UWs When Cowboys Call, We Answer Campaign Supports Recent Graduates Seeking Employment

“When Cowboys Call, We Answer,” a career support campaign for 2020 University of Wyoming graduates, is offered to those facing uniquely challenging times navigating the job market after the impact of COVID-19.

UW President Ed Seidel says he is pleased that the program will help support recently graduated students who may be struggling during the current pandemic.

“Our strong network of UW alumni is a tremendous resource to help our graduates identify employment opportunities during a difficult period,” Seidel says. “This is an effort to marshal that resource, along with others at the university, to help our newly minted graduates find their way in a tough job market.”

The UW Alumni Association (UWAA) and the Advising, Career and Exploratory Studies Center (ACES), and other campus career service partners are offering career support, resources and opportunities to recent graduates still seeking employment.

“We appreciate the willingness of our UW alumni to provide assistance to the class of 2020 as graduates seek to begin their careers,” say Jo Chytka, ACES director. “Together, with the alumni association, we are ready to support our recent graduates in preparing them to connect with employers. This campaign is an opportunity to show our new graduates the true spirit of UW alumni.”

The career resources and opportunities available through the campaign include:

-- Access to job postings and a suite of career webinars and videos.

-- Virtual mock interviews and guidance on virtual job searches.

-- An invitation for 2020 graduates to participate in the UW virtual career fairs scheduled this fall. Details for the career resources are available through the ACES website at www.uwyo.edu/aces.

The UWAA will share a survey with alumni to identify industry-specific career/professional opportunities regarding full-time jobs, internships or professional volunteer projects in a variety of industries. This is an effort to connect alumni with May 2020 graduates, says UWAA Executive Director Keener Fry.

In addition, the UWAA can connect graduates to alumni for “Cowboy2Cowboy” informational interviews and/or professional networking.

“These informational interviews serve as a learning tool for graduates when deciding on a desired career path or when learning about a new industry,” Fry says.

A library of recorded “Cowboy2Cowboy” interviews covering a variety of professions is being developed and will be accessible through the UWAA website at www.uwyo.edu/alumni.

“These efforts will continue to strengthen employer connections with the university, which will open even more career doors for our graduates,” Fry adds. “The final ‘When Cowboys Call, We Answer’ campaign details will be coming soon, so please monitor the UWAA career webpage for the latest information.”

Rita Meyer (UW alumna, B.A. ’82, B.S. ’89), the infrastructure investments director for Rocky Mountain Power in Wyoming and a UWAA life member, is passionate about the alumni association supporting student success.

“This is an outstanding initiative, and I am so proud of my university and Dr. Seidel for promoting it,” Meyer says. “I am excited as an alumna to put my full support behind this initiative, and I encourage others to get involved in an effort to help these 2020 graduates.”

The career webpage – and other UWAA announcements -- can be found at www.uwyo.edu/alumni/career/index.html.

For more information, call the UWAA office at (307) 766-4166.