The Technician

On April 16^th, Kettering hosted a seminar for unemployed students. Led by Sarah Perkins and John Schaub, this seminar helped unemployed students find their way in the competitive world of job hunting. Both insightful and informative, they gave tips for job searching, resume writing, and networking while, at the same time, trying to motivate students to take a proactive approach to finding a co-op position.

 

A key point which set the backdrop for the seminar was to stay positive. John elaborated by saying that “It is better to be unemployed as a co-op than as a full time graduate.” He then went on to say that “just because you haven’t had luck in the past, that doesn’t mean you don’t have anything to offer.”

 

John and Sarah went into more detail about where to search for a co-op and the importance of good networking skills. John’s current employer, Alcoa Howmet, found him at a Partners in Learning meeting. At the time, they were not interested in hiring but were so impressed with his initiative that he was offered a job the next week. Sarah went on to explain that co-op navigator is an excellent tool but not the only way to find a job. Websites like monster.com, job.com and even craigslist can be a very valuable tool in the job search. Using specific examples of current students, John and Sarah were able to show the different ways students have found their jobs.

 

The key to building a relationship with these companies and actually getting your foot in the door is to be proactive. John stressed the importance of setting yourself apart by returning phone calls, emails, writing thank you letters and to remember that “their time is tight, it is important for you to be flexible.” He would then go on to explain that meeting with the employer and having face time is a key to making a valuable impression.

 

Sarah gave a very step-by-step approach to finding a job. She recommended that students take 30 minutes a day to sit down and work on the job hunt. She suggested using Google to search co-ops, internships, summer jobs, etc. She said, “Take that summer job because you never know where it’s going to lead.” When you do contact a potential employer, be sure to send a thank you letter to everyone you talk to (and feel free to attach a resume!). The details are vital to standing out against everyone else.

 

One very strong point that was made at the seminar was to step outside your comfort zone. Sarah explained that this is just a co-op, but “the co-op is a stepping stone for your career.” This time of ‘economic peril’ can be a good time to look into alternative markets. John discussed how much the co-op program has changed over the last 15 years, starting with just a couple co-ops and expanding to over 500 different co-ops.

 

This seminar was not only beneficial in offering students tools for their job searches, but it was a good example of Kettering’s own proactive approaches to helping students build their career. It was good to see that in this time of economic uncertainty, Kettering is working hard to expand their program to new limits.