Office collaborates with federal agencies for statewide conference

Martina Bretous/News Director

In an effort to expose students to job opportunities in the federal government, the Career and Talent Development office will host its 12th annual Federal Government Statewide Conference at the University.

The conference, a day-long event on June 21, will feature information sessions, federal panels, a resource fair and networking opportunities with agencies from the federal government.

“… Sometimes they [students] don’t even know that [with] their majors, they will be able to find employment in the federal government so it’s like an eye opener for them,” said Lucy Moscoso, assistant director at Career and Talent Development office. “It’s either ‘I don’t want to work for the government’ or ‘I had no idea that I had all these opportunities with my major.”

Moscoso’s role as special events organizer is overseeing the logistics for the conference including parking, food and marketing materials.

“We have a committee and the committee decides the actual programming of the event – [things like] who’s going to be the speaker, how many sessions,” said Moscoso. “From my perspective, I need to make sure that the agencies know that this event is happening again … if they have issues with registration, I also follow up to ensure they are part of the event …”

For the past 11 years, the event has been at capacity accommodating 400 to 500 students and often requires putting students on a waitlist, according to the director of the office, Ivette Duarte. She describes the event as an information session where students will learn how their major can be applied to any area in the federal government.

Duarte says coordinating with the federal partners has been key. In February, the University became one of the CIA’s signature schools which solidified the partnership between both parties and will increase recruitment efforts at the University.

“We want to know what we can to prepare the student because … then, the student will be better equipped to apply [to]… kind of have all that knowledge ahead of time,” said Duarte. “It may not be for everybody — you might walk out and say ‘Oh my gosh, I had no idea. This is not for me,” and that’s OK too.”

At the event, students interact with 30 to 60 several government agencies including the CIA, DEA and their subdivisions. Duarte notes that for recruitment opportunities, the agencies consider several factors —citizenship, employment, among more— so the event may not be for everyone but says students should always look for events that will expand their knowledge.

“I think the one thing that’s critical before anybody graduates, if it’s in your ability, is to do educational peace or even something formal like an internship because you never know what you don’t know,” said Duarte. “… For anyone contemplating a career in federal service, this is a must but it’s not [an event] for everybody.”

To register or learn more information about the event, visit career.fiu.edu

Photo retrieved from Flickr