Career Advice from Fellow Lobos: An Interview with UNM’s Career Peer Guides

November 13, 2025 - UNM Online

When it comes to career planning, the UNM Office of Career Services is a great place to start. But for many students, especially those learning online or from a distance, figuring out how to access those resources can feel overwhelming.

To help break it down, I sat down with two of Career Services’ Career Peer Guides (CPGs)—Jacob Garcia and Eliza Evans—to talk about the services they offer, how online students can connect with them, and what makes this peer-led program so impactful.

interview video thumbnail
To access and download the video please use the following link: https://tinyurl.com/3dsmfcjz

Ellie: Thanks for chatting with me! What are your names, what year are you in, and what do you do at Career Services?

Jacob: Salutations! I’m Jacob Garcia. I’m technically a senior, and I’m a Career Peer Guide. We help students with things like resumes, cover letters, and finding jobs on campus.

Eliza: My name is Eliza. I’m also a senior this coming year. I’m a Career Peer Guide too. We’re students who help other students with resumes, cover letters, interview skills—like Jacob said, everything career-related.

Ellie: Can you tell us more about the Career Peer Guide program?

Eliza: It was started by our former director, Autumn Collins. She wanted to give students the chance to do more than a normal student desk job. It allows us to gain experience working with students, presentations, and learning how to write resumes. There’s a whole lot that goes into it. I’ve been in this position since it started originally. It’s a great opportunity, not only for students in the position, but also for other students to work alongside their peers.

Ellie: How did you first hear about the program, and what made you want to apply?

Jacob: Honestly, I just needed some money. I was applying everywhere, and no one was hiring. I had tutoring experience, and this job was helping students, so that really drew me in.

Eliza: I was a student admin in Career Services for about a year. Our director wanted to expand student involvement and get more input from students. When the role opened, I applied right away. It was a great opportunity.

Ellie: What kind of training did you get before working with students?

Jacob: I had some tutoring experience already. I even took a course about tutoring for English. At work, we started with front desk stuff first, and then we started shadowing appointments—learning how to treat clients and help them with resumes. Once we were ready, we were shadowed ourselves, and after that, we started doing appointments on our own.

Eliza: Same. I had front desk experience first. Marianne, our front desk admin, is super involved in training. She helped us understand every part of the office. We also shadowed the counseling team, practiced resumes, and slowly started working with students, both online and in person.

Ellie: What kind of support do Career Peer Guides offer?

Jacob: Cover letter and resume reviews, even just helping students figure out where to start. I know how hard it is to apply and not hear back. We understand what students are going through because we’re students too.

Eliza: We help all undergraduates, from freshmen to seniors. Resumes, cover letters, job searches, on-campus jobs. And if we can’t help directly, we’ll refer students to our counselors or other offices.

Ellie: Are peer guides available to online and distance learners?

Jacob: Yeah! Online students can email us their resume or cover letter, and we’ll review it and send back feedback.

Eliza: Right now, we don’t offer Zoom or phone appointments, but that might be in the works. Since our program is new, we’re still working on those kinds of access. For now, email is best. If students want Zoom or virtual appointments, they can meet with a Career Development Facilitator, or CDF.

Ellie: What’s a CDF?

Eliza: Career Development Facilitators. They’ve all graduated with at least a bachelor’s degree, and some have a master’s. We have two with counseling degrees and one who was in the Pe

ace Corps. They do higher-level stuff like career advising or helping students change majors. But they can also help with resumes and job searches—pretty much anything.

Ellie: Can online students access internships or job postings?

Eliza: Yes! We use a platform called Handshake. All UNM students have an account; they just have to register. Handshake is for anything not directly posted through UNM, like external jobs and internships, including remote ones. If a student isn’t sure where to start, they can meet with us, and we’ll help based on their major and goals.

Jacob: With Handshake, companies send us job postings, and we review them. If something seems sketchy, we don’t post it. It’s curated specifically for UNM students.

Ellie: Are there virtual job fairs for online students?

Eliza: We’ve been talking about that. We want career fairs to be more accessible, including for online students. Some employers already do virtual tabling. Hopefully, we’ll see more of that soon.

