Online program provides employment opportunities

   The University Career Center is making it easier for students to search for jobs through Job Mine, an online database that connects currently enrolled students to co-op internships, part/full time positions, volunteer oportunities and work-study positions.

The University Career Center Director, George Barton, said that the free service has been around for about 10 years and it has evolved into what it is now.

“Job mine offers job placement for a full time job, part time job, internship, co-op or even a volunteer opportunity,” Barton said.

Career opportunities can be “on campus, off campus, in state, out of state and even international,” said Craig Thompson, University Career Center’s associate director and liaison to the Colleges of Education and Science.

Students can also use the database to upload resumes, writing samples and schedule interviews with potential employers.

“Employers go into the site electronically and post what they are looking for,” Barton said. “Sometimes, students aren’t even aware that we are working on their behalf, sending out their resumes and that kind of thing to employers. If they give us permission to do that, we’ll get requests unbeknownst to the students and get their resumes out to those employers.”

Other services offered are career events and expositions, including their biggest event this year, Career Expo, which will be held Sept. 21 and 22 at the Don Haskins Center.

“We’ll have over 100 employers coming in looking for any and all majors throughout both days,” Barton said. “It’s important that the students know about it and that they come dressed up, ready to go and make a good impression.”

As of August last year, Job Mine had 13,288 active registrants, 11,574 of which were undergrads, 1,282 graduate students and 432 alumni.

Students can also remain active for up to two semesters after graduating unless they become part of the alumni association.

Additionally, internships and work-study opportunities for all colleges are also posted on Job Mine.

Adrian Antonio Rivera, senior bilingual education major, has had an account with Job Mine since 2008 and acquired his current work-study position with the Engineering Department through Job Mine last month. He had previously landed another position in 2008 working for the El Paso Library’s Main Downtown Branch the same way.

Although Job Mine has been a big help, he feels that the University Career Center and Job mine should all work together with the Financial Aid Department and Goldmine to make the process for students smoother.

“It was complicated this time around to get the work study situated since the departments are not working together,” he said. “They need to communicate and it takes a while, to go through financial aid and the University Career Center.”

Officials at the University Career Center said they are working on that specific topic.

“We are trying to get Job Mine on my.utep.edu. That was one of the recommendations we have gotten from the students,” Thompson said.

Graduate instructional student Rasmiyeh Asam signed up for Job Mine in 2011 when she was still pursuing her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies and got a tutoring position through Job Mine.

“Job mine is user-friendly, I just think that the UTEP employers have to be more proactive in posting their positions on there,” she said. “There’s a lot of jobs you can find that are in the El Paso area but I think openings in the UTEP area lack.”

In this respect, the University Career Center invites all employers and UTEP departments to post their openings on Job Mine to give the student a better idea of what jobs are available on campus.

UTEP graduate, Raymundo Mendoza, was still a student when he used Job Mine but was unable to find much.

“Job Mine is good but there should be openings in a wider variety of fields because if a student goes in there and doesn’t find anything in their field they might never go in there again,” he said. “It should be linked to my.utep.edu so that the information is always up to date and that would make it easier for the student.”

Other services offered through the University Career Center are etiquette dinners, workshops, resume writing, employer information sessions and career events. As a member of Job Mine, students can also receive alerts to make their search more proactive.

It is a good idea to check periodically for workshops, information sessions and to visit the University Career Center for help with resumes.

“You have to pay a lot of money to get these kinds of services in the outside world and we have it all here,” Barton said.

Jessica Alvarez may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.