As one walked through the first floor of Jamrich on Tuesday, they came across a tabled event being co-hosted by WellBeing and Career Services on professionalism. Provided were information pamphlets, stickers, snacks and a quick case study that allowed students to navigate potential professional scenarios.
“Each week, we’re covering a topic that relates to one of the dimensions of well being, and then some kind of skill or piece of knowledge to take with you. All are welcome,” said Jessica Corkin, NMU promotions coordinator. “This week, we are covering Professionalism 101, and we’re collaborating with Career Services.”
NMU WellBeing takes a holistic approach to health by addressing the biological, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of wellbeing. Its mission is to create a safe and supportive environment where students, faculty and staff can thrive and reflect on their personal wellbeing.
In addition, Career Services is available to both students and alumni, offering career coaching and guidance to help support a fulfilling and purposeful life.
“Professionalism is a skill area that you can gain in college and beyond. So we’re trying to help students understand how they can react in certain situations,” Corkin said. “We have some scenarios that Career Services came up with, and so students can respond to how they would act in that situation, and then we can kind of help guide them on how to handle that situation.”
Students would come up and select a scenario from a pile of papers, then read it aloud to the group. Everyone at the table would listen attentively, giving the speaker time to think through their response. After the student finished, the group would offer encouragement, pointing out what they did well and providing constructive feedback on areas for improvement.
One of the main questions that may arise during this event is how students can prepare themselves for interviews.
“The interview is reserved for opportunities to ask things that can’t be researched or found by looking online, but instead can be found only by talking to somebody within the company,” said Katie Korpi, director of Career Services. “So it’s really good to kind of know who you’re talking to, and prepare for that.”
Korpe also advises students to go to professionals in their field of study to see what they would wear in an interview.
“It’s good to talk to folks, professionals in the field who are doing the work, and ask, ‘what would you wear to an interview if I was applying for your job?’ That way you can kind of get a sense of what they’d recommend for the industry,” Korpi said.
Upcoming Toolkit Tuesday events involve subjects such as budgeting, room refresh, nutrition, studying skills for midterms, World Mental Health Day and career readiness.