Ellie: What resources should students know about if they can’t come in person?

Jacob: Our website! It has resume and cover letter guides, job search tools, everything. Students can always call or email us to ask questions or set up appointments.

Eliza: There’s definitely a wall to climb when you’re online and not sure what services are available. But we’re here for all students. If we can’t help directly, we know who to connect you with.

Ellie: Are there career assessments to help students choose majors or explore careers?

Eliza: Yes. We offer assessments like the MBTI and the Strong Interest Inventory. Those match your responses with careers people in similar situations enjoy. It’s a good starting point—not a definitive answer. After taking one, students can meet with a CDF to talk about what the results mean and how they might align with different majors or careers.

Jacob: And for online students, those can be done virtually. Just email or call us and we’ll help set up a Zoom appointment.

Ellie: What can students expect if they visit the Career Resource Lab on campus?

Eliza: We have a computer lab in the office with three computers that any student can use. We offer free black-and-white printing, and it’s a big space, so it’s also great for studying or group projects. We have private rooms students can reserve for Zoom interviews or quiet study.

Jacob: Yeah, the printing is free, which is a lifesaver. It beats paying eighty cents a page at other printers on campus.

Ellie: When should students start using Career Services?

Jacob: Honestly, anytime. Even if you’re not sure what you need, just make a general appointment and we can figure it out together.

Eliza: We encourage students to connect with us as early as possible. Our services start as soon as students register for new student orientation, and they’re free for life. We want to build that relationship early instead of waiting until senior year when things get hectic. The sooner you come in, the more we can help.

Ellie: What advice would you give to students who feel unsure about where to start?

Jacob: Call us! We’re not strangers. We’ll help you figure out where you’re at and what the next step might be.

Eliza: That’s one of the beautiful things about UNM—we’re a community. Career planning can feel overwhelming, but we’re here to make it easier and less stressful. Even if you don’t know where to start, just drop in or reach out.

Ellie: How can online and distance learners get in touch with Career Services?

Jacob: (laughs) I’ve said it a lot already, but really—just call or email us. We can set up Zoom appointments if needed.

Eliza: We’re open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time), unless the university is closed. We offer in-person, phone, and Zoom appointments, so there’s always a way to reach us.

Ellie: And finally, where can students find you?

Eliza: We’re located on the UNM main campus in Albuquerque, in the University Advisement and Enrichment Center—UAEC, Building 85, Roo

m 220—right across from the Student Union Building. Students can go to our website, career.unm.edu, to find our con

Career Advice from Fellow Lobos: An Interview with UNM’s Career Peer Guides

Ellie: Thanks for chatting with me! What are your names, what year are you in, and what do you do at Career Services?

Jacob: Salutations! I’m Jacob Garcia. I’m technically a senior, and I’m a Career Peer Guide. We help students with things like resumes, cover letters, and finding jobs on campus.

Ellie: Can you tell us more about the Career Peer Guide program?

Eliza: It was started by our

former director, Autumn Collins. She wanted to give students the chance to do more than a normal student desk job. It allows us to gain experience working with students, presentations, and learning how to write resumes. There’s a whole lot that goes into it. I’ve been in this position since it started originally. It’s a great opportunity, not only for students in the position, but also for other students to work alongside their peers.

Ellie: How did you first hear about the program, and what made you want to apply?

Jacob: Honestly, I just needed some money. I was applying everywhere, and no one was hiring. I had tutoring experience, and this job was helping students, so that really drew me in.

Ellie: What kind of training did you get before working with students?

Ellie: What kind of support do Career Peer Guides offer?

Ellie: Are peer guides available to online and distance learners?

Jacob: Yeah! Online students can email us their resume or cover letter, and we’ll review it and send back feedback.

Ellie: What’s a CDF?

Eliza: Career Development Facilitators. They’ve all graduated with at least a bachelor’s degree, and some have a master’s. We have two with counseling degrees and one who was in the Peace Corps. They do higher-level stuff like career advising or helping students change majors. But they can also help with resumes and job searches—pretty much anything.