Posted on No Comments on How to Utilize the Center for Cooperative Education and Career Development

How to Utilize the Center for Cooperative Education and Career Development

By: Janel Juba

At the Center for Cooperative Education and Career Development, we deliver the necessary resources to be effective in the workplace, provide essential job search strategies and teach students how to find co-ops/ jobs that align with their classroom knowledge, skills and interests. Our mission is to EQUIP you with the necessary tools to EVOLVE your skills and ultimately EXCEL in your industry.

Career Fair Image

We offer a range of programs, tools, and services for:

  • Current students seeking cooperative education (co-op) experiences
  • Graduating students and alumni seeking career guidance and exploration
  • Tips on how to effectively navigate Online Career and Job Search Resources

Students/Alumni may utilize the Center to review their resume and cover letter, develop/enhance networking skills, prepare for interviews, find co-ops and jobs in WITworks (our online job database) and other sites, connect with employers at our career fairs and other on-campus events.

We also run Co-op Institute, a seven-week series of workshops which prepares students for their first co-op experience. Below you will find a list of resources and events our office provides.

Co-op + Career Resources 

  • WITworks Job Board
  • Co-op + Career Guides on WITworks
  • Co-op Institute
  • Your Dedicated Co-op + Career Advisor
  • Drop-In Hours
  • WITwear
  • Co-ops + Careers Blog
  • Co-ops + Careers YouTube channel
  • Co-ops + Careers on Twitter

Co-op + Career Events 

  • Co-op + Career Fairs (Fall & Spring Semester)
  • On-Campus Recruiting
  • Mock Interview Day (Fall Semester)
  • Wentworth on the Road
  • Employer Information Sessions
  • Employer in Residence
  • On-Campus Networking Events

Please feel free to stop by should you have any questions or even to say hello, our doors are always open!

Posted on No Comments on Discovering Your Strengths

Discovering Your Strengths

By: Janel Juba

In order to develop a career that really suits you, it’s important to have a basic knowledge of your key strengths. Your strengths are your talents/gifts that come naturally and easily to you. There are many assessments you can take to help find your personal strengths. The one I recommend is “StrengthsFinder”, which can be accessed online. This assessment helps you identify your top five strengths.

I took the StrengthsFinder three years ago and the results for my top five strengths were:

Futuristic– able to vision what could be and who cherishes those visions.
Individualization– can observe each person’s style, motivation, how each think/ build relationships.
Restorative– enjoys solving problems.
Ideation– fascinated by ideas.
Belief– family-oriented, spiritual, values responsibility and high ethics personally and others.

I wasn’t surprised by these results as I am a thinker, researcher, helper, and work well with ideas. Once you assess your strengths, it’s important to understand what they mean. I am good at problem-solving and work well with ideas because of my strengths, therefore this way of thinking comes naturally to me. Remember, successful people focus on their strengths and manage around their weaknesses…

Here are three tips you may want to consider as you discover your strengths:

1. Seek five people who know you well and ask them to provide feedback about a time when you were at your best. Once you have gathered feedback, look for commonalities in their stories. Be sure to create a list of the themes and examples to what they suggest about your strengths.

2. Take a few strength’s assessments and be mindful of common themes. Also, watch for signs of excitement and be open-minded to explore new roles.

3. Once you identify your strengths, be creative when you describe them. Try to avoid common words like “organized” or “dedicated”. Instead, create a term that captures your specific strength like “supporter” or “investigator”.

You will be satisfied working in a career that allows you to apply your strengths daily. Your approach will be unique, this will enable you to make an important influence to your industry. Working from your strengths will help you be far more productive, get better results, contribute more value, attract higher compensation, enjoy your work, and experience greater fulfillment!

“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle” (Napoleon Hill).
Photo credit: www.thestrengthsinitiative.com
Strengths Resource: www.gallupstrengthscenter.com