Graduation is near. So close you can taste it — Sweet success! . . . But first the job interview.
The Interview
According to Stephen M. R. Covey, “In creating credibility with others, it’s not just results that count; it’s people’s awareness of the results.” Your ability to help others understand your value in an interview situation, is best demonstrated though storytelling. Storytelling is a perfect way to demonstrate a skill or competency. MPTC Electricity students had an opportunity to do just that. Students in Gus Boyle-Gustavus’ Electricity class practiced interviewing skills by sharing Prove-it statements with their classmates. These Prove-it statements included elements of the STAR method. Describe the Situation/Task, what your Action was, and the Result of your action.
Prove-It Statement Examples from MPTC’s Job Search Handbook
(I am organized) For Example, at my last job, the department was really unorganized. I suggested we develop a new file system and workflow pattern, which eliminated three steps in record processing and increased our efficiency.
(I am flexible and a quick learner) At my last employer we experiences a major reorganization due to decreased sales. I assumed some of the duties that were done in a department that was eliminated and helped develop a manual that explained our new focus to other in my department.
For Assistance in Preparing for Interviews
Moraine Park’s Careers Instructors are here to help you. Request a meeting to chat face-to-face or virtually at www.morainepark.edu/careers.
Students, are you looking for a way to give back, network or gain experience before you graduate? If so, consider volunteering. Volunteering can do this and so much more.
Volunteering helps you make a difference by helping others or a business in need. Volunteering can help you gain confidence in your skills that you learned throughout your program and can help provide proof (prove-it statements) that you can use during your upcoming interviews.
Volunteering can also help you advance in your career. Shawn Anchor of Goodthink Inc. researched the impact of Positive Psychology. Shawn Anchor’s research noted that people that reach out and help others are more likely to be engaged at work or get a promotion. Giving back to others can promote happiness and goodwill, and help you throughout your career.
Volunteering also provides an ability to network with individuals with interests similar to you. This can be a great way to showcase your skills and meet others in your career field or interests.
If you are interested in learning more about volunteering activities available in our community, please connect with Anne Lemke, Student Community Impact Coordinator at Moraine Park. Visit the Community Impact webpage at https://www.morainepark.edu/community-impact/.
Your Moraine Park Careers Instructors can help you enhance your resume with the outcomes from your volunteer experience. Connect with us and schedule an appointment for a resume review. We are here to help you! Visit the Career Center webpage at http://morainepark.edu/Careers.
Fond du Lac | 920-924-3244 | Lisa Ferguson | lferguson@morainepark.edu
West Bend | 262-335-5773 | Rhonda Roehrig | rroehrig2@morainepark.edu
Hot Jobs in Wisconsin are predicted and chances are you are in training now for one of them. In a Wisconsin State & Regional Economic Trends presentation, Scott Hodek, Section Chief – DWD Office of Economic Advisors shared the top 10 Hot Jobs in Wisconsin. These jobs represent higher than average numbers projected annually and higher than median salary.
Truck Drivers
Sales Representatives
Maintenance & Repair workers
Registered Nurse
General & Operations Managers
First-Line Supervisors of Production & Operating workers
Elementary School Teachers
Accountants & Auditors
Carpenters
Farmers, Ranchers, & other Agricultural Managers
Prepare yourself for the job market. Have your résumé and cover letter reviewed. Participate in a mock interview. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
The year 2020 was a time of the big paradigm shift. What is a paradigm shift anyway? We learn from Merriam-Webster that it is . . . “a view or way in which we look at things. The way we use to look at the world has changed. What use to be, is no more.”
For example, the way we used to look at work and home life. Wake up, get the kids ready for school, pick up a coffee from Kwik trip or McDonald’s as you drive to work, start at 9 a.m., drive to a local restaurant for lunch, finish up the day and by 5pm you are on your way back home. After a quick supper, get the kids to piano lessons, softball or football practice, maybe head to your bowling or trap shooting league.
Perhaps your scenario is a bit different now. Maybe the kids are home, you double as school teacher, and log in to zoom meetings. Maybe you have no job to go to (either by your choice or forced upon you). A shift in what use to be.
What now?
Time to reflect on what’s next. Ask yourself – Where do I see myself moving forward? A new way to look at your home and work life – a paradigm shift for sure. Take a look from a fresh perspective. Sarah Young, in her devotional book, encourages us to move forward. “Don’t let recent disappointments and failures define you or dampen your expectations. This is the time to make a fresh start!”
A Fresh Start
You have an opportunity to start new. A chance to re-invent yourself. Not sure where to start? Give a call to one of the Careers Instructors at Moraine Park Technical College. Take a “free” Career Assessment. Create a personal growth plan. We are here to listen, encourage, and support you.
