Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: 34 Reasons the 22nd Annual Job Fair was a Success

On March 21^st Chestnut Hill College hosted 2012’s 22^nd job fair. The fair was composed of several different types of employers from government jobs like the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support all the way to the neighborhood friendly WAWA. Sorgenti Arena was filled with Chestnut Hill undergraduates as well as many graduate students and members of other colleges.

The job fair was a great chance for students to show off their newly polished resumes and for other students it was a chance to learn what employers were looking for. Job fairs are not exactly meant to get someone a job on the spot, though eventually it may turn into an opportunity, but instead they should be used by students as confidence builders and opportunities to make connections with potential employers or someone that may lead you to employment.

So if you attended the job fair and didn’t walk away with a job don’t be discouraged. In all things you gained some experience and knowledge that will be beneficial in the future. For those that were not able to make it to the job fair do not be alarmed at all the opportunities you missed. Career Development will meet with you on the 3^rd floor of SJH – North Corridor.

If you do not have time to come see us, log into our Blackboard site.  Look under “Jobs-Full-time” of the 22^nd Annual Job Fair Directory which will show you all the employers that came to the job fair!

*This blog post was written by Aaaron Simpson’ 14

Greater Philadelphia Teacher Job Fair 2012

Job Fair History and Details

                For those of you who may have missed the Greater Philadelphia Teacher Job Fair, here is some important information on what happened the day of the event and how you still have a chance to get involved! Beginning approximately twenty years ago, institutions of higher education in the Philadelphia area decided to gather their career service departments together in order to exchange information and ideas. Fourteen years ago the twenty-seven institutions formed what is now known as the Delaware Valley Career Planners, this Consortium’s sole purpose today is to sponsor the annual teacher job fair.

This year the job fair was held on March 15, 2012, from 9:00am-3:30pm at West Chester University. Students at Chestnut Hill were preparing before this day; however, with forty-seven pre-registering for the event and thirteen additional students who registered the day of the event. As a tip for future candidates, pre-registering for the event is always a great idea.  There are two advantages: first, the price of admission is just five dollars instead of the fifteen at the door; second, you are able to enter the fair an entire hour earlier before other candidates. All together the event drew an estimated 2,000 job candidates, final numbers have not been posted yet.  Around 200 employees present from various school districts around the area such as: Philadelphia, Cheltenham, and Upper Darby just to name a few.

 

Scholarship Information

Whether you attended the Job Fair or not, there is still another opportunity available from the Delaware Valley Career Planners. As a student in one of the DVEC Schools, you are also eligible to apply for one of the Hannah Amgott Memorial scholarships! If you will be completing your degree or completing coursework for certification in May, August, or December of 2013 you are able to apply. Created to reward students exhibiting excellence in the pursuit of education, up to five awards of $1000 each will be offered, based on merit. Details and applications are available in the Career Development Office on the 3^rd Floor of Saint Joseph’s Hall, come in as soon as possible; the deadline for applications is April 6, 2012!

B2B Overview

Highlights of Last Month’s Backpack to Briefcase Programs

• February 1 – Dress for Success and Professional Image Event

This event was very helpful in giving students an idea of what is appropriate to wear in the work environment in the business world. Ashley Reichenbach and Nancy Dachille who both work in the Career Development Office,  presented an informative presentation about what exactly to wear and also what not to wear. Some things they said to wear were: for men – a suit with a tie and dress shoes and business socks and to be clean shaven; for women they said to wear a pant suit, or a long skirt with an appropriate blouse, and appropriate high heels, and pantyhose. Also during this event CHC students modeled clothes from Banana Republic that helped give students a good visual of what to wear and what is fashionable business attire. In addition to talking about work attire they also talked about keeping a “Professional Image” which for example could have to relate to how you represent yourself on the internet (i.e. Facebook, Twitter)

• February 8 – How to Create Great Job Search Materials

At this event Ashley Reichenbach gave really helpful information and guidelines on how to create great job materials and also explained why we need them. She gave great tips on how to make your job search materials shine and stand out! Job search materials include: a resume, cover letter, and references. Some tips she gave that are really important to college students are 1.) Start Early! – Start your resume early and keep it up to date. 2.) Make your resume a “Snapshot” of yourself. Use detail to explain who you are and were involved in and highlight your achievements. 3.) Structure your materials properly (you can find information on how to properly outline your materials on Bb under Career Development) 4.) DO NOT USE TEMPLETS (this was a good tip given by Nancy Dachille) – Create your own formatted resume.

