Instructor Jeremy Wright’s national award winning steam is comprised of secondary students, Blake Bender, Andrew Flett, Austin Hall, and Joshua Roberts.  Wright’s team won the blue ribbon by topping more than 30 teams from across the nation. Wright’s team qualified for nationals after winning first place in the Oklahoma BPA competition.

Folks were also able to touch three billion year old moon rocks inside NASA’s famous Driven to Explore mobile exhibit. Youngsters and adults alike were able to “try on” a real astronaut’s suit, and get a close-up view of more than one dozen other NASA exhibits from the Johnson Space Center.

Highlights of the day included hands-on demonstrations in Great Plains I.T. (information technology) and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs—Pre-Engineering and Biomedical Sciences. Other exhibitors included Tinker Air Force Base, Cameron University, O-U Medical Center, Northrop-Grumman, and the University of Oklahoma NASA Space Grant.

Great Plains Science and Space Day’s goal was to elevate attention to academically rigorous courses offered to secondary students by Great Plains and other schools.

Also at the event, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, Lt. Gen. Bruce Litchfield, Commanding General of Tinker Air Force Base (and two other bases); Sophia Kim, National Manager for Strategic Relations for Northrop-Grumman, and NASA’s Foreman headlined a panel discussion of key STEM education issues for education and community leaders.

For more information about STEM and Information Technology education offered at Great Plains Technology Center, please contact Joelle Jolly, Director of Student Services, at jjolly@greatplains.edu.

Enrollment Form – Fill out all information except permission signature then print, sign, and mail to:

Krystal Brue GPTC/Career Connections mailto:kbrue@greatplains.edu 4500 W. Lee Blvd. Lawton, OK 73505

Several Great Plains programs, including Pre-Engineering, Biomedical Science and Medicine, Cyber Security and 3-D Animation will provide robotics, biomedical and information technology related demonstrations respectively and will be available for tours.

U.S. Representative Tom Cole will be on hand to address key funding for STEM education and its importance to the nation’s defense and economy.  Panel discussions will be offered on several STEM topics and will feature key education and business leaders from across Oklahoma.

The event will also provide an opportunity to meet NASA astronaut Michael Foreman who has “space walked” during three different missions.

The general public is invited to attend the event and tour the NASA and other exhibits, from 3p.m. to 7P.m.  There is free admission to the event.  Students from several schools across southwest Oklahoma will participate in the events earlier in the day.

For more information about STEM and Information Technology education offered at Great Plains Technology Center, please contact Joelle Jolly, Director of Student Services, at jjolly@greatplains.edu.

• Research: Utilize print resources, the Internet, and networking contacts to learn as much as you can about the organization.  Try to learn about the organization’s mission, philosophy, and culture.  See if the company has been in the news recently or find out about what services, products, programs, or customers the organization serves or provides.
• Know your resume: Review your resume and re-think each position you have held. What were your significant accomplishments and challenges in each?  Be prepared to talk about each experience as if it happened yesterday.  How do your past experiences relate to the position for which you are applying?
• Anticipate      the questions you will be asked:      Given what you know about the organization and your field, what questions      are you likely to be asked?  Create      a list of possible questions.  Many      candidates find it very helpful to write or outline answers on paper and      practice them aloud.  This is the      single most important activity you can do to help insure your success!  Without such practice, you are likely to      respond off-the-cuff with less depth and professionalism.  Role-playing with a friend, career      counselor, or colleague can be helpful in increasing your confidence and      in refining your answers.
• Know      what is currently happening in your field: Be aware of pertinent issues      and developments with your career field receiving attention in newspapers,      professional journals, and publications. Are there current debates in your      field?  Be prepared to discuss these      issues and give your perspectives.
• Develop      a list of questions you want to ask the prospective employer: Ask intelligent questions      about the organization, program, or position, which demonstrate your      knowledge, commitment, and enthusiasm.  Save your questions about benefits and      the work schedule until you receive a job offer.

These practical tips will help you be prepared for that ever-important job interview.

Preparation is the single, most important indicator of success in an interview.  While you cannot control many aspects of the job search process, you can control how well you present your skills, knowledge, and work style.  The time you put into preparing for the interview will greatly increase your chances of success.  Your personal power in an interview lies in your ability to show an employer why you would be an asset to the organization.  In order to create an effective link between your qualifications and the employer’s needs, you need to be clear about your skills and abilities and how they relate to the position in a given organization.

Stay tuned.  Over the next few weeks, several aspects of successful interviewing will be reviewed.  Concerns such as how to answer difficult questions and what to do if an interviewer asks an inappropriate question will be covered.  So, come back.