The University of Maine at Presque Isle hosted two Student Career Readiness Days—on Monday, Dec. 3 in the Folsom Commuter Lounge and Thursday, Dec. 6 in the Campus Center, room 118–for students looking to receive tools, resources, and assistance as they make their way through the professional world. Both events took place from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The events, sponsored by the Career Readiness Office, the Community and Media Relations Office, the Student Activities Office, and the Student Government Association, were open to all students.
During the event, students were able to make business cards, get help with their professional resume, receive guidance with LinkedIn, get resume reviews from employers, and even get their professional photos taken.
“We noticed, as a group of student leaders, that we had many students reaching out to us looking for assistance in sharpening their professional portfolios. We broke that down into these specific subcategories being featured at the events and are hoping to assist our fellow students in enhancing their skills,” Alex DesRuisseaux, UMPI’s Student Government Association President, said, ahead of the event. “I hope students take away the knowledge, skillset and tools they need in order to be successful post-graduation. We also hope that we can spark potential interest in joining Student Government Association.”
During both sessions, Violet Washburn from the Student Activities Office helped students design their own personalized business cards. Students received business cards to take home as well as a digital copy that they can alter for future use.
Nicole Fournier from the Career Readiness Office assisted students with their resumes and LinkedIn setup, whether they needed help creating them from scratch, or polishing, updating and getting any feedback.
The Community and Media Relations Office was also at the events, taking professional photos of students. After the events, the photos will be sent to students so they can be used as their headshots for professional opportunities. Students were encouraged to dress professionally and look their best for these photos.
“These events were organized to bring all of UMPI’s resources on campus focused around future careers into a one-stop setting and make it easier for students to access and take advantage of them,” Fournier said. “These are excellent materials and expertise for students to get, and we’re excited to have SGA lead this effort and to be a part of helping offer these career-focused opportunities to UMPI students.”
