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 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.
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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
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