As the job market continues to evolve and intensify, Chico Chai aims to teach young women how to create digital portfolios and gain networking tools to grow their personal brands.
Organized by Chico State student Beatrice Williams, the event was free to attend and highlighted a need for self-marketing. Professionals and students alike have become reliant on platforms such as Canva and social media to advertise their own skills to potential employers.
Williams herself is interested in a career involving videography, social media, women’s issues and international relations. She hopes to continue organizing events similar to this workshop in the future. “I’m excited to see the outcome and hopefully, people can make connections and create something special,” she said.
The first half of the two-hour event was dedicated to creating digital portfolios on Canva, utilizing free creative tools to improve resumes. The second hour offered a more hands-on and entertaining experience.
An arts and crafts activity in which attendees embedded Near Field Communication tags into keychains. These wireless tags allow for data and sometimes even payment in some cases to be distributed with just a small tap. Making it easier to exchange contact information.
Williams said that her main reason for putting this workshop together came from her personal experience navigating career preparation.
“I think I would’ve really liked to have an event like this two to three years ago when I first started working on my resume and portfolio,” Williams said. “I was very self-taught, watching videos on TikTok and things like that. It was helpful, but I could’ve used guidance.”
To Williams, personal branding is more than just a resume.
“It’s about marketing yourself, highlighting all the projects and activities that you’ve done,” she said. “Displaying yourself as a jack of all trades, even things you didn’t think would be helpful, can actually be very useful.”
The topic of “personal branding” is prevalent in today’s job market as more traditional career opportunities continue to shift.
“With how difficult the job market is right now, it’s good to be open to different opportunities and not limit yourself,” Williams said. “With the rise of social media, that’s how a lot of people are able to get their start. It’s not so traditional anymore.”
Cynthia Fernandez, a social worker here in Chico, also attended the event to learn more about how to start and expand her personal business.
“I saw that it was meant to empower women and further their careers,” Fernandez said. “I’ve been thinking about starting my photography business, so I felt like this would be a good opportunity.”
Fernandez said that her knowledge of personal branding has increased thanks to this workshop.
“I felt like it was just how I presented myself in business,” she said. “Now I think it’s more about how I want my business to be presented.”
Fernandez said that events like these aren’t nearly as common or accessible as they should be. “You meet new people, you’re working on yourself and your business,” she said. “I feel very empowered being here.”
This workshop was one of many events Chico Chai has hosted. The goal is to provide free “skill share” events as part of a broader push to increase accessibility within the Chico community. Event coordinator at Chico Chai, Carlyn Guerrero, noted that this initiative began several months ago. At the start of the year, they wanted to offer workshops that are otherwise costly or unavailable.
“The goal is to be a space where people can come and calm down, to take a break from their outside life,” Guerrero said. “It’s about self-care and taking time for what inspires you.”
For many attendees, this event not only provided new skills but also a new sense of connection, empowerment and the tools to navigate an increasingly competitive landscape.
Bria Martinez can be reached at [email protected]
