SACUCCA Virtual Drive-In Conference

This event will be held August 10 - 12, 2020. 

August 10

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: "Let's Get Crackin: Creative Engagements with Recent Grads in the COVID-19 Era" - LadyStacie Rimes- Boyd, Trinity University

Presentation Description:

Recent grads need jobs! How have you reviewed and analyzed your engagements with recent graduates seeking employment or graduate school advice to help them make the most of this turbulent time? The challenge of not meeting with seniors face-to-face and not having employers on-campus for the later part of the semester was difficult but when added to the new dynamic of online classes for our students, it became almost unbearable. This breakout session will provide some examples of how to think about and rework the tools at your disposal to create more and new connections between recent graduates and their job searches, alumni connections, and each other. Rise above the noise to share worthwhile opportunities to help students find their direction.

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: "Career Transitions in Adults: Reflections on Schlossberg's Transition Theory" - Mason Murphy, Texas State University

Presentation Description:

Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Theory provides a great framework for understanding and working with adults.  Career counseling adults can be a complex process.  As adult learners enter a classroom, they bring a rich array of personal and professional experiences.  Also, they bring a variety of issues and concerns that impact their lives.  This is very similar when engaging adults in career counseling.  This session will provide a brief synopsis of Schlossberg’s literature in regard to Transition Theory.  Then, I will provide a series of case studies involving my work with adult career development, utilizing Schlossberg’s Transition Theory as a guide for success.  These case studies represent a solution-based approach to discussion.  Participants will be able to engage both myself and each other in a discussion of best practices in using Transition Theory in working with adults.

August 11

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: "Identifying and Retaining Neurodiverse Talent" - Allison Abramo, The Arc of the Capital Area

Presentation Description:

With a projected global tech labor shortage and an increased focus on remote work, companies are expanding their talent pipelines to include traditionally underrepresented groups to attract top candidates. Some top companies have begun to explore neurodiverse hiring initiatives to attract and retain talent. This presentation will explore why neurodiverse hiring should be a talent acquisition imperative, how traditional hiring process may be hindering these candidates, and best practices in starting an effective neurodiverse hiring initiative.

The traditional hiring process is a large barrier for neurodiverse individuals, especially candidates that are on the autism spectrum. Due to the hindrances in soft skills that are typical in ASD, over a majority of adults on the spectrum are either unemployed or underemployed, despite having the hard skills for the job. However, neurodiverse individuals share many incredible strengths that would benefit any business, such as creative “out of the box” thinking, consistency, commitment, and attention to detail. Participants will leave the presentation understanding the larger implications of neurodiverse hiring initiatives and being encouraged to take the steps to implement.

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: "Making Connections in the Virtual World" - Katie Ramirez & Maranda Larsen, Trinity University

Presentation Description:

Trinity University developed and adapted two different initiatives aimed at providing students with virtual experiential learning opportunities while simultaneously increasing connections with different stakeholders.  The first program, Tiger Connections, provides a structured program for “curiosity conversations” between students and alumni or parents that can be executed in both hybrid or online-only environments. The second program, TigerWorks, is a micro-internship program that was developed as a direct response to COVID-19 with an emphasis on nonprofits and small businesses.  The session will provide an overview of the development, processes, and future direction of these programs in addition to providing insight on how practitioners may be able to replicate these on their campuses.

August 12

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: "Navigating Career Counseling Groups: Integrating Multiculturalism, Mental Health, & Resilience" - Jordan Rossi & Adria Villarreal, Texas Career Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin

Presentation Description:

Career counselors are uniquely positioned to assist students who are anxious and uncertain about their futures. Now more than ever, we need to develop new ways to foster resilience while supporting diverse students in their academic and career pursuits. We must help students navigate the complex interplay of mental health and wellness, systemic racism, and COVID-19, and offer services that support career and personal development.

This session will focus on developing career counseling groups as one avenue for reducing isolation and providing support and connection during these challenging times. Students often feel inadequate and behind their peers, feelings which are likely heightened by increased isolation, reduced opportunities due to COVID-19, and membership in marginalized groups. Career counseling groups can provide a way to validate experiences, offer support, and encourage connection, a necessary component of resilience. Students can benefit from having a place to openly share their lived experiences during COVID-19 and national conversations around systemic racism, and understand how these realities impact their career paths.

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: "Creative Collaborations: 2020 Virtual Externship Programming" - Mysti Frazier, UTSA & Glenn Errhalt, RBFCU

Presentation Description:

Students are interested and sometimes required to find opportunities to gain experience, develop professionally, and network even during the challenges of our current virtual environment. However, finding opportunities to connect and continue their career preparation has become increasingly complicated, competitive, and uncertain. Additionally, companies have had to make tough and strategic decisions to become more engaging and creative within their virtual operations.

This program is designed to be a win-win-win for students, employers and university career service centers. Students gain career experience and build their network, companies maintain their recruiting and branding presence, and career services adds a virtual tool to support employer and student engagement.

This program, driven by employer partners is a 2-3 hour virtual career engagement experience targeted towards university students and their chosen field of study. The experience stands apart from a traditional “info session” because it is educational in nature and contains interactive, hands-on experiential learning component aligned with the companies area of expertise. In this session, we will share how collaboration between the University of Texas at San Antonio’s University Career Center and Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union worked to develop a dynamic program for companies, universities, and students alike.