making the connections - smsu...alumni also remain connected to each other through the alumni...
TRANSCRIPT
The worry of the nation is the economy. When companies earn less, they hire less too,
and many students graduate wondering where to get a job. Alumni in the workforce may
find themselves unemployed after years of work. If there is one thing that this economy
has made clear, it is that networking is everything. Through unique degree programs, social
networking and job services, SMSU can help grads find a job and link employers with
students in many ways.
One such way is through unique academic programming. SMSU is renowned for its
culinology® program, the only four-year degree of its kind in the country. This blended
degree in business, food science, and the culinary arts draws students from all over the U.S.
It also draws the interest of food industry professionals, such as Roger Toomey, CEO
of UniPro Food Service and one of the original members of the Culinology Advisory
Board. Toomey was introduced to SMSU President David Danahar through a mutual
acquaintance on The Schwan Food Company management team.
UniPro Food Service Inc., based in Atlanta, Georgia, is the largest distributor of
5FOCUS
connections
by Lorien Downing ’11
Photo:(l-r): Tegan Gullickson ‘10; Emily Theno ‘10;Tim Kortsmit ‘08; Roger Toomey, CEO of Unipro;
Sara Graf ‘10; and Amy (Blum) White ‘08.
Making the
SMSU Alumni Using Networks to Find Employment
special to Focus
6 FOCUS
foodservice products in the US. The $58 billion company markets
brands like General Mills, Kraft, Nestlé and Schwan
Foodservices along with its own private brands. UniPro also
works on sustainability and green initiatives in its operations. In
total, the company serves over 800,000 foodservice providers,
including hospitals, schools, the military and restaurants.
Graduates from several disciplines, including finance,
accounting and culinology® have been hired by UniPro, often
through job fairs held on SMSU’s campus. “SMSU students have
a strong work ethic,” said Toomey. And the University “provides
not only a strong educational opportunity but supports its
students in both career and personal development with
tremendous support from the faculty and administration.”
SMSU still ranks as one of the highest institutions in the
country in terms of faculty-to-student ratio, and the majority of
faculty have attained the highest degree in their field, giving
students a chance to learn directly from experienced professionals
rather than from just a textbook or teaching assistants.
The University also provides its students with many resources
for job searching, resumé writing and graduate application
assistance. Much of this support comes from the Career Services
office. Current students, recent graduates and alumni all have
access to the Career Services website and many of its on campus
resources, including job fairs. Many companies return year after
year to recruit SMSU students, including UniPro.
“UniPro is a wonderful partner,” said Sheila Risacher, Director
of Career Services. “It’s great that our alumni are so connected
to students.”
Alumni also remain connected to each other through the
Alumni Association and the professional social networking site
LinkedIn. “LinkedIn is one of many ways that the Alumni
Office tries to connect alumni to each other and students,” says
Tyler Bowen, Director of Alumni Relations.
Using the SMSU website and career services, the Alumni
office hopes to expand and offer programs and webinars about
how to
use LinkedIn
to create connections
and land a job. More
than that, the Alumni
Office offers assistance “to
students just out of school
or alumni who are looking
for a new job after being in
the workforce.”
SMSU students also have
some unique opportunities to
create networks with
professionals in their fields and
secure jobs in the future, even
during a tough economy. Amy
Blum, now an employee of
UniPro, found one such
opportunity. In the course of one
of her classes, Blum was part of a
team that planned, prepared and
presented an executive luncheon for a
meeting of the Culinology Advisory Board. Blum recalled that
it was “an incredible opportunity” to meet some of the leaders in
the food service and food science industries.
One common thread ties Career Services, the Alumni Office
and UniPro together: networking. “Many alumni want to turn
back to their alma mater,” says Bowen, and between Career
Services and the Alumni Office, SMSU is ready and waiting to
help employers and alumni make that connection.
CAREER SERVICES can provide alumni, recent graduates, andcurrent students with job search services and graduate schoolpreparation. These services include MustangJobs.com, whichprovides information about local career opportunities,careerspot.com job searches, which provides even more links andresources, and access to on- and off-campus job fairs. ThroughCareer Services and its website, alumni “basically have the sameprivileges as a student on campus,” said Risacher.
With more than 17,000 SMSU alumni scattered throughoutthe world, it's challenging to host alumni professionaldevelopment events. Join us for our first career developmentwebinar, LEVERAGING LINKEDIN for Job Search and BusinessDevelopment, led by Anne Pryor ’82 of MeaningfulConnections, on September 23, 2010 at noon. This webinaris limited to 100 participants and is FREE! For moreinformation visit www.SouthwestAlumni.com/webinar
in short