Mind the Gap

A virtual student conference focused on career and professional development

"Mind the Gap" is heard thousands of times each day in the UK Underground. The call is to remind passengers to be careful when leaving the tube as there is quite a distance between the train and the platform. 

This phrase has also been used as a rallying cry to explore what's missing, what's not there, and what could be.

In an effort to provide improved access to our services, we offer a chance to choose your own adventure through a series of virtual conversations around career and professional development. The links below provide access to upcoming live presentations and discussions as well as previously recorded sessions. Select one or several topics and discover for yourself how to mind the gap.

This content is intended to serve students, alumni and others who:

• have yet to begin their career design work and would benefit from broad exposure
• have identified a career direction but would like actionable steps to maintain their progress
• have gained experience in their intended field and would like to learn how to express it on professional documents and through interviews
• are approaching graduation and interested in applying a bit more polish and another's perspective on their plans
• are interested to meet and network with their peers, alumni, staff, faculty, and employers on similar or related paths 

March 16

TIME	SESSION	PRESENTER	DESCRIPTION
11:30am - 12:15pm	Professional Documents	Donna Cooper and Ashton Adams	Powerpoint Presentation and conversation
12:15pm - 1:15pm	Professional Documents	Donna Cooper and Ashton Adams	Drop-in for conversation/questions
1:15pm - 2:00pm	Professional Documents	Donna Cooper and Ashton Adams	Repeat Powerpoint Presentation and more conversation

March 17

TIME	SESSION	PRESENTER	DESCRIPTION
11:30am - 12:15pm	Interview Prep	Donna Cooper and Ashton Adams	Powerpoint Presentation and conversation
12:15pm - 1:15pm	Interview Prep	Donna Cooper and Ashton Adams	Drop-in for conversation/questions
1:15pm - 2:00pm	Interview Prep	Donna Cooper and Ashton Adams	Repeat Powerpoint Presentation and more conversation

March 18

TIME	SESSION	PRESENTER	DESCRIPTION
11:30am - 12:15pm	Job Search	Donna Cooper and Ashton Adams	Powerpoint Presentation and conversation
12:15pm - 1:15pm	Job Search	Donna Cooper and Ashton Adams	Drop-in for conversation/questions
1:15pm - 2:00pm	Job Search	Donna Cooper and Ashton Adams	Repeat Powerpoint Presentation and more conversation

Mind the Gap archives: January 12-15, 2021

Click on each date for details of the day's sessions.
 

January 12

TIME	SESSION	PRESENTER	DESCRIPTION
9:30	Daily Preview	Marc Holcomb	Our host leads a discussion and activity to prepare you for the day's sessions.
10:00	Analyzing personal strengths and weaknesses	Chris Cunningham	Visit with Dr. Chris Cunningham (UTC Industrial-Organizational Psychology) as he shares how an awareness of individual strengths and areas of improvement can directly contribute to success.
10:00	Learning how a major becomes a career	Donna Cooper	From introductory courses to capstone seminars, Donna Cooper (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development) will connect the dots between your academic major and your career.
10:30	Using the FOCUS2 assessment to clarify career path options	Ashton Adams	Oftentimes, the thing missing most in decision making is focus--join Ashton Adams (UTC Graduate Assistant/ Center for Career and Leadership Development) as she discusses this popular career assessment.
10:30	Developing a job search checklist	Rob Liddell	Managing your job search can prove to be the difference between success and trying again, join Dr. Rob Liddell (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development) for help.
11:00	Setting and sticking to reasonable goals for the future	Danny Grzesik	Goal setting, coupled with a  disciplined pursuit of your goals, is the surest way to realize your ambitions--get encouraged by Danny Grzesik (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development).
11:00	Defining career readiness and its importance	Marc Holcomb	Join Marc Holcomb (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development) as he discusses the career readiness competencies most employers are looking for in successful candidates.
11:30	Gaining real-world experience	Bengt Carlson	Students want to gain experience in areas of personal and professional interest, Bengt Carlson (UTC Think Achieve) will share how to gain real-world experience at UTC and in the community.
11:30	Producing high-quality resumes and cover letters	Donna Cooper	Visit with Donna Cooper (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development) as she shares advice about developing winning professional documents.
11:30	Build a network of personal and professional connections	Rob Liddell	The relationships we build and grow with others will directly contribute to the quality of our lives--join Dr. Rob Liddell (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development) to discuss.
12:00	Daily Debrief	Marc Holcomb	Our host leads a discussion to review what you learned during the day's sessions.

