Participants work through a guided exercise to brainstorm any and all possible experiences and skills to include on their resume. They learn strategies for creating a resume, including formatting and word choice. If necessary, we work together to identify opportunities in the community to gain additional skills and experiences, like volunteering, to include. Knowing that the resume is an evolving document, the participant will be shown how to modify and save their resume in the future.

The interview preparation starts with identifying general best practices and useful strategies during interviews. This includes brainstorming answers to possible questions asked in an interview and potential responses to them. We use our Mock Interview Report Card to offer feedback following each of the practice interviews. Participants complete at least two mock interviews, one in-person and one virtually to practice both options. To make the process as realistic as possible, at least one of the interviews is done by someone with whom they are unfamiliar, and both will be recorded. We analyze them together, identify strengths and weaknesses and, if necessary, repeat an interview. The hypothetical position will be tailored to the participant’s strengths and interests. If the individual needs support in using Zoom or another video conference platform, we offer instruction to empower them to use this for an interview. Additional mock interviews can also be conducted for a secondary area of interest or potential position.

The career exploration work begins with identifying the individual’s strengths and interests in order to narrow their focus. We will first interview the participant about their strengths, weaknesses, and hobbies, and complete a Strength Self Assessment. The participant will also ask two people (one of whom is not a family member and can speak to their work ethic/attitude) to complete a Third Party Survey/Inventory, so we can get a clearer understanding of the participant’s skill set and how it may align with different career paths. If there is not recent testing data available baseline reading and math assessments will be given. It will be important to understand a participant’s strengths and skill set, as it relates to their interests and potential career field. The participant will complete an interest inventory to suggest potential career fields to explore. We work with the participant to identify 3-5 career paths to research further, using the results of the interest inventory, their self reported strengths, and those of a third party evaluator to begin. We will support the participant in finding entry level compensation, required education/training, job market analysis, and other relevant information related to these fields. Specific job listings, for both entry level and qualified positions in the field, will be analyzed.

Participants learn financial literacy and time management skills, while also working to better advocate for their needs.

Participants will learn about different postsecondary education or training options. They will research admission requirements, tuition, scholarship opportunities, and job market outlook with this credential. We can accompany the participant on a tour to get a firsthand understanding of campus and the program.

To gain a firsthand understanding of a certain role and its environment, participants can attend on-site job tours. We will prepare for the Job Tour through researching the business and drafting potential questions. Once on-site, the participant will be able to hear directly from employers more about the business, different positions there, and what they look for in candidates.