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

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