EVIT News Parents Can Use - Jan. 2021
Hello, EVIT parents! This is the fourth in a series of monthly newsletters to give you more information about the East Valley Institute of Technology and how your son or daughter can get the most out of their career and technical education. Today’s topic: Landing the job.
It’s probably hard to believe, but in just a few months our seniors will graduate high school, complete their program and move on to college or employment. It’s an exciting time, but there is still much to do before they turn their tassels. This issue of “EVIT News Parents Can Use” focuses on what our employment-bound students need to do before now and graduation – and how parents can help them in their quest to get a job.
Social media
Several national studies have found that nearly 60 percent of employers check online to learn more about job candidates. Sometimes they Google the candidate to get a sense of that person’s online persona, and often they search specific social media platforms to see what the candidate posts and how they interact with others. A 2020 national survey of 505 employers found that 79 percent of HR departments have denied a job to an applicant because they posted inappropriate content on social media. So parents, if you haven’t already, go over your student’s social media posts to ensure they are not posting anything that could keep them from getting a job. It’s also a good idea to check their privacy settings.
Social media can actually be a good way to land a job if it’s done right on certain platforms. For example,
www.LinkedIn.com is a great site where you can build a profile and resume and network with other career professionals.
From changing account settings to “private” to hiding and deleting inappropriate posts, this article on themuse.com offers several tips for cleaning up social media:
https://www.themuse.com/advice/8-easy-ways-clean-up-social-media-job-search
Advice from EVIT principals
Main Campus Principal Danny Fisher and Power Campus Principal John Corsaro offer students several helpful tips for getting in a better position to land a job later this spring:
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Practice interviewing. This is a great way for parents to help their son or daughter. Many high school students have never had a job interview before. EVIT programs will go over with students how to build a resume and practice interviews. But this is something parents can reinforce by doing mock interviews at home and helping your student strengthen their communication skills.
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Interviewing skills are not only important for being able to answer questions, but for being able to ask them. Job candidates are interviewing the employer as much as the employer is interviewing them. So students should research the companies and businesses where they would like to apply and come up with questions that show their interest and desire to know more about what it would be like to work there.
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One way to learn more about a company is to do a little recon. Much can be ascertained by sitting in the parking lot of a business for 30 to 60 minutes before or after work. It can give insight about that company and management style.
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Obtain an internship or volunteer for a nonprofit organization. Not only does this experience look great on a resume, but it also helps students build their confidence and practice those soft skills prized by employers: Communication, showing up on time, working as part of a team, etc.
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Launch a small service-based business. Many EVIT students have done this over the years as they build experience to land a dream job. A number of EVIT programs, such as Graphic/Web Design, 3D Animation, Culinary Arts, etc., teach skills that students can use to start their own self-employed venture.
EVIT teachers
One of the best things your student can do to improve their chances of getting hired is to stay in touch with their EVIT teacher even after they complete the program. Valley businesses contact EVIT every day with job openings and ask our instructors to recommend current or former students who would be good hires. Every EVIT program has an advisory council of industry representatives, so students who stay connected to their teacher have a good shot at landing a great job.
Stephanie’s story
Sometimes the job doesn’t come right after high school. Stephanie Reyes completed the EVIT Dental Assistant program in 2016 and then went on to major in biomedical science at Northern Arizona University. But her clinical experience in the EVIT dental program allowed her to volunteer at free dental clinic events while in college as she built up her application for dental school. Stephanie is now at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston working toward her dream of becoming a dentist. Read her inspiring story:
https://bit.ly/evitreyesstory
Enrollment for 2021-22
We have started enrolling for next school year. If your son or daughter plans to return to EVIT next year, they will take a brief survey in class and that will be all they need to do to re-enroll. EVIT will send their information to their high school for scheduling purposes, and no other paperwork or documentation will be needed.
If you have another student who would like to enroll at EVIT, they can start the process by going to
www.evit.com/enroll.
EVIT is a school of choice. Students often tell us they love EVIT because our students choose to be here. It’s not just another class to fill out a schedule. They enjoy being at a school with classmates and teachers who share their interest and passion for a particular career or industry. If you know of other families with students who would thrive by choosing EVIT, we hope you will share with them that we are now enrolling. Please encourage them to visit
www.evit.com/enroll.
And if you’re on social media, feel free to share our promotional video:
https://youtu.be/a6B18_axa8w
EVIT parents, we appreciate your support!
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