LM-UMatch Turns Students into Experienced Recruiters
“Professional recruiting services is a booming but understudied industry,” says Mitch Rufca, a principal at Rufca Recruiting Services and part-time faculty member at LMU’s College of Business Administration. “There’s very little research and most university classes just focus on staffing.”
LMU is taking professional recruiting into its own hands with the introduction of LM-UMatch, a student-run recruiting service launched in 2013 that matches LMU students with local companies for paid internships and full-time jobs. Already, the organization has helped students secure internships with SAG-AFTRA and JM Eagle, as well as full-time positions with OfficeTeam and the Gary Sinise Foundation. LM-UMatch, which is open to all majors, also prepares students for interviews and helps them create a resume that makes a strong impression with potential employers.
“Professional recruiting services is a growing field so we wanted to develop our own recruiting arm here at LMU,” said Mitch. “LMU is the only university I know of doing something like this and recruiting firms are already recognizing that this is something really unique and valuable.”
Mitch teaches two sequential one-unit lower-level and upper-level courses on professional recruiting services that have three major goals: to teach students about the rapidly-growing recruiting industry and how it fits within the HR business; to sharpen their resumes and interviewing skills by advising student candidates; and to build connections with HR professionals and hiring managers in various industries and organizations throughout the Los Angeles area. The idea for LM-UMatch originated in his class and currently there are over 25 students involved.
“I joined Mr. Rufca's recruiting class without knowing it was actually a class to manage LM-UMatch,” said Denise Clement, a senior management major from the Philippines. “It was a pleasant surprise and a challenging experience. I can't thank the class enough for helping me land my internship with SAG-AFTRA. LM-UMatch helped me every step of the way from finding the internship to helping me prepare for the interview.”
As paraprofessional recruiters, students reach out to hiring organizations as clients to identify needs, find LMU student candidates who would be a good fit, and prepare those students to interview for internships and jobs within these organizations. At the same time, student recruiters are forging great connections with companies for their own future career placement interests—whether they want to go into professional recruiting or not. Students are learning the proper skills and etiquette on how to communicate effectively with companies and then actually doing it. As a result, they are entering the workforce with valuable recruiting skills, professional connections and a broad understanding of the industry.
“Being a founder of LM-UMatch has had a dramatic impact on my collegiate career at LMU and has shaped my career goals more than I could have ever imagined,” said Shavaugn Sierras, a senior accounting major. “Thanks to my involvement with LM-UMatch, I not only have a job lined up after I graduate, but I have a large network of connections in many different fields of business.”
For Denise, her internship experience at SAG-AFTRA has been quite surreal. She says they’ve been putting her to work, including her in numerous team projects and meetings, and have been willing to teach her about all aspects of the business.
“I'd recommend LM-UMatch to everyone, whether they want to learn more about recruiting or just want to find an internship,” said Denise. “Going through LM-UMatch is so much easier and more beneficial than doing job searches on your own. I can honestly say this is one of the most helpful organizations I have ever been involved with at LMU.”
Management Professor Charlie Vance couldn’t agree more. He sees a lot of potential for this organization to grow and become an even bigger asset for LMU.
“Students are not only benefitting themselves but other students as well,” said Charlie. “This is essentially an internal professional recruiting service that’s highly structured and a huge value add for LMU, students and employers. We are really making a difference in people’s lives and careers, and that’s what it’s all about.”