Jan. 28, 2026 Interviewing for a job comes with a lot of stress. What questions will the interviewer ask? How do you talk about your professional experience, especially if this is your first job after earning your college degree? Should you ask about the salary? What do you wear? GRCC’s Center for Career and Professional Readiness is here to make the interview process easier with a new tool called Big Interview. This online platform includes training courses and practice scenarios so you can build your skills and feel confident going into your next job or internship interview. Practice Makes Hired Big Interview combines training and practice to improve your skills and build your confidence. And you can do it all on your schedule. Log in from home, between classes or on your lunch break to learn important tips and practice your responses to tough interview questions.   Learn With Video Courses If you want to learn essential job interview skills quickly, the Fast Track video course teaches strategies to stand out and secure your dream job. You’ll learn best practices across different types of industries, how to answer common questions and how to talk about salary. Practice questions and quizzes along the way help you retain your knowledge and gain confidence. If you have more time, the Mastery Track covers more topics in greater detail to really get you feeling knowledgeable and confident for your interview. You learn how to analyze job descriptions, overcome nerves, talk about your accomplishments and much more. Other courses include Job Search, Resume, Negotiation and Interview Playbooks for special circumstances like applying as a new graduate or someone who is changing careers. Practice and Improve With Expert Feedback Big Interview is also the place to put what you learn into practice. Practice Sets include general interview questions as well as industry-specific questions. Whether you’re applying for a job in education, health care or manufacturing, you can practice answering tough questions and feel confident After recording your answers, you have the option to share your video response with an instructor, friend or familiar member or have AI analyze your answer and provide suggestions. This helps improve both what you say and how you say it. How to Get Started With Big Interview Big Interview is free to all GRCC students and employees. 1. Sign into MyGRCC at signin.grcc.edu and select the “Big Interview” tile. 2. To start a video course, select “Learn” from the top menu and choose “Interview Curriculum” to browse the courses.   3. To practice answering questions, select “Practice” from the top menu and choose “Practice Sets.” Either start with the “Top 10 Questions” set or find a set for your industry by using the list of options on the left.   For additional interview resources or career support, contact the Center for Career and Professional Readiness at career@grcc.edu or (616) 234-3367. Big Interview is available to GRCC students and employees thanks to a generous grant from Transfer Bridges.  

Jan. 27, 2026   Home technology is a hot trend. Many of us chat with Alexa, protect our front doors with Ring, whisk away daily dirt with robotic vacuums, and much more. But home technology is more than trendy fun. Dr. Robin Pegg, assistant professor/academic fieldwork coordinator for the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program at GRCC says that assistive technology can be transformative for people living with disabilities. “Assistive technology provides people with access to activities of daily living,” Pegg said. “Solutions can be as simple as weighted silverware, or as complex as a home lighting system. Regardless of the complexity, these tools make life easier and richer for those who use them.” Robin says that OTAs provide the knowledge to identify and apply a vast array of assistive tools. In fact, the accreditation standards for this profession require that students learn about them. However, we all know that book learning does not always resemble real life. That’s why Robin and her students are delighted to partner with MOKA for practical, hands-on experience. MOKA was founded in 1978 by a group of parents concerned about the future of their family members diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities. MOKA offers many services, but their group homes have led to a strong tie with GRCC. MOKA has over 40 such homes, where 4-6 individuals live with varying levels of support from direct support professionals. The goal is for each person to live the most empowered and autonomous life possible. Approximately five years ago, the GRCC OTA Club ran an event for MOKA participants. That connected Robin to Emily Betz, director of programs for MOKA. Emily wanted to incorporate more assistive technology into group homes. Robin, who is a   RESNA-certified assistive technology professional , jumped at the chance. Together, Robin and Emily decided that the students would evaluate two group homes every year. They break into small teams, assess every part of the home, and also evaluate processes. They provide an extensive final presentation and report that includes all recommendations, costs and purchasing links. "This partnership checks so many boxes for our students and our accreditation," Pegg said. “Students are learning to work in multi-level teams. They are assessing and making recommendations. They are learning about costs and how to find funding. And together, we are collaborating to make the community a richer place for all. Our accrediting agency was blown away when we told them about this relationship." As for MOKA, this is serious and valuable work. “We've received hundreds of recommendations over the course of several years,” said Samantha Brigham, director of development for MOKA. “Our team reviews them all. We put the easy, lower cost options in place right away. Others that may be more expensive might influence fundraising activities or future budgets.” Samantha notes that some of the recommendations can be implemented almost immediately, and the results quickly follow. “When a recommendation helps a resident gain independence, the mood in the house lightens,” Brigham said. “For example, many residents want to do their own laundry but it’s difficult for them to read the directions. GRCC recommended a simple set of color-coded instructions to bridge that gap.” Tracey Hamlet, executive director of MOKA, says that the recommendations impact not only the residents, but also the direct care workers who represent the majority of MOKA’s 450 employees. “MOKA is committed to quality care at every level, which includes care givers,” Hamlet said.  “We know better than most that the quality of the experience improves at every level when our employees aren't trying to pour from an empty cup. GRCC students fell into perfect alignment caring for these caregivers. Even the smallest recommendations make an impact. How they have made employees feel seen and supported is a special part of this partnership.” MOKA is leveraging past recommendations to help drive their new  Smart Home development. A Smart Home integrates person-centered technology into everyday living tasks for residents and caregivers. “We gathered and reviewed all the assessments from GRCC students for our Smart Homes,” Brigham said. “Many of the recommendations have become routine to us, and those were built in automatically.” Robin notes that this kind of in-depth, practical work provides a new lens through which students can view an OTA career. “Many students don’t realize there are options other than one-on-one therapy,” Pegg said. “Through this partnership, the students are exposed to consultative services, vocational rehab services, advocacy services and much more.” Learn more about the  Occupational Therapy Assistant program at GRCC.