Diana Jimenez knows firsthand what it takes to launch a successful career. After working for five years as a receptionist at an animal hospital, she became a transaction coordinator for a real estate agency. In 2015, Diana joined the team at 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Mesa, Arizona campus as an administrative assistant. She became a Career Services Advisor three years later, and in 2019 she graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Diana now serves as a Senior Career Services Advisor at Carrington, coaching, guiding, and supporting students through the process of landing an externship, creating effective resumes, developing strong interviewing skills, and securing jobs in their chosen fields. 鈥淚 currently advise 210 students,鈥� says Diana. 鈥淪ome are just starting their programs, while others are graduating and are pursuing their first jobs in their new profession. Our entire Career Services team is also available to our alumni whenever they reach out to us. I鈥檓 interacting with students, faculty, and employers all day. It鈥檚 a fast-paced, stimulating environment鈥攁nd I love it.鈥� We talked with Diana about the pace and variety of her job, the skills she helps students develop, and how she thinks students and graduates can benefit most from interacting with Carrington鈥檚 Career Services team.
What do you like most about your work as Senior Career Services Advisor?
I love knowing that what I do provides a direct benefit to students. We not only prepare them for their future careers by providing practical support such as resume writing and mock interview sessions, but we also connect them with prospective employers for externships and job opportunities. Students really appreciate having someone in their corner, doing what we can to help them succeed. Employers also like working with us because our students typically show a lot of initiative and prove to be great employees. I also appreciate the overall culture and energy at the Mesa campus. The faculty and staff here are committed to helping students succeed. It鈥檚 a positive, upbeat place to be. Carrington feels like a second home to me. We鈥檙e a family, a team, and I really love being a part of what happens here.
You鈥檙e a Certified Professional Resume Writer. How do you use that skill in your job?
A student鈥檚 resume is often the first chance they have to make a good impression on a prospective employer. When I took my resume writing certification program, I learned so much that I鈥檓 able to share with students. There are so many misconceptions about what a good resume looks like. The biggest mistake people make is that they鈥檙e tempted to write their life stories rather than provide a concise overview of their educational and occupational highlights. The purpose of a resume isn鈥檛 to get you the job鈥攊t鈥檚 to get you an interview.
The mock interviews you conduct with students sound intriguing. How do they work, and how can students benefit by participating in them?
Many of the students I work with have very little experience in interviewing for a job. I coach and prepare to interview successfully. We focus on how to highlight their relevant background and experience, and how to answer questions so they provide the information the employer wants to know. When people are nervous, it鈥檚 easy to talk a lot but not actually answer the question. We also go over basics, like allowing plenty of time to get to an interview so they鈥檙e not stressed out before it even starts. Another thing we discuss is dressing appropriately for the interview. I鈥檝e heard of candidates being eliminated from consideration because they鈥檝e arrived for a job interview wearing ripped jeans. These are easy mistakes to avoid, but if you don鈥檛 have a lot of experience, they can also be easy mistakes to make.
It sounds like you enjoy the pace and variety of your job. What do you do to relax?
As a single mom of a 12-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter, I don鈥檛 have much time to relax. But that鈥檚 fine because I鈥檓 pretty active and adventurous. If I鈥檓 not hiking or ax throwing, I鈥檓 going to baseball games with the kids or singing at karaoke. I enjoy staying busy. 聽 
How do you think students benefit most from interacting with you and your colleagues in Career Services?
In addition to helping students develop practical skills, we also provide them with an inside track by recommending them to recruiters. We know many of the employers in their field, and we鈥檙e committed to connecting them with employers we think would be a good fit for their backgrounds and personalities. Before I book interviews for a graduate, I鈥檒l often talk with their program director so I have a good understanding of that graduate鈥檚 skills and strengths. That鈥檚 important information, because not every job is a good fit for every student. A big part of what I do is create connections and build relationships that benefit not only our students but the employers who hire them. I can be a very enthusiastic cheerleader. I reach out to employers after an interview to see how it went. There have been times when I鈥檝e recommended a graduate for a position and, for whatever reason, they just don鈥檛 have a great interview. I鈥檒l get feedback from the employer so that the graduate can learn from the experience and not make the same mistakes in the future. If I feel strongly that a graduate would be a real asset and a great fit for them, I鈥檒l sometimes even urge an employer to reconsider and give them a second interview. My job is helping students find a place where they can contribute, grow, and use the knowledge and skills they developed during their programs here at Carrington. When their hard work pays off and graduates get their first jobs in a profession they鈥檝e prepared for, I love seeing the excitement on their faces.
