by Elliot Meadows
March 7, 2025
There are so many resources at GCC that can help students transition into their work life, but by far, Career Services is one of the most important departments here with so many kind people willing to help you at every step of your career search process.
I talked with Marie Wixner, Career Services Coordinator, about everything from the Resume Contest to the upcoming career fair event. We talked about the many wonderful things that this department can do for students, how resumes are extremely important in the job application process, and how people can benefit from human connection.
Applying for a job can be very stressful. Everyone wants to have a fulfilling and rewarding job, but for many, that can be difficult to achieve. Even the application part can be stressful and disappointing. Career Services makes it their goal to help students find what they love to do.
Wixner is dedicated to helping students. Despite only being at GCC for a few weeks now, she has already shown that she is a very kind, knowledgeable, and helpful person who’s willing to help the students of GCC at any given chance. She’s done a few workshops in some classrooms where she talked about how Career Services can help students, and she provided information on applying to jobs. On April 3rd, she’ll be hosting a workshop to talk about crafting the perfect resume.
Wixner understands the struggles that students, and honestly, anybody, goes through when applying for a job. One of the things Career Services can help with is interview preparation. She emphasized the question “tell me about yourself” in most job interviews and how it’s hard to know what employers are looking for with vague questions like that. She also understands the difficulties of writing resumes that are supposed to stand out amongst hundreds of other resumes. Having someone help you through that can help smooth out the process and prepare you for what an interview might bring.
On March 3rd, the Resume Writing Contest officially opened. Students can enter a resume into the competition to see who has the best resume. One tip Wixner recommends is to have your resume draft looked over by a family member or a friend to critique. Doing it alone is the worst thing you could do when making a resume. It’s meant to be looked at by other people. The contest will close on April 11th and more information about the contest can be found on the Career Services webpage.
On April 29, GCC is teaming up with the NYS Department of Labor to host a career fair for students and the community. There will be a lot of representation from people in the medical field, but many others will be there as well. Students can learn about different careers in a variety of fields and talk to people who work in that field. It’ll be a fun event and you might be able to find something you’re interested in. Watch the Career Services webpage for more information coming soon.
As a last thought, Wixner says to use every resource at GCC at your disposal. It’s important to not do things alone, especially when it comes to areas of life you’re unfamiliar with. Whether it be to stop at the Career Services Department or to send someone an email, someone is willing to help you take the next step in life. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Many thanks to Marie Wixner for her thoughtful and fun interview. It was nice getting to know someone like her.