Local employers and business leaders offered advice about their jobs to MHS students on Friday, Oct. 2, as a part of the career panel.
The two-session panel was a part of College Week and took place in the high school Auditorium during first and second periods. In each session, the six panelists spoke to the audience members about a typical, or perhaps not-so-typical, day at their job.

“My day is not predictable. I do try my best to schedule appointments, but again I could get an email or phone call that could completely change my day,” said Sedrik Newbern, an Insurance Agent at Allstate. “I enjoy it because it’s a lot of variation. It keeps me on my toes.”

Newbern was not the only panelist to say that he likes the variability of his work. Ricky Dahl, a physician assistant at Physicians Immediate Care, said that he also enjoys the way that each day is different from the next.

“It’s very rewarding, keeps you on your toes, and once again, the day varies,” said Dahl. “The day could go good or bad depending on whether or not you had your coffee going into work or not and if the Keurig is working that day, too, so it just all depends, but very enjoyable.”

As the panelists took turns describing how they liked the way that each day at their job is unique, they also discussed how many hours they work in a typical week.

Ralph Schmidt, the President and Engineer at Schmidt Engineering in Wauconda said that he enjoys his work schedule because although he may work 60 hours a week, he can get time off to be with family or take care of personal tasks.
Newbern agreed, as he said, “That 60 to 80 hours, as long as you’re dedicating it to what’s important, as Ralph said — spending time with your family and doing things in the community that make a difference — trust me, the time goes by fast.”
That idea of making a difference in the community turned out to be the heart of why the panelists do what they do. Each panelist said that his or her ultimate purpose was to help people and make a difference while doing what he or she loves.
“I wanted to make a difference.  I wanted to make a strong impact on our community. I grew up in Waukegan in an era where drugs, violence, crime and gangs were huge, so I wanted to be one less statistic,” said Cynthia Vargas, Communications Manager at the Lake County’s State’s Attorney’s Office. “I wanted to make a difference, and I wanted to do it in a way, that I have to admit, was authoritative. So, being the voice for the most vulnerable, making a difference, always wanting to be that leading example has always been my thing, and that’s what drove me into the criminal justice world.”
Schmidt described his journey to becoming an engineer, saying it was a combination of a desire to build and an inspirational math teacher who guided him in the process. This encouraged students in the audience, such as Junior Ricardo Flores.
“My favorite thing was being able to listen to an engineer speak because, fortunately, that’s what I want to be,” said Flores. “It’s good to know that a large part of being an engineer is wanting to build…I love to build.”
Like Flores, Junior Max Basso also learned from the session. He said that he was encouraged by stories, such as those from Newbern, who said that he never wanted to be an insurance agent but enjoys the work.

“My favorite part was learning how some people’s original careers didn’t go the way they wanted to and they’re still successful,” said Basso.

Part of what directly helped these students connect with the speakers was the fact that the panelists shared tips on successfully securing a job.

MHS alum Ivonne Uquillas, an ISACorps Community Outreach representative, shared the perspective of a millennial that has been recently interviewed and is new to the workforce, while Nell Rice, the Owner of Debbie’s Floral in Mundelein, shared the stories of how she has worked with MHS students in the past.

These points were part of the conversation of how students and young adults are expected to perform in the marketplace. With these, each of the business professionals described what they value in a new employee’s interview.

Interview Tips

The six panelists offered advice on interview skills as a part of the 2015 Career Panel.

• Be prepared: Have your resume and do background on the job you are interviewing for
• Master the soft skills: Make sure to give a firm handshake, make eye contact and smile while introducing yourself
• Have a positive mental attitude: Confidence is evident and makes you employable
• Be timely: Show up on time or early to the interview, and if you are unable to attend, let them know as quickly as possible in order to reschedule
• Be articulate: Speak clearly; ask them questions to show you are interested, but remember to listen intently
• Send them a thank you note: Thanking them for their time and consideration will put you one step closer to getting that dream job