To assist May graduating seniors in their job search, NIU’s Career Planning and Placement Center will begin its Alumni Referral Service Monday.

The referral service assists seniors in connecting their educations with employers. Recruiting Coordinator Jean Callary said seniors’ first visit to the center to register for the referral service does not have to take much time.

To be eligible for the service, students need to fill out a registration card, including the type of career they are looking for, and submit 10 copies of their resumes for the center to distribute to the appropriate employers.

The center then matches and sends resumes to appropriate employers looking for employees and sends vacancy bulletins to those students who have registered for the service.

Another popular service for seniors, on-campus recruiting, is already nearing completion for the semester. It is a service in which as many as 1,600 seniors and more than 400 employers take part and begins with registration at the beginning of each semester.

Students should keep in mind the center is “not an employment agency, it’s part of their education,” Callary said. While the center offers a “Lucy Booth” to assist with quick career and resume questions, it also provides workshops and opportunities to talk with career counselors as well as directories and research materials.

Callary said seniors should visit the CPPC before they graduate because of the insight its career counselors can offer and because it is so easy to take advantage of the resources it offers. “There is something in this placement office for everybody,” she said.

“The services are not free. You’ve been paying for them since your first tuition check, so its a good idea to come in and get your money’s worth,” Callary said.