Congratulations December Graduates!

December graduates - What are your plans after graduation? Are you going to Graduate School? Working Full-Time or Part-Time? Tell us about your plans!

The Office of Career Services at The University of Tampa collects data to learn about the post-graduate accomplishments and plans of our alumni. We want to hear from you!

Please take a moment to complete the first destination survey. www.ut.edu/career/postgrad

Thank you for providing this important information for the Class of 2014! Be sure to complete the survey – it does not take long! Each month we hold a drawing for a Starbucks gift card. At the end of survey time period we then have a drawing for a $100 Visa Gift Card!

By completing this survey, The University of Tampa will be able to provide you with access to alumni salary and employment trend data for 2014 that may be helpful in your future career search needs. Additionally, the answers you provide help us collect valuable data to report back to various accreditation and news agencies (such as US News and World Report and other college rankings). These reports help promote the value of your degree!

Recent recognition includes:

• The University of Tampa being ranked one of America's Best Colleges by Forbes (2013);

• UT will be featured in the Princeton Review's "Best Colleges" guidebook (2014);

• The Sykes College of Business's rank as one of the top 295 in the world by the Princeton Review (2014); and

·         The National Council of State Boards of Nursing naming UT's Nursing Program number 1 in the country (2010)!

Please note: All information you provide will remain confidential and will not be used to solicit donations. Responses will only be used in combination with others, in an aggregated form, without any specific identifying information, in order to report first-destination statistics as a Class of 2014. Information given in this questionnaire will never be associated with your name. We ask for your name only to verify that you are a member of the Class of '14. Please complete all sections as instructed.

Thank you very much for your participation! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Career Services.

Holiday Reading and How It Can Set You on the Path to Career Success

If you are traveling over the Thanksgiving break or find yourself just relaxing at the beach, here are a few “good reads” that will energize your career decision making process.  Take a break from studying and turn some pages for self-improvement!

·         You Majored in What?  Mapping your Path from Chaos to Career by Katherine Brooks

This book is a great resource for students who may get asked the question, “What Can I Do With this Major?”  Many majors do not have a direct career path and this book will help map out a path to finding the right career match. 

 

·         Getting from College to Career:  Your Essential Guide to Succeeding in the Real World by Lindsey Pollak.

The author of this book is a career expert and global Spokesperson for LinkedIn and lists 90 tips to help you make a smooth and successful transition from college to career. 

 

·         What Color is Your Parachute?  A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters & Career-Changers by Richard N. Bolles

This book is listed as one of the “all-time 100 best nonfiction books” by TIME magazine.  One of the most popular guides, this book is updated every year and gives recommendations and strategies to help with your job search. 

 

 

Marsha Sherman, Assistant Director of Career Exploration
Office of Career Services
The University of Tampa

When filling out job applications online is not working!

We have all heard the story that persistence pays off. This statement is true but make sure you are directing your energy in the right direction. A recent CareerXroads survey shows that only 15% of positions were filled through applying to positions online. This is quite staggering when you think that the mindset of MANY college students is to continue applying until something sticks. You may apply to 50+ positions without receiving a single callback depending on the market in which you are applying. In today’s job market you need to be proactive rather than reactive. Even if you are not graduating this semester or next semester or not until next year, you still need to be thinking of your future job search.

Here are 3 tips to become more intentional with your search and start gaining results!

1.       Join LinkedIn! You are a budding professional and this is not Facebook. LinkedIn is a professional networking tool which can assist your job search in many ways, including, actually meeting contacts that work directly in your field of interest. For more information please read: http://spartancareers.blogspot.com/search/label/linkedin’

2.       You need to talk to people. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics 70 percent of all jobs are found through networking. Professionals are just like you. Do not be afraid to reach out to someone who works in your field of interest. Remember, they were a college student at one time as well. Setup an informational interview to ask them questions about their path, the company they work for and their advice for you as a transitioning professional.

3.       Talk to the people you already know! You are the only one who can spread the message that you will be job searching soon. Remember relatives, professors, professionals in your life, family friends, supervisors, etc. can all be great people to assist you in reaching that post-graduation position.

“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” – Nora Roberts

Now is the time to take control of your job search!

Best Regards,

Jessie Bush

Assistant Director, Career Coaching & Professional Development