Employment with Michele Waltz
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Matt Benoit: Welcome to Bellingham Technical College’s Money$marts Podcast. I’m your host, Matt Benoit and each episode we will talk with BTC students, staff, community professionals and financial experts about financial literacy and wellness in order to help listeners navigate resources in the community and empower themselves, financially. Today we are here with Michele Waltz, the Vice President of Student Services here at BTC. How are you doing?
Michele: I’m doing really well! Thanks for asking. Thanks for having me here.
Matt: Excellent. Now, tell us a little bit about your position at BTC. What do you find most interesting or rewarding about your job?
Michele: So, I started my job in July of 2018, so I’m recent to the position. I’ve been at Bellingham Technical College for about seven years. And my position, what I really see, is I support all of student services staff so that they can do their job to enroll students, advise students, support students, graduate students, and help them find employment. So, my job is to support all of that.
Matt: Now, obviously the main goal of graduates, not just at BTC but everywhere is employment, getting a job that obviously makes a comfortable living for yourself, and also is something that preferably you love, you enjoy. How does BTC help students get ready for employment after they graduate? 
Michele: So, good question. I think the majority of our students come to BTC because they are looking to train in a career. We do have some students that transfer on to a four-year college and pursue further education for careers that way but most of our students are looking to become employed in high wage, high demand jobs. And in things that they really enjoy doing that they have skills and abilities in. And I think we prepare them because we have amazing faculty that are from industry, work with industry to really give them the most current skills for whatever they’re training for whether it’s welding or nursing and everything in between. In addition, we have supports, in student services, we have advisors, we have support around, you know, building a resume and how to interview. And faculty are also really expert in that area. We do a lot around internships, externships, clinicals for our healthcare fields. So, there’s a variety of things we have in place that really helps students prepare and find employment. 
Matt: For students who are still taking classes and coming up on graduation where can students go to get info about employment for after they graduate?
Michele: Yeah, that’s a good question. I think it’s important for students to start early in that process and to get their information from a variety of people. I think faculty have a lot of expertise, a lot of knowledge and connections in industry, a lot of understanding of their specific labor market. And then I also think we have great partners in the community. We work closely with WorkSource and they can really help support employment and then just our own career center can really help with that while you’re in school. And I think also it’s important for students to focus on, if they don’t have current job experience, or they don’t have any for example, or maybe they have a gap in employment, there’s a lot of opportunity on campus to get leadership training. Whether it’s being a mentor, being in student government, doing work study. So I would encourage students to really work on building their resume and their leadership skills while they are a student because that’s just going to pay off for employment.
Matt: So, you mentioned WorkSource earlier, what exactly does WorkSource do  and how can it help both a prospective employee or even the employer?
Michele: That’s a good question. So, WorkSource is a one-stop partnership, they’re state-wide. Ours are located in Bellingham and there’s also a WorkSource in Skagit County and Mount Vernon and there’s also one in Oak Harbor. And what they do is they provide employment and training support for job seekers and also for employers. So they work closely with employers to support them. Customers can access them through - their big website is Worksourcewa.com and that is a great place to job search and find support services around resume and other courses. They do classes at WorkSources that are free, everything is free, there’s a computer lab, so it’s really a one-stop shop for all things employment.
Matt: So, earlier you mentioned a career center, is there an official career center on campus and if so where are students going to find it?
Michele: So, there’s not, you’re not going to find a sign that says Career Center with an arrow, but we do offer career services our of our advising, entry and support department, which is in the college services building on campus.
Matt: So a major employment barrier for some students might be their past, maybe navigating a prior criminal conviction, how do you suggest students stay positive, productive and focused during a job search and interview process?
Michele: 
My background, prior to my current position is, prior to BTC, I worked a lot with adults and juveniles in the system, so to speak, so adjudicated youth working through the juvenile courts and I also worked with department of corrections. So I have a lot of background in career advising people with conviction histories. So, in my experience, what I find is a lot of it is attitude. I’ve worked with students who literally spent ten years in state penitentiaries with lists of felonies they were convicted of and they served their time and they came out. But they had the drive and the attitude to change and they worked very hard to train and go through school and work.  So, I think attitude, how they stay positive is more complicated. I think people really have to find what works for them. Really engage in whether it’s counseling or support services or training or focusing. Lots of people have lots of resources they draw on to do that. I think it’s really up to the individual to find out what works for them. And I don’t think that’s easy, I think that’s really challenging. In the end when it comes to job searching and interviewing, you need to be ready to face the mistakes you made in the past and then move forward with an employer. Washington State does have a law that passed last June called the… I think it’s called Fair Chance Act. And that law allows folks to have a fair chance at getting an interview, really. So companies, and employers including public entities are not longer allowed to ask the question “Do you have a history of conviction?” on an initial application. So, once they qualify, then they can but they’re not being ruled out. So that’s nice, that’s a much better, fair system.     
