Career connections


As UF's Career Resource Center approaches its 65th anniversary, a reporting class in the College of Journalism and Communications shared 20 stories about the CRC's offerings and the people they help.

By Shamarria Morrison

The University of Florida Career Resource Center wants every student to walk into its office at least once before graduation.

"We talk about our students coming early and often," said Ja'Net Glover, the university’s interim director for career services.

Once at the center, which is housed temporarily on the second floor of Reitz Union as it awaits completion of a $10 million expansion project in May, is making sure students understand that merely getting good grades is not a pathway to success after college. 

"We also talk about how their majors doesn't equal career," Glover said. “It’s a series of interests, experiences that are coupled with their majors.”

For almost 65 years, the Career Resource Center has helped to guide students on career planning through programs based in its suite of offices, online, or through regional career fairs. The expansion is aimed at helping the center reach more students at UF.

“We really believe we will be able to expand career communities and the conversations,” Glover said, “but also the engagement our students and campus partners and employers have to aid in students being successful.”

The center’s new suite will total 29,000 feet and include more interview rooms and multipurpose spaces to hold programming events and services.

“We really go outside the barriers of major and degree and career to help students understand they are the experts in their life, and their designs of their industry and interest areas,” Glover said.

Students walking into the CRC are greeted by staff and trained students who offer resume critiques and mock interviews, not to mention discussions about job goals and graduate school.

The student assistants get both work and career experience.

“Coming into it, I didn’t know the differences between professional documents or even how to present them,” said Laura Alura-Aparicio, 22, a part-time student assistant, third-year management and strategy major. “Being on this side its really interesting.”

Alura-Aparicio added, “I feel like by helping other students I have been able to see certain strengths and weaknesses that I can use in order to better my professional documents.”

Students who want an in-depth and personal meeting can schedule an appointment with a staff member. Individual meetings introduce them to more services and they can learn more about internship opportunities, shadowing career-related employers, and or just talk about their future.

“Student comes to us and they are unsure of what they want to do,” Glover said. “Our office is designed – and our desire is – to be the place students are comfortable to have those conversations with someone who are not connected to a college or department.”

Professors invite CRC staff to speak to their students about the opportunities they can get from the center, and some even make a visiting the center an assignment option.

“We had people come and do presentations,” said Chelsea Wagner, 19, a first-year sports management major. “I would have never known about it – how many things they can help me with.”

Those students unable to visit the center can use online planning tools like the Career Help or Major Planning assessment tool. Another tool, Gator CareerLink, connects students with an internship database, job offers and CRC events. Alumni have access to career-planning appointments for a year after graduation and lifetime access to Gator CareerLink.

The career link also serves as the registration site and interview sign-up for virtual and seven on-campus career fairs, including one of the largest in the country called Career Showcase, said Angel Iverson, the center’s director of career and industry engagement.

Almost 19,000 students and alumni and over 1,300 employers attended all its career fairs, according to CRC’s 2015-16 annual report.

A recent development is having CRC staff liaisons embedded in seven different colleges. Glover said the goal is to have at least one liaison for all 16 colleges on campus.

Sara Gould, who has a graduate degree in student affairs and higher education from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, was an embedded liaison in the College of Public Health and Health Professions. She’s now the senior assistant director of career engagement.

“I knew I wanted to work in higher education and then after my graduate program I knew I wanted to work in career services, but I didn’t necessarily know what that meant,” Gould said.

Having taught as many 20 workshops per semester, her favorite focuses on personal statements.

“The resume and the other strategic documents are a snapshot, but the personal statement is the heart of where everything is,” Gould said. “It tells the employer, 'This is what I want to do. This is why,’ and allows a student to give his or her voice.”

Nicole Dukoff contributed to this report.

Connecting to Jobs 

By Francesca Zepeda

Freshman Sarika Karri expected a course on scientific research when she walked into the classroom her first week of college. Instead, she found herself in the University of Florida Career Resource Center's new one-credit class, "The Art of Getting Hired."

“It was totally unintentional,” said Karri, 18, a biomedical engineering student from Orlando, “but I figured it would help me later in life, so I decided to stay. Learning how to network would be helpful to anyone, really.”

Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced in December 2015 his “Ready, Set, Work” Challenge, pushing state universities to increase their employment rates for students upon graduation.

“We took on this challenge by assessing what we already do to help students become career ready,” said Alexandra Simon, CRC associate director for career engagement. “We wanted to make sure we were touching students in all different capacities, and something we weren’t doing is teaching a course.”

Simon reached out a month later to Stephani Jahn, a UF doctoral candidate in counselor education, to develop the curriculum and teach the course beginning last spring.

“Sometimes students see the struggle in career-finding as a problem,” Jahn said. “But in this class, a problem is a good thing because it gives you a goal.”

More than 100 undergraduate and graduate students have completed the one-credit course.

“We want to help students prepare for whatever they want to do after graduation, whether that’s getting a job, going to graduate school or taking time off,” Simon said. “We want to make sure they are doing things purposefully.”

There are two in-person and online sections offered each semester. The curriculum involves video lectures, short readings, TED Talks and in-class activities.

One of Jahn’s favorite activities is when the students create a collage, or a collection of images, that describe who they are and who they want to be.

