April Higgins joined PACDA in May. Wanting to become an active contributing member, April brings creative ideas to expand PACDA Partnerships.

As Assistant Director, Career Services at Rosemont College, April is also earning her Masters in Clinical and Applied Psychology. She is passionate about helping young adults develop their confidence, take charge of their career searches and selections, and understand how to best market themselves.

She also has a deep passion for advocacy for people with diverse abilities.

April joins Beth Wilson and Tanya Sheldon on the Partnership Committee, which develops mutually beneficial agreements with other professional associations.

Want to suggest a Partner organization? Contact partnerships@thepacda.org.

Please check out programs hosted by our Partners. Members can register at a discount for many programs by using the code on the Member Resources page!

5 Steps to Help Job Seekers Reach Their Goals

By Colleen Paulson, MBA, CPRW

As career coaches and counselors, a question that we must always ask ourselves is how we can add value in aiding others’ job search. It isn’t just about writing a resume or LinkedIn profile – we add value through delivering a comprehensive job search plan to help our clients achieve both their personal and career goals. Whether our client is an experienced executive or undergraduate student, we can not only provide tangible deliverables, but we can help them to make better choices regarding their careers. Here are some thoughts on how we can do this in a thoughtful way:

1. Initial consultation: The initial consultation is a great time to understand the client’s goals. Sometimes, the client may not even know what they want to do next, so it may be helpful to ask questions such as:

a. Do you prefer bigger companies or smaller companies?

b. Would you prefer a start-up or more established company?

c. What industries have you worked in and what type of industry would like to work in?

d. What type of culture or work environment would you prefer?

e. Do you prefer working in-person, remotely, or hybrid (a mix of both)?

f. Are you looking to manage a team or do you prefer individual contributor work?

g. Are you open to traveling for work? How often would you like to travel?

h. What are your salary goals (consider PTO and other benefits)?

2. Update the client’s resume and LinkedIn profile/online presence: We can use the information that we can gained during the initial consultation to update the client’s resume and LinkedIn profile (I typically ask the client clarifying questions via email to quantify their results and build a strong job search marketing package). Stronger LinkedIn profiles generate more interest from potential recruiters, so it’s important for job searchers to update their LinkedIn profile, including growing their LinkedIn network for an expanded reach.


3. Network and utilize the “known” and “hidden” job markets: Networking is key to a successful job search, so encourage your clients to talk with those who work for goal companies or others who can connect them with potential opportunities. Job searchers should also subscribe to alerts from top job sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, CareerBuilder, and Glassdoor. One of the newest trends in the job search process is reaching out to target companies on LinkedIn.


4. Interview Preparation: You can help your client prepare for interviews with a mock interview and/or behavioral interview questions such as: Tell me about a time when you had to influence your team to do something that they didn’t want to do. How did you go about doing that? Job searchers should always send a Thank You note (email is fine) outlining the reasons that they are best suited for the potential role.

5. Assess the Offer: Once the job searcher receives an offer, they should review the offer versus the goals stated in the initial consultation to make sure that offer makes sense based on their personal and professional goals. For example, a higher salary offer may not make sense if the candidate’s commute is doubled.

AFFIRMATIONS TO INSPIRE YOU

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives. - Jackie Robinson

We aren’t meant to be perfect; we are meant to be faithful. - author unknown

When your adversaries tell you that you can't go any farther; just tell them to look behind you and see how far you've come.

The thing that counts the most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right traveling companion. – Adrian Anderson

Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value. - Albert Einstein

Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there’s love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong. – Ella Fitzgerald

If you can dream it, you can see it and if you believe it, you can achieve it.
– David Bach

Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens. - Carl Jung

These affirmations were provided by PACDA members. If you have a favorite you would like to share, email newsletter@thepacda.org.