After years of planning and two months of dust-filled renovations, the Coggin College’s new Career Management Center is officially open for business.

This project would not have been possible without the generous support from the following:
• Luther and Blanche Coggin
• David A. Smith/PSS World Medical, Inc.
• The Jacksonville Bank
• Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Inc.
• Delores Pass Kesler Foundation

“Clearly, relationship building and a proactive approach were needed for our students and the business community,” said Leerie Jenkins, President of the Business Advisory Council and Chairman & CEO of Reynolds, Smith and Hills, Inc., at the grand opening of the Center in May.

The Career Management Center offers individualized assistance and a multitude of resources for the career development needs of students, alumni, and businesses. State-of-the-art technology is available in two interview rooms for remote video-conferencing, interviewing, and training. The donations from the Center's contributors enabled UNF to upgrade its online recruiting system, Career Wings, to a new feature-rich system powered by NACElink/Symplicity. This system allows employers and students to personally manage the job search process, upload or access posted positions and resumes, and perform customized searches to meet individual needs.

Coming this fall, the Career Management Center will offer “Recruiting Season Boot Camp”, sponsored by Fidelity Investments. This intensive series of workshops, interviews, and networking sessions will educate students on how to conduct an effective job search and expose them to the resources available to them through the Center. Local companies will also have the opportunity to connect with student organizations and soon-to-be graduates.

“The goal is to provide a competitive edge that will allow Coggin students and alumni to secure the best positions available,” noted Shannon Italia, Director of the Career Management Center. To aid in this task, the Center has recently hired a Career Coordinator, Lisa Gaetjens, who will handle student-focused programming.  Italia will focus on building relationships with local and regional companies. 

The days of waiting passively for opportunity to knock are gone. The Career Management Center is preparing students to meet and make their own opportunity.

If you are a business interested in hiring, or a Coggin College student or graduate interested in learning more about the Career Management Center, please visit www.unf.edu/coggin/career/.