UTC CCLD Career Guide 2024

CENTER FOR CAREER AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

CAREER

GUIDE

Student Career Guide

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Welcome from the Executive Director Connecting College to Careers

The world of work has changed dramatically over the last few decades, and for the most part it’s changed for the better. Today, careers are filled with endless opportunities, but those opportunities also come with more complications.

Most of us are seeking jobs that excite and fulfill us, where we can use our strengths, find purpose, work flexibly and learn new skills.

We’ve come to expect a lot from our careers and are constantly told to ‘love your job’, ‘follow your dreams’ and ‘live your best life’. But this aspirational advice often feels far removed from our reality.

Sometimes it’s hard to ‘follow your dreams’ when you have rent or a mortgage to pay, a manager to keep happy and expectations from colleagues and friends that you should be always available.

There’s a gap between the promise of work today – a shiny world full of opportunity, creativity and freedom – and the reality of many people’s careers. And building the bridge to this new world of work is going to take more than bite-sized advice, inspirational quotes and clever memes.

So, what does it take? To find happiness in the modern world of work and take control of your career now and in the future, you need to develop a set of five career skills. These skills are: •

Signature Strengths: You’ll need to know what your strengths are and take action to make sure your strengths stand out across everything you do. Gaining experience (broadly) that centers your signature strengths not only presents opportunities to shine, but to contribute in meaningful ways.

•

Values: Identifying what motivates and drives you will help you make the right career decisions and understand other people in a meaningful way.

•

Confidence (self-efficacy): We are all prone to giving our confidence away through undervaluing our abilities, over-representing our abilities or simply withdrawing to safe, small places. By learning how to spot these strategies (e.g., sabotage) you’ll build resilience by focusing on your successes and developing a strong support system.

•

Networking (people helping people): It is important to build relationships in a way that is authentic and true to you, and to learn to build an effective network based on what you can give rather than gain.

•

Directing your exploration of options: A singular career plan is a thing of the past; this skill draws your focus on identifying future possibilities and taking action to explore them in the present.

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Our goal is to equip you with the ideas, tools and actions needed to take control of your own career development. We accomplish this goal through service to an ever-expanding set of stakeholders including you (students), colleagues (staff members, administrative leaders and faculty), and partners external to our college community (members of the civic, non-profit, business and industry communities). Our work carries us across campus, across academic departments and curricula, throughout Chattanooga (a great place to launch) and across Tennessee, the southeastern United States and wherever opportunity and talent intersect.

The work that we pursue with our partners can be mapped to at least one of the following four anchor words: Explore, Discover, Connect and Achieve. As you review this Student Career Guide, I expect that you’ll find content and advice that will prove helpful in taking intentional steps on your career journey. Further, within this resource you’ll find practical starts on preparing resumes and other professional documents, sample interview questions and a few thoughts about your mental health and wellness.

For all the ground we’d like to cover throughout the Student Career Guide, I wouldn’t want you to think that it is a comprehensive resource. Members of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga community, including the Center for Career and Leadership Development, are well-positioned to come alongside as you progress toward your area of contribution. The hardest part of any job search is not necessarily writing an ideal resume, aceing an interview or leveraging the newest productivity technology. The hardest part of the job search is the belief that you must do all of that on your own.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

So, if you are looking for your next inspiration, coffee chat, networking opportunity, mentor, job, career path or mission, we are here to help you FIND YOUR NEXT. The Center for Career and Leadership Development is in the University Center, Suite 108.

Our office is open 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. We can be reached by telephone (423-425-4184), by e-mail (career@utc.edu) and through our website (utc.edu/ccld).

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Table of Contents

Welcome from the Executive Director ��� 3

Connect: Developing Your Resume ��������� 25

Thematic Call-Out ��������������������������������������������� 6

Pairing with Additional Documents ����������������������26

Our Anchor Words ����������������������������������������������������6

Connect: Resume Example ������������������������� 27

Overview of Services ���������������������������������������� 7

Connect: Describing Your Experiences ������� 28

Career Readiness Competencies ���������������������������������9

Connect: Letter Example �������������������������� 31

Explore: Assessments �������������������������������� 11

Connect: Identifying Roles to Target ���� 30

Explore: Tools �������������������������������������������� 12

Connect: Action Verbs ������������������������������� 31

Discover: Signature Strengths ���������������� 13

Achieve: Interviews ����������������������������������� 33

Discover: Career Values ���������������������������� 14

Achieve: Virtual Interviewing ���������������� 39

Discover: Confidence �������������������������������� 16

Achieve: Mental Health and Wellness in

Discover: Career Planning ���������������������� 17

Career Development ���������������������������������������� 43

Discover: Experiences ������������������������������� 18

Achieve: Addressing Imposter Syndrome -

Discover: Developing Professional Habits 19

A Strengths Based Approch �������������������������� 44

Connect: Networking ������������������������������� 21

Achieve: The Internship Dilemma Comfort

Developing a Strategy ����������������������������������������������23

in Challenging Opportunities ���������������������� 47

Connect: Personal Branding Exercise �� 23

Selected Campus-Based Resources ���������������� 48

Connect: Make a Positive Impression ���� 24 UTC Career Guide 2024

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Thematic Call-Out Our Anchor Words The Center for Career and Leadership Development prepares you to identify and leverage your potential while at UTC, and ultimately, when you transition into the workplace.

Explore

Develop self-awareness of your identities, preferences, strengths and interests. Learn about potential career options to inform choices in your academic life, clubs and activities on campus and in the community and your job search. We aid your exploration through: • Career coaching to help you think about your interests and opportunities • Community service options to gain hands-on experience • Industry exploration resources • Employer and alumni events • Major-to-career resources

Discover

Create tailored resumes and cover letters, build a professional online presence, research employers, invest in personally meaningful activities and develop a plan of action. We support your discovery through: • Professional development coaching to get ready for the job and internship search • Practice interviews with career counselors, alumni and local employers • Local engagement with public sector and mission-focused individuals and organizations to surface broader perspective

Connect

Grow your network of support with peers, faculty, alumni and other industry professionals to gather information and advice as you identify and join your emerging career community. We’ll assist you in building connections through: • Career fairs, industry showcases and site visits • Networking events such as alumni engagements and panel presentations • Practice interviews with alumni and other industry professionals • Handshake and LinkedIn workshops and profile reviews • Career coaching on networking strategies and informational interviews

Achieve

Pursue opportunities such as student organizations, internships, jobs, research, study abroad, volunteering and similar activities to develop skills, connections and insight into your potential career options. We’ll celebrate your achievement through: • Academic-sponsored internships and experiential learning • Talent development experiences, intentional workshops and resources • Handshake, career fairs, industry showcases and networking events • Career coaching on job and/or internship search strategies, navigating the workplace and setting goals and priorities 6

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Overview Overview of Services The Center for Career and Leadership Development offers a variety of services for current students, recent graduates and our alumni.

Appointments Individual appointments are available to assist students and alumni with career exploration, decision-making, planning, personal branding, job search strategies, networking and interview skills (including mock interviews), as well as other topics related to career success. It is advisable to request an appointment through Handshake or by contacting the department at 423-425-4184.

Drop-in appointments are offered midday by our Career Peers (student advisors who have been trained in a range of job search techniques) in University Center 108.

Review of Professional Documents Visit us in University Center 108 for assistance with your resume, curriculum vitae, cover letter or essay for graduate school admission. Bring your rough draft to receive a critique from a career peer or schedule an appointment for a more in-depth conversation. To the greatest extent possible, we will assign your document to the staff member or partner with the most applicable expertise.

Job and Internship Listings UTC utilizes Handshake to post jobs and internships along with resources to help you discover employers (company and organization profile pages) and opportunities via virtual information sessions. As a student, you’ll have access to Handshake by authenticating through your UTC ID and network passcode. There are significant benefits to adding Handshake to your toolkit. After creating a personal profile, employers looking for specific skill sets and experiences can message you directly.

