The Career center is offering helpful workshops to students unable to decide on which career they want to pursue. Over the last few weeks the career assessment workshop has been ongoing and is ending this month. Students who were involved started out undecided about possible career options and are now interpreting their results in a real world context.
The first week began with assessment testing in both the Strong Interest Inventory (SII) and also the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The following two weeks the workshops involved interpreting the results of the tests respectively.
Students read over what the tests told them about their skills and interests and counselors helped them understand what career would be best suited to their personality.
“It’s not a prescription as such, but more of an exploration,” said counselor and Career Center director Virginia Padrón. “Knowing their interests, skills and values [helps students with] feeling comfortable about themselves.”
The career center not only provides workshops as mentioned but they also have resources for students at any time during the semester. Established in Building 1 last June, the center offers appointments with career counselors as well as dropins.
Also provided is assistance with getting connected to internships and job opportunities.
“We screen students; find out what they want to internship in and help set up their resume,” explained Alexander Jones, Career Services Employment and Internship Coordinator.
“For every major on campus, we want to have a job or internship we can connect to the student.” Jones urges that students interested in any subject field should find an internship to allow them to be immersed in real world application of what they’ve learned in class. He explains that working can be used toward credit through the cooperative education program.
This can expedite your degree as well as help you gain skills and experience relevant to your desired career.
Some internships offered are through the Human Services Agency with San Mateo County, as well as possibilities with early childhood education, business and accounting. Since the creation of the center last summer, over 200 students have been referred to jobs and to internships.
“We are looking for academically motivated students who are willing to do the work,” said Lavinia Zanassi, career counselor. “They actually get out there and work on a site that they think they might want to pursue. It’s really important they get that experience to put on their resume and to offer to their future employer.”
Career Resources and Counseling Aide Veronica Espinoza-Osuna says to get started on Eureka.com to find more information on careers and majors and then to make an appointment with one of the counselors in the center. The counselor can provide testing to you one-on-one so you can get started on understanding which careers could work best for you.
This is all going to help students become ready for the Career Networking Night scheduled Wednesday, March 13 in the Dining Hall of Building 6 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Harry Joel, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and Employee Relations at the San Mateo Community College District will be speaking at the event. The night is orchestrated toallow students to connect to multiple professionals in whatever career they may be interested in. Fields represented will include
• Engineering, Technology and Science
• Business and Office Administration
• Health and Medicine
• Arts and Communication
• Law and Public Services
• Education and Human Services
Registration for the Career Networking Night begins March 1 and according to Career Center Director Padrón, the spaces will fill up quickly and when capacity is reached the registration will become closed. Last year’s event hosted over 200 students and approximately 35-40 mentors were present to help guide students.
“[Skyline] President Regina Stroud has been instrumental in supporting career services by supplying us this new center and in her belief that our students from day one should be looking forward to career goals,” said Padrón. “I’ve been lucky to have this staff, we’ve had a lot of success and we keep plugging away.”
Although the assessment workshop is over, there are many helpful workshops coming up in the next few months. Workshops are held in Building 1, Room 1219B on Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Feb. 20: Find Your Career… Learn How Financial Aid Can Help You Achieve It!
Feb. 27: Career Conversation Series; Business/Marketing Advertising/
Sales March 6: Resume Essentials
March 27: Impactful Interviewing
April 10: Got Work? Need Work? Let’s Talk!
April 24: Connect The Dots… Majors & Job Opportunities!
