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The career development office is offering a resume writing workshop on Feb. 28 at 5:05 p.m in the occupational therapy lab. The event will help students interpret their work experiences into transferable skills. Interested students can sign up for this workshop throughout the day by contacting the career development office.
The workshop is one result from the $1.9 million Lilly grant that Milligan was awarded in December 2002. The college’s search for a full-time career director continues.
Until the position is filled, senior Linda Baker, a non-traditional student, serves as an intern for career development.
“We have had career development in the past, but it has not been as developed as it needed to be,” Baker said.
Baker is building relationships with companies and making business contacts to make Milligan’s presence more known throughout the region.
More companies will begin contacting the college seeking students to fill internships and permanent positions because of the heightened awareness of the abilities of Milligan students.
Baker and John Paul Abner, assistant professor of occupational therapy and psychology, director of career development and director of academic advising, are hosting workshops and building resources to help prepare students for the next step after graduation.
According to the New York Times, the economy is now in its worst hiring slump in nearly 20 years. The career development office is trying to provide Milligan students with a competitive edge to find their first jobs after graduation.
As the first in a series of career development sessions, the resume writing workshop for Feb. 28 will not only help students identify transferable skills from previous experiences, but will stress the importance of the objective statement as a selling point on the resume. Baker and Abner will discuss the format of a resume and how the format has changed over the past few years.
The interview workshop on March 20 will teach students how to succeed in a behavioral interview. As opposed to a traditional interview, these interviews focus on what the applicant learned from previous experiences that can be applied to new work experiences. Companies typically ask the applicant for examples of group projects and failed assignments to help assess how an employee will handle similar situations in the future.
A follow-up workshop on March 27 will place students who attended the March 20 interview workshop in mock job interviews with real employers. The objective is to place students in a position that imitates a real interview. Students will gain practice being interviewed while evaluating the prospective employer.
Many businesses will perform mock interviews at this workshop, including First Tennessee bank. These interviews will be held on Milligan’s campus.
The Interstate Career Fair, sponsored by Virginia Intermont College, will be held in Bristol on April 18. Students can meet representatives from local and nationwide government offices and businesses to explore career options. More than 100 businesses seeking students of all majors will be in attendance.
While the career development office is gaining a more significant presence on campus, Baker stressed the current availability of resources to students and
alumni. Visit Milligan
Career Services for nationwide job banks, career advising and networking.