The Greater Irvine Chamber in May completed its Career Edge Reentry program designed to help individuals gain or refresh valuable soft skills that help make them marketable to employers as they prepare to return to the workforce.
The 2023 Career Edge Reentry series sessions were Career Management & the Job Search Process, taught by Katy Curameng, Ph.D., director, career planning development, University of Massachusetts Global; Wellness & Self-Care, taught by Massiel Perez-Calhoon, Ph.D. adjunct faculty, University of Massachusetts Global, and CEO of Do Well At Being You; Professional & Personal Assessments, taught by Edward De La Torre, Ed.D., assistant director of operations, Chapman University, and lecturer, Cal State Fullerton; and Ready, Set, Interview!, taught by Dr.s Curameng, Perez-Calhoon, and De La Torre.
The final of the four sessions in the series included resume evaluation, mock interviews conducted by professionals serving as Career Edge mentors, and a complementary headshot taken by
Karen Reuter Photography, sponsored by University of Massachusetts Global.
Of the 14 individuals who participated in any number of the spring Career Edge Reentry sessions, 10 attended all four sessions earning a certificate of completion.
Upon completion of the series, participants received a Certificate of Completion and a
letter of completion/recommendation from the Greater Irvine Chamber.
Volunteer mentors for the 2023 Career Edge Reentry series were:
- Katy Curameng, Ed.D, UMass Global
- Edward De La Torre, Ed.D., Chapman University
- David Donnally, Gecko Hospitality
- Dodi Drozd, UMass Global
- John Johnson, Kangen Water
- Thomas Lotts, The Thomas Lotts Agency
- Elsa O'Hare, United Workplace Equality & Inclusion Network (UWEIN)
- Laura Perdew, Greater Irvine Chamber
- Massiel Perez-Calhoon, Ph.D., UMass Global
- John Young, CyberDef
Career Edge, managed by Pepper Russell, director of economic development at the Greater Irvine Chamber, is a collaboration of the Greater Irvine Chamber, Google, Irvine Valley College, Vital Link, and the business community to help better prepare today's participants for tomorrow's jobs. Participants in Career Edge will have an advantage during their job search and will bring distinctive and marketable skills to the jobs they land, greatly increasing their success rate and on-the-job performance.
Since the program began in 2016, Career Edge has served more than 500 participants from across Southern California.
