Career Assistance

Several people sitting at a table in pairs, talking to each other.
 

Alumni Career Assistance

RIT Career Services coordinators are available to work with you on job search or career topics. For those of you who may want more in-depth coaching, use one of our community coaches. Career Services also provides resources through expert webinar series and job search platforms for seasoned professionals.

RIT Career Services Coordinators

Career Services is available to offer expertise related to job search or career topics. Alumni are entitled to an hour-long appointment with their Career Services coordinator. This can include a resume review, a guide to job resources for your targeted field, and a discussion of a search strategy. For support with your job search, please contact the Career Services coordinator who works with your RIT degree program.

Career Services also provides resources through expert webinar series and job search platforms for seasoned professionals. Learn more

Career Coaching Services

Please use one of our community career coaches for more in-depth coaching. Please note that providers are independent contractors and are in no way affiliated with RIT, or RIT Office of Career Services, and are not compensated by our office. These are fee-based services with rates given by each provider. Mention you’re an RIT Alumni for special discounts.

RCM Associates Career Coaching


585-398-7508

Experience

Directed award-winning career centers for Fortune 500 companies and provided professional development coaching to management level staff at the National Institutes of Health, World Bank, law firms, and businesses, as well as career training at area colleges and career centers.

Specialties

  • 40+ professional career transitions: debunking age myths
  • LinkedIn profile development and social media optimization
  • Job search planning, results-oriented search methods and marketing resources

Certifications

  • Certified Professional Coactive Coach (CPCC)
  • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
  • DISC Career/Management Assessments


585-210-8518

Experience
Janine is a career counselor who assists people in getting to know their strengths, interests, values, and skills, identify and evaluate their options, and create an action plan to help them get to their next step in education or employment. Janine also has experience assisting people navigate factors that might be roadblocks in one's employment journey, such as depression, anxiety, executive functioning challenges, and chronic health conditions. 

Specialties

  • Career counseling and coaching for individuals with disabilities. 
  • Career counseling and coaching for individuals with neurodiverse challenges such as autism spectrum disorder/Asperger's syndrome and ADHD. 
  • Assist candidates with disabilities to identify employment opportunities with disability-inclusive employers, disclose and request accommodations, and manage the stress and anxiety that often accompanies the job search process. 

Certifications 
Certified Career Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Certified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) practitioner

Coach and Promoter for Public Speakers


585-754-6197

Experience

Certified coach empowering public speakers to develop a dynamic stage presence, increase their audience, and build a bold business platform. Assists speakers in the promotion of their message via trainings, keynotes, and other speaking opportunities. Presently she sits as vice president of programs and operations for the Rockstar Superstar Project.

Specialties

Public speaking

Certifications

  • Certified Coach through Coach Training Alliance by the International Coach Federation (ICF)
  • Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor
  • National Certified Adolescent Addictions Counselor

Changing Careers

From re-evaluating career goals after company layoffs or finding a new passion to pursue, changing career paths is very common today. Changing jobs offers new challenges and opportunities to expand your skills and work toward long-term goals. We have compiled Alumni Career Resources that will help with your career change.

  • More financial reward
  • Lack of challenge in your work
  • No opportunities for growth
  • Limited job opportunities
  • Retirement
  • Work/life balance issues
  • Stress concerns
  • Dissolving of positions from AI technology

  • Personal internal and external barriers
  • Transition timeline to new career and success
  • Retirement plan and goals
  • Healthcare needs for you and/or your family
  • Life Insurance and Disability needs 

  • Realistic quality improvement of current position
  • Education requirement for a new career
  • Time commitment
  • Financial costs and long-term benefits
  • Personal internal and external barriers

  1. Identify your support systems (family, friends, etc.)
  2. Create a list of careers you can see yourself enjoying and being successful in
  3. Establish goals and action plans for each to accomplish your career change
  4. Determine what you want from an employer, a company, and a work environment
  5. Talk with professionals who currently work in the field that you are interested in
  6. Join professional organizations and network with contacts in that field
  7. Create a timeline for a successful career transition
  8. Prepare for the transition. It will be challenging both emotionally and mentally, so give it time and be patient

Encore Careers

Are you looking to explore a new career path instead of retiring? Encore career resources can help reassess your interests and skills to determine a new chapter in your life.
 

FAQ

We know the challenges you face when you find yourself conducting a job search in addition to juggling personal and family issues. We are available to offer assistance and support during your job search and have listed some general tips and resources to help.

  • Get information on and apply to any applicable unemployment insurance benefits to which you’re entitled.  
  • Take care of yourself
    • Make sure your immediate needs are being met
    • Where possible, stick to a routine – eat, get enough sleep, exercise
    • Stay connected to your support system, and let them know how they can help you with your search – i.e. can they make a connection with someone in your field?
    • As with any job loss, it’s ok to take time to grieve, then get back into activity.  Set small goals for yourself that are achievable.
    • Volunteer – Look for ways to give back.  In helping others, you will help yourself – and the connections you make may help you with future opportunities.
  • How to Survive a Layoff | U.S. News & World Report

  • Short-term plan – a job to generate immediate income
    • Search LinkedIn and Twitter with these hashtags to get information on job postings: #hiringnow #nowhiring #hiring #hiringnow #openpositions
    • Use multiple general job search sites – set up search agents to be notified of new job postings:
    • Use field-specific job search sites – your RIT Career Services coordinator can provide suggestions
    • Connect with a temporary agency to obtain temporary or part-time work that could lead to full-time employment
    • Check out the community and local government resources for your area. Rochester Works has compiled a list of current job postings.
    • Continue to use RIT Career Connect – log in with your RIT account and search job postings
  • Long-term plan – for your dream job. Conduct a simultaneous search, to continue working towards your goal.
  • Conduct an organized search, manage your time, set SMART goals, regularly evaluate  your activity and goals

Take the time to make your marketing materials are strong; they should all reflect your brand, or what you have to offer employers, and are the best representation of your qualifications as they relate to your targeted industry, field and the companies to which you apply. In this time you especially want to stand out from the competition for the jobs that are available.

