Although it may only be a few weeks into the fall semester, it’s never too early to start thinking about what one will do after graduation.

A graduate’s transition into the real world could be made a little easier by visiting San Diego State’s Career Services. James Tarbox, the director of Career Services, said that 78 percent of students who use career-counseling services find employment or enroll in graduate school after graduation. However, many students may not be utilizing the services available on campus.

Recent SDSU graduate Marisa Fernandez said although she knew the services were available, she didn’t think she needed to use them.

“I went to college because it was the next step after high school,” Fernandez said, “but I didn’t ever think about the next step after college.”

Senior Remko Deterick said he is too busy to go to Career Services.

“It’s hard to find time to do my homework, let alone learn the best way to write a resume,” Deterick said. “I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

Although many students have busy schedules, it may be important to find time to learn about what employers look for in new hires. Employers aren’t only looking at grade point average and technical qualifications when hiring but also “soft skills” such as communication and leadership skills, according to www.mba.com, which has many tips for college graduates.

Career Services offers many workshops dedicated to teaching communication skills. It holds mock interviews and many company recruiters come to speak with students in an informal atmosphere, the idea being that the more students interact with professionals, the more comfortable they will feel in the real world, Tarbox said.

There are many other resources available in the Career Services resource room, including a job board with available positions and internships, which is updated daily, hundreds of publications to keep students up-to-date in the professional world, access to computers and graduate school information. Work-study students are also there to help.

“We are here to demystify the experience of the job search,” Tarbox said.

Students may be unaware of the resources available to them because, as Tarbox said, it’s difficult to reach everyone with an $8,000-a-year advertising budget.

“Students have a thousand things on their mind, and trying to get through all of that to inform them of something they are not even interested in is very difficult,” Tarbox said.

To increase awareness of the services on campus, Tarbox said he would try to work with each college in the following semesters.

“The departments are like silos of opportunity,” Tarbox said, “but we really need to connect those to be more effective.”

Fernandez said she is still searching for the perfect job.

“I really wish I had taken advantage of the opportunities (available through Career Services),” Fernandez said. “Now I have a degree and I’m still searching. Maybe if I had learned more interviewing skills, I wouldn’t be so nervous in them.”

The Career Services Resource Room is located in Suite 1200 of Student Services East.

For more information visit the Career Services Web site at www.career.sdsu.edu or call (619) 594-6851.