Today I want to tell you something about the great computer program GauchoLink. I have learned much about this “service”. It’s a service for all UCSB students and also for the staff members. GauchoLink is an online-program where you are able to search jobs, internships and campus interviews. The company which I work for in Germany had a similar program, which called “VerBIS”. Directly translated it means “search machine”. In VerBIS you are able to look for jobs, internships, workshops, and other educational opportunities.  You can also find in-service-education, technical schools and academic programs at colleges and universities. The most significant difference between the German VerBIS and the American GauchoLink is the target group of people. VerBIS is available for all interested people who are searching for a new career or need help for their first job. It was specially designed for people receiving unemployment who are looking for a new job after losing their old position. In comparison GauchoLink is exclusive made for students of UCSB. The reason of this difference is easy to understand: In Germany there aren’t career services directly at a university. There is one department for everyone in a residential area. Regardless of age, past work experience, or education, everybody finds help at the same agency, which is called “Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit”. What I did learn the last days ago is that there is another option for the career questions in America. Most universities have their own office for career guidance and professional education. This enables GauchoLink to cater to the needs of UCSB students.

Why I’m sold on GauchoLink? It’s because of the many different options which the program gives you. Whether you are looking for an internship or a job, you will find it there. You can search for job types such as on-campus, full-time, part-time, temporary or seasonal.   Additionally there is the option that you can search jobs in a specific company. Type in which employer you prefer and GauchoLink will do the search for you. Another good option that you can do with the service is that you can specify which area you are looking in and if you prefer national vs. international job or internship. How does the program work? It’s easy; you get a username and a password and at once you are a member of the program. You can use it wherever you want, not only at the career center. So when you prefer to work on career stuff on your own, ask about logging in with the peer advisor at the career resource room and use GauchoLink from your home.

What else can you do with GauchoLink? You can upload your cover letter and resume. If you decide yourself to send an application to one of the listed positions you have to click on the button and your documents will be sent to the company directly. Isn’t it great? As I heard about this option, I could barely believe it. There isn’t an easier way to apply than this. The program in Germany doesn’t operate like this, but for sure I will suggest this detail my company in Germany. I see three benefits for a candidate to use this way for a successful application. The first one is that you save time and energy using this function. Your cover letter and resume are stored in the program so you don’t have to print it out and write the address from the company. Second: You save money through the email-sending. And the third is that the employer sees that you are really interested in finding a job because you are a member of GauchoLink.

Another benefit that GauchoLink offers is that you can learn about upcoming campus interviews and apply for consideration. Career Services offers a convenient location for students and employers to conduct interviews. I think it’s a good opportunity for interested students to contact a potential employer and get practice with business communication. This is another difference I see between Career Services at UCSB and my career agency in Germany. In Germany there is a greater focus on matching employers with employees and that department has grown much during the last few years. There is many staff who works directly with the companies. They go out to the employer and figure out which positions are available and recommend potential employees. This increases the speed with which jobs are filled and job seekers become employed.

Finally I want to say that I am very impressed with GauchoLink and I would appreciate if there were a similar program for university students in Germany. So I, a student who hasn’t had a chance like this, can see many advantages for students looking to find their first professional job to use this program.

Hi, my name is Tabea Buerkle.  I’m a 22-old German girl. In Mannheim, which is a city near to where I grew up, I study in a dual system. Dual systems are very popular in Germany since you gain practical experience from the beginning of your education. The structuring of the program into theoretical and practical units allows you to use academic knowledge in daily practice. During my three year program, my college education is paid for and I receive income and benefits like a staff member. My salary depends on the major and the company I chose. But for all the considerable advantages of the dual system, it also has disadvantages. I do not have any semester breaks. In comparison to other types of college study, dual system students are busy the whole year. As a dual student your free time is equivalent to being a staff member. This means that there are 26 days a year available to take vacation while in practical (work) terms.It isn’t easy to describe what my major is because there are significant differences to the America system. Students in the dual systems program choose one academic subject that has five different majors within it. Once you choose your academic degree, you can not change your mind and you must complete all five subjects. In Germany, my academic subject is called “Arbeitsmarktmanagement”. There isn’t an accurate translation of the field in English but it is comparable to career guidance and counseling. This is why I chose my internship here at Career Services. But I also study skills and knowledge related to sociology, psychology, law, economy and business management.

I have been in my program for one and a half years and now I’m in my third practical term. The terms regularly change every four months switching between attending the university and going to work. The third internship term gives us the possibility to know how other companies work. We have the option to choose to work in Human Resources departments in different German companies in the private sector or at career centers sponsored by the government. The other option that we have is the opportunity to complete the practical term at an international career office. In my study, this is the only way to experience an exchange internship.

