What Students Told Us!

Community College Career Survey

Sept. 2006

Who Responded to the Survey? 66% Females/34% Males/ 47% White/25% Hispanic

57% were under 21 with almost 30% over 25 years of age.

54% were seeking a BA/BS or higher, another 30% an AA or AS degree.

63% felt they would benefit from services offered at a career center sometime this

year.

30% of respondents had never visited the career center or used it’s resources.

Only 24% said they were currently using a campus career center to help them find

the right career path.

82% wanted career centers to contact them via email or IM.

Importance

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Importance

This is what was important to them.

This is how satisfied students were with how their career centers delivered what

they wanted.Satisfaction

28% 27%26%

26%

24%23%

22% 22% 22%

21% 20% 20% 20%19%

18%

16%

10.00%

12.00%

14.00%

16.00%

18.00%

20.00%

22.00%

24.00%

26.00%

28.00%

30.00%

Satisfaction

Reasons why students would visit a career center.

(Percentages) Very Likely Somewhat Explore Internet career resources 37.2% 30.2% Use the career library 34.9% 30.1% Take a career assessment 44.5% 29.9% Help choose a major or career pathway 52.1% 29.0% Get college info 45.6% 33.6% Identify current “Hot Jobs” 42.8% 30.2% Help finding a direction 40.2% 31.1% Job placement 48.2% 30.9% Interview skill building or resume prep 40.2% 30.2% Connection to employers 47.7% 29.6%

What we learned: Students need and want career information. Students are not satisfied with the career

services they are receiving. Students really want help with:

Choosing the right major. Building job skills for the job they want. Figuring out their personal strengths.

Students want to connect to their career centers via e-mail or IM.

Next Steps

We need to work together to leverage our resources and impact by:

Developing a powerful brand that represents all California

Community College Career Centers to help us effectively market

our career products and services.

Creating and adapting guidelines and customer service

procedures to help us standardize our services and better serve

students.

Introducing and sharing innovative career products and

resources based on what’s important to students…like the new

online Missing Major Project.

And in the end we want our students to respond to this

question…

Tell me, what is it that you plan to do Tell me, what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?with your one wild and precious life?

Mary Oliver