Why Worry When You Have Us

By Alysha Gomes, Toppel Peer Advisor

With all the stress of courses, jobs, and even social events, University of Miami STUDENTS AND ALUMNI often overlook the resources the Toppel Career Center offers.

As a student myself, I walked into the building and was amazed with its structure and technology; however, Toppel’s purpose is not to mystify, but to educate and assist. I did not realize all the opportunities Toppel offers until I was hired as a peer advisor.

Growing up, my parents portrayed the professional population as being in one of two fields: Food service or healthcare. Simply put, I could either become a doctor or I would end up working at McDonalds (flipping burgers, not as a corporate worker). However, now that Toppel has opened my eyes, I now know how many occupations and professional fields there actually are and how simple it is to request help in acquiring a desired position. I encourage you all to, as cliché as it may be, let Toppel open your eyes as well.

Don’t know where to start?

• Come in for a tour! – A tour will give you an overview of all our staff members and services we offer.
• Don’t feel like coming in? –Go online to HireACane.com! You can find anything and everything Toppel with just a few clicks.

Don’t know what professions are out there?

• Come to one of our information sessions! Companies from big to small come to Toppel every week to provide information on their company. These can be found on our programs/events calendar at HireACane.com!
• Companies that you may have never heard of but are absolutely amazing come to Toppel! Also, they provide new information each time they come, so don’t assume you know everything about them. In actuality you can never know enough if your going to invest you time into applying!

Don’t know what professions to pursue?

• Schedule an appointment to speak to an advisor! Simply go onto HireACane.com and click request an appointment on the right side column. They will help you:
• Pick a major
• Choose a professional field/career
• Figure out your life

Need help in applying to a(n) internship/job/school/anything?

• Come to walk-in hours on Monday-Thursday from 10:00am- 4:30pm to get help with your resume and cover letter!
• Schedule an appointment for a mock interview to practice your interviewing skills or go over personal statements and applications.
• Come to one of the countless workshops Toppel holds on how to:
• Interview
• Resume Build
• Utilize Social Media
• Organize/Time Manage
• AND SO MUCH MORE

Need help in getting hired/chosen?

• Come to one of our fashion shows on how to present yourself professionally! (This is actually really useful because things you would think are presentable are actually not.)
• Come to a networking event! Toppel has amazing connections! They can help you connect to pretty much anything anywhere.

Toppel offers even more beyond this! If you can think of anything career related, we have someone you can talk to that not only knows about it but is an expert on it and can get you in touch with a recruiter/school/anyone regarding it. It is truly a wonderful resource that is not utilized as often as it should be. I love Toppel and use its connections/resources all the time in my professional life- so should you!

           

Being a part of the "U"

by Oleg Ignatenko

As the spring semester comes to a close and there is only one more week left until the summer break, I wanted to reflect on the positives/negatives of the year and sum up what it’s like to be a Miami Hurricane. This has been my first official year at the University of Miami and I wanted to share with you my personal experience.

With so many highlights throughout the year, it is very difficult to pick one specific moment that stands out more than the other. The first moment I walked through the University, I knew I had picked the right place to study. The modern facilities, the warm weather, the sense of pride in the air and not to mention the palm trees that stand as tall as the spirit of the Canes. If I could use one word to describe it, that word would be “paradise”. This isn't just your typical college where you dread going to class and can't wait for the semester to end. This is a place where you can't wait to be. Every day you wake up with a sense of excitement of what the day might bring. Every week there is a series of events or occurrences which you do not want to miss. Just to name a few: Dodgeball Tournaments, Festivals, Canefest, Homecoming, Video Game Tournaments, Workshops at Toppel, Art Shows, Fashion Shows, Lectures with keynote speakers and much more. Speaking of classrooms, they are not as boring as many of you may think. The professors at this university have a polished knowledge of the subject they are teaching and are always willing to help students who may be struggling.