January 13

TIME	SESSION	PRESENTER	DESCRIPTION
9:30	Daily Preview	Danny Grzesik	Our host leads a discussion and activity to prepare you for the day's sessions.
10:00	Navigating applicant tracking systems	Chris Cunningham	Dr. Chris Cunningham (UTC Industrial-Organizational Psychology) will lead a conversation about applicant tracking systems and ways to optimize your materials for success.
10:00	Understanding transferable skills and how to talk about them	Donna Cooper	Donna Cooper (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development) will guide you through a conversation about how skills can transfer from one role into the next.
10:00	Completing a job application	Endia Butler	After gaining experience and qualifying for a position, join Endia Butler (UTC Financial Aid & Scholarships) as she points out common pitfalls in completing job applications.
10:30	Creating a LinkedIn profile	Marc Holcomb	Visit with Marc Holcomb (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development) as he offers advice for setting up and optimizing your individual LinkedIn profile for professional networking.
10:30	Identifying the various types of interviews	Shunyale Griffin (BCBST)	Employer partner, Shunyale Griffin (BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee) will talk about various interview settings and how to stand out as a strong candidate.
11:00	Keeping track of job applications during the job search	Ashton Adams	Visit with Ashton Adams (UTC Graduate Assistant/Center for Career and Leadership Development) as she identifies helpful organizational strategies to manage your job search.
11:00	Understanding the path from entry-level work to the dream job	Lauren Shuler (Unum)	Employer partner, Lauren Shuler (Unum) will host a conversation about how successful entry-level employment can prepare candidates for advancement into greater career impact.
11:30	Establishing a professional identity	Makaylah Ariazi (HHM)	Employer partner, Makaylah Ariazi (Henderson Hutcherson & McCullough/HHM CPAs) will host a discussion about building and delivering on a personal brand and professional identity.
11:30	Essential elements of well-being	Lauren Burns	Visit with Lauren Burns (UTC Center for Student Wellbeing) as she discusses the interplay of various components of well-being and how they contribute to personal achievement and success.
12:00	Daily Debrief	Danny Grzesik	Our host leads a discussion to review what you learned during the day's sessions.

January 14

TIME	SESSION	PRESENTER	DESCRIPTION
9:30	Daily Preview	Marc Holcomb	Our host leads a discussion and activity to prepare you for the day's sessions.
10:00	Informational interviews as a networking tool	Ashton Adams	Learn how informational interviews can lead to deeper connections and possible recommendations for interesting roles with Ashton Adams (UTC Graduate Assistant/ Center for Career and Leadership Development).
10:00	Tackling tricky interview questions	Donna Cooper	Before you respond to an interview question be sure you understand what you are being asked--Donna Cooper (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development) will guide you to and through several tricky questions.
10:30	Staying involved with UTC as an alum	Andrea Lyons	One of your greatest networking strengths is your alma mater; join Andrea Lyons (UTC Alumni Relations) in a spirited conversation about staying active and engaged with UTC after graduation.
10:30	Self-care in the workplace	Jaclyn York and RCOB Dean's SAC	Make plans to join McKenzi Morgan and Varsha Kommeradi (Rollins College of Business Dean's Student Advisory Council members) as they discuss essential aspects of practicing self-care in the workplace.
11:00	Responsible use of social media and communication platforms	Marc Holcomb	Marc Holcomb (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development) will lead a discussion about how using social media and other communication platforms can power your career work while pointing out common pitfalls.
11:00	Decoding and diagramming the job description	Rob Liddell	Visit with Dr. Rob Liddell (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development) as he helps to decode job descriptions and then how to align your candidate materials accordingly.
11:30	Considering graduate school as a possible next step	Ashton Adams	Draw from Ashton Adams (UTC Graduate Assistant/ Center for Career and Leadership Development) and her decision to pursue graduate school immediately after her undergraduate degree.
11:30	Using LinkedIn to grow professional connections	Lyndsay Sneckenberger (TVA)	Employer partner, Lyndsay Sneckenberger (Tennessee Valley Authority) is skilled at connecting with others; join her to discover how she uses LinkedIn to grow professional connections.
12:00	Daily Debrief	Marc Holcomb	Our host leads a discussion to review what you learned during the day's sessions.

January 15

TIME	SESSION	PRESENTER	DESCRIPTION
9:30	Daily Preview	Danny Grzesik	Our host leads a discussion and activity to prepare you for the day's sessions.
10:00	Budget Basics	Sarah Edgar	Join Sarah Edgar (UTC Financial Aid & Scholarships) as she leads a conversation about financial wellness including building credit, managing debt, and becoming a strong resource manager.
10:30	Defining professional development	Lisa Piazza and Marc Holcomb	Join Dr. Lisa Piazza (UTC Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors) and Marc Holcomb (UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development) as they discuss  diverse ways students can develop into emerging professionals.
10:30	Deciding between job offers	Mo Ali (ACA)	Employer partner, Mo Ali (ACA Compliance Group) is hosting a high-impact discussion about the factors he considers when deciding between multiple offers.
11:00	First day on the job	Endia Butler	Visit with Endia Butler (UTC Financial Aid & Scholarships) as she discusses starting well from the first day on the job including communicating with others and navigating office dynamics.
11:00	Negotiating salaries and benefits	Jenelle Hawkins (Vision Hospitality)	Employer partner, Jenelle Hawkins (Vision Hospitality) will host a conversation about how, when, and why to negotiate salaries and benefits; don't miss this helpful session!
11:30	Networking during a pandemic	Jaclyn York and RCOB Dean's SAC	Make plans to join Rachel Ruano and Jordan Camp (Rollins College of Business Dean's Student Advisory Council members) as they share strategies to networking during the pandemic and at social distance.
12:00	Daily Debrief	Danny Grzesik	Our host leads a discussion to review what you learned during the day's sessions.

View the full video playlist

Please contact the Center for Career at Leadership Development at 423-425-4184 or [email protected] if you need special accommodations for events.