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Charles K Botts III

Age: 38
Company: Career Team LLC
Title: Subject Matter Expert
Town where I live: East Hartford
Town where I work: Hartford
College: Trinity College

Q&A:
What do you do and what are your goals in your current job? I improve the career development resources offered to customers of our region’s American Job Centers through training and program development. I hope to increase the reach and impact of my work for people in career transitions by creating new and innovative career-development resources.
What are your goals for your community involvement? To serve God’s people as I am best able. I make an impact through large-group motivation and behavior change. I hope to use this skillset to make a local, national and global impact in empowering father’s engagement, encouraging young people to develop entrepreneurial thinking and working to end human trafficking.

What’s your biggest passion? Inspirational public speaking has been a passion of mine since the first time I was given the opportunity in church.
What are your future aspirations? To serve God’s people locally as a pastor and regionally as an elected official bringing civility and moderation to public office. I will also serve God’s people nationally and internationally as a motivational speaker and senior associate with our firm.
What needs to happen for Hartford to become a more vibrant city where people work, live and play? Those who commit themselves to serving Hartford must live the ideal of ‘What can I do for Hartford?’ not ‘What can I get from Hartford?’ True servant leadership will both engage the masses and demonstrate true commitment and understanding of the issues. As a whole, we need to discover our voice and define our city as opposed to looking for outsiders for answers. The moment residents, supporters and investors of Hartford come together and embrace our identity is the moment Hartford stops being a cause that needs to be championed and becomes the solution to our region’s challenges.

List four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty:
Starting my own social media and brand-development company that has allowed me to influence the experiences of young people in the metro Hartford area.
Rewrote and reworked the job seeker training program “EAGER” for Jobs First Employment Services customers, providing improved assistance with career readiness and employability.
In conjunction with Faith Tabernacle of Manchester, traveled to Guatemala building homes and schools for an orphanage.
Four consecutive years appeared on “Good Morning CT,” the FOX 61 TV show, to assist job seekers by providing expertise on 21st-century, career-success strategies.

Time Tested:
What personal possession in your life has withstood the test of time? Student Bible
What hobby did you develop at a young age that you still enjoy today? Playing video games
Twenty years ago, what did you envision as your future profession? Physical therapist for an NFL franchise
Who do you consider your mentor? Christopher Kuselias, CEO of Career Team LLC

Alexandria, Virginia, May 18th, 2016 – Career TEAM, LLC, a nationally recognized workforce development consultant group and Delta Career Education Corporation today announced plans to implement a new student enhancement initiative resulting in a more intense focus on Workforce Readiness throughout the Delta student life-cycle.

deltaschoolsUnder this new partnership, in year one, 15,000+ Delta students from over 30 campus locations across the nation will complete their curriculum with tangible tools to aid in the career search process. Entitled, “The Career EDGE Success Toolkit,” the process includes access to comprehensive career preparation curriculum, a customized resume builder, simulated online job application, and an interactive e-Portfolio.

Per Delta VP of Product Development, Jason Pfaff, “The Career EDGE program has helped Delta become more operationally efficient and will improve the student experience from enrollment to placement.  The tangible tools generated for each student are benefits that provide a significant return on investment.  In addition, it is critical for us to continue to look at ways to lower costs for our students. Career TEAM’s solution has done just that.”

 

Delta’s adoption of this new initiative will provide unique career readiness curriculum and professional development tools for Delta’s students throughout their matriculation.  “The number one issue stressed by employers from coast to coast is the lack of soft skills from graduates. Our goal is to infuse the curriculum with retention promoting skills early in the student’s program and allow for professional development to mature over time,” said Micaela Alpers, President of Career TEAM’s Education Division.