Career Fairs and Networking Events Representatives and recruiters from a wide variety of employers attend career events on campus each semester. Their goals are often to interact with students, invite questions and discuss career opportunities within their industry and organization. Students who invest effort in preparation make the most of these events by bringing a prepared resume, a prepared plan, a prepared set of questions and a prepared outfit.

Professional Development Take advantage of opportunities to develop your professional skills through workshops offered by the Center for Career and Leadership Development. You’ll learn how the things you already do on campus shape you as a professional, identify the areas that you could strengthen further, and articulate these abilities when networking with others.

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Explore: Career Readiness Competencies

Career Readiness Competencies The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has surveyed employers for more than 20 years to track which traits and skills are consistently in demand from graduating college students. As this data collection continues, NACE and an organization called SkillSurvey initiated the first phase of an effort to give students, higher education and employers a consistent way to measure competencies related to career readiness. Career Readiness is the attainment and demonstration of requisite competencies (or abilities) that broadly prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace.

Career and Self Development is the proactive development of oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities and networking to build relationships within and external of organization.

Communication involves clearly and effectively exchanging information, ideas, facts and perspectives inside and outside of an organization.

Critical Thinking requires identifying and responding to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and a logical analysis of relevant information.

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Equity and Inclusion is based in a demonstration of awareness, attitude, knowledge and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures.

Leadership recognizes and capitalizes on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals. Further, the ethical exercise of leadership involves an ability to inspire, persuade and motivate self and others under a shared vision.

Professionalism begins with knowing that work environments differ greatly, that individuals should understand and demonstrate effective work habits and act in the interest of the greater community and workplace.

Teamwork requires that individuals build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.

Technology includes understanding and leveraging technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks and accomplish goals. It also involves the management of technology to integrate information to support relevant, effective and timely decision-making.

With these skills in mind, what do you have to offer an employer?

Take some time to brainstorm and identify your strongest skill sets along with a few examples of

how you have displayed them in the classroom or in a work environment.

Signature Strengths: _________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

Examples of Use: ___________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

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Explore: Assessments Assessments Taking a self-assessment is one way to determine how your specific skills and abilities might fit into a successful career path. While there are many assessments available today, the Center for Career and Leadership Development primarily endorses the FOCUS 2, which you can access at utc.edu/focus2.

The FOCUS 2 is a web-based college major and career exploration tool that may be useful throughout your college experience and into your early career. This assessment can help you: • • • • •

Understand the specific steps of the career planning process Explore academic majors that match your interests and support your career goals Discover career fields and occupations that appeal to your interests Make informed decisions about your academic major and career experiences Plan for advanced education and training to transition into specialized occupations

A few other assessments to consider are the Self-Directed Search based on Holland typology, the Career Thoughts Inventory (cognitive information processing theory) and strengths-based approaches drawing on life planning, positive psychology and appreciative inquiry processes.

The Self-Directed Search is a career assessment and exploration tool that matches your aspirations, activities and talents to the career choices and educational opportunities that fit you best. John Holland’s research states that people and work environments can be classified according to six basic types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional.

The Career Thoughts Inventory is a theory-based assessment and intervention resource intended to improve thinking in career problem solving and decision making. The CTI is based on cognitive information-processing theory, which states that effective career decision making requires effective processing of information in the four processing domains of self-knowledge, occupational knowledge, decision-making skills and executive processing (self-talk, self-awareness, monitoring and control).

Strengths-based approaches are not traditional career assessments but can offer meaningful insights into the parts of your personality that make you feel authentic and engaged. Understanding and applying your strengths can help boost confidence, reduce stress, increase happiness, accomplish goals, strengthen relationships, build meaning and purpose, manage problems and improve work performance.

If interested, please contact our office to select, participate and debrief findings/results.

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Explore: Tools What Can I Do With This Major?

Whether you’re exploring academic majors or searching for information about your chosen field, "What Can I Do With This Major?" is a terrific tool to help you connect majors to careers. Learn about typical career areas and types of employers that hire graduates within your current or prospective academic major. Further, students report how much they enjoy brainstorming the range of employers accessible from their academic training.

Students can interact with this tool at utc.edu/ccld.

O*Net Resource Center The U.S. Department of Labor maintains an impressive tool for career exploration and job analysis called O*Net OnLine. This tool offers students detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development and human resources professionals, students, researchers and more. Find, search, or browse across more than 900 occupations based on your goals and needs. Then use comprehensive, standardized reports to learn about entry requirements, characteristics and available opportunities for your selected occupation. Students can filter results by a variety of factors including occupations with a bright outlook (projected to have high demand/growth), career clusters (affiliated or related occupations), industry and cross-functional skills. Additional functionality allows military service members to translate their military occupational classification (Air Force AFSC; Army MOS; Coast Guard Ratings; Marine Corps MOS; Navy Ratings; Space Force SFSC into civilian occupational categories through crosswalks.

Access this tool at onetonline.org.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor is the principal federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions and price changes in the economy. The bureau’s mission is to collect, analyze and disseminate essential economic information to support public and private decision making. As an independent statistical agency, BLS serves its diverse user communities by providing services that are accurate, objective, timely and accessible.

Access this tool at bls.gov.

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Discover: Signature Strengths

Signature Strengths (An article from Christian Henderson, Assistant Director, Student Career Engagement)

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•

You have a sense of energy and engagement

•

You often lose your sense of time because you are so engrossed in the task

•

You rapidly learn new information

•

You want to do things that utilize your strengths, even when you are tired and stressed

Take a moment to make a list of your skills. Think about what you do well or what others identify as your skills.

Skills: ____________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Now go back and see if these are also strengths. Then consider the following: •

Does your major align with your skills and strengths? How about your career fields of interest?

•

How are you currently spending time in your areas of strength?

• What can you do to capitalize on your areas of strength? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

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Discover: Career Values Career Values (An article by Jon Daniel, Career Counselor)

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Discover: Confidence Confidence Rosabeth Moss Kanter states that, “to get a more confident you – or a more confident company, community, family or team – first know what gets in the way. The best resolutions will go nowhere without the confidence to stick with them.”

Confidence is an expectation of a positive outcome.

It is not a personality trait; rather, it is an assessment of a situation that sparks motivation. If you possess confidence, you’ll be motivated to put in the effort, to invest the time and resources and to persist in reaching the goal. It isn’t the confidence itself that produces success; it’s the investment and the effort.

There are at least eight traps that neutralize your confidence. They are:

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•

Self-defeating assumptions: You think that you can’t, so you don’t. It’s one thing to be realistic, it’s quite another to behave like you’ve lost before entering the game.

•

Goals that are too big or too distant: Requiring bold and audacious goals can undermine confidence. The gap between a giant goal and today’s reality can prove to be depressing and demotivating. Confidence comes from small wins that occur repeatedly, with each small step moving you closer to the big goal.

•

Declaring victory too soon: In 2017, the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots met in Super Bowl 51. The Falcons built an early lead and, for some reason, changed their approach. Little by little, the Patriots drew closer and closer until they held the Lombardi trophy high as World Champions. Step-by step discipline builds confidence.

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Do-it-Yourself'ing: It’s a trap to think you can go it alone, without a support system and without supporting others. To build your confidence, think about building the confidence of others and creating a culture in which everyone is more likely to succeed.

•

Blaming someone else: Confidence rests on taking responsibility for your own behavior.

Even in difficult circumstances, we have choices about how to respond to adversity. When the blame game is carried out within groups, everyone loses confidence. Confidence is the art of moving on.

•

Defensiveness: It’s one thing to listen and respond to critics and another to answer them before they’ve done anything. Don’t defend yourself if you’re not being attacked. Apologize for your mistakes, but don’t apologize for who or what you are.

•

Neglecting to anticipate setbacks: Confidence involves a dose of reality. It is not blind optimism, thinking that everything will be fine no matter what. Confidence stems from knowing that there will be mistakes, problems and small losses en route to big wins.

Confidence grows when you look at what can go wrong, think through alternatives and feel you are prepared for what might happen.

•

Overconfidence: Confidence is a sweet spot between despair and arrogance. Arrogance and complacency lead to neglect of the basics, deaf ears to critics, and blindness to the forces of change. A little humility goes a long way to moderate arrogance and keeps just the right amount of confidence.

