A Finishing School was once used as a way to measure one’s preparedness to use their skills in the real world. These schools varied in duration, ranging from a year to just a few days. For our toolkit, we have designed a 2-day finishing school workshop to help students solidify their understanding of Professionalism, Ethics, Resumes, and Interviewing.
At the conclusion of the 2-day workshop, students should have a completed resume and have a clear understanding of the importance of professionalism and ethics in their field and career choices. They will also have practiced interviewing, particularly focusing on behavioral-based interviews using the STAR method.
Overview
The Finishing School is a 2-day workshop divided into two main segments: Professionalism & Ethics (Day 1) and Resume & Interviewing (Day 2). Both segments solidify skills and demonstrate competency.
While the Finishing School may feel like a review of how students have applied ethics and professionalism in their work, the approach at this stage should be more of a conversation among equals. Students attending the 2-day workshop should have a resume ready and be prepared to discuss its various parts. They should also be ready to practice interviewing and receive tips for the job hunt. The workshop also covers how to be an effective, ethical professional beyond the computer screen, which will serve students well in their career journeys.
How-To
Day 1 covers professionalism and ethics, featuring material similar to what was provided in the professionalism and ethics course within the toolkit. However, it is not a substitute for the entire course and should serve as a final examination of one’s comfort with the material. Day 1 is divided into a morning session and an afternoon session.
The morning session covers professionalism, soft skills, and employability skills. This module covers the importance of these skills and how they connect together.
In the afternoon session, the focus shifts to ethics, reinforcing the significance of the work students will be doing or have chosen to pursue. This session covers ethics, the importance of ethical behavior behind the scenes, and trust. The material provided explains each of these concepts and demonstrates how they relate to the professionalism skills taught in the morning session. By the end of these sessions, students will create their “Why” statement and gain a deeper understanding of the importance of professionalism and ethics in their chosen field or job.
Day 2 of the workshop covers resumes and interviewing, following a similar structure to Day 1 with morning and afternoon sessions.
The morning session covers resumes, focusing on what to include, how to build, and how to properly format them for different job fields (such as federal vs private sector resumes). It includes guidance on incorporating and discussing both technical and professional skills, as well as understanding page limits.
The afternoon session will cover interviewing, particularly the STAR method. This method enables students to not only discuss their skills theoretically but also practically. During an interview, students can support their experience with real situations where those skills were applied.
At the end of Day 2, students will participate in a final interview with the instructor or a designated panel, showcasing the skills they have learned and sharpened. If the finishing school is conducted remotely, students will participate in a virtual interview with materials provided on interviewing in a virtual setting.
Feel free to modify or edit the presentation, assignments, and materials in the toolkit to suit the needs of your institution. Slide printout pages are provided if you choose to share them with students, allowing them to focus on jotting down notes instead of the bullet points on the slides.
Appendix A: STAR Method
The STAR method for the purposes of this finishing school stands for:
S – Situation
T – Task
A – Action
R – Result
Essentially, the STAR method is the interviewee’s response to a behavioral-based question or a question about skills listed on one’s resume. The interviewee should feel comfortable and confident enough to not only define the skill but also provide an example of when he/she used the skill to achieve a goal or complete a task.
By responding in this manner, the interviewer should be satisfied with the accuracy of the interviewee’s resume and his/her ability to use the skills listed. It also demonstrates the interviewee’s comfort in discussing his/her capabilities and how they can be applied.
Careers in Cybersecurity
These videos, developed by Montreat College, focus on various job roles in this field. Participants provide insight into the strengths and challenges of their jobs. These videos convey the options available and what students may expect in pursuing them.
Click here to download transcriptions of the career videos.