 

Upon graduation, student resumes and ePortfolios filter to a Delta EDGE Employer database powered by Career TEAM. The new database is searchable by keyword and geography. This system aligns with the modern employer approach to talent acquisition, and is a forward step in Delta’s commitment to the successful placement and retention of graduates.
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San Mateo, California May 6, 2016 – Career TEAM, LLC, a nationally recognized workforce development consultant group and Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts (Gurnick) today announced plans to develop a new online professional development community connecting students, alumni, and employers.

Under this partnership, Gurnick students will complete their programs having taken various soft-skill and career development modules adapted from Career TEAM’s program entitled, “Career EDGE”.  Students and alumni will also have access to a customized resume builder, simulated online job application, and an interactive e-Portfolio.

 

In addition to the Career EDGE curriculum partnership, the platform will also provide a meaningfstudents_of_lvn_nursing_program_at_medical_schoolul space for employers to interface with Gurnick alumni and prospective graduates.  Per Gurnick Chief Operating Officer, Burke Malin,“Our goal is for all students to graduate ‘interview ready’ and seamlessly connect our graduates and alumni with employers in the Gurnick network.”

 

“This partnership demonstrates Gurnick’s on-going commitment to quality training and positive employment outcomes of graduates. This innovative approach to creating community with the Gurnick employer network will also help them to navigate the new Department of Education requirements for Gainful Employment,” said Micaela Alpers, Career TEAM’s Education President.

Career TEAM Education Division President, Micaela Alpers presenting, “Solving the Placement Puzzle…4 Pillars to Placement Success” at the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.

 

Micaela Alpers Presents At ABHES 2016
Micaela Alpers Presents at ABHES 2016

 

Salt Lake City, Utah April 5, 2016 – Career TEAM, LLC, a nationally recognized workforce development consultant group and The American Campus (TAC) today announced plans to partner in The American Campus Innovation Center initiative to bring Workforce Readiness tools and resources into the TAC student experience.

Under this partnership, TAC students will complete their degrees “interview ready” and with tools to aid in the career search process. This Career TEAM created program entitled, “Career EDGE,” includes access to 15 retention promoting modules covering student success strategies and career readiness topics.  Students will also have access to a customized resume builder, simulated online job application, and an interactive e-Portfolio.

 

Per TAC President, Spalding Jugganaikloo, “The Mission of The American Campus is to prov

ide quality higher education, and prepare our students for employment.  We realize that a strong element of a student’s employability has to do with their confidence, personal branding, and soft skills.  The Career EDGE provides students with real life experience in these areas and will allow their professional development to improve throughout the student life-cycle.”

In addition to the Career EDGE curriculum partnership, Career TEAM is committed to TAC’s vision for developing the next generation of leaders in the region.  As such, Career TEAM Education President, Micaela Alpers, will speak at TAC’s annual summit and facilitate workshops with a focus on developing women in leadership.

March was a busy month at the New Britain Job Center as it hosted 3 companies seeking to hire qualified candidates for various positions in multiple fields.

 

Helping Others to Succeed visited the Job Center March 2nd, interviewing individuals for Independent Living Skills Trainers, Companions and Personal Care Assistants.

 

On March 15th, Nickson Industries paid a visit to the Job Center offering opportunities in Material Handling, Packing, Shipping and Machine Operations.  The record amount of candidates in attendance required a second interview session, which was held the next day.

 

Finally, The ARC of Farmington Valley came by March 22nd as they were excited to speak with candidates looking for employment as Direct Support Professionals in the areas of Day Services, Board of Education, Residential Services and Employment Services.

 

All who came to these events were interviewed and many were hired.  Hiring events in the month of April are currently being scheduled and participation is highly encouraged, ensuring these future events to be equally successful.

CareerTEAM Launches VR ConceptInnovation Director, Harrison Tonne And CareerTEAM Education President Micaela Alpers, Unveiling the Virtual Reality Job Interview Concept at the NAWB 2016 Conference.   CareerTEAM has invested in making a this a great tool to assuage interview anxiety.  It gives our VIP’s the ability to fully immerse themselves in an interview from showing up on the premises to sample questions, in a 360 degree view utilizing their smart phones!