Discover: Career Planning Career Advising Consistently meeting with a Career Counselor provides you the opportunity to discuss interests, insights and information that will help you reach confident decisions in your career planning process. A working relationship with a Career Counselor (or similar professional) can help you prepare for the range of emotions frequently found within a job or internship search, develop professional documents such as a resume or cover letter and enhance your interview skills.

Career Mapping Career mapping encourages you to identify your long-term goals and create a path to reach them. Depending on your timeframe, you might choose to use academic years as milestones (first-year, second-year, third-year, etc You might also consider using five-year milestones or even longer. If you do select a longer span between milestones, we’d recommend seeking out a great deal of information from professionals and alumni in your chosen career field.

A direct, three-step approach to beginning a career mapping process involves: • • •

Exploring your interests and strengths and where they might align with an employment environment cause, industry, organization or role Engage experienced people (professionals, alumni, faculty) who are equipped to point out the best practices to include and the potholes to avoid Dedicate considerable energy to inventory your current knowledge, skills and abilities and identify desirable qualities to add along your path

Visit the Center for Career and Leadership Development for assistance with the mapping process.

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Discover: Experiences Experiences

Internships

Ideas and skills obtained in the classroom are put into practice (and advanced through your experiences. These experiences can take a variety of forms, each of which can uniquely add to the likelihood of your success. Ideally, students will be enriched from every intentional experience.

Though, not every experience contributes equally.

A good goal, therefore, is to pursue a diverse set of experiences from shadowing a clinician, completing an internship with a local business, leading a student organization, contributing to faculty-led research or volunteering with a nonprofit.

An internship is a professional learning experience that offers meaningful, practical work related to a student’s field of study or career interest. An internship gives a student the opportunity for career exploration, work context familiarization and the development of new career skills. Further, employers frequently use internship programs as an important part of their talent programs when they select new employees. Please realize that as you bring new ideas and energy into an employer’s workplace you are potentially engaged in an extended job application process.

Experiential Learning

Cooperative Education (Co-op)

Experiential learning is a hands-on way to practice and further develop professional skills. While many apply this term to traditional internship and cooperative education experiences, it also applies to job shadowing, volunteer work and extracurricular involvement. The ThinkAchieve program at UTC, for example, helps students go beyond the classroom and learn by doing.

Cooperative Education or co-op is a structured method program that offers students the opportunity to alternate periods of academic study with periods of work closely related to their major field of study. The combination of academic study and work produces an overall learning experience that offers students grounding in their field and important direction in their career development.

These co-op programs require more planning than anticipated by most students. Advanced and early planning processes are strongly recommended between faculty, academic advisor, and career services professionals.

Job Shadowing College students preparing to embark on careers can try out jobs by visiting workplaces and observing what goes on there. This experience can be just as valuable for established job seekers and alumni considering changing careers. If you know you want to change careers but are not sure what career is right for you, job shadowing can give you a taste of what various careers are like from the inside. By experiencing a workplace first-hand, you can learn a great deal more about a career than you can through research in print or online publications. Like any experiential effort, you’ll need to allocate time, planning and strategy to get the most benefit.

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Community Service and Volunteering Volunteer work, whether in addition to a current job or an activity between jobs, shows an employer that you are willing to try new experiences, be involved in your community and generally demonstrates a willingness to take initiative and make things happen.

UTC regularly coordinates community service and volunteering opportunities and holds this type of experiential learning in high regard. A solid way to identify opportunities is to begin networking with others in areas of interest.

Discover: Developing Professional Habits Developing Professional Habits While participating in these experiences, it is important to develop and demonstrate good professional habits.

Consistently deploying these habits and adding to them as you advance in your career will provide both a meaningful and impactful career you’ll love.

1.

Arrive at work on time and ready to work, practicing timely notification when infrequent absences and delays are required.

2.

Identify the objectives of your position or role and how they fit into or contribute to the mission of the organization.

3.

Treat everyone with respect regardless of their status or position.

4.

Be aware of office politics and internal dynamics, and careful about choosing sides without personally exploring what is at stake.

5.

Learn the spoken and unspoken rules regarding punctuality, phone usage and meal breaks.

6.

Communicate with your supervisor and team members openly and consistently invite feedback.

7.

Find a tactful way to limit exposure to colleagues who have a negative attitude toward the organization, members of the organization or aspects of the work.

8.

Network with everyone and avoid cliques or insulated groups. Remember the broader the network, the greater the quantity and quality of opportunities.

9.

Make yourself visible by getting away from your desk or work area and make connections with others.

10. Participate in ongoing professional development (compliance-related and skill-building) and continued education. Take pride in your capacity to be productive.

11. Leverage your interpersonal skills to connect with colleagues, customers and others on a professional or personal level.

12. Demonstrate a team orientation by publicly supporting the direction taken and privately seeking out opportunities to have matters clarified.

13. Become familiar with and follow the office dress code. It might be hard to spot at first but aim for slightly more formal than you think.

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Connect: Networking

Developing a Strategy Most job candidates are invited to interview for new opportunities through relationships and connections.

Your chances of having your resume reviewed and being asked to interview improve dramatically if recruiters recognize your name, your alma mater, your degree program or the skills and abilities reflected in your current or prior experiences. Another way to tilt the odds in your favor is to have a shared acquaintance or colleague recommend that they look at your resume and qualifications.

Building Connections There are several ways to build and leverage connections as a part of your successful job or internship search.

First, determine that your primary motivation to build connections or a professional network is to gather information. Second, look for meaningful ways to add value or express your genuine appreciation to your connections. Your networking efforts will sour if you begin viewing others as transactions or simply as means toward an end.

Be intentional about the professional relationships you develop. Seek connections with people who share your career interests and a similar desire to achieve personal goals. After you’ve established a network, stay engaged with them on a regular basis, sharing pertinent information with them and offering support and celebration accordingly. Fellow students, alumni, faculty and staff may serve as a link to your next job or opportunity.

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Informational Interviews This is one of the absolute best ways to build a connection, learn about careers of interests and help to identify strong career options for your consideration. Identify people in roles that interest you and request a 20-minute conversation where you ask job- or role-related questions. This conversation should be focused on gathering information, narrowing down career options and building your network. Please recognize that the members of your network that you might approach are likely very busy. Recognize the unique service you are asking them to provide and plan out six or seven great questions to frame your time together. As you express your gratitude, you might want to ask for them to recommend another professional to speak with – inviting their assistance in connecting. Our alumni are usually eager to help current students with this type of interaction.

Networking Some students find networking intimidating and miss out on the opportunity to connect with others as a result. While personal experiences vary, a brief thought about your approach and some accessible scripts might encourage you to start reaching out.

Like anything else in life, your mindset or thoughts about a particular activity will influence your experience. If you apply a lot of pressure to networking opportunities, you’ll likely be viewed as “pushy”, “transactional” or “nervous”. On the other hand, if you look at social and professional events to meet new people and engage with their interests, chances are excellent that you’ll realize more fun and benefit from attending. A second thought to consider: Usually, people you are meeting with have some commonality. It might be that you both attend/attended UT-Chattanooga, study/studied Chemistry, volunteer with environmental issues and love to eat pasta at Tony’s on the Northshore. You might even find that you both aren’t natural networkers and can pair up around that theme.

To start networking, all you need to do is smile and start talking. Develop an opening statement, sometimes referred to as an elevator pitch or 30-second commercial, consisting of your interests, unique skills and experiences and what you are looking to learn.

In a career-connecting context (career fair, industry panel, guest speaker, employer event on campus), consider some of these elements: • Who are you? (Your name, hometown, university and major) • What led you to choose UTC and your major?

• What sparked your curiosity to attend this event?

• What is your career goal or next step in your career search?

• What are some of your related achievements and accomplishments?

• What do you know about a specific industry, career family and company?

• Why are you interested in that specific industry, topic and company?

• What skills, knowledge,and experience do you bring to the company?

• Why should a company/recruiter be interested in what you can do?

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Connect: Personal Branding Exercise Personal Branding Exercise What is your personal brand?