“Research shows that thinking about things in a more intuitive way, and then translating it into language, can help people access parts of themselves that they wouldn’t otherwise recognize,” she said.

Jahn starts each semester by assigning peer groups with about four students each. She requires them to meet at least once a week to discuss their progress in networking with professionals.

Karri said meeting with her group members was the best part of the class.

“We kind of relied on each other,” she said. “It was nice to have a team you could work with on the class, and know you were all doing the same kind of stuff together.”

Jahn said the course is designed to adapt depending on the needs of each student, whether it is someone early on in their career consideration, or if they are ready to find a job.

Sixteen weeks later, Karri completed the course that became her favorite of her first semester.

“The class opened my eyes to things that I wouldn’t have realized in any other class or on my own,” Karri said. “The way she taught us was very effective. I already made relationships with people within the biomedical engineering industry.”

Simon and Jahn meet at the CRC every Thursday to reflect on the program’s progress.

They said they expect the course to evolve after each semester based on student feedback.

“Students learn by seeing each other’s experiences,” she said. “It’s pretty neat because things learned in this class are applicable outside of career problems. They can reapply this process later in their lives over and over again to continuously grow.”

Connecting To Career and major planning

By Sydney Cholmondeley

Hours away from face-to-face advising, personalized feedback from the University of Florida's Career Resource Center was only a click away for Daniela Lamastus.

The CRC helps students explore their interests to select potential majors and career options through a program called CHOMP (Career Help or Major Planning).

Lamastus, 19, is studying business administration through UF’s Pathways to Campus Enrollment, or PaCE, online program while based in Orlando. She completed the program after a recommendation from an adviser.

"CHOMP made me feel more connected to UF, because I could access the CRC from 100 miles away," Lamastus said.

The program includes a compilation of videos and engaging activities created in 2010 as a resource for students to employ their interests when choosing their major and career path.

Alexandra Simon, CRC’s associate director for career engagement, said staff enhanced CHOMP’s features in 2014.

“The reason we still put a lot of effort into CHOMP is we want to engage students in multiple different capacities,” Simon said.

The most common misconception Simon hears from students is that the program is too time-consuming. According to Simon, it is four independent services incorporated into one tool. Students can complete each module individually over a prolonged period of time.

“What students don’t realize is that they can take all of the modules in any order at any time,” she said.

Simon said CHOMP is a tool that all students can benefit from, but it’s primarily for students who are exploring what majors and career paths encompass their skills and interests.

“UF is great because there’s so many options, but sometimes we don’t even know what’s out there,” she said.

With only 28 CRC employees to assist the 52,000 students at UF, they continue to increase virtual services to reach every student. According to Simon, online resources including CHOMP are available to on-campus and online students as well as alumni after graduation.

Simon said one of the best ways to reach students early in their college career is through UF orientation.

Emily Bireley, 19, was encouraged to use the program when she visited from Dallas. She completed the program, but never followed through with her results.

“As a sophomore, I realized I need to be more serious about my major,” Bireley said. “I wish I would have utilized CHOMP instead of being an exploratory major.”

Bireley plans to revisit the career opportunity module after changing to business administration.

From July 2016 to June 2017, 4,591 students used CHOMP.

To reach students who are not familiar with the program, Simon said CRC partners with UF academic advising offices and staff to reach students who need assistance.

“(CHOMP) helps students understand that choosing a major and choosing a career is a big decision, but there’s so many things that can help with that decision,” she said.

CONNECTING TO ReSUMe HELP

by Cassi DePasquale

As most students stressed about final exams the next-to-last week of classes at the University of Florida, Shannon Spicer was concerned about her resume, which she described as a "hot mess."

Spicer, 20, a public relations major who dreams of working some day at Dow Jones, wanted hers critiqued before winter break, so she could apply for summer internships.

So she went to the university's Career Resource Center, which offers all students help with resume critiques, plus mock interviews, career fairs and professional workshops.

“If I get this internship,” Spicer said, “I will owe it all to the CRC.”

Andie Cochran, associate director of career and industry engagement, said CRC trains its staff to offer critiques knowing that there are multiple ways to format a resume.

“Of course, everyone has their own style, so we share ideas in training that we go through when we first start on things to look for and be aware of,” Cochran said.

Though students typically seek only a critique, sometimes it’s more than that. Cochran said her career-planning appointments typically go further than resume discussion.

Hannah Engle, 20, a statistics major, said she went to get her resume critiqued and ended up enrolling in a six-week career preparation course focusing on career success.

“This was a really helpful program,” Engle said, “where we met once a week and learned a bunch of skills related to career-readiness, leadership and general life preparation.”

However, not everyone has had the same experience with the CRC.

“They did a great job breaking down and explaining what needed to be improved,” said Kasey Rolen, 20, a health education and behavior major. “The only bad side was that it seemed super-rushed, as we only had a 30-minute time slot, so we didn’t get to cover everything on my resume.”

Cochran said she has a mental checklist when reviewing resumes, but if she does run out of time, she encourages students to go to drop-in hours at the Reitz Union. She said students could get their resume reviewed as many times as they would like.

The CRC is being renovated to further its resources for students, but still stands out in comparison to other universities, Cochran said.

