Series of Workshops Planned to Help Students Succeed in Professional World
Polk State will host a wide-ranging series of workshops this semester, all aimed at readying students for success in the professional world.
Members of the College’s Career Development Services and Internship Program staff will present the workshops, with faculty members lending their expertise along the way.
Career Development Services offers a range of help for students in planning and preparing their professional futures, from career assessments to help them determine work path to an online job board to help them identify opportunities. The College’s Internship Program matches students and local employers for mutually beneficial internships.
The workshops, said Career Development Services Coordinator Jessica Buchanan, are about filling in all the little gaps that can make or break a student’s chances of being successful in the workforce.
“One of the things we hear from employers is that students are hard workers but they often lack the soft skills, the communication skills, interpersonal skills, business communication skills, and the ability to work as a team,” she said.
“All of these workshops are on topics leading up to students getting a job when they graduate. If students can’t get a job after they graduate, we as the College haven’t done our part. This is about giving the students the wings they need to soar.”
The workshop topics include everything from how to dress professionally to using social media wisely.
In addition to Buchanan, many of the workshops will be facilitated by Career Development Services Coordinator Jennifer Schneider and Internship Coordinator Lynn Chisholm.
The workshop schedule follows:
Team Building and Project Management
Oct. 7
6 to 7:30 p.m.
LAC 1133, Lakeland campus
Networking Elevator Pitch
Oct. 8
2 to 3:30 p.m.
WSC conference room, Winter Haven campus
Polishing Your Professional Image
Oct. 21
6 to 7:30 p.m.
LAC 1133, Lakeland campus
Polishing Your Professional Image
Oct. 22
1 to 2:30 p.m.
WST 126, Winter Haven campus
Mock Interview Prep
Nov. 4
6 to 7:30 p.m.
LAC 1133, Lakeland campus
Mock Interview Prep
Nov. 5
Noon to 1 p.m.
Student Center conference room, Winter Haven campus
Mock Interviews
Students should come in professional dress.
Nov. 11
6 to 7:30 p.m.
LAC 1133, Lakeland campus
Interview Improv — “Speed Interviewing”
Students should come in professional dress.
Students must RSVP to Schneider at jschneider@polk.edu.
Nov. 12
Noon to 2 p.m.
WST 126, Winter Haven campus
Business Communication
Psychology Professor Katrina Smith
Nov. 18
6 to 7:30 p.m.
LAC 1133, Lakeland campus
Creating Your Personal and Professional “Brand”
Network Engineering Technology Professor Cliff Bennett and Joe Bennett
Dec. 2
6 to 7:30 p.m.
LAC 1133, Lakeland campus
Business Etiquette and Organizational Behavior
English Professor Orathai Northern and Business Administration Professor LaTrice Moore
Dec. 9
6 to 7:30 p.m.
LAC 1133, Lakeland campus
For more information on any of the workshops, contact Buchanan at jbuchanan@polk.edu, Chisholm at lchisholm@polk.edu, or Schneider at jschneider@polk.edu.