  • Resume: Targeted to each specific company you apply to, especially at the experienced level. Start with a profile or summary of qualifications section, and focus on your accomplishments; you want to demonstrate a record of success.
  • Cover letter: Targeted to each specific job, and match your qualifications to the job, so that the company can see you in that position. Elaborate with stories that showcase your relevant skills.
  • LinkedIn and other social media profiles: Should be branded, using the headline and summary areas to emphasize your strengths as they relate to your targeted field, and to differentiate yourself from others. Fill your profile with relevant keywords that ensure you’ll be found by recruiters. Find and develop the appropriate supporting materials for your field, and be sure they enhance your brand and qualifications.
  • Elevator Pitch: Strong introduction to you and your brand, tells where you’ve been, why you’ve been successful, and where you want to go.   
  • Interviewing Skills: Prepare by assessing your key qualities, develop responses to common general questions and specific questions for your field. Practice responses. Conduct a mock interview with your Career Services Advisor, especially in a virtual environment.
  • References: Be sure your references are up to date, and keep them updated on your job search.

Use this time to develop new skills and gain knowledge to make yourself a stronger candidate.

  • RIT Certified: Courses, certificates, and programs in key industry areas that reflect the most in-demand skills hiring managers are seeking right now. How do we know? We partner with employers and industry leaders to ensure you’re gaining the most relevant, up-to-date skills.
  • Training opportunities at RIT:
    • Lean Six Sigma Fundamentals: Complete this three-credit graduate course and receive Yellow Belt Certification. You will also be considered Green Belt “trained,” ready for Green Belt Certification once you complete a value-added project (after course completion). Your employer’s tuition reimbursement policy may apply. Learn more
    • Basic Statistics and Design of Experiments (DOE): Normally a three-day on-campus workshop, we are making the same content available over two weeks to give you plenty of time to master the material when it’s convenient for you with continual instructor support. Learn how to use powerful experimental design techniques to solve challenging problems in engineering, R&D, marketing, and operations. Register here
    • Introduction to Minitab: This half-day on-campus workshop is now available online over three days to adapt to your schedule. Learn how to use a powerful but user-friendly software package, Minitab®, to collect, manipulate, analyze, and graph data effectively. Register here
    • Data Analysis and Problem Solving with Excel: Normally a three-day on-campus workshop, the content is now available over ten days to give you time and flexibility to master the material with instructor support. Learn how to use Microsoft® Excel to organize, visualize, and utilize data to solve problems and make data-driven decisions. Register here
    • Lean Six Sigma Certification: Learn how to improve business processes and become a certified Lean Six Sigma professional with one of our programs. Register here
  • MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) – many free or low cost
    Coursera, EdX, Udemy, Alison
  • LinkedIn Learning Free For 30 Days
  • Experts Webinar Series – Library of job search and career management webinars by leading experts, to advance your career. Free for RIT alumni. 
  • Pluralsight
  • Specific online training for your field. Find applicable training options to become stronger in your current field or to gain skills to make a career change.
    • For example, PE license (The Principals and Practice of Engineering exam)       
    • FE/EIT exam (Fundamentals of Engineering)

The importance of networking cannot be overemphasized. Use this time to create a firm foundation of contacts and develop your professional network, so that when opportunities become available, you’ll be well-positioned to hear about them.

  • RIT alumni are a great resource for networking. Find them in several places.
    • LinkedIn – Rochester Institute of Technology page, click the alumni tab. Search by major, a keyword for your field, or company, and reach out to make a connection.
      • Groups – RIT alumni group, RIT Career Services
    • Tigers Connect – RIT's mentoring platform Tigers Connect gives you the chance to connect with alumni from your major or in your career field in order to gain information and advice for your career and job search
  • LinkedIn – Connect with RIT alumni, contacts in your targeted companies, current and former colleagues. Join groups for your field (you can join up to 100), stay knowledgeable in your field and make additional connections, and participate in discussions to demonstrate your expertise.
  • Professional Associations – These organizations offer the chance to grow professionally through conferences and other knowledge-based resources, and especially the ability to connect with like-minded people in your field for networking. The more you participate, the more members will get to know you and will feel comfortable recommending you for opportunities as they become available. Find professional associations by doing a Google search, by seeing what organizations alumni are involved in through their LinkedIn profiles, and through recommendations by people in your field.
  • Volunteer and community organizations – Any group of which you’re a part provides an opportunity to connect and network with its members. You never know where you’re next job lead will come from, so stay connected to these groups. Think broadly, i.e. the parents of your child’s sports team.

As a new normal emerges for the work world, there are now many more remote jobs and alternate work arrangements. To be successful, you’ll need to demonstrate the skills valued in a remote environment. You may also need or want to consider an alternate work arrangement.

  • Be prepared to demonstrate accomplishment with these critical skills, through specific examples from your experience – including volunteer experience:
    • Adaptability
    • Flexibility
    • Critical Thinking/Problem solving
    • Ability to navigate change
    • Communication and conflict resolution

Consider these ways to share your time and talent with RIT students who may need extra support and assistance during their job searches. Learn more

However you’re able to provide assistance, know that students will be very appreciative of your guidance and support!