Speakers at Lincoln College Career Center launch inspire students and supply tools

[January 13, 2018] 

LINCOLN

As the Lincoln campus of Lincoln College moves further into offering four-year degrees, the needs of its students are changing. One of the key differences between a two-year and a four-year school is a stronger emphasis in preparing students for a professional career and hopefully finding satisfying employment in a field of their interest soon after graduation.

Lincoln College is now offering bachelor's degrees in 10 majors and five minors for traditional students on the Lincoln campus, and five bachelor degree majors for students in the Accelerated Bridge to Education program.

On November 28th the college opened a Career Services Office in the McKinstry Library building. That evening there was the first of many scheduled formal presentations being made available to LC students to help them find their way into a career of their preference.

Lincoln College has had a baccalaureate program at its Normal campus for a number of years, and through that location the college has had a relationship with the Illinois State University Career Center.

LC Director of Career Services, Joe Hendrix (gray suit in front), introduced ISU Career Center staff Pam Cooper and Maureen Roach. Cooper and Roach presented a dynamic program on choosing a major and preparing for a satisfying career.

Pam Cooper           Maureen Roach

Cooper and Roach brought a sense of energy and enthusiasm to the path the students have already begun. They engaged the students alternately asking questions and supplying information through a series of PowerPoint slides. Their thorough process of connecting the dots between education and careers might be described as layering: a back and forth between present day activities and resources to the future of what lays ahead in career opportunities. They showed that there are many career variations and that the future workplace will continue to change, providing more opportunities to those who are ready and embrace change. They mapped out the stages and identified resources that every student has available to them now that can play a part in their future success.

Students were reminded that while they are investing their time and money right now, they'll want corresponding results for their investments. They encouraged students to be taking care of business now: do well in school, make connections, find their passion, and make their own a path to a career.

Factors in choosing and preparing for a career include developing a vision, gaining skills, combining interests for a unique situation that fits their personal values, such as marriage and family; setting goals and time-frames, and getting the education needed.

Practical applications were applied to four stages: Explore, Expand, Execute and Embark, in the pathway from academic to career success. Tips include doing well in the classroom, attending workshops, skill development through internships or other means, networking with current fellow students, participation in student organizations.

There was also a segment on the newly developing pathways to career with the use of social media: how to market yourself, how to protect your image, how to avoid ill-fitting employment situations, and much more.

Some of the extraneous information presented included statistical data that indicates a continual shift in what is happening in our workplaces today. Even in a traditional career such as teaching or nursing, how those jobs are performed is continually changing. The average length of stay in any one job has gotten shorter. Students were urged to be creative in envisioning what their job might be when entering the market place, combining their passions with their skills. Also, expect to remake how they are doing their work as often as every 10 years and plan for a possible career change.

Students were also encouraged to attend a job fair that is planned to meet potential employers, learn more about what employers are looking for, and how to prepare themselves for the market place.

In addition to the resources and services that can be found in the new Lincoln College Career Services Office on the Lincoln campus, Lincoln College is continuing its relationship with Illinois State University Career Services. Lincoln College students have access to resources and services through the ISU Center that includes career counseling appointments, mock interviews, presentations, workshops, seminars and job/career fairs.

The speakers each urged students to take advantage of the ISU Career Center web page.  https://careercenter.illinoisstate.edu/ 

Several other conferences will take place this spring for students who missed this opportunity.

The students were supplied a list of five career events that will take place at ISU. Sign up is through the Lincoln College Career Services office located in McKinstry Library.

[Jan Youngquist]

Resources:

Lincoln College Career Services, Lincoln Campus https://careerservices.lincoln college.edu/ 

The ISU Career Center Career Resources page offers a significant amount of information and videos on preparing for a career, marketing yourself, preparing for interviews and more. https://careercenter.illinoisstate.edu/student/
resources.shtml