“Research” could be La-Dana Jenkins’s favorite word—at least when it relates to career development.
A professional career counselor and adjunct instructor in the Department of Continuing Education and Workforce Development, Jenkins runs the college’s five-part Job Series workshop, which is open to BMCC students and non-students alike. The workshop covers what Jenkins calls “the cycle of career development,” comprising a range of strategies and skills, from résumé writing to networking. But the thread that connects them all is research.
“Before you send out a single résumé, you need to evaluate yourself and have a clear idea of what you want to do, what your skills are, and where you need improvement,” Jenkins says. “Then you’ve got to research the types of employer and position that coincide with your goals and skills.” The students in her workshop include BMCC students and alumni at every career level, as well as corporate executives, lawyers and other professionals.
A full plate
Jenkins’s own career path has taken some unexpected turns since her graduation from SUNY Oswego. “My first job was in public relations, and from there I moved into marketing and publishing and then into human resources,” she recalls. In 2000 she took a job as a recruiter for a staffing company and later spent four years as a personnel director in the New York City Department of Education. Today, along with her adjunct teaching duties, she runs her own career counseling practice, where she writes résumés, counsels clients, and administers assessment tools. She also works for the city as a deputy director of a youth employment program.
The first class in the workshop—“What’s My Perfect Job?”— helps students explore their skill sets and values, “what they’re looking for and what they can offer an employer,” Jenkins says.
Defining one’s perfect job can be a challenge. Students will often tell Jenkins, “I’ll do anything.” When she pushes them to be more specific, they’re likely to admit they haven’t thought it through.
“So I’ll set up the question another way,” Jenkins says. “If this were a perfect world, with no bills or taxes to pay, no family to support, what kind of work would you do? Invariably, they’ll tell me about all the wonderful jobs and opportunities they would like to pursue. I’ll ask what’s holding them back or what they’ve done to explore the field and find a way to move into it. That’s when the real conversation starts.”
She often advises students to write their thoughts down. “There’s so much going on in our heads, that the only way to manage it is to get it down on paper.”
Setting goals—and a plan for achieving them
The second class in the series deals with “Creating the Perfect Job Search Plan.” Jenkins explains: “Once you’re clear on what you can offer a employer and what employers are likely to be looking for, you need to set a goal and develop an action plan to achieve it.”
Writing the perfect résumé and cover letter is critical to that process and is the focus of the third class.
“A résumé is important, but it doesn’t really introduce you to a prospective employer, which is why it should always be accompanied by a cover letter,” Jenkins says. “What’s more, it should emphasize accomplishment-based statements rather than a flat enumeration of the positions you’ve held. What did you achieve in those positions? Have you made your value pop out on your résumé? Whatever it is that the employer is looking for, you’ve got to make sure it’s on you résumé.”
The fourth class offers a primer on interview skills. “A lot of the people who come to the workshop haven’t done interviewing in many years.” Jenkins says. “Their interview skills are rusty, to say the least, and they wonder, ‘What do I say in an interview? What do I tell an employer about myself?’ So we talk about how they can convey their value in a compelling way and get the interviewer to see them in the position under discussion.”
The role networking
The final class in the sequence, covers networking. “Given the current state of the economy, people need to know how to network—to get word out that they are looking for work, whether they’ve been laid off, anticipate being laid off, or unhappy in their current job,” Jenkins says. “But the only way you can get word out is to broadcast it. It’s not just a matter of checking out the jobs on monster.com and Craig’s list—you need to join an organization that’s affiliated you’re your desired field, show up at events, and loop in your colleagues, co-workers and family members.”
While there’s no denying the reality of a tough job market, there are steps job-seekers and career-changers can take to strengthen their cause.
“Above all, know who you are, what you have to offer an employer, and what you’re looking for,” Jenkins says. “It all goes back to self-evaluation and research.”
