FIU Career Services recently welcomed a new associate director, alumna Shawna McNair MS ’07. She recently shared with FIU Magazine five important tips to help Panthers build their careers, and encourages alumni to attend the fall career fairs at MMC and BBC Sept. 23 and Oct. 5, respectively.

By Martin Haro ’05

Shawna McNair MS ’07 has a message for FIU alumni looking for a job: I’m here to help.

Among Shawna McNair's most important tips for effective career-bulding? Have a good résumé and network, network, network.

She is the new associate director of Career Services for Alumni Relations, the first person to hold the position in this new service for FIU graduates. A career counseling and development professional, she earned a master’s in higher education administration at FIU.

Thanks to a two-year, $160,000 Knight Foundation grant pledged to FIU last fall, Career Services now is able to narrowcast services to alumni. The grant will support two additional programs for alumni, the Knight Foundation’s FIU Golden Panther Mentoring Circle and the Knight Foundation’s FIU Internship Experience.

“I’m excited to enhance the services that we can offer FIU alumni through the Career Services office,” she said. “We want alumni to stay in touch with us because we can assist them with their career development, especially in these challenging times.”

The new career services for alumni comes at a critical time as the nation faces 9 percent unemployment nationally and 13 percent unemployment in Miami-Dade County. The program fulfills a need FIU alumni have shared with the Alumni Association through surveys and communications. McNair can help alumni with a variety of job-preparation services, ranging from résumé critiques to interview coaching to networking.

“This is something that we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said Duane Wiles, associate executive director of Alumni Relations. “We are thrilled to have Shawna working with our staff to lead us in this area. Our alumni are the future of our community, so we want to ensure they are well prepared to navigate this very difficult job market. I know Shawna’s enthusiasm and expertise will prove to be the perfect fit for this task.”

Last May, McNair took about 60 Panthers on day trip to Orlando to attend the Florida Statewide Job Fair organized by the Florida Career Centers, a group of career services directors from all of Florida’s public universities. At the fair, FIU alumni met with more than 100 employers and recruiters and networked with more than 1,000 alumni and students who, like them, are seeking full-time, professional positions.

College of Business Administration graduate Jorge Longueira ’09 was among the Panthers who took advantage of this opportunity, offered free to FIU alumni. He had recently been laid off from an insurance firm and one of his first calls was to FIU Career Services. At the fair, Longueira met with several potential employers in Orlando. On the ride back to Miami, he received a call from a recruiter for a major cruise line to set up an appointment.

“Going to the job fair was a good idea,” Longueira said. “It’s very important to keep in touch with the school you went to, especially now. You never know what doors may open up that way.”

Upcoming on-campus career fairs

Throughout the summer, McNair has continued reaching out to alumni to share different resources at their disposal. This fall, she will participate in the first two of four career fairs scheduled for the new academic year at the Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay campuses.

The MMC fair is set for Friday, Sept. 23, from 3-7 p.m., in the U.S. Century Bank Arena, and is open to all majors. The career fair at BBC will take place on Thursday, Oct. 5, from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m., at Panther Square in the Wolfe University Center (all majors welcome as well).

McNair can be found in GC 230 at MMC and reached at 305-348-2423 or  Shawna.McNair@fiu.edu.

5 Career-building Tips

1. Have a career-management plan: Outline your goals and design a strategy to meet those goals.

2. Keep an updated, effective résumé: Look at the buzz words in the job description and use them to your advantage.

3. Show you have transferrable skills: Let employers know that your skills and experience can align with other industries.

4. Network: Be open to any and all opportunities that come your way.

5. Stay connected to your FIU family: Our alumni are leaders in many industries and they are some of the best contacts you can have.