USD Magazine Summer 2021

C O U R T E S Y O F D E E K AYA R

[ i n t e n t i o n a l i t y ]

he University of San Diego’s Torero Employ- er and Alumni Mentors T H E L P J U S T A C L I C K A W A Y TEAM networking platform keeps Toreros connected by Elena Gomez

working prospects and alumni contacts within their preferred industries and companies. When they go to the flash men- toring connections functional- ity of the platform, they can actually use advanced search functions to filter down alumni by where they work, where they live, what they’ve majored in and what industry’s they’re working in, so they can identify those networking prospects and connect with them directly,” adds Kayalar. The platformmakes those con- nections easy to develop. Users are able to reach out openly to other users by connecting in the way that they’re most comfortable — via text, video conference or mes- saging. Users can also join and use their LinkedIn or Facebook pro- files to connect. There are currently more than

Torero just a click away from reaching out to one another and seeking support,” says the Career Development Center’s Assistant Director of Alumni Career Engagement, Dee Kayalar. The platform has five differ- ent functions to help users make connections within the USD community: Flash mentor- ing connections allow alumni and students to connect and share career advice; the group function lets users join commu- nities based on shared inter- ests/industries; the alumni job board is where open positions

are shared with the community and users can connect directly with job posters; the peer-to- peer function is a place for stu- dents to connect with one an- other and share experiences; and the discussion forum pro- vides a space to post events, campus updates and more. “What essentially makes a difference in the job search is not only working on your personal branding or applying for jobs, but coupling that with very intention- al networking,” explains Kayalar. “TEAM gives students the access to connect with net-

(TEAM) program is USD’s ver- sion of a LinkedIn-meets-Face- book platform. TEAM provides a space for new connections through net- working and mentorship, exclu- sive to the Torero community. One major difference from big- ger social sites is that all TEAM users volunteer to be a part of it and are open to providing sup- port and career advice to cur- rent and past USD students. “This platform makes every

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