A firm handshake?
ORACLE PHOTO/USF CAREER SERVICES
The new Career Services program, Handshake, while claiming to offer a helping hand, may not be as useful as students are led to believe.
A database of employment options for students is certainly a handy tool. It can serve as a starting point to see the kind of places hiring or even offer somebody their dream college job.
Surely, Career Services would know better than any other group on campus that Employ-a-Bull wasn’t working.
According to Russ Coughenour, assistant Vice President of Career Services, the new program will be more specialized and track what jobs the student is applying for to suggest similar positions.
However, students are justified in having some concerns about it. Most significantly, needing to have an approved resume to embrace the benefits of the website can lead to a delay in applying for jobs and the likelihood of a generous handful of homogeneous resumes.
If the system gets backed up with resumes that need approval, responses may take days. In that time, opportunities can slip through applicants’ fingers.
What exactly needs to be in a resume for it to be approved? Should students be concerned about having their resume denied based on menial thing?
A resume is designed to show potential employers who you are and make you stick out. And monitoring to ensure that the file includes basic contact information and references can be a benefit for students who have never needed or created one before, but strict homogenizing is too far.
This new program is going to have kinks and it will take time and diligent fingers to knead them out for the best possible program.
More Stories
OPINION: How USF students can march smart: A guide to protesting
At the No Kings demonstration in Tampa on June 14, I saw firsthand how a well-organized protest can elevate voices, spark conversations and push society forward. But while protests are often powerful, they can also be unpredictable. As tensions rise nationwide around social and political issues, more students are joining protests to make their voices […]
OPINION: $10 million says USF gets artificial intelligence right
Artificial Intelligence often conjures up thoughts of ChatGPT or Snapchat’s My AI. But when perceptions of AI are broadened, its powerful applications in academia become clear. USF has a college focused on AI, which is home to a wide range of research and offers courses to promote ethical AI use. This college is a testament […]
OPINION: Florida schools should get rid of the summer enrollment requirement
Who wants to be cooped up at home all summer, hunched over the computer when you could be at the beach with your friends? Not me. But under Florida’s 6.016 Summer Session Enrollment policy, this is how you may find yourself spending the summer. Florida currently requires all students entering the State University System with […]
OPINION: USF students need better guidance on pricey gen eds
USF’s general education program offers a wide range of courses, but without clear guidance, students risk spending thousands on credits that don’t further their career or education. From Personal Finance to Energy and Humanity, USF offers over 100 options for general education courses. But people sometimes wonder what general education is, and why we are […]
OPINION: Defunding NPR, PBS will impact USF students
Public Broadcasting Service not only holds our favorite childhood shows, like “Sesame Street,” but it is also a tool for education. National Public Radio supports local news stations, like WUSF, and helps inform people nationwide. Without these programs, public non-partisan news can cease to exist. As a result, democracy and the next generation’s ability to […]
OPINION: Cutting FEMA would be a disaster for USF students
Cue the sandbags and bottled water, hurricane season is here again. For many USF students, the hurricane season brings flashbacks of last fall, when Hurricanes Helene and Milton tore through campus and caused widespread damage. Related: USF students feel burnout after hurricanes: “We’re all playing catch up” When hurricanes strike, the Federal Emergency Management Agency […]