Volunteer creates career development program in Mercer

By TOM LAVENTURE

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MERCER, Wis. - Technology has changed the world of work but a volunteer career development specialist is showing Mercer students that business is still about relationships, trust and the ability to work with others.

"These are competencies that anybody can possess," said Brian Baltz, a Mercer resident who has worked in managerial and leadership positions in the private sector and in the U.S. Air Force. "It's preparing these young adults for that next chapter in life and to give them a competitive advantage."

When Baltz moved his family to Mercer in 2012 he wanted to give back to the community. He saw the need for a workshop to help high school seniors with the interview process.

"While working in the private sector and the military side I recognized that a lot of recent high school and college graduates entering the workforce really struggled when it came to interviewing," Baltz said. "They didn't have those competencies to make them competitive."

With a background in the field and experience as an instructor, he approached the school with the idea about his volunteering to provide a student workshop on interviewing skills, resume development, company research and ethics. The school was receptive and the workshop has been held five times since 2013.

"Students who participated in the program were able to walk away with real world skills and techniques that they can apply in their futures, including building robust resumes and interviewing for careers and post-secondary institutions," said Sheri Kopka, interim administrator for the Mercer Public School District.

Baltz said his most recent class just concluded in January. He likes the timing to be just before the spring when seniors are applying for scholarships, colleges and jobs.

The goal is to provide students with practical tools and experience to be competitive to help them secure future opportunities, he said. The class meets for three hours a day for five days and is heavily based on critical thinking and reasoning.

The students start on business ethics, integrity and honesty. The section includes social and professional networking and the risks of postings that can damage lives and careers.

It's also important to develop network profiles on sites such as LinkedIn to be competitive in a digital world where location is not necessarily an advantage or disadvantage, he said.

The students then develop a resume that they can use in the real world, he said. Resume construction changes, and right now the emphasis is on basic competencies that are quickly spotted with a pre-screening glance of a recruiter or hiring manager, he said.

"The expectation is that to complete the program successfully you'll have a functional working resume," Baltz said.

Interview role-playing teaches students how to respond to various interview questions including behavioral-based questions, he said. To reply in a way that demonstrates personal competencies that align themselves with the position they are interviewing for is a skill, Baltz said.

"It's to teach them to listen to what the person is asking and to demonstrate how to add value," Baltz said. "It gives a competitive advantage right out the gate."

The students conduct company research in preparation for interviews, he said. The students critique one another in a way that is engaging and pulls them out of their comfort zones to learn and grow from the experience.

The capstone experience is a mock interview for an internship with a publicly traded company. Students research various companies to learn something about the management, financial health, mission and values to draw from during the interviews with a panel of school board members, administrators, school counselors and the community.

"The success of this is really getting the community involved," Baltz said. "It's the diversity of an experience where every student goes through the interview to successfully complete the program."

The immediate feedback and video help the students to see strengths and areas to improve, he said. The emphasis is on real world experience and having that "one shot to get that foot in the door," he said.

"It was really rewarding to see the growth which is what is so inspiring," Baltz said.

John Klopatek, a 2015 graduate of Mercer School, said he is grateful for the program. The real-life approach to career development made a difference with interviewing for internships and co-op jobs, he said.

Now a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Klopatek is applying for jobs in oil production and specialty chemicals with plans to graduate this summer with a degree in chemical engineering. Baltz' program still keeps him in the "mindset" he needs for the process, he said.

"He pushed the real skills that we are going to use and we took those with us," Klopatek said of Baltz. "Looking back now from this vantage point I see that he was absolutely right."

Baltz said he also helps adults and veterans prepare for interviews in a corporate world that now has recruiters conducting video pre-screenings online with candidates. Preparing for that interview is even more important to be prepared, he said.

"It's intimidating," Baltz said. "You're being judged and that is nerve wracking for anyone."

The lesson is that anyone can have the greatest qualifications but they have to show the employer they can trust them and work with them, he said. Everyone has strengths and everyone has made mistakes and it's how they show they are accountable and make a difference.