Experience SPC Current Students Experiential Learning

Career Readiness & Experiential Learning Services

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MISSION
Career Readiness & Experiential Learning Services (CRELS) serves SPC students, alumni, and surrounding community members by providing career readiness education/resources, career-guiding experiential learning programming, and strategies to navigate the hiring process. CRELS does this by providing personalized and holistic career guidance to students, supporting faculty and staff that also provide career guidance to students, collaborating with employer/community partners, and leveraging the use of technology to provide on-demand virtual services.

VISION
SPC alumni will have the highest rate of employment and economic upward mobility than any other college in the nation.

GOALS

  1. Increase student career readiness through Experiential Learning 
  2. Increase partnerships to provide a diverse internship experience for all SPC students 
  3. Enrich Experiential Learning opportunities through engaging SPC faculty/staff with the AlamoEXPERIENCE Model 

Department Services

Students

We offer the following services: 

  • Career Exploration & Planning 
  • Interview Preparation/ Mock Interviews  
  • Resume/ Cover Letter Review 
  • Job/ Internship Search Tools 
  • Work-Study Student Assistance

Experience Transcript development and utilization:  

  • Review what it is and where to find it in AlamoEXPERIENCE.  
  • Explore experiential learning opportunities for career experience or guidance. 
  • Walkthrough of self-reporting Experiential Learning. 
  • Strategies on how to use it in your resume and cover letter. 
  • Instructions on how to save it after graduation. 

Experience Transcript development and utilization:  

Job posting verification: Click here to review the “10 Signs a Job Posting May Be a Scam” article from Indeed. If you suspect a job posting is a scam, then please forward that information to spc-jobs@vaftizo.com to verify its validity.

Faculty & Staff Services
  • Career Readiness Presentations: click here to request a presentation for your SPC class or event. Link has more detailed description of presentations listed below:
    • Career Exploration
    • Career Planning
    • Experiential Learning Overview
    • Interview Skills Training
    • Networking Skills & Strategies
    • Resume & Cover Letter Writing
    • Successful Job Search Strategies
  • Experiential Learning Activity Planning Assistance: Trying to incorporate career readiness components into your experiential learning activity? Click here to schedule a meeting to discuss details of your potential Experiential Learning activity and how CRELS can help you fund, coordinate, market, implement, and document it.
  • Report an Experiential Learning Activity: click here to receive assistance in documenting an experiential learning activity you already conducted for your students so it can be listed on their Experience Transcript.
  • Picture Your Career: workbook with over fifty guided career readiness exercises regarding the following topics:
    • Developing Your Vision
    • Bringing Out Your Best
    • Getting Organized and Setting Goals
    • Managing Your Emotions
    • Exploring Your Career
    • Conducting Your Job Search
Employer Partners
  • Employer Partner Interest Form: Click here
  • Review all SPC academic programs here
  • Campus recruitment and collaboration consultation appointment: Click here
  • On-campus recruiting considerations:
    • Fall semester
      • Starts within last two weeks of August
      • Finals week is second week of December
      • Career Fair season is mid-September to late-November
    • Spring semester
      • Starts the week of the MLK Day in January.
      • Finals week is second week of May.
      • Career Fair season is from mid-February to late-April
    • Student foot traffic during summer semester is low in comparison to Fall and Spring.
    • Health & Bioscience cohorts typically graduate in spring or summer, but Nursing program cohorts graduate in fall as well.
  • Engage with students through Handshake!
    • Register: CLICK HERE
    • Sign In: CLICK HERE
    • Getting Started Instructions: CLICK HERE
    • SPC is housed in the “Alamo Colleges District” profile in Handshake.
  • Employment opportunities that will not be approved for Handshake or Employer Services:
    • Jobs based on “commission only” pay.
    • Jobs that require the purchase of products contingent upon employment.
    • Multi-level marketing employment.
    • Employment through a staffing agency that does not disclose clients.
    • Jobs that require a fee for recruitment and/or employment.
    • Unpaid internships.
  • Need assistance funding your internship?
    • You can reach out to the following points of contact through the Alamo Colleges District to discuss how we can potentially fund and plan internship positions for your organization:

Additional Virtual Spaces:

What is the AlamoEXPERIENCE Model?

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  • Every student will have an Experiential Learning experience by graduation 
  • Every Experiential Learning experience will provide students the opportunity to engage in and reflect on structured, purposeful activities. 
  • Every student will be able to apply their Experiential Learning in a setting that may guide their career pathway. 
  • Each Experiential Learning experience may be captured on an AlamoEXPERIENCE Transcript.

