Posted Thursday, January 2, 2020 @ 9:13 AM In partnership with Valencia College, UCF unveiled a new campus in the heart of Downtown Orlando in fall 2019. The new campus, UCF Downtown, supports approximately 7,000 students who call this new campus their home, place of education, and place of employment. With students gearing up for employment and internship opportunities in the future, Career Services saw a window of opportunity to further support the students now of the UCF family at the UCF Downtown campus. “In the midst of new beginnings and transitions that arose with the opening of UCF Downtown, we wanted students to know that they didn’t need to go all the way back to main campus for support with career readiness—we wanted them to know that they could get the same experience downtown,” said Assistant Director of Downtown Career Services, Courtney Pelfrey. At Downtown Career Services, students have the flexibility to develop career readiness skills without setting up an appointment. The career readiness that Downtown Career Services provides through the Drop-in Career Advising program includes the development of career planning skills, the construction of career-related goals, the utilization of job search methods, and the enhancing of application documentation. Students are encouraged to meet with a trained Graduate Student Assistant or Pelfrey at the leisure and flexibility of their own schedule. The addition of a Graduate Student Assistant was provided through the Parent and Family Fund Grant, along with applicable supplies. “We were super excited to be included within the grant, as having not just myself, but also a Graduate Student Assistant made a tremendous impact,” Palfrey said. “With the support of our Graduate Student Assistant, there is a greater likelihood that we will not have to turn students away, as there are two of us. Not having to turn away students allows us to further expand our services and hopefully draw in more students.” Since the program has only been operational for one academic semester, Pelfrey has much in store for the coming semester and ones to follow. Most importantly, Pelfrey aspires to grow a greater presence at Downtown Career Services by continuing to increase marketing strategies. “Through exit surveys, we were provided with positive feedback and hope to continue to aid more students by maintaining our marketing outreach and workshops,” Pelfrey said. “The expectation is that the students who had the opportunity to take advantage of the drop-in service will come back for follow-up appointments, as well as relay their experiences to their friends and draw them in.” For more information on UCF Downtown Career Services, visit https://www.ucf.edu/downtown/experience/#Career-Services. Back