• February 15 – Tips for Effective Interviewing  

During this event Ashley Reichenbach talked about what to do and what not to do in an interview. She gave tips about what to wear and how to interview. She mentioned things like not wearing perfume/cologne, dressing appropriately, arriving on time and prepared, not asking about salary, and to not be nervous. She also explained ways to sufficiently respond to an interviewer’s questions. Also during this event was a mock interview with Career Development Staff. There was an interviewer and two interviewees, one interviewee displayed what not to do in an interview and the other displayed the best way to act and dress in an interview situation.

• February 22 – CHC Alumni Networking Night  

During this event Ashley Reichenbach explained what Networking is and who should be in your network: i.e. professors, family friends, people in community, etc. Also she mentioned places on the Web that you can use for networking like Linkin.com. During this event students had the chance to sit down and talk to Alumni from our very own school and network with them and talk to them about where they are now and how they got there. This helped give a little preview to what students can expect after they graduate and each student was able to talk to an alumnus who graduated in their same major.

• February 29 – Etiquette Dinner

The Etiquette dinner was a very fun event that was intended to show the proper etiquette to use when in a Restaurant on an interview or out with a boss. A full course meal was provided and members of the Career Development Office and the manager of Chartwells at CHC explained how to properly act in a restaurant setting. Tips from which fork or spoon to use were given, as well as what to talk about with your interviewer. Dressing appropriate was talked about and also there were tips about interviewing. One tip that was important was if there is any small talk, to keep it light (sports, weather, etc.; not anything about politics or religion) They gave tips on what to order to eat and drink and basically explained that you should follow your interviewers lead. (If they do not order an alcoholic beverage then it would be inappropriate for you to do so).

All the B2B events and programs were very helpful and resourceful and had powerful tips that will help you as you migrate into the business world. I highly recommend attending these events and any other events given by the Career Development Office in the future. If you were unable to attend any of these events and have questions about any of these topics you can set up an appointment with anyone in the Career Development Office and they will be happy to give you all the information you need!

Interested in Psychology, Human Services, or Sociology?

Are You a Psychology, Human Services, or Sociology Major?

 

If you are, you may, like many other students, be wondering what you want to do after you receive your degree. There are a boundless amount of opportunities out there that are related to your major. You may have to do some research to figure out exactly what field will be just right for you, but it is out there!

We have many tools on our blackboard site that can help steer you in the right direction. If you go onto blackboard, you should have Career Development listed under “My Courses”, and in there you will find a tab that is labeled “What Career Is for Me?” Here you will find the Focus Career Assessment, a link to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Website called: O*Net. This website is based on helping you find jobs and careers that interest you and that pertain to your major. I think that the most important link on this page is “What Can I Do with My Major?” Under this section is a link to a site that was developed by the University of Tennessee and it is geared to give you information about that you can do with your major or even other majors you are interested in. It provides careers that are related to your major, along with other important information about the types of employers that hire people with each major and strategies to make you a more marketable candidate.

Here are some examples of links on this website that you may be interested in learning more about: child and family studies, counseling, criminal justice, human services, psychology, social work, sociology, women’s studies, and urban studies.

So for example, I am interested in counseling, so I click on the link about counseling, and it tells me all the different areas I could work in: mental health, marriage and family therapy, school counseling, school education, career counseling, rehabilitation, substance abuse, and social services. And under all of these categories were specific job titles. For example under mental health was listed:

• Individual and Group Counseling
• Case Management
• Medication Monitoring
• Crisis Intervention
• Program Planning
• Administration

There is also a list of places where I can be employed in these areas. So if we keep exploring the mental health field there are job opportunities at:  Residential treatment facilities, In/Outpatient psychiatric care units, Mobile crisis units, Hospitals, Behavioral health programs, Social service agencies, Non-profit organizations, Religious and pastoral organizations, Hospices, Child guidance clinics, Family planning centers, Adult service programs, Group homes, Public and private schools, Local, state, and federal government agencies including, Private or group practices, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).

This website is very useful because it is helpful and for me it gave me more ideas about my future and helped me realize that there is so much out there for me to do, and that my opportunities after graduation are not limited! For instance, I didn’t ever really think about how many places a person with a psychology degree could work in, and I honestly didn’t think that there was much one could do, but this website provides a lot of information that proves that isn’t true. So explore this website and look more into what you want to do after graduation! You can look mostly at what is pertained to your major, but if you are not sure that you will stick with that major, you can venture and look at the other majors and opportunities. The possibilities for your future career are endless!

