This is a listing of what has been offered in the past. More information will be posted as it becomes available.
SHORTCUTS
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Explore work at UMass as well as educational programs that could help you develop your career. This series of workshops and Opportunities in Jobs and Education fair is geared for members of AFSCME and USA/MTA, as well as non-unit staff, but is also open to any university employee. A 3-week class, Assessing Career Options, precedes the series and offers tools, tests, and techniques for employees who are looking for a career direction. That class will be followed by eight weeks of individual workshops that focus on education opportunities, job-seeking skills, hands-on job training, and careers at the university. Sign up for selected workshops or for the whole series.
ASSESSING CAREER OPTIONS
Could you do almost anything if you only knew what it was? This 3-week workshop will help you envision possible futures and explore your heart's desire. Inventories and exercises will be used to help you assess your skills, values, interests, and visions, so that you can begin to set goals and develop your career development plan. Participants are expected to use the Internet and complete assignments outside of class.
NAVIGATING THE UMASS SYSTEM
Hear from university employees who have navigated their way on campus to new positions and opportunities or developed their own paths to advancement on campus. You may gather some tips and strategies for developing your own career path. We will hear from:
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY
You may be looking for career advancement at the university, or just wondering how the employment process works for non-student and non-professional positions on campus. Yvonne Campbell, manager of the Employment Office, will explain:
THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
If you are a new employee, or even if you're a veteran on campus, the state classification system may be a mystery to you. The university's classification analyst will explain how jobs are classified, and he will be joined by representative s from AFSCME and USA/MTA in discussing:
APPRENTICESHIPS AND HANDS-ON TRAINING
Do you want to learn a new trade and upgrade your paycheck? The university and AFSCME have recently reactivated their labor/management Apprenticeship Committee, and they are planning apprenticeship programs in the trades and job slots for the future. In this session, you will learn about:
PREPARING FOR BUSINESS CAREERS
Do you dream of being your own boss? Perhaps you are a small farmer, craftsperson, artist, or entrepreneur who is looking for the tools and information to turn a part-time business into a career. Or you may be wondering if study in the field of business can help you develop the managerial skills you need for promotion and career growth. This session will explore:
NETWORKING AND INTERVIEWING SKILLS
How do you determine which jobs might be best for you? And how do you present yourself in a job interview? Taking the time to network, research, and prepare for a job interview can improve your chances of getting a job offer. In addition to job applications, references, and resumes, employers use job interviews to find out if an applicant's skills, experience, and personality meet their needs.
This workshop will help you investigate potential jobs, role play responses to interview questions, develop your own questions for networking and interviews, and strengthen your own presentation skills. You will learn:
A FRESH LOOK AT RESUMES
Many of us mistakenly believe that the purpose of resumes is to document the past. A resume is really geared to the future and what you want to do next. Don't expect employers to read between the lines. It's your job to highlight the skills and accomplishments that will help you get the next job you want. In this workshop, Karen Knight, associate director of Alumni and Community Career Services, will present some food for thought on this age-old topic. We will discuss:
You are welcome to bring a resume for a quick critique.
OPPORTUNITIES IN JOBS AND EDUCATION
Are you thinking about going back to college to prepare you for a new career, but need a program that will help you gain credits for what you've already learned? Are you seeking an education for a field that doesn't require a college degree? Perhaps you'd like to train for a career in office administration but wonder where to start. Or maybe you'd like licensing in the trades as an electrician or plumber. If you spend your days preparing and serving food on campus, perhaps you would like to advance your career with an associates degree and certificate in culinary arts. There are many education opportunities that come with your union membership. Come to this career and education fair and learn about:
SO... YOU WANT TO BE A SUPERVISOR?
Are you wondering if a job as a supervisor might be right for you? Do you want to get some first-hand information to find out? Or you may already have had some supervisory experience with student workers or others and you want to learn more about how to be effective in this role. This four-session core series will provide skill building, information, and practicum experiences for employees exploring what it means to be a supervisor. Employees will learn to:
The training also involves approximately ten hours of leadership development experiences outside of class, including such activities as job shadowing, mentoring, and meeting with model supervisors.
