What started with three mannequins modeling business attire at the UC Rock will soon translate into a fashion show showcasing students dressed in various business outfits.
The first event, called “Dress 2 Impress,” took place on Jan. 24, and is just one of the new events the Toppel Career Center is hosting for “Cane Career Week” as a prelude to the Spring Career Expo taking place on Feb. 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Wellness Center.
The fashion show will take place at the Rathskeller Feb. 7 and begin at 6:30 p.m.
“The Fashion Show sounds like a great idea,” Azael R. Ortega, a sophomore, said. “It will help students who are in question or doubt of what they should wear when meeting possible employers.”
Christian Garcia, associate director and the head of employer relations at Toppel, is involved in organizing these events.
“We’re trying to educate our students for an interview or the career fair in a fun, interactive, and more exciting way,” Garcia said.
Students who attend the Career Expo are required to wear business professional clothing. If a student arrives wearing inappropriate clothing, the Toppel employees may not let that student into the Expo.
“We’re not trying to embarrass the student or make them feel bad,” said Ninette Arcay, an employer relations assistant at Toppel. “We are only helping the student before they go in to talk to the companies. What you are wearing is the first impression that they make when they see you. The companies expect the students to look professional.”
The employees at Toppel encourage students to attend programs and start using the Career Center and their online system called CaneZone, a Toppel website that lists companies, job and internship openings available to students.
Kristine Kaminskas, a sophomore who is interested in a summer internship, said Toppel helped her by reviewing her resume so she could send it out to companies.
Toppel is also trying to interact with the students outside of the Career Center, which is located on Stanford Circle next to the University Center. Toppel began hosting an outreach program where they go to classrooms to talk with students or set up a booth near a certain school, such as the School of Communication and the School of Business.
According to Toppel, approximately 2,756 students visited the Career Center last semester, not including the attendees of the outreach program. With their new approach, they presented 95 programs and reached 4,954 students.
Students such as Dante Roldan have successfully used Toppel’s programs and resources to get internships or jobs.
Roldan, a senior, began attending programs offered at Toppel his junior year and signed up on CaneZone. He said that being involved with Toppel helped him get an internship last summer with General Electric and a full-time position as an operations analyst with Morgan Stanley in New York that he will start next year after he graduates.
“Even if you don’t go to the Career Expo, or you don’t find a job or internship there, you will always need these skills and practice that we offer here at Toppel, no matter what you decide to do,” Arcay said.
Janal Montagna may be contacted at j.montagna1@umiami.edu.