[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.penncotech.edu\/pennco-tech-success-stories-interview-with-a-career-services-specialist\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.penncotech.edu\/pennco-tech-success-stories-interview-with-a-career-services-specialist\/","headline":"Pennco Tech Success Stories: Interview With a Career Services Specialist","name":"Pennco Tech Success Stories: Interview With a Career Services Specialist","description":"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\u2019s 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, […]","datePublished":"2024-07-22","dateModified":"2025-02-04","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.penncotech.edu\/author\/seo-team\/#Person","name":"SEO Team","url":"https:\/\/www.penncotech.edu\/author\/seo-team\/","identifier":15,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25d521bea98e4070937950c92cd06d2b99615947d3d29e3682593c48f0372431?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25d521bea98e4070937950c92cd06d2b99615947d3d29e3682593c48f0372431?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Pennco Tech","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.penncotech.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/logo-color.png","url":"https:\/\/www.penncotech.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/logo-color.png","width":397,"height":141}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.penncotech.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Quality-Carriers-Pic-Career-Fair-768x576.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.penncotech.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Quality-Carriers-Pic-Career-Fair-768x576.jpg","height":"576","width":"768"},"url":"https:\/\/www.penncotech.edu\/pennco-tech-success-stories-interview-with-a-career-services-specialist\/","about":["News & Events"],"wordCount":985,"articleBody":"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhile high-quality programs are the bedrock of the best trade schools, students today expect guidance with the next steps in their career journeys. That\u2019s 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 GraduatesHartman sees her daily tasks as collaborating with three groups \u2013 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\u2019s currently hiring.Every student is unique and has different goals. It\u2019s why career services at Pennco Tech aren\u2019t 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\u2019t always happen, but graduates shouldn\u2019t worry.\u201cCareer services are a life resource for our graduates,\u201d Hartman explains. \u201cI work with many graduates continuously and every day, helping them figure out why they\u2019re not getting picked for that job or getting that offer.\u201dIdeal Candidates Come From Pennco TechAssisting 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\u2019s 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\u2019s more, the career services department offers candidate matching, sharing potential employees companies may consider for openings.Pennco Tech\u2019s career services department goes a step further for employers with another key resource \u2013 program advisory committee (PAC) meetings.\u201cI 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\u2019s happening in the field so we can bring the information back to the classroom and to our students.\u201dPAC meetings happen one or two times a year and involve about six to 10 companies. Pennco Tech representatives go over what\u2019s happening in the classroom now and areas for improvement. The visiting companies discuss what they like from the graduates they\u2019ve 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.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCareer Services Help Students Realize GoalsAs Director of the Career Services Department, there\u2019s no doubt Hartman keeps busy every day. For her, one of the greatest motivators is seeing the impact career services have on students and graduates.\u201cI\u2019ve assisted a lot of students with finding jobs,\u201d Hartman says. \u201cI love when they come back and let me know how they\u2019re doing.\u201dOne student she recalls wanted to stand out and came to Hartman almost daily seeking advice. She was interested in a job with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Hartman helped her with the application and directed her to study guides to prepare for the organization\u2019s test. After passing the test, the student was granted an interview and received an offer.Another student enrolled in the HVACR program was determined to work for a residential company. He met with Hartman to figure out what he needed to do to make this happen. Hartman\u2019s guidance helped him land a job with Focus HVAC in Stratford, New Jersey. He moved up from helper to lead technician in just over a year. What\u2019s more, he\u2019s since attended multiple career fairs to help recruit students and graduates.These students had specific goals, but it\u2019s different circumstances for others. One situation Hartman found especially rewarding was when a student came to her who had a background and was incarcerated for 10 years.\u201cHe was very nervous about not getting a job,\u201d Hartman explains. \u201cI investigated possible solutions, encouraging him to seek advice about the situation from the company. Per the company, I told him to be transparent about the situation. In following this advice, the student got the job. He\u2019s been with them since November 2020.\u201d\u201cIt also comes down to the motivation of the candidate as well. If they are serious and follow the guidelines we have in place to connect with employers and take the advice we give then, they will have a better chance of getting an offer.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEnroll in Vocational School in NJ or PA TodayPennco Tech is committed to student success in the classroom and the field. That\u2019s why our career services department works diligently to help with pre-job search tasks, career fairs, employer networking, and more. Those considering applying at Pennco Tech may be interested to know we also have a financial aid department to help students who qualify, with a Student Loan Counseling Department (SLCD) for additional guidance.Pennco Tech has campuses in Blackwood, NJ, and Bristol, PA, offering various trade school programs. Contact us today to learn more and enroll.*Availability of lifetime career assistance is contingent upon continuous institutional operations.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Pennco Tech Success Stories: Interview With a Career Services Specialist","item":"https:\/\/www.penncotech.edu\/pennco-tech-success-stories-interview-with-a-career-services-specialist\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]