“We have seven positions embedded into specific colleges which allow us to focus on that college and customize our resources to make students even more career-ready according to their major,” she said.

Megan Schroder, 20, a political science major, said the CRC gave her a list of synonyms to use to tailor her resume more toward her major.

“The one-on-one setting was very beneficial,” Schroder said. “I am thankful to the CRC for helping me get an internship with UF Student Legal Services.”

Connecting With Graduating Seniors

By Daniela Arias

Freshmen often go merely to satisfy a class requirement. Many sophomores and juniors go for resume critiques or to seek an internship. Seniors, of course, go into the University of Florida Career Resource Center with the pressure of a graduate school interview in a few weeks, or the daunting prospect of finding a job before graduation.

Nina Jovic, a chemical engineering student who is applying to graduate school, also has to worry about extending her stay in the United States.

"I'm nervous because there’s only one chance to get your [student] visa renewal," said Jovic, 22, of Bosnia.

At least Jovic had heard of the CRC before. She went there to have the staff check her resume and her statement of purpose, which is an important part of any graduate school application.

“I decided to come here because I’ve heard it’s really useful,” she said.

In the statement, applicants explain things like what they have done in their undergraduate years, and what they would do in a master’s degree program or a professional program such as law or dental school. Jovic said she would give hers to professors who are writing her recommendation letters, because she thinks the CRC cannot critique the technical parts of the statement.

“But they can critique the story and the way you write it,” she said.

Victor Elensi, a 22-year-old health science senior applying to medical school, went to the CRC for the first time recently because he had an interview for medical school in a couple of weeks. With plans to go to the CRC for three mock interviews, Elensi said he feels comfortable talking with an interviewer, but remains nervous about the process.

“I think it’s the most important part, because at this point your foot is in the door,” he said.

Estrella Quiroz, a senior tourism and hospitality major, has visited the CRC throughout her undergraduate years. She particularly likes the speakers that come to talk at its events.

Quiroz, a first-generation college student, has found the resume critiques helpful and benefited from mock interviews, which have helped her present herself better in a professional setting.

“They focus on what you are saying and they also focus on your body language,” she said.

Quiroz said sometimes the CRC has a hard time tailoring its services to a person’s specific needs and career goals, but she is glad to have place where she can get career-readiness help.

“You always know that they are always available,” she said. “If you do it with someone else, you have to go on their time and their schedule.”

Kimbria Brown is a 21-year-old senior who has been working as a career ambassador at CRC since she was a freshman. Brown studies health education and behavior and wants to become a nurse. She said this job allows her to help different kinds of people, and that she has learned how to prepare for her own graduate school applications.

As an ambassador, she conducts interviews and reviews resumes, cover letters and statements.

In the mock interviews, Brown asks questions that help students phrase why they are right for a company. She also helps them focus on how to convey their experience and their personality.

“The main goal is for them to be confident in their responses,” she said.

Brown said most students struggle with resume sentences that explain what they have done. She said it’s important to know how to convey achievements in a compelling way.

“Your resume gives you the interview and the interview gives you the job,” she said.

Connecting with first generation students 

By Dayaun Dewitt-Waiters

Christian Pinder had no clue what to expect from his mandatory meeting in the Reitz Union.

"I almost decided to put my headphones on because I didn't think the meeting would be beneficial," said Pinder, a second-year finance major at the University of Florida.

Pinder is a recipient of and peer mentor for Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars, which supports undergraduate students who are first in their families to attend college. The Career Resource Center partners with MFOS to help its students succeed and have close relationships with professionals.

“MFOS gave me the opportunity to be at UF,” Pinder said. “When I got the acceptance letter, it was a no-brainer that I’d come to this school.”

Pinder was eager to give back to a program that gave so much to him. He meets with his mentees once a month, pointing them to resources for classes and checking on their personal standing.

“The CRC gave me the guidelines and tools necessary to succeed,” Pinder said. “This was especially helpful as a black student because no one in my family has experience in the field that I am pursuing.”

Every year, the scholars are required to go to a workshop that stresses the importance of jobs, internships and setting goals for a career.

Ja’Net Glover, the university’s interim director for career services, briefly spoke about how the center and scholars program work together to ensure the students learn business etiquette skills in the workshops. The scholars also attend a preview and orientation, in which they are introduced to mentors and the program’s requirements, she said.

Leslie Pendleton, senior director of MFOS, helps implement the requirements for the program.

“MFOS scholars are the first in their families to go to college and don’t have the family connections like other students have,” Pendleton said. “This is why we encourage them to get involved with the Career Resource Center to serve as their guides.”

An advisory council meets three times a semester with a CRC representative to give feedback about the program, Pendleton said. At a “Life After the Swamp” workshop, MFOS seniors hear from recent UF grads that are now field professionals and working entry position jobs. Students also attend workshops related to interview etiquette and led by a CRC facilitator. By graduation, students should be confident about interviewing and meeting professionals, Pendleton said.

“We are intentionally connecting them with career professionals,” she said.

Connecting to FAculty

By Nicole Dukoff

The University of Florida Career Resource Center offers programs that not only help the students, but faculty, too.

