Coahoma Community College News April 8, 2020 Honors College Director, Jeremy Pittman, Conducts Workshop via Zoom Self-branding, finding a mentor, and securing a backup plan were three points Honors College director and instructor Jeremy Pittman emphasized in the Career Planning seminar conducted via Zoom, an audio-video chat app. In the lecture hosted by the Division of Student Engagement Career Services Center, he defined career planning as an ongoing process that can help you manage your learning and development. "When I think about self-branding, I think of Jay-Z," said Pittman, who also serves as a Business and Computer Information Systems instructor. Airing over the chat Jay-Z's song lyric 'I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man,' Pittman encouraged students to invest heavily in their LinkedIn. He recommended that their page feature a professional profile photo rather than a selfie. Through a visual presentation, viewers noted the difference between a job and a career. While a job is only short-term, a career involves the practice of achieving goals. Pittman spoke on how professional networking led to past jobs. Before getting hired to teach at the College, he was able to work for the Clarksdale Levee Board. Though he accumulated that work experience through a prominent connection, he remembers starting out as a shift manager at the Pizza Inn in his hometown of Grenada, Mississippi. His first entrepreneurial business was repairing computers. It has turned into a consulting business. Through the video chat, he used the current marketing of cloth masks as an example of generating backup income, displaying various designs of the item on the e-commerce site Etsy. Cloth masks are presently in-demand after the Centers for Disease Control recently suggested that everyone wear one to prevent contraction of COVID-19. "You need to know what skills you have, how you can transfer those skills into tangible income," said Pittman. "You have to take the time to get to know who you are. Figure out what your community doesn't have; that'll be a good start." Pittman urged viewers to volunteer as it can lead to job opportunities. "The world cannot just revolve around you," he reminded. He advised viewers to find a mentor, research different careers, and take initiative. Contact Career Services coordinator Trina Cox at 621-4674 or by email at tcox@coahomacc.edu<mailto:tcox@coahomacc.edu> for assistance. SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs - Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/