North East Treatment Centers

TO ALL THE PSYCH, SOCIOLOGY AND HUMAN SERVICES MAJORS

 

A spokesman came to our school for an information session, named Christopher Kampel, to talk about the different job opportunities that are available from a nonprofit organization that he works for called North East Treatment Centers (NET).  This organization that is based out of Philadelphia and provides behavioral and social services to children and families, adolescents, and adults.  He gave very detailed and helpful information and tips about the job application process, which would have been helpful to any student here, even outside of the human services field, who are preparing themselves for the job world.

First he talked a lot about the job opportunities at NET. I was actually amazed at how many job openings he said they currently have, which he said there is about 15-20 of them.  He talked about a lot of different jobs that were in a lot of different areas.  He also mentioned that they have jobs at the bachelor’s degree level where you do not need much and sometimes any prior experience, which is always good.  The other jobs they have are for people with a master’s degree and with those jobs you generally need prior experience.  But I am confident that after you attain your degree here at CHC, that you will come out with a lot of experience from internship jobs and other educational opportunities that we are given, as a result of the help and knowledge that our school provides.  It also has to do with what you put into your time here. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE!

He gave very good advice about things like resumes, cover letters, interviews, and tips about readying yourself for the job world:

• It is very important to make your resume and cover letter stand out from the other hundreds that are being viewed. Put something in it that would put you ahead of someone else.
• When being interviewed, don’t worry about being nervous and more importantly relate all your answers to the job you are interviewing for and the company.  Don’t talk about anything personal and be very enthusiastic.
• Networking is very important and can put you ahead of other people.  Put yourself in situations where you can meet people that can become contacts for you down the road. And also register to websites like LinkedIn.
• In your cover letter you should sound genuinely interested in the job and explain why you would be a good fit for the job. Also don’t forget to mention the position and the company.
• He suggested to not follow up and call the person that your resume was sent to because for one they are a lot of the times very busy people and he said it may annoy them and potentially lower your chances of getting the job.
• It is very important to obtain clearances that are required to be submitted when you receive a job.  You should work on this while you are in the job application process and not wait until you actually get a job offer because sometimes it takes awhile to receive this paperwork.
• Also if you are applying for formal jobs, make sure that you do not have anything suggestive on your Facebook profiles, or other social networking websites, because some companies actually look at these and it could affect your chances of getting a job that you would otherwise be perfect for.
• Have professional voicemail recordings for whatever number you give out.
• Have professional email addresses.
• If you are given an interview over the phone sound very enthusiastic and interested.
• Be adaptable and flexible.  If you really want to work for a specific company doing a specific job, you better be ready for curveballs like work hours and the possibility of having to work in different locations.

I think that these were very helpful tips.  If you are interested in NET, you can go to their website, (www.net-centers.org) and look at all the services they offer and it can help give you an idea about what you want to get ready for after you graduate.

A former student, who graduated last spring, also gave some insight.  Her name is Ashley Berger and she graduated with a BS in Human Services.  She applied for a job at NET after receiving her degree and was almost immediately offered the job. Very enthusiastically, Ashley explain, “I applied for this position, which was actually the only job I ever applied for since graduating.  I was in constant communication with Chris Kampel, and eventually I had an interview set up for the position.  It was my first real interview since graduation, and I was pretty nervous, but I put together an impressive resume and I went in there remembering everything I had learned in my Human Services classes.  Not even a week later, I was offered the job, and I started on June 2, 2011 – not even a month after graduation”.   She started out as a Therapist Assistant and about five months later she was promoted to a Recovery Planning Specialist.  I think that his is a comforting success story and is a very likely opportunity for anyone graduating from CHC.  Put all the work in to what you want for your future and you can achieve anything you want have great success like Ashley!

Meet our Staff!

Are you familiar with the Career Development Staff? Now’s your chance to know a little bit about them.

