Crafting Careers: Navigating the Toolbox Series for Professional Success

As a current student, do you ever feel overwhelmed by job interviews, internship applications, and the pressure to create the perfect resume? Although the idea of carefully constructing and planning every minute detail for your future may seem daunting, the Toolbox Series is here to help students stay on track, give professional advice, and get you career ready — both during and after your time at Pitt-Greensburg.

This past Wednesday, The Insider attended a seminar led by Marcy Yonkey, assistant director of career services at Pitt-Greensburg, and Audra Lewis, the engagement manager. The Toolbox Series, created by Dr. Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell, assistant professor of public policy and communication and director of office of community outreach.

It is supported by Pitt Career Services and is designed to help students understand their career options through workshops and seminars, offer career guidance, prepare students for interviews and internships, while also providing insight to maintaining professionalism within their personal online identity.

“I saw that there was a need for it and we wanted to provide students the tools to be successful,” Mehlman-Brightwell says.

This was the fourth Toolbox Series, with the previous workshops being tailored to specific majors like science, behavioral sciences, and humanities. The Toolbox Series is funded through the Richard King Mellon Foundation and will continue to hold workshops every semester.

This three-part workshop is called, “What to Do When the Product Is You: Brand Identity & Online Presence.” Part one focused on maintaining professionalism within your personal online identity through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Together, Yonkey and Lewis created an interactive environment that allowed for engaging discussions between speaker and student, a resourceful presentation, provided nutritious refreshments, and even handed out fun freebies like pencils and drawstring bags.

Both speakers stressed how employers often do their own research on prospective candidates by running background checks, googling them, and snooping through their social media accounts.

“I really focused on the idea of brand identity and image from my creative and performing arts background, where your identity is your physical image. To all students, all people in the workforce — companies just assume there’s some digital dirt to dig up and they will find it,” Yonkey says.

The key takeaway for you as a potential employee is to be mindful of postings, tags, and pictures that are associated with your name and image. 

Zander Plizga, a sophomore communications major says, “I thought it’d be interesting to learn about branding yourself because I’m an athlete here and I think branding yourself, especially as an athlete, is important and I think you have to keep a clear image of yourself across social media.”

Yonkey and Lewis also provided information regarding resources that Pitt offers, such as Pitt Commons, an internal networking database for Pitt students and alumni, Pitt Career Closet, which allows students free access to cultural- and industry-specific formal attire for interviews and Capstone presentations, and Pitt Career Services, which helps students find internships, network with professionals within their field, and review resumes and cover letters.

Part two of the Toolbox Series will only be available to students who attended part one and will allow students to receive a free professional photography headshot service. However, registration for part three will remain open to all Pitt-Greensburg students. Students can expect to create their own professional LinkedIn banner in part three, while also receiving free Canva access until the end of the school year.

Students who have attended any of the Toolbox Series will receive a survey where they are able to express what they would like to see in future seminars like resume building, how to incorporate volunteer work into a LinkedIn page, or tips for a successful interview.