Each interaction you have with others could create a memorable experience, teaching them what they can expect from you. Being consistent in delivering those experiences builds a strong reputation. Delivering your personal brand clearly across a wide audience helps open doors to opportunities. Specifically, incorporating personal brand elements throughout your professional documents, during interview contexts and throughout your career will uniquely contribute to your professional identity.

Your brand becomes a personal calling card – a unique promise of value and a distinct and authentic representation of yourself.

Building a personal brand requires an investment of time and focused effort. Use the following exercise to practice.

Report • • • • •

Which strengths do others acknowledge and recognize in you?

When working on a team, what roles do you seek to fulfill or contribute through?

When faced with an overwhelming obstacle, what are your “go-to” skills to overcome it?

What was the most successful project you’ve ever tackled and what made you successful?

What was the most important team role you’ve ever fulfilled or served through and why?

Reflect • • • • • •

Which strengths and skills came up repeatedly?

Which are your motivating skills – the skills that excite you?

Which are your burnout skills – the skills that you’ve mastered but would rather not use every day?

Which strengths and skills are going to be most helpful in achieving your career goals?

Which skills are missing currently?

Which skills would you like to build but haven’t had the opportunity to develop yet?

Reach Invite friends, professors, advisors and others within your community of support to weigh in on your report and reflect sections. Compare their responses to your own self-assessment.

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Connect: Make a Positive Impression Approximately half of all employment rejections are based on personal presentation. That presentation has a lot to do with sharing a prepared resume and responding well to interview questions. A third aspect of your presentation is whether you are interacting with others with a prepared outfit.

You might be familiar with terms like business professional or business casual, but pulling together an outfit can seem out of reach. Here are some guidelines to consider. Remember, you can look like a million bucks without spending much money at all.

Business Professional Attire – Typically worn in more formal events and occasions like interviews and career fairs.

The Outfit • •

Matching two-piece dark-colored suit (black, blue, grey, oftentimes solid, although subtle patterns and stripes work best) Tailored and conservative shirt/blouse, trousers or skirts.

Accessories • • • •

Conservative tie or bow tie (some personality can be shown here) Minimal jewelry, fragrance and makeup Piercing and tattoo coverage should align with company standards Carry a portfolio, professional bag or simple purse

Shoes • •

Polished dress shoes matched to belt color. No sneakers or open-toed shoes Dark or neutral socks or hosiery

Business Casual Attire – Typically worn in meetings, when working as an intern or social events

with employers and prospective employers

The Outfit • • •

Top and bottom do not necessarily need to match, and more color is acceptable Shirts/pants or skirts/dresses still need to be pressed and appear wrinkle-free Fit and length should be conservative

Accessories • • •

Tie/bow tie do not necessarily need to match, and more colors are acceptable (if worn at all) More freedom with jewelry, but still wear jewelry, fragrance and makeup in moderation Piercing and tattoo coverage should still align with company standards

Shoes •

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Open-toed shoes acceptable in some settings

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Connect: Developing Your Resume Developing Your Resume Four truths about your resume: 1.

2.

3.

4.

The purpose of the resume is to win you an interview not a job The resume serves as a marketing tool, not a work history The resume conveys your highlights quickly on a one-page document Consists of directly related competencies or clearly transferable skills

Designing a Winning Resume Format • • • • •

•

Balance the text with open white space on the page Keep the important information on the left-hand side toward the top Font size is consistent (between 10- and 12-point font); margins are also consistent ½ inch to 1 inch Within your contact block, your name should be in a larger font Provide only one phone number and e-mail address (ensure that they are monitored regularly); list your city and state but do not include your physical address Permittable to share a LinkedIn URL or personal portfolio if it is representative of your best, recent efforts

Education • •

• • • •

List the current degree you are completing or have recently completed Omit your high school information unless you are a recent high school graduate or if the high school experience is directly related to your targeted position Write out the full name of your degree program (i.e., Bachelor of Science is better than BS on your resume – pun intended!)

Share the correct name of your major/minor/concentration including the month and year the degree was conferred or is anticipated Scholarships, achievements and honors can be mentioned in this section Specific class titles, presentations and research should be incorporated as well

Experience • • • • •

•

Customize headings and organize sections as they relate to the targeted position List your most current position and work in a reverse chronological order Experiences can be paid and unpaid; volunteer experience is also valuable to include Descriptive statements should be focused on your accomplishments and transferable skills Utilize consistent tense, (i.e., past-tense verbs for prior experiences, present-tense verbs for current experiences) Statements are written without personal pronouns (I, me, my, our, us)

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Pairing with Additional Documents Cover Letters and Follow-Up Letters • • •

Compose a one-page letter, tailored to the targeted position and organization, describing the reason for your interest and why you’re a valuable contributor Demonstrate your knowledge of the organization and how your abilities align with its mission Express appreciation for their review and ask for an opportunity to discuss the targeted position further

References • •

• • •

References should be on a separate page and only provided when requested Provide a list of three or four professional references; individuals who have experience with you and your abilities Ensure the individuals you list as references are comfortable with you listing them, that they know about your career interests and that can offer a strong reference when needed Include name, job title, company name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, your relationship to them and the length of time they’ve known you Notify your references when you apply for a position and offer to provide them a copy of your resume as well as the position description for the targeted role

Connect: Resume Example Resume Example First Name City, State E-mail Phone Number

OBJECTIVE

Concise statement of your career goals, position sought and industry of interest

EDUCATION

Name of Current Institution (fully written out) Degree Title (fully written out) • • •

Anticipated Graduation Month Year City, State

GPA (if above 3.0 or required within the application) List recognition of institutional awards (e.g., Dean’s List) with Month/Semester Year List course titles that are related to the targeted position

Repeat similar content using the exact format for other schools attended or study abroad experiences. High school content should be selectively utilized in this section

EXPERIENCE

Job Title or Position Held Name of Company/Organization • • •

Month Year – Month Year/Current City, State

Use the PAR Method (Problem – Action – Result) to develop concise statements about your activities in this role (be careful to be mindful of the correct tense) Explain the skills and achievements from each previous position as they relate to the targeted position Include quantified statements (e.g., increased sales, decreased defects) when possible

Repeat similar content using the exact format from prior experiences Do not overlook volunteer or unpaid experiences Do not “stretch” your descriptions or job title

SKILLS

List relevant skills: technical (computer languages, specific equipment, etc.) and language with a self-assessed level of knowledge (e.g., beginner, intermediate, advanced, fluent, native)

LICENSES/CERTIFICATION

List relevant licenses and certifications (e.g., software training, CPR, etc.), the issuing authority, the active period (Month Year awarded and any expiration date)

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Connect: Describing Your Experiences Customizing your professional documents (resume and cover letter for each targeted position you are pursuing requires time and effort, but the effectiveness of this approach pays off.

By utilizing a technique known as PAR Method (Problem - Action - Result) you can clearly connect with what an employer or recruiter is looking for in the right candidate.

• • •

•

Describe a PROBLEM (P) that you faced within a current or prior experience.

Describe, with a good amount of detail, the ACTION (A) you took in that situation. This statement should include a very strong active verb in the corresponding tense.

Share the RESULT (R) or the outcome of your action by quantifying your result when possible. You might not be able to easily quantify every action. Can you identify the number of clients served, amount of dollars saved, the percentage increase in productivity, the percentage increase on social media reach campaigns?

Transfer the ACTION (A) taken on the PROBLEM (P) with the measurable RESULT (R) realized.

As an example, the student organization that you serve is interested in increasing membership. Prior efforts at brainstorming ideas and collaborating with other organizations have yielded minimal gains. You volunteered to develop a quick survey to collect information from prospective members about the types of events they’d be more likely to attend.

Sample: Designed and administered a survey of potential members using Google Forms to identify two social programs and an educational program which resulted in a 32% increase in attendance during the spring 2023 semester.

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Connect: Letter Example Cover Letter Example Your Current Address City, State Zip Code Date of Letter Name of Recipient Title Company/Organization Street Address City, State Zip Code Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name: First Paragraph: Open your letter with a brief, warm greeting. Identify the position you are applying for or the career area of interest. Explain how you heard about the job opening or organization.

