What is the Employment Services Center, where is it and what are
the hours?- Is Employment Services the only office that provides job placement assistance?
- Who is available to assist me?
- Is the office intended primarily for students?
- When should I start going to the Employment Services Center?
- Will an Employment Services staff member be able to tell me what career to choose?
- Will Employment Services offer me full-time placement after I complete my program?
- What do employers look for?
- When should I become involved in the employer recruiting process?
- Can Employment Services tell me which fields will have open opportunities when I graduate?
| What is the Employment Services Center, where is it and what are the hours? |
The Employment Services Center is
a place where you can get information and referrals to internships,
co-ops, permanent or temporary jobs. Students may also look for on-campus or off-campus work study or institutional hire (on-campus) jobs, which are listed online.
Our office is open to the public.
You do not need to be a current student or graduate to use our free
services. Our hours and location are listed on the Employment
Services main page.
| Is Employment Services the only office that provides job placement assistance? |
The Employment Services Center is the main office to receive referrals for on and off-campus job placements. However, if you wish information about part-time classified, exempt or faculty employment with Clark College, you may visit the Human Resources office web page for up-to-date job lisitngs.
| Who is available to assist me? |
There are professional staff members available to meet with you individually by appointment.
| Is the office intended primarily for students? |
Definitely not! While a few of the more visible jobs, such as those in the Co-op Education program, are intended for students, most of the jobs are meant for anyone who qualifies. It is strongly recommended that you not wait until you are close to graduation to become involved in Co-op Education, workshops, job fairs, individual assistance, and other services. Graduates and the general public are also encouraged to take advantage of our services.
| When should I start going to the Employment Services Center? |
Anytime in your first year is recommended for beginning exploration activities, though you are encouraged to seek assistance at any time. A good place to start would be the Job Search Workshops which are scheduled through the year.
| Will an Employment Services staff member be able to tell me what career to choose? |
The process of choosing a career is a complex one. While staff members have no crystal balls, they can assist you in learning more about yourself, the world of work, and employers. They will assist you with the process of exploring and deciding. Ultimately, the decision must be yours. Whether you are seeking your first job as a sophomore or junior looking for a career change as a returning student, it is suggested that you meet with a career counselor or visit the Career Center for resources and guidance.
| Will Employment Services offer me full-time placement after I complete my program? |
The Employment Services Center is not comparable to an employment agency. Job development and external relations are critical areas for the center, but the ultimate placement process rests with you; however, the staff is committed to developing and maintaining relations with outside companies and organizations which have openings for our types of graduates.
A number of these organizations formally participate in on-campus recruiting, while others rely on the referral systems and student-initiated inquiries. Placement is just one of the critical components of career development; the others are career decision making and career planning.
Nationally, 15% of all graduating students obtain positions directly through on-campus recruiting. The number may go as high as 35% for business majors and 40% for engineering and computer-related jobs. The majority of successful students choose to develop an individualized strategic job-hunting or internship-search campaign. Through workshops, internships, co-ops, and individual assistance, staff members are available to acquaint you with job-hunting techniques. Job vacancy information, industry directories, and other helpful job-search resources are also found in the Career Center along with an extensive employer literature file.
| What do employers look for? |
Students who involve themselves in timely career decision making and career research planning activities are most impressive to employers who consider three key areas for evaluation:
- academic performance,
- leadership and extracurricular activities, and
- internships/co-ops or other career-related work experience.
| When should I become involved in the employer recruiting process? |
Students should begin preparing for the recruiting process at the beginning of their 2nd (or last) year. The majority of employers typically conduct interviews for full-time positions during October, November, February, March, and April. Interviewing for co-op and internship positions may take place anytime; however; most employers prefer that students interview at their place of business, but some will interview on campus.
| Can Employment Services tell me which fields will have open opportunities when I graduate? |
While projections regarding various fields are available through publications such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook and professional journals, this information should be used cautiously. No source can predict accurately what opportunities will be available at a given point in time. Basing career decisions solely on this information is risky.