Matt: But you may be asked that questions in an actual interview, right? 
Michele: You can be asked in an actual interview, correct. But it gets you into the interview and a lot of times that’s the hardest part. And then it’s up to you in the interview to move yourself forward, past the conviction. 
Matt: So, once you’ve gotten your foot in the door and let’s say you get a job interview, once you go back in for that interview how would you address a prior conviction?
Michele: So, the one student who was successful in getting a job and had a very long felony list or convictions, you know, their approach was really direct and honest. “I made these mistakes in the past, here’s how I’ve moved forward, here’s the, in his case, the drug and alcohol treatment I’ve been through, here’s how long I’ve been clean and sober, here are the jobs I’ve worked towards, here’s the training I have, here’s my commitment to move forward. So, just, owned it. “What have I done since and here’s what I continue to do.”And also, you don’t need to reveal a conviction necessarily unless an employer asks you, although there are cases. It’s pretty specific to industry, that you also don’t want to hide a conviction. So, if they ask you, you need to be honest. Otherwise, they could fire you if they find out otherwise. 
Matt: Right, so in addition to conviction histories, there are other things such as credit checks, or social media, that sort of thing. So, what are some of the other things that employers can check and that any prospective employees should be mindful of?
Michele: Yeah, so I think that pulling a credit report is becoming more and more common for different employers and the nice thing that we’ve been doing on campus here during the spring during our career fair is we also offer a financial fair and we have the opportunity for students to, in real time, pull their credit report with professionals from the banking community. And I would encourage people not to be afraid of their credit report because you want to, much like when you think you have a conviction history, and maybe, believe it or not, maybe you don’t know what’s on there. Pull your own record and credit and otherwise to understand what employers might see. I think that’s really important. I think that a lot of people are just afraid to find out what their credit report might say. And there are plenty of resources in the community that can help you interpret and figure out next steps if you do have problems with your credit. Another one is definitely social media, I know that, I have a lot of friends, not at Bellingham Technical College but are hiring in other employment agencies. And I know that they immediately will check Facebook. LinkdIn is obviously the more professional facing social media, that’s important as well but just be aware that people are cruising your social media to find out what kind of character they think you might be based on what you post. So, it’s just something to keep in mind.  
Matt: Obviously, we’re talking about some of the things that might get you in trouble in an interview, might jeopardize, potential employment. Do you have any specific tips for pivoting an interview towards your strengths? 
Michele: Yeah, I do. I think it’s really important to be prepared for an interview and there’s – and preparing for an interview is not just trying to memorize answers to questions you think you’re going to get. It’s really understanding the job you’re applying for, understanding the job description, researching the company, understanding the culture of the company, and then understanding your own documents that you’ve submitted in detail. So that when you’re in an interview and you can point to, specifically, how your skillset, your experience fits what they’re looking for and you can make that direct correlation. I think a lot of people miss that. They’re nervous. It’s okay to walk into an interview with your own documents in front of you and pull out your own resume with notes on it. I would always do that. And have a notebook to take your own notes and have the job description with your own notes and highlights. So that in the moment, when you’re nervous, and they’re asking a question, you can bring yourself back to focus and say “okay, that’s right. I am really skilled in this and this is how I fit this job.” So that’s one suggestion. I think being nervous is really natural. So I think practice is good. Mock interviews are excellent with people you know people you don’t know, in the mirror. I know that sounds crazy but it actually works so looking at yourself in the mirror and practicing different ways to say things. Not trying to memorize an answer because then you’ll get more nervous when you forget it. So, having done a lot of interviews or interviewed a lot of people, if people are nervous, I think most interview panels and people that are interviewing expect that, it’s how you control your nerves, or mitigate those nerves. So it’s not so much - being nervous is fine, we all are going to get nervous in situations. What I like to see more is how is the person handling those nerves. So, being prepared helps.
Matt: How do you handle the pressure.
