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CAREER SKILLS

CAREER SERVICES AND RESOURCES

Each campus has a Career Counseling Center. Various print, audio-visual, and computer sources are available to provide information on colleges, labor market data, career options, career assessment, self-assessment, job search skills, employment opportunities, and local and state employers.

If you need help in choosing an occupation or an appropriate course of study in college, visit the Career Center and work on the System of Interactive Guidance and Information (SIGIPLUS). SIGIPLUS helps you identify occupations that relate to your interests, values, likes/dislikes, and skills. SIGIPLUS also has many other functions to help you learn about and compare occupations, make decisions, and plan how you can start your career.

Virginia VIEW (Vital Information for Education and Work), is another useful computer program which focuses on college, job and career opportunities in Virginia. Visit the Career Center at a campus near you to use this computer program.

JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE

The Career Center has up-to-date videos and print resources on all aspects of the job search including: interviewing, networking, and resume writing.

JOB LISTINGS

Local employers list job announcements with the college, which are posted in the Career Center. Counselors are available for assistance on job search activities, including resume and cover letter critiquing.

Co-op

Cooperative Education provides the opportunity for you to apply the concepts and skills learned in the classroom to a job situation. The professional and technical experience you gain through Cooperative Education establishes a record of performance in your career field and eases your entry into a permanent career position.

Over 80% of the Cooperative Education graduates remain with their Co-op employers upon graduation. If you Co-op with a federal government agency, you can be retained non-competitively in a permanent position upon graduation.

To be eligible to participate in Cooperative Education courses, you must:

  1. Be program placed in a degree or certificate program that offers co-op experience.

  2. Have completed 15 semester hours of college work or the equivalent, including transfer credit.

  3. Have completed a minimum of two courses in your major area of study.

  4. Have a 2.00 or better grade point average.

  5. Obtain divisional approval after a review of your academic/employment record and a determination of your potential for success in a Co-op position.

Before registering for Co-op, you must have written approval from a faculty member in your curriculum and be hired by an approved Co-op employer.Credit earned in Cooperative Education courses may be used to substitute up to 10 credits of course work in selected degree programs with the approval of your faculty advisor. The hours will be used for elective credit, or earned as additive credit.

Career counseling is available to students and community members who need assistance in making decisions related to their career choice. Resources and services are available to individuals to combine self-knowledge with career and job search strategies.