La Sierra offers career workshops to community

With a regional unemployment rate hovering around 11 percent and a tepid economy going forward, many people are focused on retooling their careers and finding jobs.

La Sierra University and Southern California Edison have partnered to address this need by offering free career education workshops and consultation to the community.

These workshops, called “Career Vision: Landing your Dream Job,” are funded by a $5,000 Southern California Edison grant. The sessions aim to help participants develop
their abilities to find, apply for and obtain appropriate employment. Through the guidance of experienced career education consultant Jamie Beck, workshop participants will be able to assess their career and vocational interests and skills and match them with goals. They will explore careers, identify potential employers, write resumes, develop interview skills and learn to use career resource libraries.

The workshops are organized through La Sierra's “4U: Your Education, Your Money, Your Career, Your Success” program within the Center for Student Academic Success. They will be held Jan. 28, Feb. 11, Feb. 25 and March 4 and are respectively titled “Expanding your Vision of Career Possibilities,” “Searching for Jobs,” “Creating a Resume,” and “Developing Interview Skills.” Admission is free. Each workshop will take place from 12 - 12:50 p.m. in La Sierra University's Cactus Room in the Dining Commons. For further information contact the 4U program at 951-785-2728. A campus map is available at https://lasierra.edu/campus-map.

Beck has presented her “Career Vision” workshops and keynotes at more than 30 libraries, 10 universities and various high schools throughout Southern California the past four years. She is a holistic career education consultant with a master's degree in human services and an emphasis in social systems with a focus on family and work. She has
given presentations at the Corona Public Library monthly the past three years and has served as keynote speaker for the Student Assistance In Learning, or SAIL Conference at  California State University, San Bernardino the past two years.

A total of 142 La Sierra University students attended Beck's workshop sessions over the past year. Many students had positive comments about their experiences and lessons learned.

“The workshop on exploring careers helped me because I was able to find different career options for my major,” said Nancy Hernandez, freshman liberal studies major. “The workshop on analyzing job descriptions helped me understand how to get a job or increase your chances of getting a job.”

“She made me think and made sure I want to work in the field I have in mind,” stated one student on an anonymous written evaluation.

“I got to actually think why I wanted to become a social worker,” commented another student. “Was it because 'they' told me, or was it because I wanted to do it for myself?”

La Sierra students will also have an opportunity to attend the upcoming workshops. All first year students, students on academic probation and those taking basic skills classes are encouraged to attend Beck's sessions in preparation for future careers. Organizers believe such a step will help students set academic goals and focus on their studies.

“They're more likely to stay in school if they can see their goal,” said Jill Rasmussen, coordinator of the 4U program. “It helps them to be motivated to continue on this path. It's all part of a bigger program to help students complete college.”