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Resumes that Get Interviews: Top Tips from a Recruiter | Wednesday, December 2

Looking to revamp your resume in preparation for your impending job search or internship placement?

Attend our upcoming resume webinar on Wednesday, December 2 from 12:30-1:30 PM ET led by alumna Julie Kim Richards ’96, MSW New York Coordinator for Social Work p.r.n., a specialized social work staffing agency serving the New York City Metropolitan area.

At this event, you will learn:

    • What employers look for in resumes
    • How to effectively showcase your skills, experience, and value
    • Additional tips to make you stand out

Register here to receive a link to the webinar.

About Julie Kim Richards

Julie Kim RichardsJulie Kim Richards is the New York Coordinator for Social Work p.r.n., performing the role of recruiter and temp assignment coordinator in the only staffing agency created exclusively for social workers by social workers. Julie’s varied professional experience in multiple agencies and fields has driven her passion to help make the right fit for social workers and the settings where they work.

Julie’s social work experiences include individual and group therapy, advocacy, and supervision in the areas of child and family services, developmental disabilities, substance use, and services in schools. She dedicated 14 years of her social work career to developing the programs of a New York City agency that provides linguistically and culturally-specific services to Asian survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual abuse. As the Director of Programs, her accomplishments included nomination to Vice President of the Advisory Council to the New York State Office of Victim Services, and the development of: a women’s wellness center, a legal services division, a digital art therapy youth program, and a training program—all achieved while maintaining high-quality services provided to over 600 women and children annually, including a hotline provided in over a dozen Asian languages. Julie has presented at numerous conferences on the topics of domestic violence and mental health in the Asian community, including a workshop provided at the U.S. Department of Justice Domestic Violence Summit. She has also taught the domestic violence practice course at Columbia University School of Social Work.

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Get Career Advice from an Alum through our Fall 2020 Mentorship Program!

The Office of Alumni Relations and Office of Career Services and Leadership Management are pleased to offer a special opportunity to meet virtually with alumni for career mentoring!

Mentoring Program Overview

Through this program, students can request to connect with up to 2 alums per month for 1:1 conversations to:

    • Gain insights and perspectives about a career path, field, organization, or industry;
    • Get advice about career planning, searching and applying for jobs (including resume writing), networking, interviewing, or navigating life after CSSW; OR
    • Seek support in general from someone who’s been in your shoes as a student

Interested? 

    1. Fill out this mentoring program interest form. On the form, you will find a link to a directory with a list of all available volunteer mentors. Select the one you’re interested in meeting. Note that you will have to complete this form for each request.
    2. After submitting the form, you will receive an email confirmation as well as an introductory email from Jennifer March from Alumni Relations connecting you to the alum of choice within 2 business days. If you don’t hear from Jennifer in that time frame, please email her at jennifer.march@columbia.edu.
    3. Once you receive the email, it will be your responsibility to arrange a meeting directly with the alum using the contact information provided. While Zoom meetings are recommended, you can choose a platform that works best for both you and the alum.

Remember: This is NOT a forum to ask for a job or a recommendation for a job, but rather an opportunity to gather valuable information based on their knowledge and expertise.

After the initial meeting, it will be up to you and the alum to decide whether to stay in touch.

For more information, refer to our program overview.

Questions?

For general questions about our alumni mentors, please email Jennifer March at jennifer.march@columbia.edu.
You can also refer to our Informational Interview Guide or schedule an appointment with our office to discuss your questions further.
We hope you take advantage of this opportunity!
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Exclusive Global Career Resource for Students and Alumni

Did you know that as a student or graduate of Columbia School of Social Work, you have free access to GoinGlobal, an international career resource for both domestic and international candidates?

Whether you are interested in pursuing an opportunity across town or around the world, take a look at GoinGlobal, including their country and city career guidesdirectory of employers, H1B visa employer listings, and opportunities in 120 locations worldwide.

