Career services staff helping students find employment

 

April 13, 2020

This is the third submission in a series of employee spotlights for Ashland Community and Technical College to highlight how faculty and staff are helping students while working remotely.
Despite the change in delivery method, ACTC’s employees are dedicated to providing the best support possible to its students.

Name: Molly Webb
City of Residence: Ashland, Ky.
Education: Master of Business Administration
Role(s) at ACTC and how you interact with students: Career Services Coordinator — I work with local business and industry to develop internship and employment opportunities for our students. I assist in the enhancement of our students’ soft skills which will provide them with a competitive advantage in the job market.
How long have you been with ACTC? I was a full-time faculty member for 16 years retiring in July 2019. I was delighted to be hired back part-time in January of this year as the Career Services Coordinator.
What are your favorite things about working at ACTC? The opportunity to work with students to provide them the skills necessary to be successful in the workplace. It is wonderful to hear students excited about getting ready to move from being a student to a member of the workforce!
How would your co-workers describe you? Hopefully fair and honest and fun to be around!
Who is your biggest role model and why: My dad. He always listened, was not judgmental and was fair in his decisions.
If the students I work with learn one thing, I hope it is… to believe in themselves. Our students have the technical skills and ambition to be an integral part of a successful workforce.
How are you assisting students during the pandemic and what should students know about your area of service during this time? The Career Services staff are working remotely and are available to provide assistance with resumes, cover letters, interview prep, soft skills, job search and internship opportunities. We also have the capacity of talking directly with a student utilizing the Zoom app.

Name: Luanne Finley
City of Residence: Louisa, Ky
Education: BA: 1989, MA: 1992, Rank I: 1995, MS 1997
Role(s) at ACTC and how you interact with students: Career Services Counselor — Our role is student centered, we meet with students both in groups and individually to provide employability guidance.
How long have you been with ACTC? Three years
What are your favorite things about working at ACTC? Working with students at a critical time in their lives and helping them to present themselves and their skills in the best possible way.
Special accomplishments while working at ACTC? The most special feeling of accomplishment is when a student emails or runs by the office to say, “I got the job!”
How would your co-workers describe you? I hope they would say that I am flexible and a team player. We have a great staff and work well together.
Who is your biggest role model and why: My parents are my biggest role models. They taught me the value of hard work, that education pays and to put other people before myself.
If the students I work with learn one thing, I hope it is… That they are valuable! We have highly rated programs producing a fine skilled labor force, along with well-trained healthcare, business and technology professionals. These skilled workers are an indispensable part of a successful economy. When helping create resumes I am amazed at the skill level of our students.
How are you assisting students during the pandemic and what should students know about your area of service during this time? We are available and ready to help! Anything that we could do in the office we can do via email, ZOOM and phone. Each of us have regular hours that we are online and can work with students individually if those hours do not fit their schedule. We are committed to helping our students who are transitioning to the workforce or seeking internship opportunities.

Name: Sarah Gauze
City of Residence: Louisa, Ky.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Education from Morehead State University. I was a vocational agriculture education teacher with Lawrence County High School, Louisa, Ky.
Role(s) at ACTC and how you interact with students: I am a career counselor with the Career Center at ACTC. I work with students on career interests, resume and cover letter creation/revision. Our team also provides classroom workshops to enhance skills on resume and cover letter creation. We provide instruction on soft skills. Our goal is to highlight each student's skills and abilities provided by their education. I help to transition students toward the next level, in the form of a career opportunity.
How long have you been with ACTC? I have had the honor of working with the Career Services Center through ACTC for almost a year. I was welcomed by the ACTC faculty and staff. I enjoy working with the instructors, students and alumni on progressing students toward their selected career goals.
What are your favorite things about working at ACTC? I have the pleasure of helping students transition from their student education to their career goals/opportunities. It is a wonderful achievement to help students take steps begin to accomplish their career goals. I have the opportunity of witnessing students’ life-changing events. They progress from being an ACTC student to becoming employed, with an income which will support themselves or in many cases their families.
Special accomplishments while working at ACTC? It is a wonderful achievement to help give students the necessary resume/cover letter instruction, which in turn, will help to accomplish their career goals by providing a high-quality resume and cover letter to emphasize their abilities and educational accomplishments.
How would your co-workers describe you? I hope my co-workers describe me as hardworking, honest, and dedicated to student excellence. I am a team player within the ACTC Career Center, which in turn, helps to provide the best possible outcome for student-career placement.
Who is your biggest role model and why: My mother has always been my role model. She was a single parent that overcame great obstacles in life. She worked hard to get receive her teaching degree and was an educator for over 30 years in the public-school system. She has instilled in me a great work ethic, self-motivation and empathy for others.
If the students I work with learn one thing, I hope it is… I hope students understand that they, as an individual, are valuable as a person/student. The resume we create in our center, will describe the skill sets and abilities derived from their selected educational degree program. This will allow them to present an up-to-date and qualified resume/cover letter to perspective employers. These prepared documents may allow a sense of self accomplishment and confidence toward their future career path.
How are you assisting students during the pandemic and what should students know about your area of service during this time? The ACTC Career Center staff is currently offering services online. We can assist students via email, through Zoom media interaction or by telephone on resume and cover letter creation and revision

 

To contact ACTC’s Career Services Team, email:
Molly Webb/Coordinator molly.webb@kctcs.edu
Luanne Finley/Career Coach lfinley0001@kctcs.edu
Sarah Gauze/Career Coach sgauze0004@kctcs.edu