How Professional Communication and Job Seeking Skills Workshops Can Improve Opportunities for Students
Black students in City Colleges of Chicago are graduating and entering the workforce. Based on the conversations we are having with those nearing graduation and those who recently graduated, there is a desperate need for resources focusing on professional communication skills designed to enhance their career readiness and open pathways to upward social mobility through education.
We facilitated one such workshop with the goal of equipping students with tangible, actionable tools that could immediately improve their chances of securing internships, jobs, and other opportunities that support their long-term goals.
During the workshop, students collaborated with mentors and other professionals to create polished résumés, learn effective interview techniques, and master workplace communication strategies.
Student participants received tailored feedback on mock interviews and personalized advice for presenting themselves professionally in various contexts. Beyond these products, they left the workshop with professional portfolios that reflected their skills and aspirations, including formatted résumés and LinkedIn profiles ready for networking and job searching.
We aimed to bridge the gap between their educational efforts and the opportunities they seek with these workshops, and prepare job-seeking products they can use on the market. By creating these documents during the workshop, we enabled them to step into new spaces with confidence and readiness to succeed.
