Jessica Bendzick/ Winonan

Winona State University career counselor Charlie Opatz said networking is essential for college graduate success.

Opatz said, “Statistics show that anywhere between 50 to 70 percent of jobs are found through a network.”

On Nov. 4, Tanya Goretzki, a representative from Minnesota Reading and Math Corps came to Winona State for an Employer Q&A Day. This was the first time this program has been represented at the university.  Reading and Math Corps provide reading and math tutors to preschool and elementary school students.

“They’re a really popular AmeriCorps program and hire a lot of grads,” Opatz said.

Americoprs is a network of local, state and national service programs connecting over 70,000 Americans each year with service opportunities to meet community needs, such as education and public safety. AmeriCorps programs create job opportunities for young people entering the workforce, according to AmeriCorps, withMinnesota Reading and Math Corps being one their programs.

Students who participated had the opportunity to meet with Goretzki for a 30-minute session to have an open conversation and to get their resume critiqued, Opatz said.

Goretzki said, “My main goal was to share information about our programs with students who were interested and answer any questions they had. I was able to talk with a student who asked really great questions and was very interested in the work that our tutors do each day.”

Goretzki said she hopes to come back to Winona State in the spring to do another Q&A Day.

Opatz said the purpose of Q&A Days are to present students with the opportunity to have conversations with employers, build networks, find out about different organizations and conduct informational interviews.

“As with all Q&A days, they’re not formal interviews,” Opatz said. “They’re a chance for students to pick the brain of somebody in an organization, conduct an informational interview, and have their resume critiqued.”

Opatz said some employers will lead mock interviews for students who want the experience of a formal interview.

Leah Bentfield, a senior psychology major, said she attended the Q&A Day because of her interest in volunteering for an AmeriCorps program after she graduates.

Bentfield said the Q&A Day was a great way for her to gain more information and was a more efficient way to gain knowledge than searching through their website.

Besides learning about AmeriCorps, Bentfield said Goretzki discussed other helpful topics with her as well.

“She explained what the MN Reading and Math Corps are all about, a little about their history and how it is an empirically backed program,” Bentfield said. “She discussed what a normal day looks like, as well as what kind of applicants work best for the position. We talked a little bit about my experience and how this program could help me in the future.”

Bentfield said the discussion helped to heighten her interest in the program.

“I became more educated and more interested in a program that I knew little about,” Bentfield said. “I’m excited to apply for the MN Reading Corps post-graduation and see where it takes me.”

Opatz said he came up with the Employer Q&A Days in the spring of 2011 and said Career Services tries to host three or four every semester.

“Certain employers will attract more students. Certain employers have name recognition, like Mayo and Target. It’s an event that helps organizations build their brand,” Opatz said. “Just building those relationships are key for students.”

To participate in Employer Q&A Days, students must log on through Warrior Jobs to reserve a 30-minute session. The individual sessions take place in interview rooms in the Warrior Success Center.