A job-search workshop on how to educate students on the mission of the Career Center, its resources and how to use each one was given to a group of students by the director of the Career Center, Deb Kelly, on Friday, Oct. 18.
Kelly began the presentation by stating the mission of the Career Center: to help students find the career path best for them by providing all of the tools they need to get started.
Among the topics Kelly addressed in the presentation were one-on-one interviewing, group interviewing, résumé critiques, talking about oneself in an interview, being able to tell one’s story, accepting or refusing job offers and the benefits of LinkedIn.
The presentation was interactive, as Kelly asked questions to many of the students about their experiences, fields of study, job searches and even what to do when unexpected topics are broached.
While Kelly was hoping to present an innovative online program called Perfect Interview, technical difficulties prevented her from giving the tutorial. In its place, she gave all attendees a leaflet on how to set up the program.
After the presentation, Kelly said that she hoped students would take home the fact that “they are in charge of their job search. There are a lot of resources available (through the College).” She added, “I hope they’ve left knowing there are options and opportunities available for them.”
As far as quantifying the success of the presentation, Kelly stated that she would like to see at least six of the 15 attendees utilize the “Perfect Interview” program in the near future.
“I think that is a good number because if each of those six tell just one other person about the program, it can make a difference for them,” she said.
Ellen Plattman, a junior math and music double major, stated that she gained useful knowledge from the presentation.
“I feel that getting the perfect internship or full-time position is definitely something that students control mostly on their own,” Plattman said. “But the Career Center definitely helps with the process. Giving feedback on résumés and presenting workshops on how to land the perfect interview, as well as all the other workshops that are offered, are very useful tools that the Career Center offers.”
