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The University System of Georgia (USG) launched a new career planning tool for students to provide additional career counseling services and connect them to information for free about graduates and alumni in their desired field of employment.

"The Career Resource Planning Platform is the most comprehensive career tool USG has ever offered, and it will be the foundation for future career and workforce development initiatives being created within the university system and across Georgia,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said.

Launched in January, the tool is available to University of North Georgia (Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û) students through the Career Services website. Students will log into the software using their campus portal or the direct via single sign-on.

The platform positions the system as a leader in helping students with specific job services and career guidance including potential degrees to pursue, job opportunities and salary ranges based on a student's interests.

"It's a pretty exciting and interesting new resource for us," Diane Farrell, Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û director of Career Services, said. "It allows students to take a quick personality assessment, identify job titles they're interested in and those to avoid, and leads them to career outcomes from Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û alumni."

While this new tool is helpful, Career Services has a lot of resources for Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û students to explore. Students can schedule for assistance with items like graduate school planning, reviewing student application materials and mock interviews. Career Services will host a Career Fair on March 7 on Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û's Gainesville Campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Career Services provides opportunities that shape so many different lives like Gainesville, Georgia, native and Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û alumna Andrea Cardoso, who earned bachelor's degrees in accounting and management, and worked for Rushton & Company. Cardoso interned for the company after discovering them during her sophomore year through Career Services. She remained in contact and was offered a job right after graduation working there for four years.

"Use all the resources that you have — Career Services, professors, advisers, former students. The more information that you learn about your field, the better prepared you will be,” Cardoso said.

Farrell, who has been with Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û for nearly seven years, shared she's seen most students are successful when they start early. Farrell encourages students to join the Career Services group on Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û Connect so they may stay up to date on events; utilize Handshake, an online resource of Career Services, to learn about jobs and internships to add to a resume; or access the list of employers attending career fairs, all of which can make a big difference to where students find themselves after Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û.

"Career Services is voluntary, but it's a multistep process to be career-ready by the time you leave college. It's not just your resume. Internships are critical. We help students realize it is not if you should do an internship, but when, and then how they fit that in," Farrell said. "It's critical to get to Career Services pretty early. The early ones are the ones that have good outcomes right after they leave."