Fifteen soon-to-be Medical Assistant graduates participated in virtual employment event to interact with area healthcare employers. Representatives from Advocate Aurora Health, Ascension WI, Froedert, SSM Agnesian, SSM Health, UW Health, and Wildwood Family clinic participated in the event. While the employment event is not new to the MA program, holding this in a virtual environment was a new experience for all.
Moraine Park Technical College’s Associate Dean of Health, Ben McKenzie shared welcoming remarks with the group stating the importance of staying current with interviewing skills. He emphasized using the interview process to determine if the organization is a good fit for you.
Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA), Katie Blessing, offered tips to stay engaged and grow in the MA field. She recommended to look for networking opportunities for continuity of care. Katie stated to treat your practicum experience like a job interview. Demonstrate that you want to be there: be willing, able and ready to help every day! In addition, Katie suggested to look at the total package offered by the employer, not just the starting pay when you are starting out as a Medical Assistant.
Medical Assistant students received Service Learning Recognition Awards for their volunteer work this past year from Anne Lemke, Student Community Impact Coordinator.
Employers addressed student questions during the Employee Panel portion of the event. Some of the employers reinforced sharing your passion and drive to be an MA during the interview. Important qualities to employers include being upbeat, flexible, willing to learn, being a team player, soft skills, and communication skills. Employers look to complement their current team with new hires; they want to make sure that their organization is the right fit for the prospective employee. Each employer shared what sets their organization apart from the other employers.
Employers conducted Mock Interviews with the students and provided feedback on their resumes.
Sarah Chojnacki, Medical Assistant Program Director coordinated and facilitated the event. Lisa Ferguson, Careers Instructor assisted with facilitation.
Moraine Park Careers Instructors can offer assistance with: Resumes, Cover Letters, Interviewing, Job Search, Career Fit and so much more!
Contact us at: www.morainepark.edu/careers
Fond du Lac | 920-924-3244 | Lisa Ferguson | lferguson@morainepark.edu
West Bend | 262-335-5773 | Rhonda Roehrig | rroehrig2@morainepark.edu
If you were having heart troubles, would you take advice from a single google search or consult with a local dentist? If your car was broken down, would you buy parts based on a single internet search or ask advice from your local cable company? Of course not. Why then, are we more likely to search google for “the right answer”, ask your high school buddy, or Aunt Marge for advice on what career you should choose or tips on job searching?
Ask an expert!
Many well-intended people may give you really poor advice. I just completed a course I found on LinkedIn. It was on finding your dream job with interviewing and résumé writing tips. Some of the tips I found to be “spot-on”. However, many comments may have been appropriate in Europe for example, but not really relevant for the United States, the Midwest, Wisconsin, or South-Central Wisconsin. Around here for example, we write résumés, not CV’s. As a Wisconsin Technical College student or graduate, you have unique skills that can be marketed to local employers. After all, programs at the Technical College level have been created to satisfy a need in our community. The goal is EMPLOYMENT!
Ask your MPTC Careers Instructor!
Moraine Park’s Careers Instructors are well trained experts in this field. Let us help you find your fit– prepare a stellar cover letter and résumé– and, ace the interview. Request a meeting to chat face-to-face or virtually at www.morainepark.edu/careers.
What do we do when we meet someone new? We shake hands. In the American culture of the professional world, handshakes are how we greet each other at the start of interviews, meetings, conferences, and networking events. When closing a deal, we “shake on it.”
In the COVID-19 pandemic world, the CDC guidelines recommend that we avoid close contact with others to prevent the spread of the virus. We are able to swap out appointments and meetings with Zoom or other virtual formats. We have options for “contactless” food pick up or delivery.
So what are our alternatives for a handshake-free future? You may consider a little wave or elbow bump. Perhaps a polite nod or a small bow. Making deliberate eye contact while addressing the person you are meeting can make a connection. There will be a lot of different approaches as we get back to the face-to-face world.
How do you know the best way to greet someone? Ask them! Follow their lead and make it work with what you are comfortable with in that situation. Learning how to interact with others is key to personal and professional success. Working through this new way of doing business will show your willingness to learn and adapt – great qualities we can all agree on.
Want to learn more? Contact a Careers Instructor today. Yes, we can meet with you virtually!
Picking a program can be as simple as A, B, C. Steve Maraboli is quoted as saying “Life is simple, it’s just not easy”. The same can be said of deciding on a career path. You put a lot of thought into it. You asked a parent, best buddy, relative, and maybe even the family dog – “what career should I chose?” But. . . how do you really know which career is right for you? The MPTC Careers Instructors are here to help you find an answer to that questions. Just follow your A, B, C’s. . .
Assess.