Second Paragraph: Identify your skills (direct or transferable) as they relate to the targeted position or area of interest. This is an opportunity to display your knowledge of the organization, industry or area. Describe the ways you can help the organization meet its stated goals and objectives. Do not simply restate the facts you plan on sharing in your resume.

Third Paragraph: Offer evidence why you believe you are a good fit for the targeted position. This is an opportunity to state your case that you are better prepared than other candidates. Include interesting and unique details while remaining professional and relevant to the targeted position/organization.

Fourth Paragraph: Refer the reader to the enclosed application and resume. Close the letter with a statement conveying your strong interest in pursuing the next step in the process. Ask for an interview or chance to discuss the targeted position further. Include your telephone number and e-mail address for contact purposes. Finally, express sincere appreciation for their consideration of your materials and candidacy.

Sincerely, Handwritten Signature (optional for electronic submissions Typed Name

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Connect: Identifying Roles to Target Identifying Roles to Target Hockey great Wayne Gretzky said that you’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Some shots you’ll take and not make because you might be shooting at the wrong net (applying for the wrong jobs.) Following this exercise will help to increase your odds at targeting the right positions and roles.

1.

Print out a desired job description.

2.

Highlight the skills you possess (and can tell a persuasive story about you application of those skills) mentioned on the job description. a. Make sure you include these skills prominently on your resume, cover letter and application materials. b. If you don’t include them on your documents, employers won’t know you have these desired skills and experiences.

3.

Underline the skills mentioned on the job description that you do not possess or do not possess in enough quantity, quality or context. a.

If the majority of the job description is now underlined, chances are good that you won’t be very competitive for this position. b.

You can move on to another position and repeat or you could keep this record as a personal development plan if interest remains strong. (“I really think that I could be good in this job. I’ll spend some time developing these skills and apply when I have acquired them.”)

4.

Circle all the action verbs you find on the job description (e.g., research, design, create, lead, promote). a. This will give you a good idea of what actions you’ll be expected to do. b. Connect the dots for the employer and use the same action verbs to start your bullet point descriptions within your experiences.

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Connect: Action Verbs Action Verbs Action verbs should be fully utilized in your professional documents (resume, cover- and networking-letters).

They convey active engagement and involvement while describing your capacity to produce meaningful results within a given context or environment. Ensure that you apply the appropriate tense to the verb present tense for current activity and past tense for prior efforts.

Management and Leadership Skills Administered Analyzed Assigned Attained Chaired Contracted

Communication Addressed Arbitrated Arranged Authored Corresponded Developed

Research Clarified Collected Critiqued

Technical Skills Assembled Built Calculated

Teaching Adapted Advised Clarified Coached

Organizational Approved Arranged Catalogued Categorize Classified

Consolidated Coordinated Delegated Developed Engaged Evaluated

Improved Increased Organized Planned Produced Recommended

Reviewed Scheduled Strengthened Supervised

Directed Drafted Edited Enlisted Formulated Influenced

Interpreted Lectured Mediated Moderated Motivated Negotiated

Persuaded Promoted Publicized Recruited Spoke Translated

Evaluated Examined Extracted

Inspected Interpreted Investigated

Reviewed Summarized Surveyed

Computed Designed Engineered

Fabricated Maintained Operated

Programmed Solved Upgraded

Communicated Coordinated Developed Enabled

Encouraged Explained Guided Informed

Instructed Persuaded Set Goals Stimulated

Collected Compiled Corresponded Distributed Filed

Incorporated Inspected Logged Maintained Operated

Provided Purchased Reviewed Verified UTC Career Guide 2024

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Financial

Administered Allocated Analyzed Appraised

Creative

Acted Conceptualized Created Designed Developed

Helping Assessed Assisted Clarified Coached

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Audited Balanced Budgeted Calculated

Computed Developed Forecasted Managed

Marketed Projected Researched

Directed Established Fashioned Founded Illustrated

Instituted Integrated Introduced Invented Originated

Performed Planned Revitalized Shaped

Counseled Demonstrated Diagnosed Educated

Expedited Facilitated Familiarized Guided

Referred Rehabilitated Represented

Achieve: Interviews Interviews Preparing for Interviews Interviews can take place over several different platforms (phone, virtual or in-person and some employers design processes with numerous rounds of interviews to identify their ideal candidate.

The Purpose of Interviewing •

•

•

To accurately assess competency (your ability to perform the role), fit (the degree which you project to contribute to the existing organization) and motivation (the degree which you are engaged and genuinely interested in the role/ organization) To gather information, clarify specific needs and requirements and to establish rapport (early seeds of a positive working relationship) Don’t overlook the opportunity presented to determine if this role/ position and organization is a good fit for you as well

Research Yourself • • •

Think through how your strengths, values, interests and experiences can be transferred to and relied upon in the position; the exercises found in this Student Guide are a great place to start this process If you are unsure about your values, interests and ability to share them confidently with an employer, please contact the Center for Career and Leadership Development for an appointment Requesting and participating in a practice interview can offer a lot of benefit if you are uncomfortable or lack experience in this context

Review Your Achievements • • •

Create a list, including work products and examples, of all your experiences to date Reflect on class requirements and projects (especially group-based projects) to complement your list of experiences In addition to the experiences gained through internships and paid jobs, consider volunteer service, campus engagement and community service to take a broader perspective UTC Career Guide 2024

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Learn about the Career Field, Company/Organization and Targeted Position • • • •

Conduct your research by accessing company websites, job descriptions, Handshake, LinkedIn, articles, professional associations and online research materials If you are even loosely connected to a member of the targeted organization, attempt to speak with them and get an “inside” view into the company The more you know and understand about a company, industry, market or role, the better an impression you will make Ensure that you have a clear understanding of the targeted job description and the sought-after skills and experiences

Practice Probable and Potential Interview Questions • • • •

Identify a list of desired skills and qualifications the target position states as required and preferred For each required and most of the preferred skills and qualifications, develop a strong example from your achievements to reinforce your claims to possess the skill or qualification Craft genuine stories/accounts with these details Schedule a practice interview with the Center for Career and Leadership Development or another trusted individual

Develop Questions to Ask the Employer • • • •

Aim to craft three to five questions that can’t be easily answered by a review of published information Increasingly, employers describe this as a non-negotiable element to strong interviewing…meaning, if you want to stand out as a preferred candidate, do your homework and ask meaningful questions In addition to actively listening to the responses, find ways to turn responses back into opportunities to convey additional evidence of your skills and experiences You’ve worked hard inside and outside of the classroom to develop some real marketable skills. You’ve spent hours developing a winning resume and had it reviewed by peers and Center for Career and Leadership Development team. You’ve put yourself out there to network and make some connections in your field of interest. Be sure you are ready to seize an opportunity through solid interviewing!

Answering Questions During an Interview • • • •

Offer specific responses to the specific questions Provide detail-rich examples and be prepared to support your responses with additional information Be concise in your responses and avoid rambling; keep your answers to approximately two minutes Acquire comfort with the PAR method (Problem – Action – Result) when asked behavioral questions – this method will keep you on track and enable you to deliver your best talking points

The PAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question. It is demonstrated when you share a specific problem, the action or actions taken in response and the results generated by your activity.

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A recommended diagram would involve spending 30% of your response detailing the problem faced, 50% of your response describing your action or actions taken and 20% of your total response time sharing the results you were able to generate.

Read through the following example: P

The restaurant I worked at was having trouble attracting new customers to a second local location. My task was to generate strategies and incentives to increase awareness of the restaurant and attract new customers.

A

I designed a marketing campaign utilizing both flyers and social media to promote the brand and second location. Through these marketing plans, I developed themed events to connect our restaurant to potential customers in the community. I also persuaded the restaurant owner to co-sponsor a community event where we shared samples of our food and gave away event-specific incentive cards for a free item on a pre-selected menu.

R

By engaging more community members through these new initiatives, the restaurant was able to increase the number of new customers by 25% over a 120-day period from July – October 2023.

