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. 

Here are some useful tips to increase your virtual interviewing success (adapted from InterviewStream Best Practices)

1. 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.

Wendy Herrmann | Beaver Dam
920-887-4437
wherrmann1@morainepark.edu

Dr. Rhonda Roehrig | Fond du Lac
920-924-3244
rroehrig2@morainepark.edu

Lisa Ferguson | West Bend
262-335-5773
lferguson@morainepark.edu

morainepark.edu

In this strange and uncertain situation, you might find yourself with less structure to your days and more adjustment for life at home. During these times, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Instead, see this as an opportunity to improve yourself and make progress toward your career goals.
Here are six ways you can make the most of this time and maximize your career development:

1. Update your resume. 
It is essential that you make your resume the best it can be—and now is a great time to do it. Identify your personal brand and strongest selling points. Highlight your unique accomplishments and transferrable skills. Optimize your resume with keywords and customize it each time you apply to a different position.

2. Create a professional online presence. 
Many employers check a candidate’s online presence to learn more about them. This may be even more prevalent in the COVID-19 climate with employers having limited access to candidates in person. Google yourself and clean up any inappropriate or questionable content. Create a LinkedIn profile, if you don’t already have one.

3. Build new skills. 
In today’s digital age, it’s possible to learn almost anything through the internet. Use your time at home to build new skills. Learn a new technical skill. Read a book or listen to a podcast related to your industry. Join a professional organization. This is your chance to take advantage of your time.

4. Practice virtual interviewing. 
In response to COVID-19, many companies have changed recruiting strategies to reduce/eliminate in-person interactions. For job seekers, this means virtual interviews—so be prepared to take your next interview digitally. Choose an at-home interview space and check your technology. Reach out to the MPTC Careers Instructors to set up a practice virtual mock interview.

5. Cultivate your professional network. 
Social distancing doesn’t mean that you have to put networking on hold. Use email or LinkedIn to reach out to professionals in industries and positions of interest. Embrace the sense of community. Participate in an online forum or join in a chat during a webinar. COVID-19 is a shared global experience. This is your chance to check in with the people you know and re-establish old connections.

6. Get help from the MPTC Careers Instructors. 
You don’t have to do this alone! Although not physically on campus, 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.

So stay hopeful, wash your hands, and try out these six ways to make progress toward your career goals.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers. (Adapted)

Contact a Careers Instructor today:

Beaver Dam

West Bend

Fond du Lac

Everyone wants to get ahead, race car drivers, jockeys, and yes, even college students. Finding ways to stay ahead of rising educational costs can be a huge benefit during the college years.

Students at Moraine Park already enjoy some of the lowest tuition rates among Wisconsin’s colleges and universities. Even so, another part of keeping college affordable is finding ways to decrease the amount of time (and money) spent completing a degree. At Moraine Park. students have a unique option to minimize their costs and maximize their credit earning potential through the school’s Credit by Exam opportunities.

The Credit by Exam process allows students to earn college credit and fulfill program requirements through the successful completion of an exam. Taking advantage of the Credit by Exam program can certainly put MPTC students ahead as they can obtain college credits in less time and for less money than they would by attending (and paying for) a traditional course.
Interested in learning more about Credit by Exam?

Visit MPTC’s Credit by Exam webpage https://www.morainepark.edu/admission-and-registration/enroll-in-a-program/credit-for-prior-learning/credit-by-exam/

Contact Greg Mittelsteadt-MPTC Credit for Prior Learning Specialist

Office Phone 920-924-3215
Email cpl@morainepark.edu

Did you know that Moraine Park offers free services to the entire community?

• Career assessment
• Basic education instruction
• College entrance exam prep
• Resume help
• Help with college coursework
• GED/HSED courses
• Career center resources/job search
• English Language Learners (ELL) classes

Learn more today at morainepark.edu/student-resources

Being an adult student or making the decision to enroll in college isn’t easy. If any current Moraine Park student knows that, it’s Aurelio Rosas of Beaver Dam.  Aurelio came to Wisconsin from Crystal City, TX in 2013. As a divorced father of two, he was looking for an opportunity to provide a life for his children.

