While high-quality programs are the bedrock of the best trade schools, students today expect guidance with the next steps in their career journeys. That’s why Pennco Tech, a trade school with campuses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, supports active students and graduates with career services. Students receive guidance from day one and throughout their careers, as our career services department is a lifelong resource.

In what specific ways do career services impact students at Pennco Tech? Learn more from Denise Hartman, the Director of Career Services for the Blackwood, New Jersey, campus.

Lifetime Career Services for Students and Graduates

Hartman sees her daily tasks as collaborating with three groups – active students, graduates, and employers. For students, she focuses on pre-job search activities. This involves helping with resumes and cover letters, explaining how and where to apply for jobs, and conducting mock interviews. Students learn how to answer interview questions and best practices for virtual meetings and phone screenings. Job postings are updated regularly, so students can stay aware of who’s currently hiring.

Every student is unique and has different goals. It’s why career services at Pennco Tech aren’t one-size-fits-all and the team customizes job search strategies. This can be especially helpful for graduates. For Hartman, the ideal is to set up students with employment before graduation. This doesn’t always happen, but graduates shouldn’t worry.

“Career services are a life resource for our graduates,” Hartman explains. “I work with many graduates continuously and every day, helping them figure out why they’re not getting picked for that job or getting that offer.”

Ideal Candidates Come From Pennco Tech

Assisting students and graduates with their job search is only one part of the solution. The other is developing relationships with local and national employers for networking and related opportunities. Employers may visit the campus for students to network and ask questions, and Hartman schedules opportunities for students to visit companies and facilities.

Organizing career fairs is another significant aspect of Hartman’s role. Here, employers, students, and graduates all benefit. Students interact with many employers to share their resumes and make good impressions. Employers meet many prospective employees, often finding the ideal candidate for an open position. What’s more, the career services department offers candidate matching, sharing potential employees companies may consider for openings.

Pennco Tech’s career services department goes a step further for employers with another key resource – program advisory committee (PAC) meetings.

“I put together the program advisory committee meetings. These involve companies that come to Pennco Tech to meet with instructors and the school director. They tell us what’s happening in the field so we can bring the information back to the classroom and to our students.”

PAC meetings happen one or two times a year and involve about six to 10 companies. Pennco Tech representatives go over what’s happening in the classroom now and areas for improvement. The visiting companies discuss what they like from the graduates they’ve employed, and industry/company changes they expect so current students can prepare for employment.

Through PAC meetings, Pennco Tech infuses program curricula with career-oriented training. It ensures students not only gain technical knowledge and skills but also relevant information for lifelong professional development.