With the changed employment landscape due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have recently added a wealth of new resources to support your job search.

Take a look at the links found on their homepage sidebar “Job Search During COVID”:

    • Working During a Pandemic – forward thinking job search and networking tips
    • COVID Career Advice – timely news articles covering a range of topicsGlobal
    • Employment Briefings – areas of job promise in key countries

You can also find new economic information in their country career guides under “Snapshot” and “Job Search Overview.” Note every country guide has a dedicated section under “Finding a Job” about “Telework and Freelance.”

To learn more about the site’s features and resources, take a look at their user training schedule.

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Communities of Color Virtual Networking Event | Monday, November 9

Image by febrian eka saputra from Pixabay

The offices of Career Services and Leadership Management, Development and Alumni Relations, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are pleased to invite you to our 3rd Annual Communities of Color Virtual Networking Event on Monday, November 9, 2020.

All those who identify as students of color/ BIPOC are encouraged to participate!

Meet and mingle with a group of distinguished alumni of color, learn about their career paths and trajectories, and get tips and advice on navigating your own path as a professional of color in this dedicated virtual support space.

The list of featured alumni can be found below.

Event Details

Monday, November 9, 2020
6:30 – 8:30 pm ET
Platform: Zoom

The event will open with a 45-minute panel discussion and Q&A featuring select alumni guests. Thereafter, you will have the opportunity to engage in two rounds of small group networking with one or two alumni per group. 

*Pre-registration is required. Sign up here using your LionMail account ASAP. We ask that you only register if you are able to attend.

FEATURED ALUMNI (Read their full bio HERE)

Nadine Rose Carole ‘13 (SEA) – Program Manager at Facebook

Chris Eagar-Finney ‘13 (AGPP) – Psychiatric Social Worker II at Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health

Brandon Hadi ‘20 (SEA) – Program Manager at Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP)

Kazuko (Kazu) Kato ‘13 (POL) – Engineering Analyst at Booz Allen Hamilton

Erick Nunez ‘15 (AGPP) – Director of Specials Projects & Therapist at Soco Rey Therapy

Gwenelle  Styles O’Neal ’81 (POL) – Professor at West Chester University

Lorenzo Shaw-Graham ’20 (AGPP) – Program Associate, at Council on Social Work Education

Whitney Stewart ’14 (POL) – Senior Consultant-National Security at Guidehouse

Martinique (Marti) Teperman ‘06 (ACP) – Deputy Director of Social Services and Family Engagement at East Harlem Tutorial Program

Suzanne Towns ’01 (AGPP) – Deputy Executive Director at DC Workforce Investment Council

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Welcome Fall 2020 Students!

The Office of Career Services and Leadership Management would like to extend a warm welcome to our Fall 2020 class!

We look forward to meeting you and discussing your career plans as you further your education and training to promote social justice, equity, inclusion, and the overall well-being of others as anti-racist practitioners.

Want to get a head start on the conversation? Join us on Thursday, September 3 at our Career Q&A session for new students! See details within your Orientation materials.

Career Connect

Later this week, you will be receiving access to our exclusive career management system, Career Connect!

Please keep an eye out for a welcome email from: swcareer=columbia.edu@mg.gradleaders.com (It’s not spam!). It will include instructions on how to schedule appointments, register for future career events, access career-related resources, and more.

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Building a Positive Professional Brand

Whether you’re job searching or starting field, let your professional brand speak for itself.

Your professional brand communicates your core values, strengths, and attitude in and out of the workplace and helps you stand out as a marketable candidate for future roles.

For your brand to be effective, however, the mediums through which you convey who you are and what you offer need to be consistent. This includes not only your job applications, Linkedin, and other social media activities, but also your personal interactions.

In assessing your brand, consider the following questions:

    • How are you presenting yourself and communicating with others online and in person? Do your email messages and nonverbal behaviors, for example, reflect the professional image and reputation you seek to project?
    • How do you respond to feedback, criticism, or conflicts and challenges? Do they demonstrate your willingness and initiative to adapt, collaborate, learn, and grow–attributes particularly critical to the post-COVID world?
    • How are you nurturing the relationships you have with others, such as with supervisors, classmates, professors, mentors, and leaders in your field?