Questions to Prepare

Employers want to know if you possess the skills and competencies needed to perform successfully on the job and contribute positively to their organization. Prepare to respond to the following questions:

Personal • • • • • • • • • • • •

Tell me about yourself What do you like to do in your spare time?

Why did you choose to interview with our organization?

What are your greatest strengths? Weaknesses?

How do you think your friends would describe you?

Define success? Failure?

Share a misstep. What did you learn from it?

Which achievements are you most proud of?

What motivates you most in a job?

Talk about getting along with a difficult co-worker, supervisor or professor.

What do you know about our organization (products or services)?

Where do you want to be in five years? Ten years?

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Education • • • • • • • •

Why did you choose your major?

Why did you choose to attend your university?

Did you receive a good education? In what ways?

In which campus activities did you participate? Tell me about why you chose those activities.

Which classes did you like best? Least? Why? If you were to start over, what would you change about your education?

Do your grades accurately reflect your ability? Explain.

Were you financially responsible for any portion of your college education?

Experience • • • • • •

What job-related skills have you developed?

What did you learn from your current and previous work experiences?

Give an example of a time you provided a solution to an employer.

Give an example of a time in which you worked under deadline pressure.

Have you ever done any volunteer work? If so, what type of volunteering would you enjoy doing?

How would a former supervisor describe your work?

Behavioral Interview Questions Many employers ask behavioral-based questions to probe your past behaviors in jobs, classrooms, group projects and activities. As you listen to the question, think about what quality or skill they are evaluating and utilize the PAR method (Problem – Action – Result) to respond.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • 36

What are the biggest challenges encountered in college?

Share an example of when you refused to give up.

When your priorities are changed by someone else, how do you adjust to remain productive?

Tell me about your method for personal organization and time management.

Tell me about a time you were faced with conflicting priorities.

Describe a time a presentation went extremely well. How did you know?

Tell me about a time you were suddenly called on or asked to be a leader.

Tell me the most unpopular decision you had to make and why you chose to make it. What was the outcome?

Tell me about a time you inspired someone toward some goal achievement.

Share a time when you recruited someone to help you with a project.

Tell me about a time when you were dissatisfied with the performance of someone who worked with you on a project. What did you do?

Give a specific example of something you did that helped build enthusiasm in others.

Tell me about a time that you had to handle multiple responsibilities. How did you organize the work you needed to do?

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Achieve: Informational Interviews

Informational Interviews Informational interviews allow you to explore your field of career interest, organizations and positions through a structured conversation with a professional in the field. It is your responsibility to take the initiative and act to identify an individual, set up the interview and prepare potential questions.

How to Set Up an Informational Interview • •

Identify an individual by connecting with and through family, friends, neighbors, alumni and professors.

Send a note through e-mail, Handshake, LinkedIn or Connect UT requesting a brief informational interview.

Reassure them that you have a few questions that you’d like to invite their perspective in the interest of clarifying or discovering new information. Emphasize that you are primarily interested in gathering information and that you do not have an expectation of a job offer.

What to Include in Your Request for an Informational Interview • •

A brief introduction (networking opener) and why you are interested in meeting Request their availability to meet and give days/times that you are available – remember to remain flexible UTC Career Guide 2024

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Before the Informational Interview • • •

Prepare as if it were a job interview by conducting research on the company/organization and the career field of interest.

Develop five to seven well-thought-out questions. These will demonstrate your interest in the process.

Further, they will also keep you organized during the exchange in the event of anxiety.

Bring a portfolio with a tailored/reviewed resume if they request one. If the meeting goes well, you might consider asking them to review it and provide feedback. If the meeting goes exceptionally well, they might be willing to endorse you as a candidate for open roles of interest.

During the Informational Interview • • • •

First impressions count! Depending on your field of interest and relationship, dress in business casual or professional attire.

Arrive early, make comfortable eye contact, offer a warm greeting and appreciate their willingness to meet.

Clearly show your interest and enthusiasm in the individual, the company or organization and the career field you’re discussing.

Don’t waste time – their time or your time by being prepared and writing out discussion questions beforehand

After the Informational Interview • • • •

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Evaluate the interview and review the notes that you took during your conversation Think about how the information you gather can help you move forward in your career journey?

Follow-up on suggestions offered by your connection including reading new materials, attending meetings and reaching out to other individuals referred to during the meeting Send a timely, professional thank you letter or e-mail sharing your appreciation for their time and perspectives

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Achieve: Virtual Interviewing Virtual Interviewing Interviewing over technology has been around for several years. Employers have increasingly relied on these platforms to conduct important tasks including internal team meetings and interviews used to select new hires.

1. Conduct a Zoom Run-Through •

•

From entering the virtual room, muting yourself and determining where you should (and should not) be looking during any interview, be sure to run through this with a friend or a member of the Center for Career and Leadership Development. Download Zoom (or another video conferencing platform) and dig in.

Be sure to record these run-throughs! Taking this step can help you pay attention to what you were doing throughout the call. You’ll be in a better position to assess your performance and refine your approach on the next run-through.

2. Split Your Screen • • •

Reduce the size of your Zoom screen and place it on the left-hand side of your screen. Pull up a Word document on your right to take notes.

Taking this step can help you avoid having to switch tabs on your computer to find the right file.

Your prepared questions and brilliant answers will be sitting right there for you on your desktop.

3. Review Your Profile Name • • •

You can change the name that the recruiter sees by clicking on your box, hitting the three dots and renaming your profile.

If you use a nickname, include them here to contribute to a sense of comfortable rapport. Consider also including your pronouns beside your name.

Add your educational credentials (e.g., Joe Scott, MBA or Shelly Green, Ph.D.) as well – after all, you’ve worked hard for them

4. Stage Your Background • • •

Your background is an accessory and needs to be planned out in advance You can use a plain wall, a wall with a carefully curated collection of books and photos or a virtual Zoom background Just remember, your goal with your background should be to compliment without distracting; if your set-up is more interesting than your responses, things aren’t going well

5. Dress Professionally • •

Yes, it is still an interview…professional interview attire is expected, so forego the shorts and pajama pants Get dressed up as if you were walking out to an in-person meeting. Your clothes impact your confidence, and your confidence impacts your performance.

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CAREERS

That Make A Difference!

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GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Minimum GED or high school diploma Good interpersonal skills Good problem-solving skills Positive attitude Desire to help individuals Passion to make a difference!

APPLY NOW www.highlandrivers.org/careers 706-270-5000 ex: 1124 1501 N. Tibbs Rd. Dalton, GA 30720

OUR ADVANTAGES Great benefits 401K package Flexible hours JOIN OUR TEAM! Our person-centered approach to care is an important reason why we attract highly-skilled employees who have a passion for their job. This is more than just a job: we are a compassionate community safety net helping people in need of care.

6. Prepare Your Answers •

•

There is a list of sample questions that you might be asked provided below – use them to prepare: o Tell me about yourself. o Why did you leave your last job? o Why do you want this job? o And that one question you really hope they won’t ask (hint: they will) …prepare for all of them Prepare in advance with notes, hints, and key phrases on your open document on the right-hand side of your computer monitor. However, make sure you don’t read off of them like a script!

7. Think Like a Consultant • • •

Imagine that you are a business owner being brought in to solve a problem for a client A good consultant listens and probes for key information to truly understand how they can add value This enables you to generate a proactive, not reactive, job search mindset

8. Create a Meaningful Follow-Up • •

Thank you letters should be both meaningful and polite Re-think the thank you letter – this is another opportunity for you to influence the recruiter’s decision by providing thoughtful feedback about specific issues they’re facing or illuminate strengths and abilities overlooked in the interview

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Achieve: Mental Health and Wellness in Career Development An article by Jon Daniel, Career Counselor In modern Western society we have come to value self-sacrifice that borders on self-abuse. It is common to hear workers boasting about their long hours of work, short hours of sleep, skipping meals and so on, all in the name of work productivity. It is not surprising that the term burnout is also being talked about as well.

The term “work life balance” is also familiar to most.

This phrasing implies that work and life are two opposing forces constantly vying for attention. In the mental health field, there are eight areas identified as affecting a person’s overall wellness.

