By Joe Matteo
CCC Journalism Program
Camden County College has introduced a way to experience career development workshops online.
Derena Shafer, career services adviser, works on the Blackwood campus. By Joe Matteo, CCC Journalism Program
Career development workshops offer guidance for finding jobs that pique a student’s interest and match their skills. The online version of these workshops are no different in philosophy but vary in accessibility.
The online workshops were created at the beginning of this semester because students struggled to find time for the on-site workshops, said Derena Shafer, career services adviser, who runs the online workshops for the college. Already, more students have attended the online workshops this year than attended the on-site workshops all of last year.
The online workshops provided by Camden County College instruct attendees on how to go about interviewing for jobs and fine tune their ability to look for jobs. A workshop on how to do industry research and access live job postings via Career Coach is scheduled for Oct. 25.
“It’s never too early to start planning for your career,” Shafer said.
Career Coach is a program that shares a purpose with the workshops – finding majors and jobs that pair up with students’ interests and skills. As soon as students arrive on the program, they are given the opportunity to take a career assessment to find careers they may like and for which they may be suited.
There are two assessment options. The first option has six questions, while the second option is more detailed and has 60 questions. At the end of both assessments, students are shown their top three personality traits based on their answers. They are then given a list of career options that connect with their personality.
The careers options presented to students range from a 100 percent match to their personality to a 1 percent match. In addition to this, Career Coach gives students the opportunity to browse a variety of careers with which their personality didn’t match.
The program also has features that aid in the development of a resume. A resume should list all the job seeker’s prior work experience, along with education and any special skills that may pertain to the job they are seeking.
The online workshops will also prepare students for the college’s job fair next spring. The job fair last year offered a wide range of career opportunities, including internship information, a mock interview and job applications.
The online workshops also may help students take advantage of the upcoming Career and Transfer Exploration Week. From Nov. 18 to 22, students will have a myriad of in-person opportunities to find jobs and internships they might want to pursue. A workshop to prepare students for the week is scheduled for Oct. 30.
Jesse Thomas, a student on the Blackwood campus of Camden County College, said he likes what the program has to offer.
“(The online workshops) will benefit your life,” Thomas said.