CU Students find Wisdom and Jobs at BLAST IU

As the HR Program Administrator, Tina Blatt is responsible for bringing new teachers, counselors, and ASL interpreters to the Berks County Intermediate Unit #14 (BCIU). She recently attended the Commonwealth University Collaborating to Assist Teacher Candidate Hiring (CATCH) Conference to get to know the newest educators in the industry.

"There are so few schools that offer degrees and coursework for ASL Interpreting." said Blatt. "CU-Bloomsburg has the reputation of producing high-quality ASL educators."

But Blatt was not on campus just to recruit talent. She says that her participation in CATCH is more of a "healthy collaboration" than a passive sales pitch. She frequently observes the morning panel discussions, then actively participates in the mock interview and resume review portion of the conference.

"It feels as though there is an equal exchange of knowledge back and forth between employer and students," said Blatt. "Hearing their experiences and plans for their future and then being able to share our best tips, tricks, and offer of employment guidance. It has been our honor to partner with CU and provide guidance to their ASL students during the mock interviews."

Blatt says the students she meets at CATCH are consistently well prepared to have the kinds of conversations vital during the job search.

"They were prepared with their employment questions for us, and they accepted our guiding questions with ease and confidence," said Blatt. "It is always our goal to share details with job fair candidates that will help them to get a clearer picture of what their employment goals are."

Many job fair candidates struggle with this exchange of ideas. Bloomsburg students were confident with their responses and had well thought-out answers.

Blatt says that face to face interactions with potential hires are more impactful than reading an online application, and it is why she encourages other organizations to participate in Commonwealth University events such as CATCH or their series of Career Connections Expos.

"If you are able to take the time for hiring events, it is well worth your time and energy," says Blatt. "Get out of that office and get onto college campuses. The students need to hear about and talk to you about your company and how their career goals match with your company mission."