By Mike Johnston
Special to the Hurricane
A senior stands in awe looking at the Ashe Building after graduation. Her face shows complexity, but yet, she looks perplexed. There is one last question she must answer before leaving UM. “What am I going to do now?”
After coming to the University of Miami, four years comes and goes faster than high school. There is always the chance of ending up like that one senior, who has no idea about a future. However, the Toppel Career Center can save anyone from that happening.
The Toppel Career Center is available to all students, no matter year in school. It is actually recommended that students should visit the center as early as their freshman year.
Christian Garcia, Associate Director of Toppel Career Planning Center, has advice for incoming freshman and returning students. Garcia said, “We recommend freshmen to come to our Career Expo. They can observe, and they will be more prepared when they go looking for a job.”
Toppel is able to provide students with many opportunities. They have services like Intake Advising, Mock Interviews, Career Resource Library, and much more.
They have a program in place called the FourTrak Success Plan. The FourTrak success plan is imposed to help guide any student through university, and then on to the job market. This plan is split up in steps, so the whole process will not be as overwhelming when a student is ready to leave.
Well, for many people, graduation is way far out in left field. There is plenty of time to worry about after graduation plans. However, what about the student that does not yet know what he is wants to do?
Garcia said, “We have self-directed search programs. They are able to measure strengths, likes, and dislikes. This will give students the ability to see what occupation are most compatible.”
There is another misconception that many undergraduates have. That is that companies are going to hire you straight out of university, without any prior work experience in the field. Many times, major companies are looking for at least 2-3 internships before they will interview a candidate.
Garcia said, “Many freshman have the misconception that they do not have enough accomplishments to make a resume. However, it is important to develop a resume as soon as possible.”
Many people get caught at the end of their degree, with no job or future plans. Take advantage of Toppel Career Center as early as possible so there are no worries about the future.