Brown Mackie College Career Services “Let’s Get To Work!”

4th Quarter2009

ChasityTrzop

DIRECTOR OF CAREER SERVICES

Occupational Therapy & Licensed Practical Nursing

JennySpalding

CAREER SERVICES ADVISOR

Accounting, Bio-Medical, Business Management, Computer Networking, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Development, Electronics, Paralegal, & Veterinary Tech

LaurelHunt

CAREER SERVICES ADVISOR

Graphic Design, Medical Assisting, Surgical Tech, Pharmacy Tech, & Healthcare Administration

YOUR CAREER SERVICES TEAM

Find us on Facebook to discover more about Career Services: www.facebook.com/BMCLouisvilleCareerServices

AS SUMMER CLOSES - THE JOB MARKET CHANGESBy Chasity Trzop, Director of Career Services

Summer is over, fall is here, and winter isn’t far away. As the seasons change, so does the job market. As with any business, supply and demand of talent versus job openings fluctuate.

Now is the time for students to find ways to create stronger career networks, sharpen their interviewing skills, and polish their resumes. When you begin your career search you have to ask yourself, “What will make someone want to hire me?” Face it, you are competing with hundreds of other candidates. How will you stand out?

Debra Wheatman, Chief Career Strategist at ResumesDoneWrite.com, explains that searching for a career is a job in itself, generally taking 6-8 hours a day. This does not include the amount of time it takes to research potential job openings on

the internet or the legwork involved in actually submitting a resume.

It pays to be engaged in your career search. Research the company, follow up after your interview, write thank you notes to your potential employer, and keep track of your interviews so it’s easier to stay engaged with your progress.

As always, looking good and presenting well is key. You may have a “knock ‘em dead” resume but if you are not dressed appropriately or do not interview well, you will not impress employers. Establishing a professional image reaches far beyond the clothes you wear. It’s also essential to further your image by dropping off your resume, as

opposed to mailing it, taking the time to attend networking events or going to job fairs. Also, practice your interviewing skills by video taping yourself or have a friend role play. Practice, not luck, will make you an expert.

Network, network, network! I cannot tell you how many times a graduate gets to the end of his or her educational journey and has not joined a professional

affiliation or received a single career related reference from a professional in the chosen field. You can volunteer or seek out your own internship.

If you want to be a step ahead of everyone else, do not wait for your required externship to start

networking. Try on-line networks such as LinkedIn or Facebook, but as with anything on the internet, be aware of what you post or allow on your page. Own your success and future!

By combining different styles of job researching, one has a greater chance of landing a dream job. Overall, searching for a job is daunting and challenging, but it’s well worth the hard work you put forth.

Remember, Brown Mackie College Louisville Career Services Advisors can help tailor your search and create an image that will make you stand out and above the rest. Speak with Jenny, Laurel or Chasity anytime you need some assistance.

Now, let’s get to work!

“Searching for a career is a job in itself.”

GRADUATE SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT

Sarah Herald, graduate 2009Veterinary Technician

Employer: Metropolitan Veterinary Specialists

Job Title:Veterinarian Technician

My primary job responsibilitiesI am a hands on employee that assists veterinarians in monitoring patients, providing treatments to animals, handling emergency triage situations, drawing blood

work, taking x-rays, providing fluid therapies, and maintaining and inquiring about medical history.

The most I enjoy about my jobI really enjoy providing care and help to injured animals in emergency situations. It takes a lot of care, practice, and patience. My coworkers, the owners of patients, and veterinarians are all very nice.

My advice to help students to succeed in school and work...Always provide teamwork. Being a team player is important at school and at work.

While in school, keep track of all your notes as you will refer to them on the externship site and your employment location.

GraduateEmploymentSuccess

It can take a graduate 1-6 months to gain a position in their chosen field.

Congratulations to the following Fall 2008 graduates who have successfully utilized their degrees and gained a career!

AccountingLaChonda Williams

Graphic DesignPaul DifaniLaWanda Wester

Business ManagementJanet McMillinMachel Sargent

Computer NetworkingRobert BeckerLisa Lewis

Healthcare AdministrationAdam Edelen

Surgical TechnologyMary McDonaldMonshea Weaver

Medical AssistingSamantha KleinJill Lun

ParalegalPamela BeachGinger MorlanTammy Mullins

Event UpdatesGraphic Design Portfolio ReviewIn July, seven Brown Mackie College graphic design students and graduates participated in our annual Design Portfolio Review.

The review show gives the participants the opportunity to show off their work and abilities to each other, potential employers, and friends and family.

The show resulted in two on-the-spot employer interviews and one job offer, which turned into employment.

Congratulations to Jessica Adkins, winner of the 2009 Graphic Design Portfolio Review “Best in Show” award, and her new employment career with Decorite, LLC.

1st Annual Criminal Justice OlympicsStudents got to try their hand at some law enforcement techniques including traffic stops, crime scene investigation and search warrant execution at the 1st

Annual CJ Olympics hosted at the Brown Mackie College - Louisville campus in September.

Several students from Louisville and surrounding Brown Mackie Colleges competed in the events. Congratulations to the Louisville CJ Team who won the President’s Trophy for 2009!

In addition, over 200 high school students interested in criminal justice attended the event to get an idea of what those careers might entail.

Career Services Do’s and Don’tsHere are the keys to getting the most from your Career Services office. Follow these simple rules and you’ll maximize the resources and advice from these professionals.

Do visit Career Services early in your college career.

Do come in willing to take suggestions and constructive feedback on your resume.

Do tell your Career Advisor about your

values, goals, and aspirations. These aspects of yourself can greatly affect your career decision-making process.

Do take advantage of all programs offered by Career Services so you can connect with professionals. These professionals can be valuable resources for information interviews, internships, and possible full-time positions.

Do go to workshops starting your first year.

Get in early, meet the staff, and start developing your career early on.

Do read Career Connections, the publication printed by Career Services.

Do visit the Career Center before you begin an internship or job search to become familiar with the center. Don’t wait until the last minute to begin the search.

Don’t expect Career Services to “hand you” a job. Job searching is hard work and requires much effort on your part.

Don’t expect Career Services to write your resumes and cover letters for you.

Don’t come in for suggestions and advice on your resume if you aren’t open-minded enough to accept them.

~www.quintcareers.com

Career Services and the Veterinarian Technology Program team members realize the importance of working together to achieve maximum results.

Working together as a team, they focus on the goal of providing a culture of excellence for our students and graduates. Through collaborative efforts, both departments share a vision and implement best practices to help bring better opportunities to students throughout the academic cycle.

Career Services and the Vet Tech team have gained new employment opportunities and externship clinical sites for our students and graduates. New relationships with employers have

been developed and existing employer relationships have been nurtured.

In addition, Career Services and the Vet Tech team provide quality education and exceptional professional skills and techniques to students and graduates.

Results from these types of collaborative efforts between the two departments at Brown Mackie College has generated a 100% employment rate for all graduates from the Veterinarian Technology program who graduated from January 2009 to June 2009.

Clearly, Career Services and the Vet Tech team are giving our students and graduates a huge advantage over the competition.

Employer feedback has been extremely positive about the level of educational and professional skills that Brown Mackie College graduates provide to their staff members and patients!

Way to go Jenny Spalding, Emily Clement, Robin Butler, Tiffany Lamkin, and Dr. Heidi Hulon. Please congratulate these team members for all their efforts and success. Hard work does equal success!

Vet Tech Program + Career Services = Success