St. Clair County Community College 2004-2005 Catalog

CAREER AND COUNSELING SERVICES

EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER PLANNING

UPDATE 08-04-2004:  ALL Career and Counseling Services listed on this page are available to students in the Acheson Center.  These offices are no longer located in the Main Building.

206 Main Building (MB), 810-989-5520

EMPLOYMENT PLANNING

210 Main Building (MB), 810-989-5515

Career and Counseling Services provides students with a variety of informational and support services essential to college and career success.

Career and Counseling Services is staffed by professional counselors and career/employment specialists. Our goal is to provide comprehensive support services including: academic assessments; academic advising; career, employment and personal counseling; preparation for employment; and job postings. Services are provided to current, prospective, and former students.

APPOINTMENTS

Appointments can be made in person or by telephone (810-989-5520, or 800-553-2427, ext 6573). Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Evening appointments are available. Services are also provided on a walk-in basis, depending on staff availability. Students are advised to call for current information on the walk-in and evening schedules.

Academic Advising

All degree/certificate seeking students are required to meet with a Career and Counseling Services counselor for academic advising prior to registering for their first semester. Thereafter, academic advising and educational planning are encouraged but not required.

Educational Planning

Counselors are available to serve all students in the development of an educational plan to achieve their career goals. These services include selection of a college program and courses. Through educational planning and advising, counselors help students with class selection, transfer information, and graduation requirements. This process enables students to make decisions to meet their individual goals. Contact Career and Counseling Services for more information.

CAREER PLANNING

Career and Counseling Services staff members assist students in making career decisions and plans that will relate their interests, abilities, values, and personalities to a career goal. Career assessments provide students with valuable information. A variety of print and computer-based resources can be used to assess interests, identify options, explore career areas, and make career and educational choices. The Michigan Occupational Information System (MOIS) and other career resources provide students with current occupational information. In addition, a Career Development (SD 110) one credit class, is offered to provide in-depth career exploration for the undecided student.

EMPLOYMENT PLANNING

Career and Counseling Services offers lifetime employment counseling, pre-employment preparation, and access to job opportunities. These services are available for students or graduates who register with Career and Counseling Services. Services include a web-based employment service. Many local employers post job openings with Career and Counseling Services. Students can access the latest local employment opportunities through the web-based employment system and the Job Book in 210 and 206 of the Main Building.

Services include assistance with developing resumes, acquiring interview techniques, job search strategies, and locating co-op and internship opportunities. Career and Counseling Services also organizes career fairs, conducts job seeking workshops, schedules on-campus job interviews, and offers a credit course, Job Search and Employment Skills (SD 130).

PERSONAL CONCERNS

Career and Counseling Services offers limited personal counseling for students with concerns that adversely affect the pursuit of their educational and career goals. This personal counseling allows students to share concerns on a one-to-one basis within a confidential environment. Career and Counseling Services staff members are professional counselors and adhere to strict professional and ethical standards.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS

Based on identified needs and interests, Career and Counseling Services staff members offer self-development workshops or group experiences. Usually eight people are necessary to begin a group workshop. If there is sufficient interest, the counseling staff will structure group activities in the areas of personal growth such as test anxiety, stress management, single parenting, women's support groups, men's support groups, and building self-esteem. Contact Career and Counseling Services to suggest workshop or group topics. These activities are advertised in the Student Bulletin and college newspaper.

STUDENT DEVELOPMENT CREDIT CLASSES

Career and Counseling Services offers college credit classes for student development. The classes are Career Development (SD 110), Assertive Behavior (SD 120), Job Search and Employment Skills (SD 130), College Success (SD 140), and Stress Management (SD 150). A course summary can be found in the course description section of the catalog under Student Development.

OCCUPATIONAL INTEREST AND PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT

A variety of assessments are used in personal and career planning. These resources include computerized career planning systems, inventories, and other self-exploration programs.

Interest Inventories

Interest inventories are useful in assessing and describing a person's likes and dislikes. This information leads to greater self-awareness for career and life decision making.

Personality Assessments

Personality assessments are designed to measure a wide variety of traits and characteristics that may be related to a person's behavior and feelings. This information leads to greater self-awareness for career and life decision making.

Career Planning Programs

Career planning systems are comprehensive computer-based resources which allow users to develop personalized educational and career plans. They provide valuable information of careers, job markets, and training.