Harper will host Career Forward, an annual event that provides inspiration, support and resources for adults looking to restart or refresh their careers.
The free event will take place 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, December 3, at 91制片厂鈥檚 Wojcik Conference Center, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine.
Career Forward will offer participants the opportunity to hear from experts and learn about a variety of programs including 91制片厂鈥檚 University Center, Continuing Professional Education program and apprenticeships. Two mini-seminars will provide tips on leveraging prior education and experience for credit, exploring new career paths and effective resume writing. Attendees can also participate in mock interviews, take a professional headshot and apply to 91制片厂 with the application fee waived.
Registration is required at harpercollege.edu/careerforward.
Career Forward, now in its fourth year, is a reflection of 91制片厂鈥檚 mission and new Strategic Plan to be community focused and provide support and resources, according to Director of Admissions Outreach Nicci Cisarik DeJesus.
鈥淲e said more is best because then it provides the community and participants with
a wide variety of topics and ways to engage where they can come in and do one thing
or they can come in and do all of it,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the nice part about the event.
They can really make it their own. If they want to come and just do the keynote and
maybe do a headshot and head out, we welcome that. We really are there to help them
in whatever stage of the journey that they鈥檙e in.鈥�
TEDx speaker, leadership development facilitator and corporate educator Dr. Kate Webster will deliver the event鈥檚 keynote address. Her keynote presentation, titled 鈥淭he 3 Cs of Redefining Success: Confidence, Clarity and Connection,鈥� will share tips and tools for embracing career and life transitions and navigating them with confidence.
Webster said the 3Cs were inspired by unexpected shifts in her personal and professional life and the realization that, while she couldn鈥檛 control the unexpected shifts, she could control how she faced them.
鈥淚 realized that what I do have control over is myself and how I show up to these changes,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really about learning self-leadership, so that people can start realizing, 鈥業 can be a leader too, even if I鈥檓 not a CEO of a company. I can be a leader of my own career change and my own transition.鈥欌��
When faced with a transition, Webster said doing a self-assessment, creating a plan and getting moving are essential to success. Though this is true, she said many people struggle with taking the first step because of the negative things they say to themselves.
鈥淚t鈥檚 those internal self-defeating messages and fearing what other people say about you, especially if you鈥檙e older and don鈥檛 know how to navigate changes in the workplace, such as AI and technology,鈥� she said. "You can鈥檛 control what others are going to think about you, but you can control how you do the best to learn, to know, to understand the situation and show up to it fully and completely so that you know you鈥檝e given your best.鈥�
Two tips Webster has for adult learners who are interested in restarting or refreshing their careers are to ask for help and lean into artificial intelligence.
鈥淐onnect with AI and say, 鈥楬ere are my skills. Here鈥檚 my dream job. What would you suggest my next five steps be?鈥� Use AI as a career coach and research helpful prompts,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 asking for help and baby steps, figuring out where that help is.鈥�
Visit harpercollege.edu/careerforward for more information.