TU’s Career-a-Thon Week to feature online workshops for job seekers
Post Published On:Thomas University’s career coaches regularly conduct one-on-one counseling sessions with students and members of the community who need assistance. In February, they’re celebrating Career Month by sharing information through daily Zoom workshops 7-8 p.m. Feb. 20-24 to encourage even more participation with the Career Center.
“Our Career Center is completely virtual, so we’re not limited just to the physical TU campus,” Donald Lewis, Career Center Director, said. “We can work with anyone, anywhere. That’s the beauty of using an online medium. Plus, our career coaches are trained to help with whatever needs a client may have, even if that means trying to figure out what career field to pursue based on that person’s interests and skills. They just need to email the Career Center to schedule an appointment.”
The career coaches who work in the Career Center are all graduate students pursing a master’s degree in counseling who already work in vocational career center or plan to do so after graduation. Their experience in the Career Center helps them put to use the knowledge gained in the classroom.
“Our career coaches bring with them a wealth of knowledge about how to assist job-seekers,” Lewis said. “Their time in the Career Center is hands-on application of that knowledge. Their reward is when their clients – whether they’re TU students or people from the community – come back with news about landing their dream job.”
In addition to Lewis, presenters for Career-a-Thon Week include the following.
- Monday, Feb. 20, “Résumé Day”: Career Coach Deja Hadley will explain how to create a powerful résumé as well as how students can register on the TU Career Center website. She has extensive experience with individual counseling, interpersonal communication and multi-cultural interaction. At the Career Center, she specializes in résumé building. Deja helps students evaluate their strengths and weaknesses through assessments. Hadley currently works with children diagnosed with autism to help them develop skills to increase helpful behaviors and decrease harmful behaviors.
- Tuesday, Feb. 21, “LinkedIn and Cover Letters Day”: Career Coach Zonetta Cisco will talk about how to create an integrated LinkedIn profile and how to write a great cover letter. She specializes in LinkedIn profiles, résumé building and strategic goal planning. Cisco initially became interested in career coaching by helping her friends tailor their résumés, plan their careers and search for jobs. To her, finding the right job is extremely important because it contributes to an individual’s growth and overall wellness.
- Wednesday, Feb. 22, “ Job Interviewing and Job Search Day”: Career Coach and Career Center Manager Reginald Louis will share tips and advice about how to handle job interviews along with some secrets to remember when completing job applications. For years Louis has specialized in mental and physical well-being through working in psychiatric treatment centers for kids, schools for kids with autism, along with sports athletic training and psychology coaching.
- Thursday, Feb. 23, “The Winning Mindset”: Career Coaches Erik West and Katelynn Wurtz will present Thursday’s session. West will focus on mental health during the job search. Wurtz will talk about dealing with rejection as well as wellness, nutrition and mindfulness.
West became involved in career coaching because he realized the connection between good mental health and job seeking. To him, career services are about more than finding the perfect job. Career coaching is also about knowing oneself inside and out – and that means mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. He also specializes in résumé building and cover letters.
Wurtz enjoys assisting students with the introspective processes that accompany the personality assessment. She feels that without self-awareness, it is impossible to find a dream job. Wurtz believes that each person contains a diverse set of interests, strengths, skills, and a unique personality typology. She also specializes in helping students discover the successful mindset for looking for the ideal job.
- Friday, Feb. 24, “The World of Work”: Career Coach Eric Gandia will discuss the world of work and the expectations of employers and new employees. He believes career counseling is a very important for tool, especially for helping recent college graduates find the right career/job. Gandia also specializes in résumé building and job interviewing. He currently works with the United States military and feels this has prepared him to work with people from all walks of life. Gandia is a people person and enjoys working with every single client.
To attend one of the Zoom workshop, log into https://tinyurl.com/tucareer-a-thon at the time and day of the selected workshop. For more information about TU’s Career Center or to schedule a session with a career coach, email careercenter@thomasu.edu.
