Moving into a new year is like hitting the reset button. It’s a nice time to pause and reflect on the previous year and see what worked and what didn’t. And for some of us, what didn’t work may be our careers.
While our primary goal with FastForward is to get Virginians trained for in-demand careers, we also want to make sure our graduates succeed in landing a high-quality job once they train and earn a credential or certificate.
We’ve talked to our career coaches about the resources and tools FastForward students and graduates can use to their advantage during their job searches. Those resources include:
- Virginia Career Works: These centers are situated around Virginia, and staff can help you with your resume and application materials, identify training and education opportunities and find financial assistance or other opportunities based on your situation and need.
- Your personal network: Whether it’s a friend, your FastForward Career Coach or a former instructor, talk to people you know first. They may know of an opening or could write a recommendation for you. “We have relationships with many local employers,” said Brooke Shehan, a coach at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College. “This not only gives a student a ‘leg up’ for certain employment opportunities, but it allows us to provide another level of assistance once they have completed their training.”
- Resources at the community college: In addition to the faculty, take advantage of the career center and online tools like the Virginia Education Wizard to learn more and prepare for certain career fields. For example, Virginia Highlands Community College has a group called Career Connection that meets once a month to provide networking opportunities and information about local job fairs and openings.
No matter where you are in Virginia, you have access to resources that will help you succeed this year. If you don’t know where to start, take a look at this list to find the center nearest you.