'Handshake and Headshots' gives Herkimer College students the professional edge

A student selects the right look for a professional headshot, as part of Herkimer College Career Services' workshop held on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Students enjoyed a complimentary professional photography session and presentation.

Herkimer College students were dressed for success as part of Career Services’ ‘Handshake and Headshots’ workshop held on Wednesday, Oct. 4. The first-of-its-kind event for the College is part of Career Services’ semester-long professional development series.

Students were given the opportunity to participate in a complimentary professional photography session, courtesy of the public relations staff. As an additional benefit, a diverse selection of business attire was made available for borrowing from the College’s Fashion Buying & Merchandising A.A.S. program. Participants also gained valuable insight into the vast array of job and internship prospects offered through Handshake, the College’s dedicated online recruiting platform for both current students and recent graduates.

According to Career Services Director Suzanne Paddock, one of the main goals of her department is to talk early and often to students about professionalism.

“Although today’s college students are quite adept with social media, they often don’t understand how to transition to a professional online presence and leverage platforms to build a career-focused network,” Paddock explained. “In this workshop, we discussed how to maximize their Handshake account to connect with recruiters, and we provided tips for developing a LinkedIn profile and how to build their network. With this information and a high-quality professional profile picture, students are better equipped to use social media to develop their career paths.”

The next workshop in the Career Services Professional Development series is entitled, ‘Calm, Collected, and Focused’ on Wednesday, Oct. 18. In partnership with the College’s Counseling Center, this interactive workshop will help students increase their awareness and coping skills for daily distractions, which, left unchecked, can lead to increase stress and likelihood for burnout.

For more information on the comprehensive career services offered to students, alumni, and employers, visit Herkimer.edu/career-services.