(L to R) Shane, Ashley, Mackenzie, Nancy, Ryan

Nancy Dachille

I’ve been in the Career Development office at Chestnut Hill College since 1996, starting as Assistant Director.  In 2002, I was promoted to Director.  My previous experience has been in human resources and marketing, which provided a natural progression to Career Development.  My Bachelor’s degree is in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and I have a Master’s in Education from Chestnut Hill College.  I love my job and working with everyone connected to CHC—students, alums, faculty, employers, staff and other career professionals.  I have been very active in various initiatives with our Consortium–SEPCHE (the Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education) including working with faculty and staff on teaching methods utilizing metacognition strategies as well as a shared teaching initiative with ARAMARK.   This field has dramatically changed in the past 15 years, mostly due to technology.    This is a very dynamic field and requires constant education on my part which I find very stimulating.  I recently achieved certification as a Global Career Development Facilitator.     I love being a life-long learner and sharing my expertise with all of our constituents.  The Career Development office provides career counseling, workshops, job fairs and many other opportunities for professional and personal growth and helping everyone to be successful in bridging the world of learning with the world of work.

Ashley Reichenbach

Ashley Reichenbach, Assistant Director of Career Development, joined the Office of Career Development in August 2010 after graduating with her Masters of Arts in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of Connecticut.  She spent her graduate assistantship in Career Services learning how to critique résumés and cover letters while helping students with job and internship searches.  At CHC, Ashley continues to do those cornerstone activities with students from all three schools and alums.  Every February, she helps organize and plan the month-long program series, Backpack-to-Briefcase, in addition to the College’s annual job fair in March.  Ashley teaches the five-week Career Success course twice a semester with colleagues in the Office.  Besides this course, she has co-taught First-Year Initiative and presented in classrooms about the career development process. She also helps with the Office’s assessment through the Undergraduate Follow-up Report (surveying recent alums) and creating the Annual Report.  A big part of Ashley’s work is providing training to the Office’s paraprofessional staff, the Career Development Assistant and Social New Media Assistants.  She manages the student workers’ schedules and helps them understand career exploration.  One day is never like the next in the dynamic field of Higher Education!

Mackenzie Lovell

MacKenzie Lovell, the Student Life Assistant, came to Chestnut Hill College in August 2009. She spent her first year working as an Americorps*VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America), working with the Service-Learning department. In her second year, she continued to work with service-learning, but split her time between that office, and Student Activities. Now, in her third year, she works part-time in Service-Learning as she completes her Master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania. In May, MacKenzie will receive her Master’s of Science in Education degree in Education, Culture, and Society with a concentration in Higher Education. MacKenzie works with many students participating in community service projects. She is a liaison between the Office and Service-Learning faculty. She also works closely with the Scholars in Service to Pennsylvania, and Americorps Education Award program where students pledge to complete 300 or 450 hours of community service in one calendar year. These students participate in leadership, professional, and personal development initiatives with MacKenzie. These students also act as liaisons between service-learning students and the office. Besides this course, she has co-taught First-Year Initiative (with the Assistant Director Ashley) and presented in classrooms about the career development process and the service-learning program. MacKenzie works with office assessment and retention initiatives, and hopes to get new programs for students started in the coming months. MacKenzie is excited to be a part of the Chestnut Hill College Student Life team, and considers herself lucky for having been able to get involved in the field of Higher Education so early.

Ryan Murphy

Ryan Murphy has worked at Chestnut Hill College since October 2005.  After eight months serving in a dual role in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Campus Ministry, Ryan joined the Career Development Office in July 2006 as the Manager of Experiential Education, coordinating the internship and service-learning programs.  Ryan has held his current role of Director of Service-Learning in the Career Development Office since February 2010, following four years of increasing levels of responsibility and program growth in the areas of community engagement, reflective practice and service-learning.  In addition to his role in Career Development, Ryan also teaches a Global Awareness Seminar course about poverty to undergraduate students at Chestnut Hill College.

Prior to working at Chestnut Hill College, Ryan served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA in Philadelphia immediately after graduating college.  Following that volunteer experience, he began working at Saint Joseph’s University in Residence Life as an Area Coordinator supervising three high-rise apartment buildings housing more than 550 undergraduate students.

Ryan holds a Bachelor’s degree (2002) in Food Marketing and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice (2007), both from Saint Joseph’s University.  Ryan is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Sociology from Temple University, where he hopes to conduct research into urban poverty issues, especially those surrounding food insecurity.

Shane McCarthy

Feel free to stop in the Career Development Office on the 3rd Floor of St. Joseph’s Hall at Chestnut Hill College! You’ll get to meet some really great people.