By Alexis Long
Student Life Editor
From helping students write résumés to dressing for success, Tyler Junior College’s Career Services is there to lend a helping hand.
On Sept. 27 and 28, Career Services Coordinator Jennifer Renfro held an interactive résumés workshop located in the Quest classroom in Vaughn Library, which allowed students to seek help in writing new résumés or fix an existing one.
“One of the things everyone should do is know your résumés forwards and backwards because employers ask, ‘How does your experience and education relate to the job?’ So what you want to do is think about questions they might ask and practice,” said Renfro.
Renfro said students often ask about what to do if they like their job but are looking around for a new one.
“A lot of times, the employer will ask, ‘May we contact your employer?’ And you can select yes or no… I think it’s always a good idea to get out there and do interviews,” said Renfro. “Maybe you’ll get more money, or a higher position… so I recommend keeping a fresh resume.”
Although the résumés workshop is often the most popular, Career Services also offers workshops for interview skills and even dressing for success. Renfro said she is always open to suggestions that faculty or students want.
Since many students are not sure what field of study they would like to pursue, what career opportunities are available, or how to achieve their career goals, Career Services has resources to help students with career exploration and finding employment. Students are able to seek individual guidance to identify possible career matches based on interests, values, personality preferences, skills, and goals. Career Services also partnered with the ACT-On Grant to bring InterviewStream to TJC, which allows students to complete mock interviews from home or using their mobile devices.
Through the TJC page, students can take career assessments, find information about different majors and browse through the online job board, Apache Jobs.
Although Career Services will provide support and assistance during a job search, it is the “responsibility of the student to apply for and earn a position with an employer.”
Students aren’t required to make an appointment to see a Career Service professional, but it is strongly recommended.
Aside from the workshops, students also have access to the Resource Room, located in the Career Services office on the 2nd floor of Rogers Student Center.
“Students are welcome to come in and work on their résumés, cover letters, or take the career assessments,” Renfro said. “A lot of students aren’t really sure what they want to major in so we provide tons of pamphlets and brochures that cover a wide range of topics for them to use.”
Students interested in transferring to a four-year university after graduating from Tyler Junior College are welcome to use the Resource Room to look for potential transfer universities and apply for admission.
“I give them tips based on things that I’ve seen or experienced and I really want participation so I try to get others to talk about what they’ve experienced too,” Renfro said. “I hope they can take the skills that I talk about and apply them to their résumés or to their interview process and carry that along with them.”
For more information, go to: http://www.tjc.edu/careerservices.
