Example of a photo taken by EMCC CTC of Gabriel Ortalejo
Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) faculty don’t just want their students to succeed in the classroom, they also want them to excel in their professional lives. That’s why Professor Mike Pineda, who is also the Mayor of Avondale, invited EMCC’s Career and Transfer Center and Center for Workforce Development and Experiential Learning departments to his Management 253 - Owning and Operating a Small Business - class on Feb. 25 to share the free services they offer to help students land their dream job or transfer to a university.
“As a professor on campus, I feel it is my duty to provide access to as many resources to my students as possible,” Professor Pineda said. “While our students may be on campus for their classes, they may not often get the chance to seek out the resources that will aid them in their future plans.”
Grace Kirker, who is the Project Manager for the Center for Workforce Development and Experiential Learning, shared how her department can help connect students to internship opportunities, job shadowing, and career interviews, just to name a few.
“We want to sit down with you for about 30 minutes, learn more about what your goals are, what you’re hoping to gain some experience in, and we can give you some tips and get you connected,” she said. “Our goal is to help all students have a work-based experience while they are still in classes because that way, they can be really prepared for whatever comes next. It can really help set yourself apart from others who are also entering the workforce by having some of that experience.”
Miyah Gaston, the Interim Career and Transfer Center Manager, discussed her office’s services, one of which includes helping students transfer to a university.
“You do not have to navigate that transfer process by yourself,” she said. “We literally have transfer reps from universities here every single day, every single week, helping EMCC students get to where they want to go.”
Other services her office offers not only to students, but also to faculty, staff, and the community, include job preparation resources such as resume and cover letter help, professionalism tips and strategies, mock interviewing, and LinkedIn assistance.
“If you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re missing out on your biggest networking opportunity,” she said. “Optimize, create, and level up your LinkedIn. You have to know how to pitch yourself. So we here in the Career and Transfer Center help you pitch yourself, whether it's through your resume, your cover letter, we help you tell your story.”
To further that effort, the Career and Transfer Center recently launched a new professional photo service — often referred to as “professional headshots.”
“Your professional headshot is often the first thing people notice, so you want to take it seriously,” Gaston said. “It might seem like such a small thing to do, but it can be a huge investment in your career journey. The goal of your professional headshot is not to simply capture a photo, but it is to capture your professional brand.”
The Career and Transfer Center has high-quality cameras, access to suit coats, and staff trained in the best type of portraits to take for professional settings.
“Our staff will guide you through the best poses, take you to a variety of locations around campus so you can get multiple styles of photos, and share a few tips on presenting your professional brand during your debrief session,” Gaston said.
Gabriel Ortalejo, a student in Professor Pineda’s course, said he was looking forward to having a professional headshot that he could use not only for his LinkedIn profile, but also for his small business, DragonBox Express, which makes custom stickers, buttons, prints, keychains, and more.
“We sell art that’s designed by us, made by us, that is mostly targeted toward people who like pop culture, cartoons, anime, and video games,” Gabriel said. “All of the artwork is drawn by us, it’s not something we outsource. So if people want to know who they’re working with, I have a photo that I can send.”
Vicente Pasillas, another student in the Management 253 course, said the presentations by the Career and Transfer Center and Center for Workforce Development and Experiential Learning were extremely beneficial because he didn’t know about some of the nuances of the interview process and how job shadowing works.
“After today, I’m definitely going to look into it,” he said.
Vicente is currently working with one of his brothers who has a landscaping business and another who has a garage door business. He’s taking the Management 253 course for his own personal growth but also to help his brothers with their businesses.
“That way, we’re all successful,” he said.
Like Vicente, Gabriel also holds down a part-time job. He had to adjust his schedule to take the Management 253 course because it is only offered in person, but he said it was well worth it.
“He’s an amazing teacher and all of the students here are amazing too, they’re all extremely interested in managing their businesses, everybody here appears that they either want to start something up or they already have something going on in their lives, albeit artwork, construction, restaurants, everybody wants something,” he said. “Being able to connect with everyone has been really beneficial because being an artist and operating a business are two completely different things, so I’ve definitely learned a lot.”
Professor Pineda said he requested the class visit from the career and transfer departments to help equip his students with invaluable resources to navigate their future.
“It’s crucial to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application, helping students connect their academic experiences with professional opportunities,” he said. “Presentations from resource partners not only empower students to make informed decisions about their careers and transfer options, but they also foster a sense of preparedness that can significantly impact their success after graduation.”
The Career and Transfer Center’s services are free of charge and open to students, faculty, staff, and the community. The Center is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and accepts appointments and walk-ins.
“We have even had students and community members stop by to take a professional headshot with us for pageant contests and transfer university student IDs,” Gaston said. “The possibilities are endless, and it is always great to have a professional headshot readily available.”
To learn more about the Career and Transfer Center, go to https://www.estrellamountain.edu/students/career-services or email career.services@estrellamountain.edu to schedule your own photoshoot. To learn more about the Center for Workforce and Experiential Learning, go to https://www.estrellamountain.edu/students/internships.