Career specialist Pat Steigauf addresses the unique needs of alumni job seekers. |
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Attaining marketable career
skills is one of the most important aspects of a university education.
U of U Career Services helps new graduates find jobs in their chosen field—but
what happens later if career circumstances cause the graduate to seek
other employment?
The University of Utah Alumni Association has teamed with Career Services
to create a program that will specifically address such needs. Enter Pat
Steigauf, career specialist and program director. Steigauf has been working
in the field of recruitment and employment for more than 15 years. Her
wide-ranging experience includes consulting with Fortune 500 corporations
as well as mid-sized and smaller start-up and emerging enterprises. She
has collaborated with major executive search consultancies and on national
and international recruitment initiatives.
“I’ve recruited
from the board room to the mail room,” comments Steigauf, “and
from coast to coast and around the world. I am pleased to have the opportunity
to leverage my skills to help others.” Continuum asked Steigauf
how she envisions the job and her role in it.
Q. How did the idea of an Alumni Career Service Program come about?
The initial concept began
in discussions between the Alumni Association and Career Services more
than 10 years ago. Initiating the program has become more imperative now
because the job market has changed dramatically. Over the last decade
we have witnessed one of the strongest employment markets in our nation’s
history. One outcome is that today’s employees frequently relate
career advancement with job change, which happens an average of seven
times throughout their career lifes. This, coupled with dramatic changes
over the last five years in job-search tools and strategies, has created
a demand for job-seeking individuals to refresh, refine, and, in some
cases, relearn their job-search skills.
Since the bull market employment boom of the ’90s has taken a serious
downturn, the desire for career assistance is now greater than ever. The
University wants to help alumni stay ahead of the changing market, maintain
a competitive market advantage, and achieve their career goals. To that
end, the U’s Alumni Association and Career Services have joined forces
to expand services offered to alumni.
Q. What do you see as the structure of the program?
Although the program is still evolving, we are considering two components.
The first is employee based—to assist alumni who are planning to
launch or are already involved in a job search. This assistance may include
cost-effective offerings such as skill-building workshops, online services,
one-on-one counseling, and networking opportunities.
The second component is employer
based. The goal is to build on our existing relationships as well as forge
new partnerships with local employers. In today’s economy, employers’
recruitment resources are severely limited or, at best, reduced. We hope
to make the employer’s task of identifying qualified candidates simple,
convenient, and economical. Although our local employers may be the biggest
benefactors of this program, we also intend to help alumni pinpoint opportunities
worldwide. We believe this will be a tremendous asset to alumni currently
located outside the Wasatch Front as well as those within our regional
base.
Q. How does this service differ from other career offerings?
Career Services does a great
job of assisting recent graduates in their first and second employment
search. This new program instead will focus on alumni who graduated at
least two years ago—those who may have more skills and experience
and are not looking for an entry-level position. Their needs may be similar
but their levels of operation are not. Mid-career employees who have not
been in a job-search mode for several years may require new tools and
methods. We also hope to offer services to management and executive management
employees, a segment that is often overlooked.
Q. When will the program begin operation?
There is a glut of information
on job searching and résumé writing available. We don’t
want to duplicate these services and will strive to address the unique
needs of our alumni by offering real value-added services. It takes time
to assess, plan, and develop a quality program. Our current schedule is
to roll out stage one this coming fall, which gives us the rest of the
summer to design, develop, and begin to marketing the program. Because
we are eager to build it around the needs of our alumni, I encourage those
interested to contact me with their comments and suggestions. I can be
reached, by e-mail at careerinfo@sa.utah.edu.
