Graduation is May 14, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Believe me, Sweeps has tried.

Graduating students can, however, do something about what job they take after graduation by contacting Career Services.

Employer Relations Specialist Patricia Liberty-Baczek has been working with the university for almost seven years providing the tools students need to ensure careers after graduation.

“Seeing the growth within an individual starting from the beginning when they are freshmen and maybe don’t even know what academic direction they want to go in, to seeing them find success and seeing their career take off is the biggest thrill I get,” Liberty-Baczek said. “The hope then is that they come back and help other NIU students find opportunities.”

NIU and career services have set up a Web site where students and employers can post job openings and resumes at http://niu.erecruiting.com.

There are 8,400 current active recruiter accounts on the Web site with 1,075 actual job postings currently listed, Liberty-Baczek said.

Liberty-Baczek said she credits the NIU football team’s success and the national recognition of some of NIU’s academic programs for an increase in alumni coming back and helping.

“More and more alumni are identifying themselves when they call and ask assistance,” she said. “I believe the success and the increased national attention NIU has received not only in sports but also in academics, has something to do with that.”

To access the job Web site, students need their z-ID number and date of birth. Once they log on, they can search for active job postings, upload their resumes, cover letters and writing samples and submit them to employers or post them for employers to look at, she said.

Students also can check the history of which employers looked at their resumes and on what date, Liberty-Baczek said.

Students interested in looking for internships and finding out additional information about resumes should go to www.niu.edu/careerservices.

“We are here to serve students and alumni, and we do it happily,” Liberty-Baczek said.