USF Florida Job Seekers Get Help
ningcontentGraduates from one local university looking for a job in Florida will now get some help from their alma mater.
The University of South Florida is offering an “Alumni Career Quest” on September 25. The program will include an all-day workshop on interviewing, polishing your resume and job searching strategies in a weak market.
According to an article by Tampa Bay Online, alumni will have free full access to the university’s career counseling services following the initial workshop.
While the USF career center doesn’t offer job placement, it does offer counseling. Trained career advisers help alumni identify their strongest skills, put together resumes and prepare for interviews.
In addition, the career center helps alumni search databases that contain contact and background information on companies throughout the country. Alumni who live out of town have access to free Webinars and online and telephone consulting.
While the career center has always been free to students, USF has charged alumni $50 for every six months of service. Those charges will be dropped through June of next year.
Drema Howard, director of USF’s career center, said while many people think they know how to write a resume and get through an interview, they may be surprised at the difference some professional career counseling can make.
“What we’re finding is that a lot of people aren’t being very strategic,” she said. “Someone may have everything they need to do a job, but it’s all in how you package it.”
The idea for the program when USF Provost Ralph Wilcox said he wanted to do more for alumni amid the difficult job market. It wasn’t long before the USF Alumni Association wanted to be part of the program.
While the Alumni Association offers vacation discounts and other perks to members, it’s now learning that alumni need more help with other tasks, such as finding jobs and finding health insurance when they lose their jobs.