Michele: How do you handle the pressure, yes.
Matt: So, for those who might have an employment gap on their resumes, what’s the best way to address that?
Michele: Well, that’s a really good question and that can be challenging. I had an employment gap on my resume. I was a satay at home mom from 2006 until 2009. However, during that time I was quite aware of that gap and so I worked five hours a week as a yoga instructor and I worked another couple hours a week at the local community college. And then, when that then goes on my resume, even though I was only working five to seven hours per week, it looks like I was working. So that’s one way, is to just be aware. If you don’t have that opportunity and you have a gap for an uncontrolled reason – so one is preventing, put some preventative things if you know you’re going to have a gap in employment. Whether you’re stepping out on purpose or maybe you’re facing a layoff and unemployed. Can you volunteer? Can you work part time? Can you do something that has you “working”, maybe in quotes during that time. And if it’s not something, a gap you can prepare for, then there’s ways to build your resume again. That’s why I mentioned students working on campus, leadership opportunities, work study, part-time work, even if it’s working at a coffee shop – any employment is going to show that you are back in the working world and working towards that. I think that people try to cover up their gaps on resumes in lots of creative ways but hiring – people that hire can see right through that. You might have a type of resume that can be written that is, shows your skillset instead of your work history. And if somebody submits that, that’s a clear sign to me, who helps people write resumes and has seen a lot, that they’re trying to cover something up. Which is maybe fine. But I just encourage people, also to not focus so much on the gap but again how they’re trying to work past that. What employers want to see is that you are showing up on time, you’re dedicated, you’re working and developing skills, whether they’re customer service or otherwise. And it all ties back to transferable skills, right so if you’re working  a job that isn’t necessarily part of your career, I mean I was teaching yoga it wasn’t in education. Except there’s a lot of transferable skills there. So, you have to really work to identify those transferable skills and that’s where, you know, career advisers on campus or Work Source partners can really help you sit down and draw out those transferable skills. Because a lot of times we don’t see or understand what that means. And there’s a lot of transferable skills in pretty much any job you have that can move to another job. 
Matt: So, you mentioned Work Source earlier. What are some other community resources that focus on employment and job readiness?
Michele: We have a lot of great resources on campus. And in addition, if you have, for example, if you have a disability you might work with disability services DVR, Department of Vocational Rehab out of DSHS and they focus specifically on folks that really need more support finding employment. Our local community based organization Opportunity Council has a lot of support around employment and if you’re a recipient of federal food benefits, they can help support you. Things like getting you interview clothes or if you need equipment to start the job, or maybe you need gas money for the first month to stay employed before you get your paycheck. So there’s not only support to find employment but to also get and keep employment. So, I would just really encourage people to access those resources, they’re there for a reason. Once you’re fully employed and on your way in a career you can always choose to give back to the community. I would always encourage students to go to our local food bank and I know a lot of people would say “well, I don’t want to take resources from somebody else” and I would say “you need them now, so use them. Down the road when you’re successfully employed as a nurse and making 28 dollars an hour, you can give back to the community. So I’d encourage people to just find out what the resources are. You can ask, pretty much in any student services department on campus and they’re going to be able to direct you to the ones that will work for the specific student and their needs.
Matt: Alright, is there anything else you wanted to add about the topic of employment?
Michele: Well, I think the most important thing about employment, is that people ultimately are trying to find work that they really love doing. And there’s employment to pay the bills and then there’s a career that you get excited to get up and go to work for. And they’re different and we’re not always going to have the latter. Often times we just have to have a job to pay the rent. I’d really encourage people to seek out what it is that’s going to get them excited to get out of bed and go to work everyday. Maybe not everyday, okay. Four out of five days of the week. But I think that’s important. It’s important to me and that’s why I love working here and supporting the work of the college because that’s what we’re doing. We’re trying to pair people for a job that they’re going to really love and that’s really going to give them a solid financial footing as well as a career they’re going to enjoy. 
Matt: Awesome. Well, Michele thanks so much for being here.
Michele: Thank you. 
Matt: I think we learned a lot.
Michele: That was fun.
Matt: Thanks for listening to this episode of the BTC Money$marts podcast, be sure to check out all our episodes on the BTC website. They’re loaded with stories, tips, tricks and strategies for financial literacy. This podcast is produced by Cheryl Kennedy with music courtesy of Bensound.com. I’m Matt Benoit, see you next time!