"We work with faculty to come to a class to conduct different workshops and sessions," said Angel Iverson, the CRC's director of career and industry engagement.

Professor Henry Zmuda, who teaches introduction to electrical and computer engineering, works closely with the resource center.

“I have my students attend the career fair with their resume and they have to conduct a mock interview with a company,” Zmuda said.

The CRC offers students many workshops ranging from a center overview to career planning, resume help and mock interviews to personal statements and graduate school applications. Two examples include the “Stay in the Swamp” career fair, a collaboration with the business school, and a new biomedical engineering career fair aligned with the engineering college.

Keira Simmonds is the CRC’s embedded liaison for the college of engineering, meaning she works half of her time providing customized services to engineering students.

“She is perfect for the job and truly outstanding,” Zmuda said. “She relates well to the students, engages with them and makes them aware of what the Career Resource Center has to offer.”

The CRC also has an initiative called “Don’t Cancel Class.”

“If the professor needs his or her class to be covered last minute, they can request for us to speak and come in for a session or workshop,” Iverson said. “It’s still important information that the students will need and will help support them for life after graduation.”

Professor Charles Sims helped start a class about life after graduation in the College of Food Science and Human Nutrition that would cover different topics. Sims did research of what’s available on campus, and scheduled speakers to hold workshops in his class.

Interviewing skills and how to write a resume are two important topics covered in the class.

“The resume workshop definitely gave my students good tips,” Sims said. “I then encourage them to run it by the CRC, because someone will edit it afterward and give suggestions.”

The CRC also offers tours of career fairs.

“Professors or instructors will want us to take their classes around so they feel more comfortable with the event before they actually have to attend it,” Iverson said. “We have about 8,000 students that come to the event over the course of the two days. We do tours of our career center, too – so not only do we go to them, but we have the classes come to us, too.”

Sims finds the CRC to be extremely helpful for his students.

“I’ve definitely told colleagues about it, and I’ll keep using them in the future,” he said. “I didn’t know beforehand that the Career Resource Center offered resources for faculty, so it’s really great they do, and I don’t think the students knew too much about the CRC, either.”

Connecting to professional attire

By Danielle Frew

As Callie Mimms prepared to leave her Jacksonville home last summer for her freshman year at the University of Florida, the last thing on her mind was whether to bring a blazer. However, the biology major soon found herself without the right clothing to dress business professional.

Mimms, who was interviewing for several campus leadership positions, hates shopping and dreaded having to rush to the mall.

"Thankfully, the Closet was there when I really needed it most," she said.

Simms borrowed a blazer, pants and a Kate Spade purse from the Gator Career Closet, all for free.

Opened in July 2016, the Closet has helped hundreds of students who either did not have the resources to buy professional clothes, or just didn't have access to them. Students can come into its third-floor location in Peabody Hall or shop on its website and collect the items later.

And there’s no need to worry about cleaning them. The Closet partners with a local dry cleaning business, La-Z-Laundry, which takes care of the clothes at no cost.

“Students are here to get an education in order to get a job, so this is probably one of the best resources we can offer to push them in the right direction,” said Stephanie Muench, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer who oversees the Closet’s daily operations.

The idea to start the initiative came about after a graduate student went to the Division of Student Affairs Office looking for something to wear to in an interview. With nothing to offer him, the office staff decided to work together, borrowing professional clothing items from family and friends. They soon managed to put together an entire suit for the student to wear.

“I don’t know why it didn’t occur to us before that we needed something like this for students,” Muench said.

The Closet will soon have a new home. After a $10 million renovation to the university’s Career Resource Center is completed in May, the clothing operation will have space on two floors in Reitz Union.

“We’re especially excited to have it” said Julia Fleming, CRC’s associate director for operations, because “many more students will be able to come by because they’re typically already here.”

Chad Saunders, 23, a second-year graduate student studying electrical engineering, is also excited.

“The Closet was a great resource for me, especially during my first few years of college, when I didn’t have a car and couldn’t go out and buy my own business clothes,” Saunders said. “Having the new space, I think, will really give them a chance to help more students.”

In the meantime, the Closet is getting ready for its annual expo in January. The daylong event held in the Plaza of the Americas will feature a fashion show of student models showing off the Closet’s wardrobe, as well as opportunities to learn how to dress for success.

Muench expects the Closet will get even more donations in once the holidays are over. She hopes then it can offer a wider variety of sizes, which is the biggest need.

“The goal is to always help as many students as we can,” Muench said.

Connecting to Career Showcase

By Sloan Savage

Two days each semester, students at the University of Florida get to present their talents and aspirations at what is billed as the largest university-sponsored career fair in the Southeast.

Whether seeking an internship, job or networking opportunities, the Career Showcase provides students the chance to meet and speak with hundreds of employers about their futures.

Erica Coste, associate director for industry relations – recruitment services, and Kristen Smith, assistant director for industry relations and career events, are key members of the university's Career Resource Center team that organize the semiannual event.

Around 400 employers attend the fall showcase, and 300 during spring, with more employers coming during the fall due to internship opportunities, Smith said. The event takes place over the course of two days, with different types of employers attending each day based on hiring needs.

"The first day is called nontechnical day and it’s geared toward things like accounting, education, sales and marketing," Smith said. “The second day is technical day, and that’s geared more toward information technology and human resource jobs.”

