The Career Services Center is happy to share that our efforts in supporting students over the past semester with career exploration and employer connections has been successful via the services and programs we provide.
Through our program, Get Work Wednesdays, a service that connects students directly to local employers who are actively looking to hire on the spot, we have been able to connect over 25 employers with over 300 students! Many of these employers shared that the students they interacted with showed excellent skills in communication, were well organized, and seemed prepared to engage in conversations around the World of Work. Additionally, at least 60% of employers surveyed indicated that they had conducted on the spot interviews and were able to successfully hire students for the positions they were advertising. Some employers reported that they were able to hire between 1- 3 students as a result of their participation in GWW.
Additionally, we were also able to host an Amazon Hiring Event for students! Amazon representatives hosting the event shared they were able to conduct over 15 on-the-spot interviews, with 9 job offers going out to students. With such a successful event, Amazon is looking forward to continuing their relationship with the Career Services Center so that they can host more hiring events and find other ways to engage with Skyline College students.
We are also happy to share that employer connections didn’t stop there. In anticipation for summer job opportunities and the need to support students’ search to find jobs, Career Services hosted our annual Career Fair on Tuesday, April 17. With close to 40 employers ranging from a wide variety of careers and industries, many students had the opportunity to engage and learn about job opportunities within and outside of the community. The energy was strong and students were excited to have the chance to connect with employers. One student shared that they “learned about careers I never knew I had access to”. Other students shared the sentiment that this fair exposed them to job opportunities they never thought about and that it gave them the chance to learn about what employers are looking for in candidates. And for some students the fair connected them to jobs within an industry they always wanted to learn more about. Overall, the event was well attended by both students and employers.
And in conjunction to connecting students with employers and jobs, the Center also hosted a workshop with Price Waterhouse Coopers to recruit students for their Summer Professional Development Internship programs. We are excited to share that for the 3rd consecutive year, 4 Skyline College students have been selected for the highly sought after and prestigious internship programs. Please help us in congratulating Justin Yu, Michelle Huang, Paul Dzul and Katrina Cheng for being accepted into the Price Waterhouse Cooper Explore Internship. This program will allow them to embark on a journey of self-discovery and career exploration with PwC’s culture, values, and purpose through a series of interactive experiences with PwC professionals.
And the internship opportunities didn’t stop there! In collaboration with Reading Partners (a President’s Innovation Fund Project dating back to 2013-2014), on Wednesday, February 28, the Center hosted a tutor orientation for Reading Partners. With close to 20 students in attendance, Reading Partner representatives informed us that they have now hired many new wonderful tutors to help support their program. This is exciting news and a step in the right direction to ensuring the Center is continuing to support our local elementary schools, while also connecting Skyline College students to service learning, volunteering, and community involvement.
With all these volunteer opportunities and employer connections, students also need to be resume and interview ready and so with the help of the Center’s staff, over 80 students were provided assistance with resume and interview readiness. Students who participated in a survey about their experiences during these appointments shared that the staff member was “…able to provide me with a solid foundation of skills to better prepare my resume for future job opportunities” and that thanks to these sessions one student reported that they “…felt more confident in their abilities in interviewing and updating their resume.” Of the students surveyed, over 60% indicated that they were able to acquire a job or were in the process of acquiring one.
And with that, Career Services is looking very much forward to our up-coming fall 2018 semester as we prepare to host more employer visits, the Meet Your Major Fair and Season Job Fair, along with more resume and interview workshops so that we may continue to support career exploration and job readiness for Skyline College students.
Article by Michele Haggar | Photos by Skyline College Marketing Department