COMPUTER COURSES FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT
We have designed a progression of computer courses for career development that fits the learning needs of employees, from first-time users to career changers and office workers who are looking for tips in mastering a new Microsoft application. Our curriculum is tailored to help employees prepare for the office automation tests offered by the Employment Office. Certificates will be awarded to those who meet the learning goals in each course. These courses are offered pending funding from the UMass/USA Career Ladder Committee.
COMPUTERS FOR NEW USERS SERIES:
INTRODUCTION TO WINDOWS, WORD PROCESSING, E-MAIL, AND THE INTERNET
This is a 12-week beginner course in three parts, and an introduction to Microsoft Office applications. We strongly encourage new users to register for the whole course, since the parts build on each other. Current computer users may sign up for just the sections that are new to them.
PART 1: COMPUTER BASICS AND MICROSOFT WINDOWS
This 4-week introductory section is for anyone who isn't sure what to do with a computer after they find the "on" switch. Designed for those with little or no computer experience, participants will learn the basic parts of the computer, how to use Microsoft Windows, the control panel, and a few other functions.
PART 2: INTRODUCTION TO MICROSOFT WORD AND WORD PROCESSING
This 4-week section covers the basic elements of Microsoft Word and word processing functions. You will learn basic editing, formatting, spell checking, and layout functions, as well as create documents and practice at an easy pace. Participants may experiment with their own styles and work on a written project of their choice.
PART 3: INTRODUCTION TO E-MAIL AND THE INTERNET
This 4-week section is for those already familiar with the basic functions of Microsoft Windows and Word. You will set up a free e-mail account, learn to send and receive e-mail, and explore the wonders of the Internet with web browsing software. We will practice customized searches of web sites to find useful and interesting information.
INCREASE YOUR OFFICE SKILLS WITH DATA SERIES:
INTRODUCTION TO EXCEL, INTERMEDIATE EXCEL, AND INTRODUCTION TO ACCESS
This is a series of three 4-week classes that will help you develop your skills with data, using Microsoft Office applications. Participants are invited to take all three classes, or to sign up for just the class that meets your interest or skill level.
INTRODUCTION TO EXCEL
This 4-week class is geared for those who want to update their office and computer data skills for work in the clerical field using Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet program used in accounting. If you would like some practice working with numbers, charts, and quantitative information, this class will help you. We will create spreadsheets, tables, simple formulas, and reports you will be proud to show your supervisor and co-workers.
INTERMEDIATE EXCEL
This 4-week class is geared for those who want to increase their office and computer data skills using Microsoft Excel. Participants will practice basic and some advanced functions of Excel. You will learn to create and modify worksheets, modify settings in Excel, and create, format, modify, and print charts.
INTRODUCTION TO ACCESS
This 4-week class is geared for those who want to increase their office and computer data skills with Microsoft Access, a database program used to manage records and other types of information. Participants will learn to plan and create a database, create and modify a table, use the program's Lookup and Input Mask Wizards, create and modify forms and controls, work with records, and create, specify, and modify queries in a database.
INCREASE YOUR OFFICE SKILLS WITH WRITING:
INTERMEDIATE MICROSOFT WORD
This 4-week class is geared for those who want to update their office skills and for AFSCME workers who want to expand their writing and computer skills for work in the clerical field. Using the more advanced functions of Microsoft Word, we will explore how to create and update documents, charts, and tables. Participants will create form letters, learn how to use the mail merge function for mass mailings, and format envelopes and labels. In addition, participants will also try out a variety of formatting styles, themes, borders, shading, graphics, and color in posters, letters, and other written communications.
LEARNING ONLINE:
CAREERS AND THE INTERNET
This 4-week class is for those who want to exercise their Internet skills with web-based learning. Perhaps you have wanted to take an online course, but didn't think you could handle it. Or maybe you've picked up web guides and jotted down dot-com addresses, but got lost in the surf when you tried to navigate your way to the resources you really wanted. In this class, we will