The CRC offers a variety of services to help students prepare for the event. From an app that tells students what employers are attending and where their booths will be located, to resume reviews done by employers, Coste recommends that students make use of the resources provided in order to be best prepared. The most consistent service offered by the CRC is drop-in hours.

“Between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, you can drop-in with a career ambassador who help students with their resume, cover letter and elevator pitch,” Coste said.

Liza Allison works for the CRC as its graduate assistant for career events. She oversees a center-based student organization that is called Employee Relations Ambassadors and helps to staff the event. As an undergraduate student, Allison attended Showcase to network for future positions.

“I started talking with a company via LinkedIn and wanted to make a point of connecting with them in person,” she said, noting that in advance she had used tips from CRC’s website on maximizing one’s LinkedIn profile and updating a resume. “I went to their booth during showcase and ended up getting an internship with the company.”

Allison praised the smartphone app dedicated to Career Showcase as particularly helpful.

“Being a part of the team that works on it, I know there’s a lot of information broken down about the event that is really helpful for students,” she said.

Ana Perez-Olave is another UF graduate student who made use of the career fair as an undergraduate. She spoke there with one of the sponsor companies, R+L Carriers, after dropping by the CRC’s drop-in hours.

“R+L is a trucking company, but they were hiring for a communications position, so I decided to check them out,” Perez-Olave said.

Offered an interview shortly thereafter, Perez-Olave took advantage of a CRC mock interview, in which a career ambassador acted as the employer and interviewed her based on her resume as preparation for the real interview. The hard work resulted in a job offer, she said.

The CRC is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation project that will affect all of its services, including those helping students prepare for the fall and spring showcases.

“We’ll have more space to offer these services, meaning we can bring in and prepare more students to attend the event,” Coste said.

Connecting to alternative career fairs

By Christopher Harris

The University of Florida Career Resource Center is known for its ability to get students connected to their futures through its myriad of events and services. Yet, one of its most accommodating affairs is perhaps its most commonly overlooked: alternative career fairs.

The alternative fairs are smaller in scope than the center's mammoth semi-annual Career Showcase, but still aim to bring students in touch with employers, professional and graduate schools, as well as majors and minors within the university, said Erica Coste, associate director for industry relations and recruitment services at the CRC.

"They have different, more specific focuses than Career Showcase," Coste said.

The CRC hosts six alternative fairs every year: the graduate and professional schools fair, majors and minors fair, summer job and internship fair, careers in education fair, a fair for part-time jobs, and the Beyond the Swamp graduate school fair, she said.

The alternative fairs differ from their larger counterpart in a few other key ways, including being more casual in nature and having less stressful environments.

“It’s smaller, so for somebody who may get stressed out by something as big as Career Showcase, it’s a better opportunity for people who maybe would do better in a more intimate setting,” said Kristen Smith, assistant director of career events and industry relations.

While they may be smaller, the coordination of the alternative fairs is like that of any other event the CRC hosts – only on a different scale, said Smith, who directs a team of four students and one graduate assistant.

“It’s quite a process,” Smith said. “There’s a lot of logistical pieces.”

Yislen Felipes, a CRC student assistant, said the smaller fairs are less competitive and intimidating.

“There is definitely a greater opportunity to speak to more employers and spend more time with recruiters,” Felipes said. “It is much easier to make yourself stand out.”

The university is constructing a new facility for the CRC – a project with a budget of more than $9 million. The project will give the center nearly double its current space.

Coste said the renovations and additions may bring about change for the smaller fairs, though she didn’t offer any specifics. However, when it comes to students choosing which alternative fair to attend, she said employer attendance is key.

“The recruiters who come are really interested in actually recruiting UF students,” Coste said.

Though Career Showcase and the alternative fairs have different atmospheres, Smith said that there is value in both in terms of students meeting with recruiters.

“In the same capacity that they would connect in a smaller fair, they’re going to connect in a larger fair,” she said. “The recruiter’s going to take the time and the effort to make that connection.”

Connecting to career shadowing

By Megan Johnson

The Career Resource Center is more than just the coordinator of the largest career fair in the Southeast and a resource for professional readiness such as cover letter and resume critiques. It offers programs like Gator Shadow Day, which matches students seeking real-world experience with an employer willing to offer an in-depth look at its workplace's day-to-day activities and culture.

Jaime Harsell, the center’s senior assistant director for career engagement, said Gator Shadow Day is an opportunity for students to learn who they are as a professional and the necessary skills required to be hired.

"Usually it can be a tour, so they can see the type of environment and what the work is like, and it can be pretty informal, but [the students] get to see someone interacting in a professional setting," Harsell said.

She believes events like Gator Shadow Day supports Gov. Rick Scott’s “Ready, Set, Work” challenge by helping college students understand requirements to become career ready.

“The students need to learn more about themselves—what are their values, interests, personality and skill sets and how is that going to make them employable,” she said.

Teaching students how to be employable is a primary CRC goal.

Ja’Net Glover, the university’s interim director of student services, says the center has a variety of experiences that “connects and bridges the classroom and employee partner.”

“Major doesn’t always equal career,” Glover said.

