Career Services Offers Assistance to Help Students beyond Graduation
Wed, 08/19/2015 - 04:47pm | By: Charmaine Williams Schmermund
As a recent graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi, Amber Westfall credits Career Services with helping her secure employment shortly after earning her bachelor's degree in public health from the university's Gulf Park campus, where she finished with a 4.0 grade point average.
Working full-time in medical device sales while a student at Southern Miss, Westfall lost her job through company cutbacks prior to graduation this past May. With an interest in continuing her career in medical device sales, Westfall contacted Career Services for help improving her resume and interview skills.
“Career Services, specifically Jona Burton, helped me create an amazing resume,” said Westfall, a resident of Ocean Springs. “Most of the time your resume is what gets you the job interview, so it needs to really stand out to set you apart from the competition.”
In addition to refining her professional resume, Westfall touts Career Services' assistance with mock interviews. “Career Services is a wonderful service available to the students at Southern Miss. I participated in many mock interviews with Ms. Burton, which really helped me. The mock interviews prepare you for job interviews by calming your nerves on the big day, boosting your confidence and allowing you to come up with answers for those tough interview questions before you get in front of the potential employer.”
Jona Burton, coordinator of student life and career services at the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus, says Career Services is an essential tool for students to use as they are determining their professional pathway.
“We want students to have access to resources, support and opportunities that can assist in their progress toward a successful career after graduation,” said Burton. “We encourage students to meet with Career Services throughout their academic career as it is beneficial for them to take advantage of all services available to assist in their professional development, including resume and cover letter support, interview skills and learning how to effectively navigate the world of work.”
“I enjoy my current job as a medical device sales representative for Stryker Interventional Spine,” said Westfall. “It allows me to interact with physicians, healthcare professionals and patients each day, demonstrating our products. What I enjoy most about my job is working with people and making a positive difference in the lives of the patients.”
Career Services is located in Hardy Hall 240 on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. For more information about Career Services, contact Jona Burton at 228.214.3330 or jona.burtonFREEMississippi.