Centralight

Leverage your resources Sitting at a table in the Troy Center's computer lab, Hallamon shows recent CMU graduate and Fraser resident Jennifer McDonald, a community development major, how to customize her résumé. After McDonald, '11, rattles off her experience to Hallamon, he pauses to think. Hallamon then says, "Think about the position you are applying for. Out of what you listed, what should you put down?" Hallamon says it is important for job seekers to ask those types of questions. "Customize yourself," Hallamon says. "There are so many people looking for a job, that you need to set yourself apart. Employers aren't going to do that for you." In addition to résumé and cover letter advice, Hallamon does mock interviews – complete with a digital recording of the session so that alumni and students can review it at home. "That way, after you listen to the advice you are given, you can process it and watch yourself with those tips in mind," Hallamon says. "It really hits home when you watch yourself and see how you come across to others." So how did Hallamon become an expert on helping others job seek? By going through the job search process himself. Nearly four years ago, Hallamon stood in line at the CMU Troy campus waiting to get advice from Career Services. And Sherlock remembers their first meeting. "He was driven. He was looking for opportunities to grow and network," she says. "You could tell that he was a very self-motivated individual." Hallamon says he was a part of mass downsizing at GM, a company he worked at as an engineer for more than 20 years. "I looked for employment for more than a year and it was difficult," he says. "But I took that time to network and really look at how I was presenting myself to others." He attended many career fairs. He recorded himself during mock interviews. He reached out to professionals for résumé and cover letter advice. "I did it all," he says. "In addition to your skills, it is so important to make connections. That is what gets you where you need to go." When the Career Services position at CMU opened up, Hallamon applied. And found himself sitting across the table from a familiar face – Julia Sherlock, who assisted him at the Troy Center a little more than a year earlier. He says all that work with job seeking research and networking was his key in landing the position. "Never underestimate your experience. So many people dismiss things if there is not a check or monetary value attached to it," Hallamon says. "But it is all important." Watch the doors open Back in the Troy Center, Jennifer McDonald – who speaks with Hallamon weekly –sifts electronically through position listings. Through working with Hallamon, McDonald says she has gotten interviews but hasn't found the right fit yet. She wants to work for a nonprofit that promotes education. For more information Contact Dr. Terence Hallamon, assistant director of Career Services, at halla1t@cmich.edu or 248-526-2610. "I've worked really hard to get here. I am an advocate for education because it opens doors," she says. "I just need to keep looking until I find the right door to walk through." Listening to Hallamon's advice, she has gone to CMU networking events and career fairs. McDonald, with the assistance of Hallamon, also is starting up a job seekers support group at CMU. As McDonald passionately talks about helping others who are in similar job seeking situations, Hallamon shares information about a CMU job position that recently opened in the Troy Center. "I think you'd be great for it. It's working with students" he says as McDonald's eyes light up. "Let's look through your résumé and see how we can best showcase your talents." And that is the importance of networking. • centralight spring '12 25

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