The Career Services team at Penn State World Campus has created a new series of videos that provide career-related advice from a human resources director at a rapidly growing health care provider network.
The videos feature Matt Soroka, World Campus career services counselor, and Jenna Mooney, who is a Penn State graduate and an HR director at St. Luke’s University Health Network. The series includes six short videos, each less than five minutes long.
Mooney shares valuable career advice, including:
Be prepared to demonstrate your strengths beyond stats and formal credentials. Mooney says “soft skills” like flexibility and teamwork are among the most valuable to employers while also the most challenging from an HR perspective because they can be difficult to measure. Think about ways you can clearly show your achievements in these areas — ideally, by citing past accomplishments in a professional setting.
Don’t overlook “old school” networking tactics. While LinkedIn and other virtual networking tools can be very helpful, you might stand out by using more traditional methods of connecting with recruiters. Throughout her career as an HR professional, Mooney has received just three letters via “snail mail” from potential employees who were excited to hear about new locations or developments with the company and wanted to learn about possible opportunities. “It caught my eye because it happens so rarely,” Mooney says.
Consider ways to highlight specific aspects of your education that align with the job you’re seeking. Mooney graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism, but the emphasis on written communications provided a good foundation for her HR career. In the health care field, some roles require a specific type of degree or credential, but many other positions have more flexible requirements and allow recruiters to consider candidates from a broader range of academic backgrounds.
Watch the first video in this series:
Watch the entire series:
Check out all the videos in this series featuring HR Director Jenna Mooney
Other recommended resources
- Video Series: Career Advice from a Hiring Executive — review these videos for tips on advancing within your current organization or setting yourself up for success with a new employer
- Job-Related Disclosure: What You Should Know — get advice and resources related to disclosures in the workplace and during the job search process
