You might have already tossed your cap at commencement, but you can still turn to your alma mater for help in landing a job. To support those members of the Class of 2011 who are still looking for career opportunities, Temple’s Career Center has lined up a series of post-commencement events, workshops and services.

On May 24th, Temple hosted the annual Campus Philly Opportunity Fair. Hundreds of recent graduates from Philly’s universities and colleges came to Main Campus to connect with employers, civic organizations and graduate schools. Grads could also get resume critiques and interviewing advice.

One fair attendee was Joe Polinsky, a 2011 Temple graduate from Norristown. He urges his fellow graduates to stay the course.

“If you don’t have a job yet, you can’t have one day where you relax,” said Polinsky. “You have to get out there and make connections and do everything that you need to get what you want in life.”

Members of the Class of 2011 can also come back to campus on June 8, when the Career Center will be running mock interviews and a job search strategy workshop. Grads will get help in developing and executing their personal job search strategy as well as in practicing for job interviews. For more information, go to temple.edu/provost/careercenter.

Additional Career Center services are extended through August 31 for the Class of 2011:

Besides taking advantage of Temple’s Career Center, director Rachel Brown has three pieces of advice for new graduates:

Although landing that first job in a still-struggling economy can be tough, some say that as a graduate of Temple, you have a competitive advantage. Brown relates a recent discussion with an employer who specifically wanted to hire Temple graduates because of their strong work ethic and tenacity.

“Employers also recognize and appreciate Temple’s academic quality; the global components of a Temple education; Temple students’ skill in navigating the real world and their ability to balance loaded schedules,” said Brown.

She also points to Philadelphia’s healthy economy as a boon for Temple graduates. Kiplinger.com recently named Philadelphia one of the country’s “10 Great Cities for College Grads,” citing the city’s lower cost of living, public transit and strong health care, education, science and technology job markets.

Take advantage of the resources and connections that are available to you as a Temple graduate, says Brown. You never know when an opportunity will come your way and you want to be able to grab it.