American River College’s Career and Pathways Support Services office hosted an interview success workshop on Sept. 11 for students seeking employment.

Michael Robinson, a student personnel assistant, hosted the hour-long presentation that teaches and informs students how to better prepare for an interview, research companies, and overcome communication apprehension.

The students in attendance said they got a lot out of the workshop as well as other events held by the center.  

Shanell Austin, a business administration major, said she looks for work in the field of administration and uses any resources she has available.

“It is going to help me put my [best] foot forward,” Austin said. “I have only worked in retail. This is a career change for me and I’m trying to learn a more broad idea as to what professionals are looking for.”

Students should look at social media for relevant news and successes within a company, Robinson said. The students learn that in an interview, professionals want you to be authentic, be yourself and show enthusiasm.

Zachari Shubin, a neurobiology major, said he chose the major because of his passion for neurobiology.

According to Shubin, the workshop taught him the importance of conveying his passion in a job interview.

“Showing how much you care in an interview can be a factor in whether or not you’ll be hired,” Shubin said. “I have made an appointment with a career counselor to take steps to come closer to my goal of being a neurosurgeon.”

The students also said they attended the Resume 101 workshop held by CAPSS on Sept. 10.

“I took the resume class from the CAPSS Center and learned how to create updated versions of resumes,” Austin said. “I had an older idea of how resumes were used. Yesterday, I learned how to tailor the resume to a specific job.”

Shubin said his biggest takeaway from the interview success workshop was the examples of questions to ask at the end of an interview.

“In job interviews, I always felt that when someone says, ‘Do you have any questions for us?’, I should say something, but I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say,” Shubin said. “This is something I’m going to take into my interviews to sound more professional and increase my chances of acing my interview.”

CAPSS will host workshops throughout the semester that are open to anyone that is looking for work and professional experience. CAPSS will host a career expo on Oct. 3, primarily for students studying science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Another expo will be held the following day on Oct. 4 for liberal arts and humanities majors. Both expos will take place in the Community Rooms in the Student Center from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.