The University of Delaware’s Career Services Center is promoting its UD Career Advising Network (UD CAN) throughout the duration of this week.

The UD Career Advising Network is an engaging online tool that provides UD undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni the opportunity to receive expert advice from over 1,500 alumni, parents and friends of the University.

These dedicated Blue Hens have volunteered their time and expertise to provide the UD community with guidance on career paths and industries, preparation for upcoming interviews, and feedback on resumes through 30- to 60-minute phone consultations.

Students can register for UD CAN using their udel.edu email addresses. All alumni are able to use the platform as an advisor and/or utilize it as an advisee.

Alumni can register with their udel.edu email addresses or complete the UD CAN Alumni Advisee Access form to receive access to advisors within one business day.

As an advisee, users can search for advisers by job function, industry, employer, major/program, location, language or keyword. Once they identify an adviser, they may book a consultation for a mutually agreed upon time, and once booked, they will receive a confirmation email with a phone number to call at a scheduled meeting time.

Faculty and academic advisers are also encouraged to recommend UD CAN to their students and incorporate career consultations into First Year Seminars and professionally focused courses. Conversations with professionals help students explore career options and understand the competencies and skills needed in the workplace.

UD CAN consultations

The UD CAN program offers three types of consulations. They are:

• Career conversations: Speak directly with advisers to learn about their experience in career fields of interest. Career Services recommends 30-minute conversations to allow time to cover a range of topics such as industry insight, job functions, or graduate school. One participant shared that “Amy had great advice on entrepreneurship and sales. She had great answers for my questions and concerns, shared strategies and book recommendations, and was a pleasure to talk to. Anyone looking for advice on sales or looking to start a business would benefit from talking to her.”

• Resume critiques: Participants can perfect a resume by having advisers who are company and industry experienced help ensure that they are effectively promoting their educational, work and leadership experiences. Both resumes and CVs are accepted for review.

• Mock interviews: Participants can practice for upcoming interviews with advisers who are insiders in the field and can coach them on ways to land the job through a practice interview. Career Services recommends 60-minute meeting times for each mock interview. One UD student commented after their mock interview, “Jake made the conversation very relaxed and welcomed all my questions. He was very knowledgeable about the career field and answered all my questions without me even asking them. He gave strong advice and tidbits on what I should look out for and what to include in my interview process as well as gave me resources to look into for help. At the end, he offered his email in case I feel stuck or have more questions. Overall I feel better prepared for my journey in this career field after talking to him.”

A Webinar Library is available for users to get up to speed quickly on industries or companies of interest. Webinar topics include cover letters, LinkedIn, how to land a job, networking, salary questions and more.

“UD CAN is an excellent resource to advance yourself professionally and gain new connections,” a Career Services representative said. “UD students, alumni, parents and friends utilizing the system are eager to give and gain advice. The relationship between students and alumni continues to be mutually beneficial and UD CAN creates a strong resource for career development.”