Gator Shadow Day is available to all UF students (including enrolled online only) and employers from around the state, which wants to retain as much talent and many students as possible.

“Students at UF are so engaged and involved, and there are so many things going on at a large institution,” Harsell said. “They need to know what the value added is going to be and how a program will benefit them.”

Benefits range from learning how to write a better cover letter and interview talking points to networking opportunities that lead to internships and employment in the long-term.

“Students will talk about why this company is a good fit for them based on what they’ve seen and demonstrated with a team or individual at Gator Shadow Day,” Harsell added.

After the event ends, participating students and the employers are surveyed to gain their feedback with respect to future changes, additions and if they would be interested in returning.

“A lot of employers want to engage with students in alternative ways, and what better way to showcase what your organizations has to offer than to have students on-site,” Harsell said.

Connecting with alumni

By Katie Varan

Matt Morrow's relationship with the University of Florida’s Career Resource Center didn’t end after graduation. As an undergraduate studying political science, Morrow, 22, said he used the CRC to receive resume critiques and attended its semi-annual Career Showcase. After he graduated two years ago, he continued to take advantage of these resources as an alumnus.

"Prior to graduation, I already knew about the opportunity for alumni to attend Showcase," Morrow said.

UF alumni can get one-on-one career advice from the CRC for up to a year after they graduate. This often includes tips for finding a job or applying to graduate school, as well as mock interviews and resume critiques. Those still in Gainesville can attend an in-person session, but the center is also available over Skype and phone for those who have relocated.

“We try to make it as easy as possible to connect with us,” said Angel Iverson, CRC’s director of career and industry engagement.

Gator CareerLink – a database of job postings and events, workshops and information sessions with employers – is available for alums looking to change careers, Iverson said.

Five years ago, the CRC partnered with other universities in the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences to create an annual virtual career fair, she said.

The alumni page on the CRC website provides additional resources, such as a virtual interview preparation program, Iverson said. This tool allows alums to record themselves and send it out for feedback. Depending on the career they are pursuing, there are different sets of questions to ensure that they are well-prepared for anything that is asked in an interview.

But not all alums take advantage of these opportunities. Colleen Shulmister, a student pursuing a doctorate of physical therapy at Emory University in Atlanta, graduated from UF in 2016. As an undergraduate, she was familiar with the CRC, but never used its resources.

“I probably wouldn’t seek CRC alumni resources in the future,” Shulmister said. “As a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, I already have access to several job placement resources.”

For alums who do use its opportunities, however, the CRC fosters relationships with employers in a variety of fields. From start-ups to large, well-known companies, Iverson works with many different businesses to help place alums in jobs.

“I enjoy attending Career Showcase,” Morrow said. “It allows me to talk to a lot of potential employers on a one-to-one basis and not over some online application.”

Iverson said these different resources provide a lot of help for alumni.

“I love to see the impact that we have with students and alumni,” she said. “We’re essentially changing lives and helping them figure out what they want to do after graduation.”

Connecting to graduate studies

By Christin Walker

When students step onto the University of Florida campus for their first day of classes, the thought of attending graduate school typically is not on their mind.

"I didn't even think about it when I first got to college," said Mitchell Sinon, 22, an international business graduate student. “When I was a sophomore, I started thinking about whether or not I should get a master’s of business administration or another master’s degree.”

This is one role of the university’s Career Resource Center. Its website has a list of graduate majors and is staffed with professionals that can help choose or change a major at any time.

“We have a heavy online presence, which I’m super proud of,” said Sara Gould, senior assistant director for career engagement at the CRC.

The website gives students access to services such as lists of majors and minors, how to make career-planning appointments, grad school prep and access to graduate events.

“I think there is a misconception that you have to come to us when there’s something wrong, but you can see it as a check in,” Gould said.

The CRC hosts events to reach current and potential graduate students, including student appreciation week for them as well as a series of seminars, and takes time to break down all of the options.

“We look at themes, what are the things you are interested in,” Gould said. “Our perspective is with guiding questions we see what you think is right for you and we will do everything to help you get there. If not, if you’re unsure, we will help you figure out what the next step is.”

Gould shared an experience of helping a physical therapy student figure out her passion and assisting her in making the correct changes to get started on a new track.

“This student was interested in being a physician’s assistant, so we worked together on a personal statement and application materials,” Gould said.

Students can utilize CRC’s resources at any point during their time at UF.

“I’ve gone there once or twice to have them look at my resume, and give me help on transitioning from undergrad to what it should look like as a graduate student,” said Joey Botero, 25, an electrical engineering major.

Students recognize the importance of visiting the CRC to advance in their future.

“I think if I were a master’s student rather than a doctorate student, I would go there more often because everything I would be doing would be geared toward getting a job,” Botero said. “I would go for their mock interviews and lots of resume tweaking.”

The CRC can help a current or potential graduate student in every part of the decision-making process, and is will even make it plain that advanced education is not for everyone.

“There’s something for everyone at every stage,” Gould said. “If it’s the beginning of exploration, and maybe down the road you want to go to graduate school, start talking about it now and know what’s out there.”