These are: • Emotional • Physical • Social • Spiritual • Intellectual • Environmental • Financial • Occupational wellness

One concern on college campuses is loneliness.

According to multiple studies across many campuses more than 50% of students reported feeling lonely.

Social wellness in college is difficult to balance.

Being intentional to build healthy social practices early in your college career will have significant rewards.

Maintaining balance is an ever-evolving task, and sometimes it can be difficult to recognize that an area of life is out of balance. Pay attention to large changes in sleep patterns, appetite, social energy and attention span. If you find that you need support, please make use of the services offered at UTC. There are several departments dedicated to helping you to thrive through your college experience. Struggling to balance all the changes and challenges that come with college is not something that you should do alone. If you need support with any area of wellness a wonderful place to start is the Center for Wellbeing, if they do not have the resources that you need, they will know where to look. Other important services to note are University Health Center, the Counseling Center, the Center for Academic Support and Advisement, Scrappy’s Cupboard and Student Outreach and Support.

Here, in the Center for Career and Leadership Development, we want to invest in your wellbeing beyond just occupational readiness. We recognize that while career preparation is an important piece of wellness, it must fit within the context and balance of a healthy life.

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Achieve: Addressing Imposter Syndrome - A Strengths Based Approch An article by Aiden Lopez, Career Peer “I just got lucky,” “I’m not as qualified as I pretend to be, when will my employer find out?” “I’m not as talented as my peers, I don’t belong here.” These are all thoughts associated with “imposter syndrome” or the “imposter phenomenon”; a term used to describe the constant self-doubt that individuals in the workforce and/or academia feel.

For undergraduates, this is particularly troublesome as students graduate and are thrown into the workforce, whether through industry or academia. Students who are first generation, members of minority groups or nontraditional students are particularly susceptible to this feeling of inadequacy, especially in the face of societal pressures to conform to certain standards in the workplace. It is important for those dealing with these feelings to take a strengths-based approach to their journey as a new professional, as well as bringing their authentic self to the development of their professional identity.

Is it really a problem?

Recent studies have shown that a considerable amount of individuals experience imposter syndrome; LaSalle Network, a staffing and recruitment firm, surveyed 2,756 graduating college students in the U.S. and found that 32% of students doubted their skill sets and accomplishments as they entered the workforce. Another survey conducted by business communication provider Moneypenny found that 32% of the 2,000 U.S. workers surveyed felt like an imposter in the workplace (HRNews 2023.)

Marginalized groups are especially susceptible to this phenomenon; people of color and people of lower socioeconomic status tend to encounter systemic and social barriers in the workplace, amplifying this psychological barrier. When people see their backgrounds and experiences as deficits rather than strengths, this feeling of being a fraud impedes people from striving for career and personal development.

Addressing imposter syndrome: a strengths-based approach

Utilizing strengths-based approaches is defined as identifying one’s experiences as strengths rather than deficits. The focus is on the person’s current strengths and how they can develop and build more strengths rather than the person’s deficits and ways they may feel “behind” in terms of career development. They can recognize their lived experiences as unique, allowing them to contribute a unique perspective. Another approach is understanding that all people have inherent strengths, so while your strengths may differ from a spoken or unspoken “standard” in your field, it does not make them any less useful or any less of a strength.

These different focuses and applications of a strengths-based approach can be divided into three categories: identity-specific, universal-strengths and differences-as-strengths. While each category focuses on different ways of drawing empowerment, they all are fundamentally about identifying the ways in which one is skilled, important and accomplished.

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Identity

A strengths-based approach focused on identity recognizes a person's identity and related lived experiences as a direct source of strengths. For example, someone of a lower socioeconomic status has a strength directly related to their identity by overcoming financial obstacles to their success. This approach is particularly beneficial for people who have marginalized identities because the societal structures that disadvantage them are recognized. Rather than their identities being obstacles or burdens, their identities are pertinent to the person’s self-empowerment and strengths.

Universal

A universal focus recognizes that all people regardless of identities have inherent strengths. A universal approach focuses on supporting the individual generally and holistically rather than focusing on a specific part of the individual. Applying this approach could look like employers creating an initiative to improve employee benefits, or instructors improving the overall classroom environment, so that the individual’s strengths are able to be showcased as the individual thrives. This could also look like identifying one’s “signature strengths”; this involves looking at common strengths and values that all humans can have, but pinpointing which are particularly strong in the individual or valuable to them. This could be traits such as honesty, humility, teamwork, leadership or logical thinking.

Differences

A differences-as-strengths approach recognizes that the differences between cultures, perspectives and identities give rise to people’s strengths. This approach is beneficial for people whose imposter syndrome is related to their lived experience, skills or backgrounds being ‘different’ from the status quo or standard in their field. The differences between individuals’ experiences and the ‘expected’ or common experience is what gives rise to strengths. Implementation of this approach may look like surveying students or employees on their values, ideals, identities and experiences to see how the differences between individuals are valuable.

You can utilize a strengths-based approach in a lot of different ways but applying it to one’s own life means recognizing that these feelings do not define the individual and that one has strengths and traits that can be identified and valued. It is not uncommon for new professionals to not meet every qualification, or to have some knowledge gaps, but that does not mean they are unqualified.

Employers hire knowing that individuals are always learning and acclimating. Job skills in the modern day are incredibly varied, and more and more employers are valuing the fact that different people have different strengths and skills worth utilizing.

The objective of utilizing a strengths-based approach is to focus on self-empowerment rather than selfdepreciation, allowing the individual to feel valued, qualified and motivated. Whether it is giving recognition to the individual’s background which equips them with valuable skills, or focusing on nurturing general human strengths, a strengths-based approach has the capacity to positively impact work/academic satisfaction, personal development, well-being and motivation.

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Achieve: The Internship Dilemma An article by Chris Magrans, Graduate Research Assistant College is challenging. I am not the first person to admit that. Students are challenged to juggle multiple responsibilities at once while being expected to excel in each of them.

Early on, we are advised to look for internships, but often put this off until later. When being pulled in multiple directions, it’s easy to focus on the immediate concerns and push the future off until, well, the future.

Personally, I had to work to meet financial demands. I had friendships I wanted to nurture. I wanted to be an active member of several organizations.

Whatever your “pull” might be, remember to nurture it, and do not neglect it. However, graduation will inevitably come. The ever-looming shadow of, “get an internship” will eventually reach your doorstop, and you’ll look back over the horizon and wonder where all the time has gone.

When I came face-to-face with the internship dilemma, I had to reflect on which type of experience would best propel me toward success in my field. Any internship will be good experience, but you should be strategic about where you look for your development. It is often the case that the farther out of your comfort zone you step, the more you are stretched to develop.

This was my strategy when applying for the two internships I held during my college career. I pinpointed personal limitations in my skillset, and purposely aimed at closing those gaps. Now, I am not encouraging you to pursue internships that are in a completely different wheelhouse from your degree. If you are a graphic arts major, it may not be worth your time to research internships in chemical engineering. However, if there is an area within your major that you don’t believe to be your strong suit, it may be beneficial to seek opportunities that will connect the dots.

When I first began my Industrial and Organizational Psychology graduate program at UTC, I was very intimidated by its data analytics focus. The assignments that related

to statistics and research methods were the ones I struggled with the most starting out. I was passionate about I-O psychology, but my limited data background left me feeling underqualified. But I was determined to not let my imposter syndrome hold me back.

When it came time to apply for internships, I had a variety of areas which I could have explored. There were many attractive opportunities that were related to my skillset and would’ve expanded upon my previous work. However, I knew that to be competitive in my field, I had to master the data side. This led me to apply for a human resources internship for a well-established company in the Chattanooga area, where I was asked to interview with three of their teams.

I remember my interviewers asking me one question that set the tone for how my internship would play out: “Out of the three teams here, which one will you find the most challenging?” Knowing that there was a data-focused team present, I was honest. “The people analytics team is the area that will challenge me the most because it is where I have the least amount of experience.” Low and behold, I was offered a position within the people analytics team, and I accepted.

