From resume prep and technical interviews to internships and employer connections, USF鈥檚 Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing now has a career advising team to give students the specialized support they need to enter a tech-driven workforce.
The new dedicated unit for the Bellini College students is designed to offer tailored guidance for students pursuing careers in computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and related fields.
The team鈥檚 creation comes at an important time when tech employers expect students to enter the workforce with relevant, hands-on experience and possess industry-aligned skills.
鈥淪tudents in the Bellini College have specific career service needs, and we want to help them achieve their career goals with this addition to the staff,鈥� said Ellyn Couillard, the Bellini College鈥檚 director of Student Success. 鈥淲e are well-equipped to prepare our students for what the industry鈥檚 top employers are seeking.鈥�
The advisors will provide individualized assistance for:
- Resume development
- Technical interview preparation
- Internship planning
- Graduate school exploration
- Long-term career mapping
Students can for resume reviews, mock interviews or individualized advising sessions based on their goals and where they are in their academic journey.
鈥淚n our advising sessions, students can ask us questions like, 鈥榃hat's my plan for a job hunt,鈥欌�� said Jessica Armenteros, one of the Bellini College鈥檚 career advisors. 鈥淥r maybe they are early in their academic career and still deciding between pursuing a degree in computer science, AI, or cybersecurity. We are here to answer what internships might be available, or what a starting career could look like post-graduation.鈥�
Meet the team
As the director of Student Success, Couillard leads the career advising team and has worked throughout her career to support the needs of students during their academic careers and beyond. As part of her current role, she provides career development for the college though individual counseling and facilitates career-related activities. Couillard also oversees key academic support services that includes peer tutoring and student success initiatives, and she helped launch both the Bellini College Student Leadership Council and the USF AI and Cyber Hall Living Learning Community.
Before joining the Bellini College, she served as the program coordinator and advisor for graduate certificate programs in USF鈥檚 College of Engineering. She also served as the assistant dean of student affairs and specialty faculty for Florida State University鈥檚 College of Nursing where she coordinated career development activities that included post-graduate training showcases, career fairs, employment interviews, internship information sessions, public service and military information sessions and mock interviews. Prior to that, she has significant experience in various higher education student services and academic support roles.
Armenteros, the second half of the team, has worked in various corporate and higher education roles before joining USF鈥檚 Bellini College.
As a career advisor at Florida International University, she organized and facilitated employer-related engagement activities. She also coached engineering students on career development to help increase post-graduation employment. In that role, she provided resume reviews, led mock interviews, offered leadership coaching and delivered targeted career trainings and workshops tailored to students鈥� individual needs.
Armenteros also implemented university-wide events that included graduate school fairs, professional dining etiquette and facilitated student training.
Addressing the needs
Traditional career services are usually broader, and this opportunity will have additional depth in providing support to technical fields, especially when it comes to specialized interview formats, portfolio requirements, industry-specific certifications and timing around internships. The new advisors will ensure students receive guidance that directly aligns with the demands of employers in the tech sector.
鈥淭ech interviews, resume requirements and internship timelines are unique in the tech fields,鈥� Couillard said. 鈥淲e are here to provide tailored support to our students that is specific to their future careers in computing, cybersecurity and AI.鈥�
In addition to the student-facing services, the advising team also will work to strengthen the college鈥檚 relationships with key employers, including those in the local tech community. Those relationships help in creating opportunities for internships and eventual employment pipelines for local companies.
鈥淢any students don鈥檛 realize how early they can begin applying for internships in tech,鈥� Armenteros said. 鈥淧art of our mission is helping them understand the landscape and develop a thoughtful plan long before graduation.鈥�
Awareness about the changing career landscape is key for specialized advisors. That鈥檚 an important factor in the tech industry as the importance of internships is growing.
Research from a study of college graduates shows a quality internship can double the odds of a student landing a good job upon their graduation.
And an internship can be the deciding difference between two equally qualified candidates, according to another study from the .
This new career advising team is a significant step in the college鈥檚 efforts to bridge classroom learning with real-world career pathways in one of the fastest-growing industries.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled to see the college invest in a career advising team dedicated to our fields,鈥� Armenteros said. 鈥淚nternships and industry connections are essential for student success, and this unit positions us to better support their future.鈥