During my first two weeks I was able to discover that UM had plenty of resources to help me gain more knowledge about what I had to take care of first and foremost as well as being aware of how to get around campus and locate other helpful places that may come in handy throughout my time here. It seems as if this university has everything a student needs to feel ready and confident about what they're doing and their future student experience. There is the Toppel Career Center which is a great place to get career advisement, to set up a practice interview, to have your resume and cover letter critiqued and to go to different educational workshops that will be extremely beneficial towards your professional future. There is the Office of Financial Assistance that allows students to get information on how to go acquire grants, scholarships, basic FAFSA information and be aware of their tuition and or housing expenses so they can keep track of what is happening. These are just a couple of the resources that are available to students but without going into much detail, here are some of the others that every student should know about: Academic Resource Center, Student Activities, the Wellness Center, Office of Student Employment, the Honors Program and the Office of Academic Enhancement.

Now, let's jump to the fun activities (not that the previous ones weren’t already mind-blowingly awesome). The first football game at the Sun Life Stadium was something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Whether you tailgate or not, the atmosphere around the stadium is extraordinary. The barbecues, the music, the drinks (being that you are age appropriate) are just a few things that make this event something not to miss. Walking into that stadium, standing in the crowds, cheering for the team with everyone else you could sense that you were now a part of something special, that you were now a Miami Hurricane.

So what does it really mean to be a Hurricane? It’s not simply attending the University of Miami. It's getting involved in the hundreds of activities that this place has to offer each week. It's participating in events that will express your personality. It's communicating with your classmates, peers, teachers and advisors who all have their stories and experiences as former or current Canes. It's maximizing your knowledge about the campus, resources, and its history. Be a Miami Hurricane by participating in everything you possibly can while showing your spirit and your experience here will stay with you for the rest of your life!

Student and Alumni Career Symposium

Empowering and Connecting a World of Canes
Thursday, April 7th
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Newman Alumni Center

One of Toppel’s newest and most exciting events is happening on April 7!!! Everyone in the office is really excited and we can’t wait to meet all the great people participating. Things are almost ready, we have a keynote speaker, Ms. Katrina Campins, Founder of The Campins Company, UM Alumna, and contestant on the first season of the Apprentice, at 9:30am and some refreshments to start the day.

After that you can choose one of three seminars: 1. Entrepreneurship is a Career Choice, 2. Ethics and Leadership in an Evolving Global Economy, and 3. Communication Trends in the 21st Century, followed by a free networking lunch.

A second seminar will begin at 1:15pm with three other interesting choices: 1. Modern Healthcare and Implications for the Future, 2.Leveraging Social Media, and 3. Five-Star Service: Hospitality in a Competitive Market.
To finish the symposium there will be a closing session and a reception sponsored by Prudential Financial where students can network with other students, alumni and the panelists.

All the students who attend will receive free business cards and alumni get a special gift. After working at the career center for almost three years this is one of the programs that I find most creative and appealing, because it includes almost every major and interest out there, and the panelists are just amazing.

Some of the panelists include:
• Eliott Rodriguez (CBS4 News Anchor and Emmy & E. Murrow Award Winner)
• Jose Suarez (Executive Producer NBC Miami)
• Luis Hernandez (Founder/President LINQ Financial)
• Lisa Cole, Director of Corporate Communications, Hilton Corporation
• Dr. Steve Ullmann (Professor & Director Programs in Health Sector Management and Policy)
• Michelle Villalobos, President, Mivista Consulting, Inc.
• Marc Lawrence (Owner/President Anglers Boutique Resort)

You can register at: www.miami.edu/studentsymposium or click here

Hope to see you there!
Daniela Martinez

Want to Practice your Interviewing Skills?

Do you need to practice your interviewing skills but haven’t attended an interviewing skills workshop? Come to Toppel for a mini mock interview where you will meet with a peer advisor for about 20 minutes; no appointment or workshop attendance required. Interviews can be tailored to jobs, internships, graduate or professional school. The peer advisor will ask you a sample of interview questions and then give you feedback about your nonverbal communication and interview answers.

Stop by for a walk-in mini mock interview:
Mondays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Wednesdays & Thursdays from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Please bring an updated copy of your resume. Click here to view our Interviewing Skills Guide. For more information, email ToppelPeers@miami.edu.