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July 1, 2010

Office of Career Connections – sharing stories of success

The staff of ULM's Office of Career Connections and Experiential Education at the University of Louisiana at Monroe has one question to ask of its students: “Have you visited our Web site lately?”

If not, then a quick visit to ulm.edu/careerconnections will perhaps stymie the fears of those who think gloomy economic forecasts translate into gloomy job prospects.

A review of the links beneath the smiling pictures of ULM students across the top of the Career Connections home page tells of major job successes, whether through full-time or part-time positions, or through internship opportunities that can lead to employment in exciting career fields.

These career fields take ULM graduates and students across the state, region or even the globe.
One such recent success story is that of Vanessa Doherty, a construction management graduate, who began her full-time position with Walt Disney Imagineering in Florida immediately after ULM’s May 2010 commencement.

“Dreams really do come true!” she said, after accepting her position as a project manager with the company. Vanessa concludes on the Web site that “people need to be willing to make small sacrifices for big payoffs.”

Additional features of the Career Connections and Experiential home page are a job-search feature and a listing of upcoming career fairs, workshops and other job-related events. Summer interns provide blogs about their activities, and the staff blogs about various topics of interest. And links to Internships.com and InterviewStream provide nationwide internship listings and online job interview practice.

Other success stories currently featured on the home page include the following:

• Brooke Gix, a December 2009 graduate of ULM, landed a full-time position as a pediatric registered nurse at St. Francis Holy Angels. The Monroe native interned for a year at St. Francis before being hired. “If my job can make a patient smile or feel better, then my mission is accomplished,” she says.

• Alex Deshowitz, a May 2010 graduate in finance, interned last summer at Southwest Airlines in Dallas, leading to his present full-time employment there. Deshowitz was awarded one of the country’s most sought-after internships again this summer, but before his second internship even began, he was hired as a revenue management analyst.

• Sevil Alieva, a ULM senior in communication, is interning at the Embassy of Tajikistan in Washington, D.C., this summer. The high-achieving senior expects to graduate in December 2010. Originally from Tajikistan, she speaks four languages.

• Brittany LaCombe, health studies pre-professional graduating in May 2011, works part-time for Recreational Services while attending ULM. She’s now worked her way up to being a student supervisor, with the responsibility of opening up the Activities Center every morning.

• Jonathan Turner, a sophomore accounting major, works part-time for the Boys and Girls Club of West Monroe while attending ULM. An accounting major, he began working with children at the Boys and Girls Club of West Monroe in the fall of 2009.

Director of ULM’s Academic Internships Ann Bloxom Smith said these stories are just one piece of the overall picture of job successes being painted every semester at ULM.

“We're incredibly proud of ULM students and alumni who have stepped out, taken a chance, and achieved beyond their wildest dreams,” she said. “There are so many opportunities out there, and our office, true to its name, provides the connections.”

For more information on the services offered by the Office of Career Connections, visit www.ulm.edu/careerconnections, call 318-342-5338 or stop by its offices, located on the third floor of the library.

PLEASE NOTE: Some links and e-mail addresses in these archived news stories may no longer work, and some content may include events which are no longer relevent, or reference individuals and/or organizations no longer associated with ULM.