Touting students as the university’s greatest asset, a new Temple University marketing campaign appeals directly to potential employers.

Hire an Owl highlights both current and graduating students’ achievements and ambitions through radio, transit, online and outdoor advertising across the Philadelphia, Harrisburg, New York and Washington, D.C., metro areas.

The goal is not only to land Owls jobs or internships but also to showcase Temple students’ pedigree and drive as they begin their careers.

“It’s our mission to prepare each and every student for all aspects of professional life, and we take a very personalized approach,” said Rosalie Shemmer, senior director of Temple University’s Career Center. “Large-scale career fairs are replaced with intimate networking events where alumni serve as mentors, and employers meet with students one on one.”

The Career Center offers a range of services—everything from posting an active job opening to developing an overall recruitment strategy—to help employers and students connect. It also works with students from the time they arrive at Temple to prepare them for the hiring process and beginning their careers.

“The new Hire an Owl campaign is a clever extension of that ideology—we’re publicizing individual, in-progress student success stories, and there’s potential to directly impact career placement,” Shemmer said.

Graduating seniors Matt Cahill, EDU ’15, Lydia Fehintola Lawson, CST ’15, and Verishia Coaxum, CLA ’15, were among those featured in the campaign. It shows how all three flexed their muscles both inside and outside of the classroom while at Temple.

Cahill, diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, founded a Temple chapter of Eye to Eye, a national mentoring organization that pairs young students who have ADHD and other learning disabilities with college students who have the same disability.

“Some people work to fill up their resume,” Cahill said. “I work to make an impact in the lives of people around me.”

Ultimately, the Hire an Owl campaign’s goal is to use student achievement and ambition to market Temple’s academic prowess and emphasis on hands-on experience.

The advertisements can be seen across SEPTA and Amtrak transit systems and at airports in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.; in Forbes, Fortune and other publications; and at over 20 outdoor advertising locations. They can also be heard on local and satellite radio broadcasts.

One of the students featured, Connor Rattey, Class of 2017, is a finance, risk management and insurance major at the Fox School of Business. He competed with students from across the country for a chance to intern at Goldman Sachs, and the campaign highlights how Connor gave his all, earning an internship at the company’s Salt Lake City office. Now his determination is helping organizations minimize their negative environmental impacts through positive solutions.

“Temple helped me create diversity of thought, which allows you to approach a situation from many perspectives,” said Rattey. “While here, I have interacted with people from many different walks of life, and these interactions have enabled me to develop this diversity of thought and think critically.”

Some Class of 2015 alumni featured in the campaign are already making their mark. Journalism major Lindsey Murray, SMC ’15, just accepted a job at Health magazine.

“Temple helped me realize that I really can achieve anything if I work hard enough. I’ve never had a professor tell me that I couldn’t do something, and I think that really inspired me to dream big,” Murray said.

Class of 2016 students Alex Monsell and Chris Fricker are also participating in Hire an Owl. Fricker has interned for a U.S. senator and multiple Fortune 500 companies, while Monsell is currently a summer intern at the Utah Festival of Opera & Musical Theatre.

“All Temple students possess a certain spark—a Take Charge spirit—that drives them to make a positive impact on the world,” said Karen Clarke, vice president for strategic marketing and communications at Temple University. “We fully support our students and their professional aspirations, and Hire an Owl is an awesome platform to help them transition into the working world, make a statement and make a real difference.”

Employers looking to hire an Owl for either an internship or full-time opportunity can contact the Career Center directly at 215-204-7981, email Kelly.Hart@temple.edu or visit temple.edu/provost/careercenter.

For more on the Hire an Owl campaign, visit temple.edu/takecharge.

-Steve Whisler