Seminar to teach ‘How to Get Fired’

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Jeff Havens is kicking off the upcoming Career Services week with comedic relief in his “How to Get Fired!” seminar.

Senior Accounting and Finance major Melanie Scifers said Havens take a satirical approach to career advice in his seminar.

“It’ll just be good for people to hear him,” Scifers said. “Because it’s funny, they’ll take it to heart, but they won’t be as offended or thrown off when they figure out that they’ve been doing those things.”

Havens’s seminar will give the audience humorous and light-hearted advice on how to get fired from their job.

Candace Owens, director of career services and primary coordinator of Career Services week, said Havens will use his seminar to communicate ways to contribute to a workplace and succeed in a career by describing how to achieve failure.

“He’s saying, you know, go on in and wear shorts to work or wear a low cut shirt, put color in your hair and show up late… this is what you can do to get fired,” Owens said. “Because, in essence, you don’t want to work. You just want to stay on your parents’ couch. But, basically, take all of that, don’t do that, and this is how you’re going to keep your job.”

Scifers is one of the students assisting in the promotion of Career Services week. She said Havens’ seminar is an effective way to communicate ideas to students that are often hard for them to appreciate.

“So many students have no idea what to wear or what to say or what to do,” Scifers said. “A lot of them go to interviews and come back later and they’re like, ‘I don’t know why nobody is hiring me; why nobody seems to be interested in me.’ But a lot of it is because, you know, you’re not dressed appropriately [or] you’re doing something really wrong that [employers are] looking for you not to do.”

Along with “How to Get Fired!” Career Services week encourages students to focus on the future. Students have the opportunity to learn about interviewing and hiring. They can meet with more than 40 prospective employers, all of whom are Oklahoma Christian alumni.

Owens hopes students will take their futures seriously and recognize Oklahoma Christian’s dedication to helping them make the most of their abilities.

“I want students to take serious the fact that what they’re here for is school,” Owens said. “OC has various opportunities for them to succeed and… we are committed to giving them an opportunity to succeed.”

Senior Tevin Cleveland said he appreciates the help he has received in his education thus far.

“My teachers have taught me a lot of things that will help me in the finance world,” Cleveland said. “They made sure that if I didn’t understand something they would help me to understand it, that way I could be successful after college.”

Scifers has received a great deal of support from Owens and Career Services as she prepares for life after graduation, and encourages all students to pursue the same assistance.

“Career Services does a great job of trying to get us interviews and help promote us,” Scifers said. “You can always go to Candace if you need advice with interviews or resumes or anything like that.”

For more information about Career Services week and the “How to Get Fired!” seminar, visit this page.

Career Services week is Oct. 21-23 and the seminar is on Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Hardeman Auditorium. Admission is free and the seminar is open to the public.

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