Prepare, link and match: announcing the launch of the Graduate Career Connections Office (GCC)
In an ever changing and challenging business climate, the Denver business community is continually seeking top graduate students to meet their talent pipeline staffing requirements. Equally as important, graduate students are seeking connections with these same employers for career opportunities upon graduation. To facilitate the connection between these two mutual interest constituents, the Business School is launching the Graduate Career Connections (GCC) office. The GCC will focus exclusively on preparing, linking and matching the career and job placement needs of graduate students with employer's requirements for graduate talent.
Contact us
Office: 303-315-8900
Cell: 720-530-1350
Email:
karen.niparko
@ucdenver.edu
terri.vasquez
@ucdenver.edu
A Web page is under development and expected to launch within the Business School site in late July.
Karen Niparko (MBA '88), a member of the Business School advisory board and president, Corporate Solutions Consulting Inc., a human resources/business operations consulting practice, as well as a University of Colorado alum, has been named the director of the office.
We recently caught up with Karen for a quick Q&A about the launch of this exciting office.
What is your vision for the new GCC?
Our vision is to be the preferred resource to connect graduate students to employers for internships, part-time and full-time career opportunities. We will provide individualized assistance and facilitate networking connections to increase visibility of our graduate talent, create demand for our students and bring strategic employers into the business school. To achieve this vision, we will partner with Career Services and the Experiential Learning Center by serving as the liaison between students, the business school and employers. We are the key contact to market students and promote employers while delivering results for both audiences.
What services will be provided by the GCC?
We know how challenging it is to develop new career search skills, understand the industries, know the players and network with the right people for a career job. That's where the GCC comes in -- we'll help make the connections with employers and alumni, and coach students on how they can be more successful networking into new companies or industries. With our networking support, students can focus on their resume, presentation, interviews and landing the job they desire. We will be there for them throughout the process.
Additionally, we will support our strategic employer partners by helping them identify top talent, fill their talent pipeline requirements, promote employer involvement in the classroom and provide visibility for employers with our students through various networking events, including a Leadership Café speaker series beginning the fall 2009/10 term.
It is important to note that we will not taking the place of the university services groups. Students will continue to take advantage of the great benefits, services and career preparation education available through the Career Center and students will continue to seek internship opportunities with the Experiential Learning Center. We are partners with both of these groups and will be in constant contact to coordinate with employers and create opportunity for students. We extend the networking and connection part of the job search process and provide individualized coaching for graduate students during their job search process.
Who is eligible to utilize the services of the GCC?
We support Graduate students of the Business School; however, if employers contact us or are referred by faculty and are looking for undergraduate students of the Business School or another UC Denver school, we will liaise with the University Career Center and the Experiential Learning Center to ensure all UC Denver students have the greatest opportunity to compete for available jobs. Once the GCC is operational, our services will be available for returning graduate alumni, as well.
Can you expand on how alumni can get involved today? In the future?
We are looking forward to alumni support of the GCC. Our alumni are our best sales people for the Business School. Their connection back into the school will help current students network with employers and opportunities, so we are very interested in building our relationship and involving alumni as strategic employers, speakers in our Leadership Café speaker series, volunteering in the classroom and helping connect our students to their employers for career opportunities. We hope that alums will call us if they have or know of career job s or internship opportunities for our students. It will be a great and valuable partnership for both of us.
How can businesses connect to the GCC?
We are currently networking with various businesses and business leaders in the Denver area. Some employers are coming to us through referrals from faculty, and we have begun an outreach to build employer relationships and populate our database of contacts. We are already partnering with the Career Center and the Experiential Learning Center on current open job opportunities for students. Our goal is to leverage employer relationships with the university to the benefit of our students.
When will the GCC begin its operations?
Our kickoff is the fall term 2009/10 and we will be announcing our office in the Graduate virtual orientation program coordinated by Assistant Dean Linda Brooker and her team. Students will begin to see increasingly more information about the GCC as the school term progresses.
Where will the GCC be located?
Initially, we are located in room 253, second floor of the UC Denver building on 14th Street. However, once we move to our new location in the new Business School building at 1475 Lawrence, we will have additional resources, interview and events rooms available to us and can increase our offerings for students.
What is the most exciting aspect for you in launching the GCC?
The opportunity to really make a difference for students and employers. Both groups have the same interests -- they just need a liaison to introduce them to each other and help cultivate their new relationship. That's our opportunity and where we will bring value. Having been in the human capital and talent acquisition field for many years, we know that networking and connecting people is how the game is played today. Those students who network effectively and take ownership for managing their career search have the greatest chance of landing the opportunities they want, even in a challenging business environment.