“I worked as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in Texas,” he said. “I knew I wanted to further my education in healthcare, which is what brought me to Moraine Park.”

He found a home in Beaver Dam with his brother, Armando, and enrolled at Moraine Park. He decided to pursue both the medical assistant and medical office support Technical Degrees.

“I came to Moraine Park Technical College because I could obtain an affordable education in a short amount of time,” Aurelio said. “Also, the hands-on learning and one-on-one interaction with the instructors was important to me.”

Life settled into a routine pace for Aurelio until his brother tragically died of a drug overdose. As a result, Aurelio ended up homeless and living in his car. He briefly relocated to Milwaukee to live with his sister but could barely afford the gas to get to and from school. 

“It was a horrible time,” he said. “I wanted to give up, but I knew my children needed me to keep going.”

That’s when he connected with Karla Donohue, a counselor at Moraine Park’s Beaver Dam campus. Together, they were able to find immediate solutions to help him get to class.

“The College’s Foundation has emergency funding set aside to help students in situations just like Aurelio’s,” Karla said. “Once I met with him, we were able to work together to ease his life stresses so he could focus on his education and future.”

Moraine Park support services, like counseling, are always free to students.

“Connecting students to campus services helps to give students a sense of belonging, and they realize they aren’t alone,” Karla said. “I am impressed with Aurelio’s determination to overcome some major life barriers. He is a great example of strength.”

The determination that Aurelio demonstrates in his personal life is also brought into the classroom and on campus. For this reason, he was named as the 2018-19 Moraine Park District Student Ambassador for the Wisconsin Technical College System. This role requires the student to actively serve as a member of student government, advocate for Moraine Park and the Wisconsin Technical College System as a whole, assist with college activities and events, and represent the student body within the community. Aurelio’s tenure in this position will soon end, and his final assignment as the Moraine Park student ambassador is to serve as a student speaker at the 2019 commencement ceremony. 

“Aurelio is a great student and a deserving recipient of the Student Ambassador award,” Karla said. “Even more important, Aurelio is a great person. By nature, he is kind, compassionate, and relatable, which makes him a perfect fit for his selected career path.”

Aurelio took advantage of career laddering opportunities at the College. He is a three-time Moraine Park graduate, and holds a medical billing specialist certificate, technical diplomas in medical assistance and medical office specialist, and is working towards his medical office management associate’s degree. His overall goal is to become a registered nurse (RN).

“I enjoy working in my community,” Aurelio said. “I have the God-given gift of speaking Spanish, and it makes me feel good knowing that I can help with translations if need be. Overall, I just like caring for people, regardless of who are they are, and I hope to continue to do so for years to come.”

For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.

Having trouble with APA citations? Solving algebraic equations? Completing that graphic organizer?  The staff at the Student Success Center (SCC) is here to help!  At the Student Success Center, students can get help with course work from various classes for FREE! 

Many students come to the SSC for assistance in researching, organizing, and editing papers.  Staff can also help with APA formatting, which is new to many MPTC students.  Students can also get help with math course work.   If you are unsure whether we can help, please come in and ask.  Many students like to come to the SSC for a quiet place to work, where help is available if needed!

Jasmine Garcia, a pre-core nursing student, utilized the SSC weekly this past fall for help on her Chemistry and Intro to Psychology course work.  “I like the nice quiet environment and how there are not too many distractions. I also really like the instructors who work in the SSC. They are very friendly and happy to help. When I was struggling with chemistry, I was a little nervous to come to the SSC to ask for help at first, but I am really glad that I made myself go,” Garcia stated.

“The SSC helped me be successful in many ways. I recently graduated from high school this past May, and throughout my high school career, I always needed a lot of extra help from my teachers with math. I knew that in college my instructors would probably not be available as much as my teachers in high school were. The SSC has a great availability of schedule for you to come in and work on things. I usually like to get started on homework right away in the morning, and the SSC was always available for me to go and get things done right away. Overall, it is a nice resource to go to work on homework or study for any class. I am really glad that the SSC is available for students because without it, I would be struggling in a lot of my classes,” said Garcia.

