What We Do Home » Career Services

MSU Alumni Career Services is in the business of helping Spartans find career paths they can be passionate about, and is actively working to build a community of Spartans who will help other Spartans get where they want to go.

Unfortunately, it is not within our scope of practice to place people directly in jobs. However, what we can do is help Spartans enhance their own efforts through the following services:

• Access to other Spartans to add to your professional network: The Alumni Career Services team has built one of the largest alumni groups on LinkedIn - tens of thousands of Spartans have joined already and the group is growing every day! MSUAA members should also check out MSUAA's directory and regional clubs to find alumni in your area.
• Resume, CV, and cover letter critiques: Just email your document(s) to careers@uadv.msu.edu and we will return them as soon as possible. (Sorry, we do not make appointments for critiques due to the volume of requests. Please allow several days for the critiques to be returned.)
• Workshops (online or in person) related to job search and career related topics as well as networking and professional development events. (Watch for announcements about these on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.)
• A blog full of inspiration, ideas, and helpful tips contributed by a diverse array of Spartans to move you onward to your next step.www.spartanshelpingspartans.com
• Individual Career Coaching: Help to decide what occupation to choose and/or how to talk about yourself more effectively in interviews and networking events.
• Individual social media coaching (how to build an online "personal brand.")
• Access to job leads through our job database (MSUAA members only) as well as through interactive groups open to everybody on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

All of our services are free to all MSU alumni who have been out of school for more than one year (students and recent graduates can get help from the career services network).

All services are paid for by membership dues, so if you like what we do then please consider helping us keep our services free by joining the MSUAA! (Donations are also accepted, but please let us know that you want your gift to go to "MSUAA Career Services." Thanks!)

For more questions about how MSU Alumni Career Services can assist you, we are all happy to help. Our "specialists" are listed below to assist you in reaching the person who will be most helpful to you. (Please note that due to the volume of requests, it may take several days to respond to you.)

Lisa Parker - 517-355-7698

Lisa joined the Michigan State University Alumni Association as Director of Alumni Career & Business Services on May 1, 2012. Her primary focus is to develop effective networking and resource channels for experienced alumni interested in professional development and job search strategy assistance. Additionally, Lisa works directly with corporate, education, foundation and government partners seeking to attract qualified talent, retain and develop good employees, and establish collaborative relationships in line with their established goals and objectives.

With 15+ years' experience in third party recruiting, Lisa offers a balanced understanding of both employee and employer perspectives.

Lisa is a firm advocate of the networking process and considers it a vital element in a successful job search. In addition to helping job seekers develop and best utilize networking contacts, Lisa shares her knowledge and insigh-gained aiding corporate recruiting efforts-to give Spartan job seekers an edge in terms of lead sourcing, resume presentation and interview strategy.

Among Lisa's notable accomplishments: Prima Civitas Foundation Scholar; Michigan Works Association Volunteer of the Year; Pink Slip Mid Michigan Planning Committee; RecruiterUncensored.com career content blogger.

Dave Isbell - 517-432-8023

Dave is certified as a "Global Career Development Facilitator" and has been a professional Career Coach since 1999. His primary roles at MSUAA include: individual career coaching (for those who desire a career change, or have no idea what work they want to do or who they want to do it for, and/or need help to more effectively communicate during their job search); small group workshops & presentations for job seekers and career changers; MySpartanCareer issues for job seekers and employers; social media job search coaching for individuals. He also writes, edits, and recruits writers for the blog www.spartanshelpingspartans.com and shares job leads/relevant career content via our social media platforms.

Student Employees 517-884-2106

Our graduate student employees receive intensive training related to some or all of the twelve GCDF competencies as set forth by the National Career Development Association. Students assist with these activities: resume/cover letter/CV critiques; MySpartanCareer assistance for job seekers/employers; student engagement activities; career coaching for young alumni; assistance with writing/collecting stories for spartanshelpingspartans.com, and sharing content on our LinkedIn group, Twitter account, and Facebook page.

Don't know who you should contact? Just send an email to careers@uadv.msu.edu and we will get it to the right person!