Connecting to the right major

By Jackie De Freitas

Daniel Farji, a sophomore architecture major at the University of Florida, is unlike most college students, not because he hangs his graded assignments on his bedroom wall, but because he has always been unwavering in his major.

Eighty percent of college students in the U.S. change their major at least once before graduation, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. With a major switch seemingly inevitable, the Career Resource Center at UF is ready to assist.

"It's more about how you use your major, and how your major is going to prepare you academically but also for life in general," said Alexandra Simon, CRC's associate director for career engagement. 

Starting at preview orientation, CRC staff engage with students and discuss why choosing a major is crucial, but also that the decision alone does not equal a career path.

“Students will think there’s so much pressure to choose one thing,” Simon said. “People have a limited understanding of all the jobs out there.”

Louis Cavallo, 20, a junior business management major, said he found help at the CRC his freshman year.

“They were very guiding and accommodating,” said Cavallo, adding that he wonders how his college experience would have gone had he not visited CRC.

As a student potentially graduating UF early and going to law school, Cavallo says he believes the center helped him begin his college journey more effectively.

Simon said the CRC doesn’t have to be for everyone. Students should ask for help from one’s support system in times of distress, and also for advice from more advanced classmates, professors and admired community members, she said.

“You’re not alone,” Simon said. “You don’t have to figure it out by yourself.”

connecting with mentors

By Stephen Cabrera

The University of Florida Career Resource Center offers a mentoring program that pairs students with industry professionals.

The program is run by Nadene Reynolds, director of career engagement for the CRC, which is located in Reitz Union.

Ana Pedraza, 22, of Weston, Florida, participated in the program before graduating from UF with a degree in accounting.

"Its value lies in having a buddy system and being able to confide in someone with your problems, knowing they've gone through the same thing you have," Pedraza said.

The process for students interested in the program involves an application for self-selection, and they are asked to have the time and commitment needed to maximize its effects. CRC staff and professionals offer them workshops and sessions on career and personal development.

The greatest benefit is being paired with someone from the profession that they are considering.

“Mentoring someone is also going to help the student understand the value of the way they progress in their career,” Pedraza said. “It also shows them how they can help someone else that will be in their shoes from day one.”

Pedraza is among those former students interested in applying as a mentor to help pay forward the teaching that was given to her when she was a mentee.

The program often allows students to visit their mentors at work to get an authentic experience. Reynolds said one mentor who had left the country scheduled a virtual visit with a mentee.

The number of students who sign up for the program has varied from year to year because of classes, work schedules and unexpected occurrences. The length of the program varies, because the staff wants to allow time for students to get the knowledge needed from the mentor.

Looking ahead, program staff will hold a career conversations event, as well as a prospective employer workshop for students during the spring semester. At the end of the year, students’ accomplishments and achievements are recognized at a farewell ceremony.

CONNECTING TO INTERNSHIPS

Photo by Justin Ahlum 

By Justin Ahlum

Sandra Chavez walked into the University of Florida Career Resource Center for a resume critique, but found help in in other career-planning areas through Gator CareerLink, the CRC's portal for jobs, internships, co-op opportunities, career shadowing and more.

"Gator CareerLink has opened a ton of doors for me," said Chavez, who studies information systems and operations management as a master's student. "I received multiple offers [for internships] by applying through there."

Chavez has four offers from major companies such as J.P. Morgan and Bank of America for next summer. She found the J.P. Morgan posting through the Gator CareerLink job board.

Hers is one of many success stories credited to the CRC, a self-described “centralized, comprehensive unit” that serves UF students and its alumni.

The CRC focuses on guidance and career education to prepare students for life after college. Nadene Reynolds, the center’s director of career engagement, said her typical day revolves around supervising a staff that assists students in finding their way toward their futures.

“Career planning is a continuous process that helps someone learn about themselves,” Reynolds said. “That takes form in a number of different formats so we can assist students with self-guided resources that will help them with individual interactions.”

Reynolds said the CRC has been recognized with national and career service awards and has been acknowledged as a Top 10 center. A key focus is on providing students with the opportunity to obtain valuable experience through internships and other work environments.

Karla Avila has also taken advantage of the resources the CRC provides. The criminology and law student said she used its online capabilities specifically to find and match herself with jobs and got an internship with Equality Florida after applying through Gator CareerLink.

Avila believes she has benefitted from the resources the center offers as she begins to apply for post-graduation jobs.

“The CRC has come in handy,” Avila said. “Most of the jobs that are posted on the CRC database are oriented to college graduates, making it easier for us to apply rather than using other job searching engines.”

Reynolds said it’s hard to know just how many students the center helps each year.

“If you help a student in a one-on-one session, and you help them multiple times, they may or may not be reporting that the internship was secured from you,” Reynolds said. “But we do see quite a number of students regarding (internships).”

Reynolds said there isn’t one specific way for students to best use the CRC or tackle their career.

“There’s so many ways to go about it, but I think the first thing to realize is that experience matters,” Reynolds said. “We do a bit of education to help other students understand the different ways to build experience, such as undergraduate research or part-time employment.”

Connecting across campus

By Michelle Martinez

The University of Florida Career Resource Center is actively trying to reach students in all colleges at UF, particularly with online resources and embedded liaisons.

