MOBILE, Ala. – With the University of South Alabama Office of Career Services prepared to play host to the Spring Career Fair in little over a week, the Department of Athletics' Student-Athlete Academic Services staff set up a seminar Wednesday to assist Jaguar student-athletes in getting ready for the event.

Coordinated by Brittany Chandler — one of five academic athletic counselors on staff — approximately 50 individuals took part in the "Hire A Jag" tutorial given by USA career services coordinator Adam Barnes, with sessions at both 11:15 a.m. (CST) and 12:20 p.m.  The seminar was conducted in the Academic Services Center.

"In the Student-Athlete Academic Center we want the student to be well-rounded; we want them to be prepared and successful both on and off the field or court," said Chandler.  "This was important so they can learn the transferable skills that they will need when talking to future employers.  They are going to get leadership, communication and teamwork skills as a student-athlete, but we wanted to help them prepare for the career fair next so they can get in front of future employers and tell them what skills they have and why they would like to work for them."

For the Office of Career Services, the event presented an opportunity to aid a segment of the university's student population that might not have the ability to visit with its staff due to schedules of the school's 17 sport programs.

"We wanted to partner with this particular population because they have unique skills and abilities that we want to make sure they sell appropriately," Barnes stated.  "We understand that students aren't always able to come out to our office, that's why we like to do events like this."

Highlights of Barnes' presentation included teaching student-athletes how to brand themselves — "I think oftentimes that's a really difficult thing for students to do," he said — and how to put 20 hours per week preparing for competition on a résumé and sell during an interview.

The idea for the seminar came to Chandler when she was in the same meeting as Barnes earlier in the semester.  "I was at a meeting with Adam when he mentioned the career fair, and I began thinking that we need to prepare our student-athletes.  When they walk in the door they are not going to be ready, to know what to say or who to talk to — how to work the tables," she explained.

The Spring Career Fair will take place from 1-4 p.m. by the Waterman Globe in the Mitchell Center on Thursday, Feb. 18.  According to Barnes, close to 60 employers have already signed up for the event with more expected to commit closer to the day of the fair.

USA student-athletes were appreciative of the efforts of Chandler and the Student-Athlete Academic Services staff, citing several ways in which they will benefit from the experience not only at the fair next week but beyond.

"I think it was good to get an early start on the whole process of applying for a job and I wanted to be prepared," observed Emma Anderson, a sophomore from the volleyball program.  "I learned a lot about your performance and how you come off to people, what to wear and what to bring, and a lot about research; I didn't know you should be looking up these companies."

"I learned very important things today, especially to come prepared," added Chris Lewis, a junior on the Jaguar football team.  "After you're done with school and athletics, you don't have a road to go down and you want to find something that you have an interest in to help pay the bills.  Today gave me a better outlook on what I need to do and the people I need to get in touch with in the future."

While many of the school's current student-athletes have experienced success in and out of the classroom the last few years — highlighted by a combined grade-point average just shy of a 3.00, more than 100 individuals on the Dean's List in the fall and winning the Sun Belt Conference's Vic Bubas Cup in the spring — accomplishing the same after earning their degrees is just as important to the Student-Athlete Academic Services staff and Department of Athletics.

"The most rewarding part of the job is to see former student-athletes become successful individuals after they graduate by using some of these tools that we provide," said Chandler.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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