The Clackamas print., June 01, 2016, Page 6, Image 6

’I
CAREER SERVICES CENTER
OFFERS GUIDANCE TO GRADUATES
STORY BY ELIZABETH KESSEL AND DEBBIE FOX
Graduating and earning a degree is just
the beginning of what’s to come.
Many students leave Clackam as
C o m m u n ity C o lle g e to e n te r the
workforce. Other students have obtained
a transfer degree and are o ff to four year
universities. Wherever they are o ff to, it
can be intimidating not knowing which
way to go. Fortunately, CCC has many
resources to help students decide what
path to take and how to get there.
“ Earning a degree
or certificate is a big
deal because o f what
you’ ve had to commit to
achieve it.”
- Gwenda Oshiro
A Career Services Specialist, Natasha
Dunne, said,“ A career center is a place
for students to come and to find and to
explore careers or to find leads for jobs,
internships, CWEs, volunteer w ork.”
After graduation, Dunne wants students
to think about their goals in life. Dunne
said, “ 1 think students should know that
the qualifications they have in a classroom
are what are soft skills for jo bs.”
According to Dunne, soft skills cannot
be taught by an employer. Some of these
skills include how you react to and work
w ith peop le, b ein g an innovative or
creative thinker and organization, among
many others.
“ So the hard skills are the skills you
learn, let’ s say you’re a computer analyst
your skills in programming and coding
and computer figurations those skills are
hard skills. Those are what you need to
know in order to do the job functions,”
said Dunne.
The Institutional Research department
at CCC provides the college with reliable,
valid and tim ely in form ation to help
improve student success and better meet
community needs.
B arb ara N ic o le t t i, d ir e c to r o f
institutional research and reporting said
by email, “ Approximately 76 to 80 percent
o f our transfer intent graduates [AA and
AS degree recipients] go on to a four year
school within three years.”
Those who are transferring to a four
year university should go to their school
of choice for assistance from an academic
adviser. The dep artm en t m ain tain s
contact with students, even after students
have transferred or earned their degrees.
Nicoletti said, “ Students come here, in
part, to earn a degree or enough credits
and training that positions them well to
enter the job market in a career that is of
interest to them .”
Gw enda O sh iro , an adviser from
the student success departm ent, said,
“ Please make sure you celebrate w hat
you’ve accomplished. Earning a degree
or certificate is a big deal because o f
w hat you’ve had to com m it to achieve
it. So never forget this success. I ’d also
encourage all graduates to pursue careers
that allow them to do w hat they are
passionate about.”
G w enda O shiro (left) and Kara Leonard assist students at the Career Center.
A fter choosing so m eth in g you are
passionate about, and pursuing it, Dunne
said that employers are going to keep an
eye out for soft skills.
No matter what your next step is, CCC
staff, instructors and administrators are
here to help. Students are encouraged to
take advantage of the resources that are
available. Students should be proud of
their accomplishments.
Congratulations to the graduating class
of 2016 from The Clackamas Print.
% OF GRADS WORKING IN FIELD OF STUDY RELATED TO DEGREE
Source: CC C InstitutionaI Resea r eh & Report i ng
• Clarkarnas Pnrtf JUNE L 2016 theciartarnaspnnicom