In light of the recent decline in the job market, the West Virginia University Career Services Center is eliminating the $25 fee it charged to help graduates search for a job.

The Center’s services have been free of charge for six months after graduation, but required a $25 annual fee afterwards.

Every student has an account in the job search system, MountaineerTRAK, but it must be activated.

“By activating their profile, alumni are able to upload their resume, cover letter, letters of recommendation and sample documents,” said Center Director David Durham.

Since waiving the fee, the center has seen significant increases of between five and six new alumni registering per week.

“It was a great resource to see what companies had positions available and it was helpful to have my resume, letters of recommendation and a cover letter in a central location,” said Karissa Sims, a WVU alumna from Morgantown who used the service. Sims is now a legal administrator for Gabriel Brothers, Inc.

Activating a MountaineerTRAK account is simple. Recent graduates may use their student numbers; older alumni, who originally used Social Security numbers, can call the Career Services Center to obtain a new, randomly assigned ID number. The number is (304) 293-2221.

Having experienced alumni use the system also enhances WVU’s connections with employers. Now employers can post jobs that require experience in addition to entry level positions.

“To paraphrase a famous WVU alumnus, we feel that in times like these – ‘Once a Mountaineer – always a Mountaineer,” Durham said.

For more information, visit http://careerservices.wvu.edu.

-WVU-
gw/10/05/09

CONTACT: David Durham, Career Services Center
304-293-2221, david.durham@mail.wvu.edu

What other services would you like to see the Career Services Center offer to alumni?