Career Preparedness Workshops

​LASER-TEC offers a “Career Preparedness Workshop” for all of our partner and OPCN colleges.

This workshop will help students and graduates to:
  • Connect what they learned in their photonics program to what an employer needs​
  • Understand what to expect when searching for employment ​​
  • Focus on areas that need to be improved
  • Gain confidence
​The workshop includes the following topics:
  • Transferable skills: from college to photonics employment
  • Job searching strategies:  general and specific for photonics technicians
  • Resume and cover letter: dos and don’ts. Examples
  • Application process: stages and best approaches 
  • Interview preparation & technical Interviews: what do you need to know
  • Professional follow-up
The workshop is about 1-1.5 hours long and can fit into your class period. It is conducted remotely via a face-to-face Skype Video Call or Blackboard Collaborate. 
 
You can schedule this workshop at any time during the year, but we recommend colleges host this workshop between November-February of each year to give students ample time to work on their portfolios and participate in “mock” interviews. The typical hiring cycle of photonics companies is spring-early summer.  
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If possible, we recommend scheduling a session with your college’s Career Center before this workshop. This will help us focus on topics and strategies specific to career preparedness in lasers, photonics, optics, and fiber optics.

    Schedule a Workshop

    To schedule a workshop at your institution, please complete the form below. 
​For more questions about the workshop, contact Natalia Chekhovskaya at (772) 462-7295 or nchekhov@irsc.edu 

Other Career Resources

​General Career Guide

​​On its Career Guide webpage, Indeed.com provides a plethora of great resources to help students gear up for the job search and application process.

​Job Interview Questions

​​This website has resources that will help your students prepare for their interview. Faculty can also use this site to conduct mock interviews.

​Resume & Cover Letter Builder

​​This site hosts website and cover letter builders and offers lots of advice for job seekers at any stage.

​Career Tools

​​This resource, provided by Indian River State College and Optimal Resume, will help students identify critical sections of their job application, walk them through the process, and provide examples of resumes and cover letters.

​Applicant Tracking Systems

​This webpage explains automated Applicant Tracking Systems used by companies to identify the most qualified candidates. It contains resources that will help students align their resumes to a specific job description and make their resumes ATS-ready.

​Digital Presence & Networking

​​This website contains helpful tips on how to optimize LinkedIn to complement a student portfolio and explains ways to network on the platform.