LaGuardia Community College’s

Virtual Career Center

Explore, Engage, and Empower: 13th Biennial CRMA Conference

Thursday, June 22, 2011 @ Simmons College, Boston, MA

Leslie Camacho, M.S.Ed.

Assistant Director of Career Development

lcamacho@lagcc.cuny.edu

&

Yevgeniya (Yevi) Granovskaya, M.S.Ed.

Senior Career Counselor

ygranovskaya@lagcc.cuny.edu

Welcome!

Abstract

This session will be a presentation of LaGuardia

Community College's virtual career center bridging

existing career services and providing students with

a framework for career planning.  Join us for a

demonstration of eCareer Central (website) and

eCareer Plan (a career planning application).

Your Goals

• Reasons for choosing this session?

• What do you want to take back to

your respective campuses?

About LaGuardia Community College

• Located in Western Queens, New York City

• Part of The City University of New York - 23 institutions: 11

senior colleges, six community colleges

• Serves New Yorkers and immigrants from 163 countries

• 50 majors and four certificate programs

• Total enrollment in 2009 was 17,028 for credit students

• 55% are full-time students; 45% are part-time students

• 55% of students receive some type of financial assistance

About LaGuardia’s Career Services – Pre 2008

Decentralized services

– Employment

– Internships

– Advisement & counseling

– Library (stacks & online)

– Transfer center

– New student orientation

– Special programming for targeted populations

• Example: College Discovery (HEOP),COPE, ASAP, Disability

Services

– Career Development Center

• Serves non-credit students only (ACE)

History – Strategic Planning

Improve Student Success2007 – 2008 Strategic Plan

Academic Goal: 6.1.14

“Develop and implement a comprehensive

career development system. To improve

the effectiveness of career development

programs and services. Implement e-

Career and evaluate.”

History to Reality

• Executive Career Development Committee is formed

• Committee represented all divisions

• Share knowledge & resources

• Learn about best practices

• Review colleges, locally and nationally, e-Services

• Discuss how to create links from office to office

• Identify gaps to build a seamless process

Virtual Career Services - Trends

Counseling/Coaching

• Text-Chat

• Video/Phone conferencing

Assessment

• Computer or program based

Career Research

• Market outlook, salary, etc.

Job Search

• Resume preparation &

revision

• Job search strategies

• Interview training

Web Presence

• Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

• Digital Portfolios

• Virtual worlds (Ex: Second Life)

eSolution: LaGuardia eCareer

LaGuardia eCareer (www.lagcc.cuny.eud/ecareer)

A virtual career center designed especially for degree/credit students that

offers two career tools:

1. eCareer Central – Website to find relevant career information and links

to pre-existing career services on campus.

• Highlighted Features: Student videos, Career calendar,& Monthly

Career Spotlight

2. eCareer Plan – Interactive application where students can learn the

steps to successful career planning & create a personalized career

plan.

• Highlighted Features: Points of reflections, Individuated career

information & Key ideas

Creation of eCareer

eCareer Developmental Phases

Research & Development

Marketing

Implementation

Assessment

eDemonstration

eCareer Landing Page

• Access to both tools

• Explanation -Teaser

• Choose either the

eCareer Plan or

eCareer Central

www.lagcc.cuny.edu/ecareer

• Answers to three main

student questions

• Student videos

• Current news and

announcements

• Monthly Career

Spotlight

• Links reviewed

regularly

eCareer Central

eCareer Plan

• Interactive interface and

current

• Steps done developmentally

• Create a personalized plan

built on self-exploration and

knowledge seeking

• Information saved for easy

printing and editing

• Log-in Required:

– Faculty/Staff use GroupWise

– Sample:

• Username: ecareer

• Password: ecareer2910

eCareer Plan: Pacing

Log-in

before

you start classes.

Start working on these

sections in your first semester.

Start working on these

sections in your second

and third semesters.

Use this section

as needed.

DevelopmentsSince Spring 2009:

• Tabled 25 student events

• 1,663 students answered technology survey

• 73% use Facebook (N=1,208)

• 43% use eMail (N=721)

• 33% text on mobile (N=549)

• 24 consecutive monthly e-blasts sent

• Conducted 11 in-class demonstrations

• 584 Average number of hits per month

• 165 Students attended Career Day Spring 2011; 74 Evaluations

returned

• 73.2% (N=52) attendees reported event help confirm their

career interests

• Faculty partnership has increased

• 146 eCareer@lagcc.cuny.edu e-mails were received and responded

to

Lessons Learned

• Quality assurance

• Marketing

• Curriculum integration

• Assessment

Research & Development

Marketing

Implementation

Assessment

The Future of eCareer

• Focus on assessment

• Regular career day events

• Build a Facebook page

• Train peer leaders

• Create a user guide & activities manual

• Start a Career Club

Recommendations

• Set out clear goals

• Use all resources available

• Learn the language of technology

• Build partners and allies

• Plan ahead; Plan with committee; Plan

with Students

• Assess, then assess again

Your Centers/Campus

What aspects of your career services

would you like to enhance using

technology?

Q&A

Thank You!

Leslie Camacho

lcamacho@lagcc.cuny.edu

(718) 482-538

Yevi Granovskaya

ygranovskaya@lagcc.cuny.edu

(718) 482-5162

References

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and Student Services.

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Epstein, S.A., & Lenz, J.G. (2008). Developing and Managing Career Resources. Broken Arrow, OK: National Career Development Association.

Franek, R., Meltzer, T., Maier, C., Olson, E., Doherty, J., & Owens, E. (2007). The best 366 colleges: 2008 edition. New York, NY: Princeton Review.

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LaGuardia Community College Year End Performance Report: 2007 – 2008 Academic Year. (2008). Long Island City, NY.

Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, Division of Information Technology. (2008). 2008 Institutional Profile. Long Island City, NY.

Office of Institutional Research. (2007). Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). Long Island, City, NY.  

Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, Division of Information Technology. (2009). 2009 Institutional Profile. Long Island City, NY.

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 Schutt, D.A., Jr. (Ed.). (2008). How to plan and develop a career center (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Ferguson.

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