Community College of Philadelphia Career Services Center Director on Understanding Your Skills and Having a Plan
By Jill Randolph
March 9, 2011
The following is an interview transcript with Jan Harris, Director of Career Services at the Community College of Philadelphia. Ms. Harris has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Mary Washington College of Fredericksburg, Virginia and a Master of Arts in Counseling Services from Rider University of Lawrenceville, New Jersey. She started the Career Services Center in 2003 and is also on the faculty of The Art Institute of Philadelphia. Prior to that, she was Assistant Director of Career Services at Philadelphia University, Career Counselor at Penn State Abington and Employment Facilitator at Bucks County Office of Employment and Training .
Community College of Philadelphia is the largest public institution of higher education in Philadelphia. Since 1965, over 500,000 students have passed through the doors seeking associate's degrees, certificates, improved workplace skills, and lifelong learning. Over 70 degrees and certificate programs are offered in art, science, business, technology and liberal arts. The Career Services Center provides comprehensive services including individual appointments for resume and job search issues, workshops and classes on a variety of topics, on-campus interviewing, and four annual job fairs.
Jill Randolph: How has job searching changed, and what advice do you give students regarding opportunities that may be more realistic in this economy, such as part-time and temporary positions?
Jan Harris: Since the competition today includes people who were laid off and have more experience, new graduates have to look for jobs differently than before. They need to be focused and have an executable plan. They must have an excellent resume, an absolutely perfect cover letter, and know what they are capable of doing.
There is a large market right now for temporary jobs. We have staffing agencies that have several available positions, and we encourage students to use those agencies to explore opportunities while they are waiting for the job market to improve. If someone is interested in healthcare, they may benefit from a job answering phones at a hospital. They may see how a hospital operates and might discover other jobs of interest.
Jill Randolph: Some people believe that applying online, especially via Monster or Indeed.com, is of little use because thousands of people are applying for the same jobs. How can a student ensure their resume is not lost in the pile?
Jan Harris: It is more difficult to job search when using an online search engine that does not tell you the company, location or contact person. Once a person applies, he or she is really not able to follow up. We use a resource called College Central, where our employers input their name, phone number, and email address.
This enables a student to follow up with the employer to see if they received the student's resume. The student can also use it to contact a company he or she found interesting to ask if that company has any clerical or part-time receptionist jobs that might get his or her foot in the door. College Central saves the applicants' information so that students have a record of jobs they have applied for and can create a follow up plan.
Jill Randolph: What are the most common mistakes students make in their job search?
Jan Harris: A lot of students do not take the job search seriously. Their resumes need revisions, their cover letters are not good, and they often do not know what they want to do.
Students think we are going to find the answer for them and assume we have a secret list of jobs. They are the jobseeker, and we are not going to do their job search for them. I am here to assist them in developing lifelong skills for job hunting, but they have to get the job.
Students also are not prepared for the process and wait until after graduation to look for a job, when they should have been searching long before graduation. They tend to think if they have a degree, they have a job. Five or ten years ago, a degree was almost enough to get a job if they interviewed well and had a good cover letter and resume. It is not like that anymore.
Jill Randolph: What do you recommend that students highlight about themselves in order to outshine the competition?
Jan Harris: The most important advice I can offer students is to promote themselves to a potential employer. They must understand their skills and strengths. These are important points that they need to convey to an interviewer.
We have workshops on identifying skills. Before the job search, we emphasize isolating their skills and deciding what the students are going to say to an employer to come across as the best possible candidate.
If the candidates are cashiers, they do not need to waste time telling the employer that they can work a cash register because the employer can figure that out. Instead, they should tell the interviewer how they trained people and earned the manager's trust to close at night, or they can explain how playing basketball for three seasons taught them teamwork and displays how they are extremely goal-driven and motivated.
Jill Randolph: What advice do you give students regarding traditional networking versus social networking?
Jan Harris: Students need to educate themselves on using the internet and social networking. They should not publish information they do not want everyone in the world to see.
Most of our students are still using social networking for fun, but we encourage them to use sites professionally. We have classes on making introductions and networking effectively. We also have workshops tailored to how to behave at a conference while networking.
Students also need to consider their purpose for contacting a specific person. Whether they want information on available jobs or would like them to read their resume, they should be sincere and clear in their requests and remember they are essentially asking for a favor.
Jill Randolph: Encouraging students to network and begin a conversation empowers them, whether they are standing in line at the grocery store or instigating a conversation with a stranger who turns out to be a hiring manager.
Jan Harris: Exactly. I teach career development at The Art Institute of Philadelphia where the students are very artistic. Their careers require a great deal of networking, so we spend considerable time on that. We reinforce that a stranger is only a stranger until they introduce themselves. If they will take the chance to see what happens, it may be surprising.
Even word of mouth and accidental side networking can uncover an opportunity. I had one student's mother call her because she was at a conference for her own work and ran into someone looking for an intern. She connected with the employer over the phone and her daughter landed the job!
Jill Randolph: Do most of your students go on to complete a four-year degree or do they finish with a certificate or an associate's degree?
Jan Harris: Historically, most of our students transfer to four-year schools. Many of our students are in career-focused majors such as nursing, dental hygiene, and X-ray technician and usually go right into the work force. The rest are earning certificates or an associate's degree or simply taking a few courses.
Jill Randolph: Do most students take a few classes and then transfer as soon as they are accepted to a university, or do they earn an associate's degree first and then go on to get a bachelor's degree?
Jan Harris: It goes both ways. We have easy transfer programs linked with several colleges in the area, so that students can take many of their basic required courses here and then transfer. If they are unsure of their path, we encourage them to get an associate's degree before they transfer so that they have something to fall back on.
Ultimately the timing is dependent on the individual and the program, but a good number transfer for four-year degrees without an associate's degree. We have an excellent Transfer Center in the Counseling Department that assists students in making these decisions.
Jill Randolph: Do you have non-traditional students who come for a certificate or associate's degree even though they have a bachelor's or master's degree?
Jan Harris: Most of our students are non-traditional. The average age of graduation is around 28. A lot of people who are laid-off come back to reinvent themselves. We help them explore opportunities they can pursue without having to go back to school, or we give them advice if they may benefit from additional training or a certificate.
Jill Randolph: Do you have any resources for students who are unsure of what they want to do or would like to find out if their career choice is a good fit for their personality?
Jan Harris: We use "Choices", which has an inventory of interests and is based on the Holland Code C. It explores whether they are enterprising, social, or realistic, and then it matches those characteristics with occupations. The occupations are then broken down into jobs detailing responsibilities, salaries, locations, etc.
I had a student who wanted to be geographer because he liked to travel. He was not good at math or science, and he found out that a geographer needs both. It turned out not to be a good fit for him, and that is part of the education process.
Jill Randolph: Do you have any career-related books or websites you recommend to your students?
Jan Harris: College Central Network has a large amount of information. It offers news links and quick tips on resumes, interviewing, and asking tough questions. It is a convenient all-in-one resource.
We also have an internal website where students can access specific career information and view sample resumes and cover letters for every major.
Jill Randolph: Do you have any advice for approaching a new job when someone has been fired or has another tough situation to explain?
Jan Harris: Job seekers should be honest. There are many people who have made mistakes and find jobs. Instead of making excuses, they need to be upfront about what happened and explain how they are recovering from the mistake.
They could even offer to be put on probation for two weeks to take the risk away for the employer. If they are honest, someone will take a chance on them, even if they made a mistake. It is how they present the situation, and we coach them to stay positive and convey the bad without all of the details.
If students are unsure of where to start their job search process or where to go next in their career, we are here to help them craft a plan for their entry into the workforce.