For more information, visit the morainepark.edu/student-success-center or visit any of the campus locations!

Beaver Dam K-316  920-887-4436

Fond du Lac A-216 920-929-2108

West Bend W-137 262-335-5775

There’s a scene in nearly every Disney movie that documents the joy of dreams coming true. Cinderella when she is reunited with her glass slipper, Hercules when he finally goes the distance to prove his place with the other Greek Gods, Arielle when she has both her voice and feet, and the unforgettable moment when Pinocchio finally becomes a real boy.

For Moraine Park student, Zach Stansbury of Fond du Lac, his Disney dream moment occurred late this summer when he was accepted into Disney’s College Internship Program .

Zach graduated from Fond du Lac high school in 2011 and immediately went into the workforce. After a few years, he decided to pursue a career in law enforcement, and in 2017, he enrolled in the criminal justice program at Moraine Park.

“I have had lots of support here at Moraine Park,” Zach said. “The College has shown me that they are willing to do whatever it takes to make my learning experience a successful one.”

Zach is a part of the College’s Edge program, a Student Support Services program that provides academic advising, study groups, cultural services, and many other resources for qualifying students. He also noted that the Student Success Center, in particular, has helped him significantly with his test taking and school work.

So where does Disney come into play?

“I’ve always had an interest in working at Disney,” Zach said. “The two most in-demand careers at Disney are security and custodial, and some internships turn into full hires. If I could be a part of the security team at Disney, that would be my ultimate dream job.”

There’s no denying that Zach belongs at Disney, his energetic personality, contagious smile, and fun sense of humor are all staples to the brand that Walt created. He is also a lifelong fan of all things Disney.

So, when the 2018 application window came open last January, he submitted his application and began the painful process of waiting. Well over 50,000 applications are submitted and only 18,000 are accepted into the program.

“I never thought it was a realistic option for me until my friend Anna went through the internship and encouraged me to apply,” Zach said.

Unfortunately, a few weeks later he found out his initial application was denied.

“It was disappointing,” Zach said. “I used it as a learning opportunity.”

He decided to study the application process some more and found how to improve his odds for the next time. One addition that Zach decided to include with his application was a video. He proceeded with a ‘go big or go home’ approach and chose Disney World in Florida as his filming location. His brother, Nicholas Stansbury, is a film director and traveled with him to help to create his video which he titled ‘Application Day‘.

When Zach reapplied on August 20, 2018, he included his video. This time, it only took three weeks to receive his acceptance letter. Of course, during that time frame, he encountered personality tests, questionnaires, a phone interview, and even more waiting.

Zach’s journey with Walt Disney World in Florida will begin on January 28, 2019, and we look forward to following his adventures. He is scheduled to return to Moraine Park next fall to continue his criminal justice degree. He will graduate May of 2020.

“We are so proud of Zach,” Kristine Buchanan, EDGE program adviser at Moraine Park said. “His ability to go to great lengths to achieve his dreams is admirable. I know he will do great things with this opportunity.”

We wish Zach the best of luck as he pursues his dreams at the happiest place on earth!

Watch Zach’s application video here.

As a fun side note, Zach also went to a casting call for Disney entertainers that was offered only to Disney College Program members. The Wisconsin auditions were held in Madison, and there were approximately 100 participants. It should come as no surprise that Zach was in the top four, and I have no doubts that he will be entertaining crowds at Disney someday.

Stay tuned for more updates on Zach’s journey. Until then, you can learn about Moraine Park programs and services like criminal justice or EDGE at morainepark.edu.

THE SEMESTER IS ALMOST OVER!!

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Janine Williams is a rare gem. Like many of us, her journey has had many twists and bumps in the road, but her defining feature is her shining personality and positive nature.  As a student in Moraine Park’s substance abuse counseling program, her a goal is to share her story to help others, and she told me with confidence that God brought her to Moraine Park.

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