I love to get to know different countries; particularly their cultures, people and economic systems. In addition, doing an internship in a foreign country widens my future career options, enhances my resume, and improves my knowledge of the American English language. The purpose of an internship abroad is also to enhance self development and increase self confidence. Because of all these reasons, there was no question in my mind which decision I preferred. So I started with the application for the internship in a foreign country. I decided that I wanted to visit a continent where I have not been before. Because I visited Australia a year ago and also vacationed in Asia, I resolved to do my internship in the United States of America. In Germany, America is known as the land of unlimited opportunities.

It was last October when I started my applications. It wasn’t easy for me to write the application in a foreign language. In addition to the language challenges, there are also many differences in the “rules” on how to write a good cover letter and a resume. For example, in Germany the cover letter is more important than the resume and you may include personal details like gender and a picture of yourself. I sent many cover letters to different cities in the United States including New York. But I really wanted to go to California because of the sun, the beach, and the many cities to see and visit. That is why I sent applications to San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Barbara. I sent my application to career centers at government agencies as well as colleges and universities, which was new me. In Germany, there aren’t any career services on university campuses; everyone goes to the government career center.

How did I know about UCSB? Actually it is the fault of my German roommate. Last summer he traveled along the west coast of the U.S. and when he told me about his trip, he always talked a lot about his stay in Santa Barbara. He was enthusiastic about the beautiful area, the friendly people and the great university of UCSB. He said to me, “If I could choose any place in California, I would prefer to be in Santa Barbara.” That is why I applied me to Career Services at UCSB. I was impressed by the instant response from the Director of Career Services, Micael Kemp.  She answered me within one day and said that Career Services has never had an international student placement before and would be thrilled if I would come for the summer.

Six months later and here I am! I have had a great welcome at the Career Center. The staff and the peer advisors are all friendly, kind and helpful. My supervisor Jo Ann Salvador takes care of me. She drew up my schedule for the next two and a half months while I’m here. During the next 10 weeks there will be a lot of information to learn. I will be learning about the different career resources and programs  like VAULT, My Road, GauchoLink, Career Assessments, etc. I will get to know how Career Services functions and learn the differences between career counseling in Germany vs. the U.S. I am excited; I did not realize that there were so many differences between the two countries.

I’ve been working here for six days and every day is a big learning experience for me. I will write each week to let you know what new things I am learning at Career Services.

So I have spent all year debating whether or not I want to take a year off. Then, last quarter (winter) I finally decided I needed to take some time off from school. At first I felt disappointed because I had always planned on continuing school immediately. Additionally, all of my friends had been accepted and were planning on attending grad school, which did not make me feel more confident about my decision. However, after thinking about it for weeks I realized that taking a year off was an opportunity for me to do anything. I was free to experiment with my life before committing myself to school again.

Despite this newfound opportunity, I still needed to search for a job. I knew this wouldn’t be an easy task, but I began my search early in December. Ideally, I wanted short term work because this would motivate me to complete my law school applications. Seeking short term commitments led me to Americorp, a U.S. government program offering opportunities to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national non-profit groups. I had been interested in Americorp programs mainly because most opportunities lasted for about a year and at the end of my service I would receive an education award of $4,725 that I could use for law school.

Through Career Services, I stumbled across an opportunity to work for City Year, an organization associated with Americorp that focused on working with children in low performing schools. I decided to apply, but the application process was not simply a resume and cover letter. The application required thought because it asked me to answer essay questions regarding social issues I was interested in and my reasons for applying to the organization. After working on the application for several weeks, I finally submitted it. A few days after submitting the application, I received a call to schedule a phone interview that would last approximately 15-20 minutes. The interview would be for the following week and I immediately turned to the resources at Career Services.

Working as a career peer advisor, I had constantly given advice to students preparing for interviews, but now I needed to prepare for my own. Since the interview would be conducted over the phone I prepared an outline that I could quickly refer to. Additionally, I researched the primary purpose and goals of City Year on their website. I used what I had found to formulate my outline, drawing from all of my experiences over the past four years. I wanted to create diversity in my responses, in an attempt to not repeat myself during the interview. After reviewing my outline and the City Year website I felt confident that I was well-prepared for my interview.

The next morning I woke up early, reviewed my materials, and relaxed. The interview took approximately fifteen minutes and I was certain I had represented myself well. Afterwards I sent a thank you email to my interviewer thanking her for taking the time to speak with me. The following day I received a phone call for a second interview and I was ecstatic, yet frightened because this would require more preparation.