Career Services – Helping You Put Your Bellevue University Degree To Work
“Bellevue students and alumni should get in contact today with Bellevue University’s Career Services. They’ll help you get your internship and job. I would not be where I am at today without Career Services.”
These earnest words of encouragement come from Philadelphia native and recent Bellevue University graduate, Nicole Paoline. Paoline, now in Maryland, is an On-Site Support Technician with Cerner, a $5.1 billion organization that provides technology solutions at healthcare provider facilities around the world. How Paoline got to where she is now required more than hard work earning her degree, she also needed the student-centered coaching she received from Bellevue University’s Career Services.
Paoline was working as a veterinary technician to make ends meet, but she always loved IT. “So I decided to go back to school and make a career change,” Paoline said, “and after researching schools online, I chose Bellevue (University) because their System and Network Administration program was exactly what I wanted.” Paoline, while working retail, earned her degree completely online.
While still in school, Paoline wanted to find an internship so she could gain real-life experience before entering the workforce. “I started applying,” said Paoline, “but I wasn’t getting anywhere.” She quickly learned that even though she was receiving a first-class education, she still needed help selling herself to businesses.
“That’s when I contacted Bellevue University’s Career Services,” explained Paoline, “and they helped me prepare a proper resume and cover letter. They also gave me practice questions and conducted mock interviews. Without this help I would not be in the position I am today.”
Working with Career Services began to pay off immediately. Paoline, through the department’s help, landed an internship at a small non-profit in Philadelphia. “It jump-started my career,” Paoline said, “I learned so much while on the job and grew as an IT professional – the internship captured my course load.” The combination of a Bellevue University education and the implementation of Career Services’ self-improvement plan led to landing her dream job at Cerner. Cheryl Steede, Manager of Bellevue University’s Career Services
“Nicole reached out to us to help her find the experience she was looking for in the IT world because she wasn’t having success on her own,” said Cheryl Steede, Manager of Bellevue University’s Career Services. “We offered her feedback on her resume and cover letter, on her LinkedIn profile, gave her networking tips, and helped her find jobs to apply for online.”
Some students, according to Steede, are reluctant to seek Career Services’ help. But those who do soon realize how important the assistance is. “It is really exciting to gain a student’s trust,” explained Steede, “to take the full journey with us like Nicole did. She let us know a year before she graduated who she wanted to work for, and by trusting us and the process, she reached her goal.”
Steede said Bellevue University students and alumni should not feel shy about taking advantage of this incredible resource because, “Career Services can help you with the full lifecycle of career development and exploration all the way to finding a job and negotiating an offer.”
“Nicole already knew what she wanted to do, so she was able to come to us with a specific target,” said Steede. “But we can also help students who aren’t exactly sure what they want to do by conducting assessments. From there we’ll work with them like we did with Nicole. We provide these services with the goal of getting students hired – we want to see them succeed.”
According to Steede, Career Services serves approximately 2,000 Bellevue University students and alums per year, and the department’s services are free for life. Now employed, Paoline has just one question for her fellow Bellevue University alums and current students.
“Have you taken advantage of Career Services yet?”
Contact Bellevue University Career Services
Learn More About Bellevue University’s System and Network Administration Degree