HARTFORD, Connecticut, August 21, 2015- Graduates of Career Edge gather to celebrate completion of Career TEAM’s gainful employment course.

Navigating the job market today is not only a scary place, but a difficult one.Today a job seeker needs an arsenal of expertise in order to land a job opportunity and very recently “soft skills” was added to that list. AlthHartford's Career EDGE Graduationough, soft-skills sounds like a“buzz-word” of the 21st century workplace, it is here to stay.

According the CareerBuilder, the vast majority of employers -77 percent- believe that soft skills (skills associated with one’s personality) are just as important as hard skills (skills that are learned to perform a s
pecific job function and can be measured). Beyond that, sixteen percent of employers said that soft skills were more important than hard skills when qualifying candidates for the job.

Many companies are no longer just assessing candidates who are proficient in a particular job function, but also posses the right soft skills to carry out the job duties and fit in with the culture.  Career Edge curriculum focuses on these soft skills that employers are searching for. It focuses on attitude, professionalism, communication, goal setting and personal branding to prepare job seekers with the soft- skills to receive a job offer.

HARTFORD, Connecticut, July 16, 2015-

 

A recent study from CareerBuilder showed that 33% of organizations are planning on adding Customer Service Professionals to their staff just in 2015 alone. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, these jobs will increase by 400,000 by 2018. The huge increase in the job market can be attributed to growing companies continue to grow and increase their customer base. Employers are also looking to make sure the customer is satisfied, no matter how long the call may take.StubHub

 

Companies are now focusing on representatives who can bring energy to customers who aren’t always in the best of moods and satisfy their needs. Customers want someone who can relate to them, but also attend to their needs. The main qualification that employers are currently focusing on in candidates is making sure they are a right fit for their culture; they want people who want to serve others and are excited by people calling in with problems.

 

Career TEAM saw this need for professionals in Connecticut, with Stub Hub, the world’s largest ticket marketplace, searching for Customer Service Representatives. Their main focus? Making sure each candidate fit the cultural of their organization. All potential candidates in attendance viewed a presentation on the culture at Stub Hub and interviewed for the role. Attendees who displayed a passion to serve others were offered positions.

Micaela Alpers

May 1, 2015

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 1, 2015 – Career TEAM, a leader in workforce development and online learning, today announced that Micaela Alpers has joined the organization as President of the Education Division after spending 8 years in Higher Education publishing. Most recently, she served as National Director of Sales for McGraw Hill Education, where she was charged with rebuilding the Private Sector Sales organization and improving student outcomes through McGraw Hill’s adaptive learning platforms.

 

With a personal mission statement of, “supporting people in creating fulfilled and abundant lives,” Micaela’s background in Higher Education, coaching, and career development will enhance the 20 year track record. Micaela completed the Accomplishment Coaching training program in 2013, after years of successful development with her own coach. She is also a certified trainer in the Aha! Process, Bridges Out Of Poverty program. Micaela strongly believes that education is the gateway to empowerment, self-confidence and most of all — choice!

Per CEO, Chris Kuselias, “we are excited about the vision and direction that Micaela brings to our organization.” Micaela sees her new role with Career TEAM “as an extension of her experience as she expands her focus to the career readiness side of the student lifecycle”. Micaela has observed the Department of Education’s shift toward the gainful employment of graduates. As a result, she is most excited about exploring new ways of sharing Career Team’s 20 years of workforce development experience with partner institutions and, ultimately, with graduates.

 

A Cum Laude graduate from San Diego State University with a BA in International Business, Micaela lives in San Diego, CA, with her husband, Nick and their 9 month old son, Kai.  They describe San Diego as, “living in nature’s playground,” where they enjoy spending time hiking, biking, and anything outdoors. They share a passion for travel, and can’t wait to expose Kai to different cultures around the globe!