SCTCC has a Career Services office on campus for students who need help with interviews, resumes, finding a job, and more! Lisa Mohr, Career Services Coordinator, answered a few questions about what to expect from Career Services.
How can students find you or get a hold of you?
Call, email or stop by the Career Center in room 1-448, Northway building near door 4.
You can reach me at 320-308-5926 or via email at careerservices@sctcc.edu.
Office Hours: M-F, 8am to 4:30 p.m.
In office: Tuesday/Wednesday
Virtual: Monday, Thursday, Friday
Who can students expect to help them when they contact your department?
Lisa Mohr, Career Center Coordinator.
What does your department do to help students?
I help you discover your next step in your career through a number of services. You tell me what you would like help with and I connect you to resources, provide support, share information, answer your questions and get you connected to employers to be successful.
What services does your department offer to students?
For liberal arts students and others, I provide career counseling. We have a conversation about what you like, what your skills are and use career assessments that help guide you to discover what’s possible for you. For any student, I can help you find a job to support you while you’re in college. JobNet is SCTCC’s online job posting board where you can find work study jobs, jobs for while you’re in school and jobs for you after graduation. Need a resume, I can help you create one from scratch or just get your current one up to date with your new skills. You can prepare for interviews with our online tool Big Interview that offers lots of practice questions along with feedback or you can get a personalized mock interview with me.
Do you have any signature events throughout the year that students should know about?
Career Services hosts an annual job fair in the spring which is the largest of its kind in the state. We have about 200 employers with 500 – 700 people in attendance. There are shuttle buses that take you to River’s Edge Convention Center. Watch for information on social media about it. Watch for information on social media about the event and tips on how to get your resume ready to make the most of your time at the job fair. The job fair is usually held the last Wednesday in March.
What are some frequently asked questions you get from students? (Along with answer)
Q: I need help with choosing a major. What should I do?
A: Sometimes people know what they want to do but they are not sure how and other times people are completely undecided. I like to start with a career assessment that helps you learn more about yourself and what occupations are going to be the best fit for your interests, skills and preferences. Then we have a conversation about that and I guide you through the process towards making a decision and launching your career. It takes about 1-3 sessions to complete the work.
Q: My resume needs updating. What do you recommend?
A: That is a great question. I like to start with your job target. If you don’t have one in mind we can go over different ideas of what is possible based on your experience, strengths and preferences. From there, we can tailor the resume towards that type of position. This improves your chances of getting an interview.
Q: I have an interview this week and I would like to prepare for that.
A: Congratulations! I will ask you more about the job and review your resume and then set up a time to do a practice interview session with you. In addition, I will give you advice on how to prepare such as having questions for the employer, and planning for the interview. Is it virtual or in person? If in person, you want to drive there to make sure you know the route, find the parking and plan for how long it takes you to arrive. If it’s virtual, we can do a practice with Zoom to get you polished for that virtual interview.
Q: Where can I find a job, internship or work study position?
A: I will ask you questions about your major and what job you’re looking for and share with you leads that I have from many sources including JobNet, Greater St. Cloud JobSpot and employer outreach efforts that I do year round. We know where graduates get hired for your major from the graduate follow up survey. If I don’t know of something I can talk with you about the importance of networking and how to find opportunities in the hidden job market. You can develop an elevator pitch, which is a 30 second commercial about yourself basically about who you are and what you’re looking for and why you’d be a great candidate.
Q: What is one tip you can give students related to your department?
A: Plan ahead – contact us now. Don’t wait until you need the resume or you have the interview. It’s understandable, you’re busy and have a lot going on. I understand. So try to think of a time during the year that works for you, like the month of your birthday or at the same time you register for classes for the next semester to do a career checkup. Call me and I can talk with you about your future goals and make tailored recommendations on things you can do now to be ready for when you graduate. The old saying the early bird catches the worm is true. The student who plans ahead will be ready when opportunity strikes and get the job or career they want.