Take career assessments to figure out who you really are. What do you like? What are you good at? What is truly important to you? What problems of the world would you like to solve? What are your natural gifts? Answers to these questions can get you on the road to identifying and utilizing your true gifts. We all have unique gifts. Take the time find out what they are. A great investment in YOU.
Brainstorm careers.
Once you have an idea of “who you are”, now it’s time to brainstorm career options. What careers are out there in the world anyway? Unprecedented times will bring unprecedented opportunities.
Clarify fit.
Now that you know what’s out there, it’s time to clarify what fit’s YOU. Is salary important to you? How about location? Are you looking for a career with short training requirements? Whatever your “hot points”, clarify before jumping into a career. It could save you the frustration of a never-ending cycle of unsatisfying jobs.
If you are interested in checking out career opportunities that might be out there for YOU, contact one of the MPTC Careers Instructors. We would be happy to walk this journey with you. It’s as simple as A, B, C.
With a shift of more Americans working remotely during COVID-19, companies are using virtual platforms to interview job candidates. Want to get prepared for a virtual interview? Contact a Careers Instructor today!
Moraine Park’s Career Centers have virtual interviewing practice available using InterviewStream software. InterviewStream mock interviews provide students with knowledge and confidence to excel at job interviews in a virtual setting. This format provides flexibility to practice interviewing anytime and anywhere. Interview preparation helps students perfect their pitch to employers.
InterviewStream
Here are some useful tips to increase your virtual interviewing success (adapted from InterviewStream Best Practices)
Create a Video-Friendly Environment
It is important to have everything in place before you begin. You want to limit distractions so the focus is on you, not what’s in your background. Follow these simple guidelines below to create the ideal background environment:
Position your webcam at eye-level.
Adjust your lighting for high-quality video,
Turn on any available lights in the room and check to make sure there is no glare on your monitor. Never use your monitor as your light source.
Be mindful of your background.
Position yourself in front of a wall with neutral colors; avoid patterns, wallpaper, and mirrors.
Be sure your recording area is clean and organized. A tidy workspace conveys professionalism and organization to your potential employer.
Turn off all appliances or devices that may create ambient noise or disrupt your interview.
Make your recording space quiet and comfortable.
Eliminate all possible distractions and interruptions – turn off your cell phone and if you’re at home, make sure people in the house know you are taking an interview.
2. Prepare for your Interview
Mental preparation for your interview is just as important as the physical setup. You should prepare for your pre-recorded video interview with the same tenacity and focus as if you were walking into your potential employer’s office.
Practice, Practice, Practice – before you even turn your webcam on, try practicing by looking into the camera as if you were having a conversation with someone sitting in front of you.
In a traditional interview, eye contact is of the utmost importance, so make sure you look directly into the camera to answer the questions posed to you.
Do not look at the computer screen when answering questions – this places your line of sight below the webcam and you will appear to be looking down from the interviewer’s point of view.
It may seem awkward at first, but the more you rehearse looking at the webcam and not the person on the screen, the more comfortable you will feel during your interview.
Research the organization and be prepared to answer company-specific questions.
Familiarize yourself with the company’s mission statement, history, product and service offerings, management, and information about the company culture.
Polish your answers – nothing destroys your credibility faster than a constant stream of filler words such as “um”, “like”, and “you know”.
Dress for success; communicate professionalism with your attire.
Men: Navy, black, or dark pants, long sleeve dress shirt, conservative tie, professional, clean-cut hairstyle, clean-shaven.
Women: Navy, black, or dark grey pants or skirt, coordinated blouse, limited jewelry, professional hairstyle, and light make-up.
In general, you should look as if you put considerable time and effort into your personal appearance. Your clothing should be a complement, not a distraction.
3. Complete the Interview
The most important step in this process is answering the pre-recorded interview questions. Our video interviewing experts have provided some suggestions below:
Speak clearly and enunciate.
You don’t want your brilliant answers to be lost because you were mumbling.
Practice answering questions and time yourself to make sure you are answering effectively in the allotted time.
Listen to each question, contemplate your response, and answer concisely.
Make sure you answer the question being asked.
If you are given the opportunity to retry your answer, attempt to nail down your response sooner rather than later. We have found that more tries may begin to dilute a clear message, so your first or second answer will likely be your best.
Take a deep breath, relax, and let your personality shine through.
At the end of the day, employers hire human beings, not just the name at the top of a resume.
Smile and have fun – remember, if you are adequately prepared, you will be successful.
4. Contact a Moraine Park Technical College Careers Instructor for additional practice and feedback!
Careers Instructors are available to support you remotely.Take advantage of online resources through Canvas, Zoom and/or phone appointments.
We are here to help and can provide guidance specific to your goals. With the uncertain economic state, it is important that you use this time to maximize your career readiness and make yourself as marketable as possible.
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