When affected by a conviction or arrest record having a explanation letter can shed light on the person and their progress since.

This can help them to connect with employers on a person to person level and it expresses a current level of integrity that employers and people in general find positive.

With so many laws in place around backgrounds it is a tall task for students when applying for employment.

It is important to coach students to apply to a vast number and wide variety of position types and companies across many industries.

Casting a wider net can increase the possibility of landing on an employer willing to look past a conviction or arrest and is wiling to connect with them as a person and may acknowledge the value they bring to the position and company out weighs the associated risks brought about by their past indiscretions. 

Being sure to establish realistic expectations is key when working with students having employment barriers or not.

Be it helping them overcome arrest or criminal convictions, helping them to understand the challenges of joining a new industry with little to no work experience or helping them to understand the compensation that comes with entry level positions makes a serious impact when starting from a realistic point.

This ensures that the person realizes the actual challenges they face and can avoid spending energy on factors outside of their influence and control.

Having students create a branding statement is an important exercise.

This allows the student to see and hear a positive description of who they are.

This is important because in many cases, a positive description of who they are has not been experienced by a person with arrests or challenges.

It can inspire a habit of positive thoughts and feelings about themselves that may in turn carry them to higher levels of confidence even in the face of their adversity.

Before contacting an employer, it is important to google them to have an idea of how they are perceived sound a great idea. You want to brand yourself but not to all kind company. 

Proper writing is critical to job seeker success.

The most valuable item I found in this course was how to properly format a modern resume.

I've learned that informational interviews are helpful to students because they create a more relax environment for student s to inquire about the company workplace, expectations, retention, and advancement. It's also best to begin practicing interviews as earlier as possible.

I've learned that it's key to create additional opportunities and support activities within the Career Services Department. I also learned that it important to cater to the entire student population (online and on-ground) when developing resources in Career Services. 

I've learned that Career Services Department is just as instrumental in student success as Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Services and Education. That having a successful and fully inclusive Career Services Department is key to high retention graduate and employments rates.