Perceiving something to be a weakness does not necessarily mean that you are bad at it. Instead, weaknesses can often be misconceptions for areas you have yet to build. Can you really call something a “weakness” if you haven’t had the opportunities to be strong within it yet? If you take your “weaknesses” and reframe them as “knowledge gaps” or “opportunities for growth,” you start laying the foundation for turning them into strengths. When applying for my people analytics internship, I didn’t let a lack of data knowledge prevent me from seeking a data-related opportunity.

Looking back, I am confident that my decisions have positioned me for career success. This confidence is the result of my willingness to invite challenges.

I hope that you’ll also respond to those challenges put to you.

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Campus - Based Resources Selected Campus-Based Resources Alumni Affairs

Alumni Affairs is focused on keeping UTC alumni connected with each other and the campus. Alumni benefits include access to the library and ARC, continuing education, career services, discounts at local and regional companies, alumni networking opportunities, and special events on campus and regionally. Keep your contact information updated with Alumni Affairs and consider donating to support the college, program or fund you care about. For more information, please visit alumni.utc.edu.

Center for Academic Support and Advisement

The Center for Academic Support and Advisement provides academic advising to first-time freshmen and students who have an undecided major. Their advisors help students develop educational plans that will meet their academic, career and professional goals. A free career assessment (FOCUS 2) is available to all UTC students through the center’s website (utc.edu/focus2; utc.edu/ccld), and a University Studies course is offered for undecided or re-deciding students that focuses on major and career exploration. To contact the center, visit the office in the UTC Library 335, call 423-425-4573 or e-mail advise@utc.edu

Center for Global Education

The Center for Global Education consists of the Office of International Student Services, Office of International Scholar Services, Office of Study Abroad Programs and the English as a Second Language Institute. Collectively, they provide globally focused education by developing and managing quality international initiatives. The center connects the campus to the world enabling UTC students to graduate as globally competent citizens.

For more information, please visit utc.edu/global

Center for Wellbeing

The Center for Wellbeing is a resource for discovering a healthier, well-balanced lifestyle. The staff provides students with the tools, knowledge and community to help you take care of yourself by developing coping skills, recognizing warning signs, practicing self-care and helping others. Stop by University Center 350 or call 423-425-4640 for more information.

The Center for Women and Gender Equity

The Center for Women and Gender Equity is committed to creating a community of diverse and empowered students through the following core values: • Awareness: Educating our community on gender and social injustices • Activism/Advocacy: Engaging our community in addressing issues of gender equity and social injustice • Collaboration: Facilitating education and activist efforts in our community by supporting other social justice organizations and causes • Leadership: Developing and empowering students to engage in ethical behavior based on feminist principles of leadership • Community: Creating a community of acceptance and celebrating diversity Connect with the Center for Women and Gender Equity in 118 Lupton Hall or by calling 423-425-5648

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Counseling Center

Counseling helps a person gain a better self-understanding and learn effective ways to approach challenges.

The Counseling Center offers individual counseling sessions to assist with stress management, depression, sleep, attention/concentration, relationship issues, grief/loss, past or current trauma, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, alcohol/drug abuse and more. In addition, workshops are hosted on topics such as art therapy, trauma recovery, multicultural issues, stress/refocus response, and coping mechanisms. Individual and group sessions are also offered for students with multicultural and LGBTQ+ identities. Medication management is also available. For more information, please visit utc.edu/counseling-center or call 423-425-4438.

Disability Resource Center

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is committed to ensuring equal access for individuals with disabilities in all courses, programs and facilities. DRC staff discusses barriers to access and determines reasonable accommodations. They collaborate with campus partners to promote a welcome culture of access, inclusion and celebration as part of a diverse campus community. On a case-by-case basis, DRC staff may consult with individuals with disabilities as they work to self-advocate and seek accommodations related to their efforts to obtain and maintain employment. Visit the DRC in University Center 352, call them at 423-425-4006, or e-mail them at drc@utc.edu.

Financial Wellness

The Financial Wellness Center is a campus-wide financial literacy program, hosted by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Offerings include money management events, workshops, guest lectures and confidential one-on-one financial coaching to students. The center’s mission is to equip students with knowledge, tools and techniques to increase their overall financial literacy, capability, satisfaction and wellness. The center helps with overcoming debt; money management and budgeting; understanding credit and credit cards; building better credit, saving and investing and avoiding financial pitfalls. For more information, please visit utc.edu/financial-wellness.

First-Gen Success

At UTC, a first-generation college student is someone whose parent(s) did not earn a bachelor’s degree. We have intentionally created three programs which specialize in making sure first-generation students are successful. UTC takes pride in serving this special population of students and has been recognized as a First Gen Forward Institution by the Center of First Generation Student Success. Learn more about the variety of student success programs at utc.edu/student-success-programs or by calling 423-425-5871.

Graduate School

The UTC Graduate School offers a variety of accredited programs housed in four colleges: Arts and Sciences; Business; Engineering and Computer Science; and Health, Education, and Professional Studies. Students in graduate programs at UTC have received regional and national recognition for their graduate work. The faculty of UTC are dedicated and passionate about providing a focused yet comprehensive educational experience for graduate students. Students have opportunities to interact with faculty on a one-to-one basis to gain the most from their experiences. Students completing graduate degrees at UTC are prepared to handle workplace challenges, are problem solvers and provide leadership in the communities where they reside. For more information, please visit utc.edu/graduate-school or call 423-425-4666.

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Mocs One Center

The Mocs One Center is a centralized location available to assist students with enrollment-related needs, particularly in the areas of Bursar, Financial Aid and Scholarships and Records. The center’s experienced staff can help with submitting financial aid and Records forms, registration issues, understanding Financial Aid awards and Bursar’s bills or any other administrative process. The priority of the Mocs One Center is to make the enrollment process at UTC go quickly and smoothly. Visit the center on campus in University Center 124 or online at utc.edu/mocs-one-center.

Multicultural Affairs

The Office of Multicultural Affairs is committed to enhancing the academic, social, personal and professional development of all students through programming, support and activities. The office works in partnership with faculty and staff to create an environment that: • Promotes diversity, pluralism and inclusion within the UTC community • Offers interactive on- and off-campus activities aimed at increasing cultural awareness • Provides the resources necessary for growth and advancement of minority students through leadership opportunities • Affirms the inclusion of underrepresented populations in the institutional community For more information, please visit utc.edu/oma

Think Achieve

ThinkAchieve: Beyond the Classroom is a platform for experiential learning at UTC. Students participate in and reflect on experience-based learning. ThinkAchieve opportunities include some of the most remarkable experiences offered at UTC, in the Chattanooga area and around the world. As students participate and reflect, they gain points towards University awards and recognition while simultaneously acquiring vital experience for life. More information can be found at utc.edu/think-achieve.

Veteran and Military Affairs

The Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA staff recognize that the college experience for veteran and active-duty students isn’t exactly traditional. In response, they offer social and educational programs, unique study spaces, guidance, information and referrals to help you succeed, in and out of the classroom. The mission of VMA is to provide the best possible support services to active-duty service members, veterans, reservists and their family members. UTC has again been recognized as both a Military Friendly® and as a Military Spouse Friendly® School. For more information, please visit utc.edu/vma.

Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (URaCE)

The Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (URaCE) is committed to broadening undergraduate research experiences for all students regardless of background, discipline or year of study. Our programs and initiatives aim to foster a robust research culture that involves the entire UTC community, while also contributing to the local environment and creating dialogue with the wider global community. For more information, please e-mail urace@utc.edu or call 423-425-5569.

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MedSrv and NACS have been Chattanooga’s leaders in patient account management for over 40 years. We continue to grow as a community partner and as part of the city’s expanding workforce. MedSrv and NACS are invested in our team’s success, and that’s why we offer comprehensive job training and a company culture founded on the principals of faith, compassion, and service.

Benefits Include: • Balanced work-life schedule with both onsite and hybrid remote work opportunities.

• Full benefits package (health/dental/vision/ supplemental coverages) • Paid time off • 401k Retirement Programs • No weekend work • Casual work environment • Community outreach opportunities

Two ways to apply for new opportunities:

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