On the student career communities page of the CRC website, UF's 16 colleges are listed. Each of these career community pages has resources such as major-specific roadmaps, skills, insider advice, university organizations, professional organizations, sample employers recruiting at UF, cover letter samples, resume keywords, interviewing tips and pre-professional information.

"Even though we are not able to meet with every student, there’s an abundance of resources on the career community pages," said Angel Iverson, director for career and industry engagement at the CRC.

CRC liaisons provide a more tailored experience for students who meet with them one-on-one.

“With our embedded liaisons, we have definitely seen an increase in awareness and use of the career center services,” Iverson said.

When not meeting with students, liaisons are working with employers, meeting with faculty, learning the college’s current events and building connections.

“Them having that full-circle perspective can sometimes help provide a more customized direction,” said Iverson.

The CRC would like to have more liaisons within larger colleges such as CLAS and engineering colleges, which have 14,000 and 8,300 students, respectively.

Still, seeing students find fulfilling opportunities is Iverson’s favorite part of the CRC.

“At the end of the day, we help change lives,” she said.

Connecting with international students

By Fennzia Guerrier

Undergraduate international students at the University of Florida walk into the Career Resource Center's Career Showcase hoping to see their American dream come true, but meet with the reality of being a foreign student seeking a spot in the U.S. job market.

According to the UF International Center website, there were 7,107 students from other countries enrolled at UF in fall 2016. More than 475 of them were undergraduates.

Sophomore Gerardo Maravilla, an information systems major from El Salvador, said that of the hundreds of employers at Career Showcase, about 50 had positions that were open to international students.

Alexandra Simon, the CRC’s associate director of career engagement, said that the center works hard to help international students, including through a series of workshops focused on topics like how to navigate finding a job and communicating with employers.

"We have about five different workshops we do for international students," Simon said.

She said that the CRC partners with the university’s International Center to provide a workshop focused on both curricular and optional practical training, and offers more ways that students on a visa to do full-time or part-time internships in the U.S.

“Once they have eligibility, it’s pretty similar to search for an internship just like a domestic U.S. student,” Simon said.

Karina Gedlek, a freshman political science major from Poland, said that she will most likely look for an internship in Europe because of her visa status.

She said that she finds out about most of the opportunities through LinkedIn, but plans on going to the center for a resume critique.

Chelsea Tobias, assistant director of career engagement, said that the CRC offers services, including individual meetings, that can help students find the opportunities they may be seeking.

“We’re here to be on their team,” Tobias said.

connecting underrepresented students to STEM fields

By Andrew Jeter

The University of Florida's Career Resource Center gives under-represented students the ability to experience STEM fields through the "See Yourself in STEM" program.

Keira Simmonds, the center’s assistant director for career and industry engagement, manages the program meant to help under-represented groups have opportunities in the world of STEM.

See Yourself in STEM, which is funded by the Motorola Solutions Foundation, enables students to envision their place in these industries, Simmonds said.

“When they have those moments of enlightenment of the breadth of skills that they bring to the table, I think that is the most rewarding piece,” she said.

The program isn’t quite as big as Simmonds and others would like: The latest run reached 38 participants. She said she would like to see the initiative expand and provide resources to all the under-represented students who need it.

“There’s always room for growth though as we transform as a center, as we strive for preeminence as a university,” Simmonds said. “We’re always looking for how we can do that better, and how can we provide value to students. That’s always front and top of mind for us as a center.”

CONNECTING ACROSS DISCIPLINES 

Students give suggestions on how to reach more Gators

By Natalia Veray 

Jackie Guthart, a fourth-year marketing major at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, has earned internship and job opportunities through campus involvement, networking and intrinsic motivation.

However, she has rarely visited the UF Career Resource Center, except for a resume critique.

"I honestly did not think of going to the Career Resource Center often," Guthart said. “I was more preoccupied with networking and applying to campus organizations.”

While the CRC provides students with access to potential employers, interview feedback, mentorship and more, “I think there is a stigma surrounding the CRC that it only benefits students in particular majors,” Guthart said. “I am definitely guilty of believing this.”

Other UF students share this mentality. Olivia Orand, a second-year health science major, also commented on her lack of knowledge about the CRC's resources.

“I always assumed that the CRC did not have opportunities for health science majors,” Orand said.

Orand said the center needs to actively promote around campus and encourage students to seek out the available resources. She recommended that the CRC set up on-campus booths and give out free merchandise to attract student attention.

“As a student, I know I will always go to a booth if they have free stuff,” Orand said. “If the CRC had booths near the Reitz Union with some free T-shirts, I would be there in a heartbeat.”

Interviews with students across campus and a UF Facebook group found that most knew of the CRC, but were unfamiliar with all that it provides. They said an increased social media presence and more effective branding could help draw more students seeking internships and jobs.


“I feel that the mock interviews provided are too generic,” said Jasmine Haddaway, a fourth-year international global studies major who landed an internship at the White House without using the CRC. She hopes that with the center’s upcoming 10,000 square-foot facility expansion project comes an improved connection with students.

Melissa Gallo, a first-year English major, learned about the CRC during freshmen orientation and was required to attend resume-critique sessions for specific courses. She wishes the CRC’s resources were discussed more in-depth during orientation, so students would be inclined to visit.