News
mini传媒 students in need of r茅sum茅 and job search assistance don鈥檛 need to go far in order to get the help they need this fall.
As part of a new partnership with West Michigan Works!, Melody DeJohn, a Talent Development Specialist at WMW, will be present on mini传媒鈥檚 Sidney campus twice per month in the Woodside Caf茅. She hopes that her presence on campus will help to get the organization鈥檚 resources and information out into the community.
鈥淲hen I was going to school, I didn鈥檛 really know about West Michigan Works!,鈥� DeJohn said. 鈥淪o I want to make more people aware of our job search services so they can take advantage of them.鈥�
DeJohn will be in the Woodside Caf茅 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following dates for the rest of the fall semester:
路 Wednesday, Nov. 4
路 Tuesday, Nov. 17
路 Wednesday, Dec. 2
路 Tuesday, Dec. 15
Students can drop in at their convenience to find out more about what West Michigan Works! has to offer and to check their job search resources. DeJohn specializes in r茅sum茅 and cover letter writing, which has become quite critical to understand in the budding age of AI. According to DeJohn, numerous employers now utilize an AI applicant tracking system for reading through r茅sum茅s. If those r茅sum茅s don鈥檛 meet certain criteria, they could be automatically discarded before the applicant has a chance to get to the interview process. With the resources and knowledge behind West Michigan Works!, DeJohn is confident that she can help mini传媒 students with today鈥檚 nuanced job application process.
"Some employers are using applicant tracking systems with AI that look for a r茅sum茅 to be written a specific way, or it鈥檚 going to filter you out before you even get to a human,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 constantly changing and can be a barrier to employment for job seekers.鈥�
DeJohn鈥檚 background in human resources has involved a high volume of recruiting and hiring employees, so her experience will be a valuable resource for students to lean on.
鈥淏ecause there鈥檚 100s of applicants to jobs per day, employers are needing the AI system to filter through them. It鈥檚 a huge update within the labor market,鈥� DeJohn said.
mini传媒 Career Advisor Amy Zdanowski regularly advises students to utilize the services of West Michigan Works!. Now, the students can get a better understanding of the organization鈥檚 services without making the trip to one of their regional offices.
"This partnership is a win for our students because it gives them direct access to a workforce expert without having to leave campus,鈥� Zdanowski said. 鈥淚nstead of duplicating services, we're leveraging the strengths of a community partner that already has a proven track record of helping people succeed. We're always looking for ways to better connect education and employment. This partnership helps bridge that gap and gives students more support as they prepare for life after mini传媒."
Each week, DeJohn will have lists of Weekly Hot Jobs from organizations in both mini传媒 and Ionia County.
鈥淎ll of the listings go right to the company鈥檚 career page,鈥� DeJohn said. 鈥淪o instead of having to wonder if the position is still available or legitimate, when you click on something through our website, it takes you right to the employer鈥檚 career page, so you know for a fact if it is still active.鈥�
Students who are looking for more career-focused guidance can check out the 2026 HotJobs! List, which DeJohn will have accessible during each visit.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a big list we put together every year to tell what jobs in our seven-county region are in demand,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e do the research to make sure we know what jobs have an average growth rate of 8.5 percent, have at least 50 annual openings, and have wages at or above $15.34.鈥�
Students who would like more in-depth services and involvement with West Michigan Works! can schedule an appointment with DeJohn at a WMW Service Center, located in Greenville or Ionia.
For more information, contact DeJohn atmdejohn@westmiworks.orgor 616-336-2195.