Your professional brand will evolve as your career grows. What impression do you want to leave on others? Use this to guide the steps you need to take to refine your brand, so others can have a clear sense of what you stand for and why they should hire you.

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JCCA Virtual Recruitment Session for Social Worker and Supervisor Positions | Thursday, August 13

Interested in ensuring the safety and well-being of New York’s most vulnerable children and families?

Attend our upcoming recruitment session with JCCA on Thursday, August 13, 1-2 PM ET. They are actively recruiting graduates for immediate openings across various foster care and prevention programs, as well as students graduating in Spring 2021 for openings anticipated in the future.

To receive a link to the event, register via Career Connect.

JCCA helps abused, neglected and traumatized children heal physically and emotionally through compassionate, quality care. Its 37 programs include foster care, residential treatment facilities, mental health services, case management, education programs and special services for children who have been the victims of sexual abuse.At this event, you’ll have the exclusive opportunity to:

    • Connect with senior leaders at JCCA
    • Learn about current and future social worker and supervisor openings across various foster care and prevention programs
    • Gain insight into their work and their investment in the professional development of their staff, including the opportunity to accrue hours towards the clinical license

Supporting children and families is incredibly important work and provides opportunities to build critical skills and experience that are transferable to all areas of social work, including knowledge of public systems. Learn more about their work and opportunities at https://www.jccany.org/who-we-are/employment/.

Questions? Contact us at swcareer@columbia.edu. See below for more information regarding the presenters.

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES: Columbia University makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities. If you require disability accommodations to attend an event at Columbia University, please contact the Office of Disability Services at (212) 854-2388 or disability@columbia.edu at least 5 days in advance of the event. 

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About the Presenters

Lorraine Stephens, LCSW, Senior Vice President, Foster Home and Preventive Services
Lorraine served as the Deputy Commissioner of ACS’s Division of Family Permanency Services, and later became the first Deputy Commissioner of the NYC Department of Homeless Services. Lorraine was Vice President of Strategic Planning, Government Relations, and Special Initiatives at New York Women’s Foundation. She currently serves at JCCA’s Senior Vice President of Foster Home and Preventive Services.

Kirsten Cooper, LCSW ’05, Assistant Vice President, Foster Home Services
Kirsten has been with JCCA for 15 years. She began with her BSW internship at JCCA in 2004, and then went on to pursue her MSW from Columbia in 2005, when she returned to JCCA to complete her MSW field placement. Following her internship, she was hired as a social worker in the adoption unit where she worked for two years until being promoted to her first supervisory position as a Social Work Coordinator in after-care. She eventually moved laterally to a different supervisor role in therapeutic foster care and continued to be promoted to her current position.

Antoinette Bryce, LCSW, Program Director, Unaccompanied Minor Program, Adoption and KinGap Unit, Child Success New York
Antoinette started at JCCA in 2010 as a Case Associate and went on to earn her MSW through the support of JCCA professional development programming. Throughout the last ten years, she has held multiple positions both laterally and as a result of promotions. These roles included: Permanency Specialist, Family Preservation Specialist, Adoption Coordinator, Administrative Supervisor, Assistant Program Director, and finally Program Director overseeing three separate units at JCCA.

Lynanne Bruun, LCSW, Borough Director, Brooklyn Preventive Services, Brooklyn Child and Adolescent Guidance Center
Lynanne started with JCCA in 2011 as a social worker in the Foster Home Services (FHS) group homes program. She moved up to a supervisor position in the FHS CSNYC program in 2014. She then made a lateral move to be a supervisor at the clinic in 2016, and in 2018 was promoted to Borough Director where she now oversees a preventive program, FTR, as well as the clinic and Second Chances.