Experiential Learning Types

Co-Curricular Learning: Activities related to course curriculum; ex. Public Speakers, Panels​

Extra-Curricular: Activities that foster student involvement and strengthen the institution's culture; ​ex. Clubs, Student Organizations, Interest Groups, Sports

Field Experience: Activities related to career application; ex. Internships, Practicums​, Job Shadowing

Service Learning/Community Service: Guided service to the community that is related to instruction; ex. Food Pantry, Habit for Humanity

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Featured Career Readiness Resource:

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You're working hard to achieve your career goals and for that, we're here to help you transition successfully toward professional life. The Grow with Google HSI Career Readiness Program sets you up with the digital skills needed to land a job and thrive in the modern workplace. Let's go! Follow the steps below to get started today! 

 

Participation Incentives

  • $50 student stipends for completing a learning path and providing feedback. 
  • Earn a raffle ticket for each core lesson completed in the program. 
  • Weekly raffles with department and career readiness swag. 
  • Grand prize raffle of ten $1,000 student stipends at end of semester!!! 

Signup Instructions

  1. Go to g.co/AppliedDigitalSkills 
  2. Click "Sign in" in the top right 
  3. Sign in with your Google account, or create a new one 
  4. Click "I am a student" 
  5. Click "Join a class" and enter class each code below separately at a time

Learning Paths: 

  • Build Your Digital Skills (class code: y888br) 
  • Explore Career Paths (class code: tmr8vb) 
  • Land a Great Job (class code: x6wmxz) 
  • Succeed At Your New Job (class code: wprm9h) 
  • Start Your Own Business (class code: 9xhvdt) 

Featured Experiential Learning Opportunities

  • Project SURE

    Are you looking for an opportunity to expand your STEM education and increase your work options for the future? Do you want to be SURE about the career path you’re about to embark on? Then Project SURE is for you! Check out the video below for more details or visit http://4zp2.vaftizo.com/spc/academics/academic-resources/project-sure/ for full details.


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    Parker Dewey Micro-Internships 

    Looking for an opportunity to demonstrate your skills, explore career paths, and expand your network, but don’t have time for a traditional internship? Then these paid project-centered experiences are perfect for you! Most can be completed remotely, typically involve 10 to 40 hours of work, and are deadline-driven as opposed to being set during specific hours. Set up your profile through Parker Dewey and start applying today!

    START HERE

     

     

     

Ideal Student Career Development Process

By the time a student completes their first semester they should be able to...
  • identify how Career Coach and other self-assessment tools can assist with career exploration.  
  • identify which AlamoINSTITUTE they are interested in pursuing. 
  • develop a general resume for their intended field and explain how to leverage their college experience to enhance it.  
  • locate opportunities for student employment and experiential learning, and understand how to document those activities in their Experience Transcript. 
By the time a student completes their first year they should be able to...
  • identify their top targeted job titles and explain strategies to conduct long-term career planning. 
  • demonstrate how to use the Occupational Outlook Handbook and other online tools to conduct detailed career research.  
  • compose SMART career goals and describe how campus engagement can help with accomplishing those goals. 
  • identify the NACE Career Competencies most employers are asking for. 
By the time a student reaches their semester before graduation, they should have already...
  • identified strategies to conduct research on potential employers and identified their top three targeted employers. 
  • conducted informational interviews with professionals in their intended field. 
  • developed a tailored resume targeted at particular job opportunities.  
  • participated in multiple experiential learning and networking opportunities to connect with professionals in their intended field.
By the time a student reaches their final semester and graduates, they will be able to...
  • demonstrate ability to self-navigate the job application and hiring process.  
  • identify high impact practices and strategies for career advancement.  
  • demonstrate how to use their Experience Transcript to prepare resume and interviews.  
  • locate opportunities for upskilling through professional development and continuing education. 

Online and On-Demand Student Career Services

Career Exploration
    • Career Exploration (Drop Down)
      • Career Coach: utilizing the Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, and Indeed to compile national and local data for job opportunities grouped by the 16 career clusters or the programs within each AlamoINSTITUTE.
        • CLICK HERE for a guide through the process of using Career Coach.
      • FOCUS 2: comprehensive self-guided career, major, and education planning system designed to guide you through the steps of the career planning process and provide action steps that support career development.
        • CLICK HERE for a quick review of how to access and utilize this tool.
Career Planning

Career Progression Pathway Maps: review job profiles from Zippia for each program at SPC. Data includes salary, skills, education requirements, example resumes, and more!

Indeed Company Reviews: use Career Coach to see top employers in Bexar County posting positions in a job field you are interested in, then visit Indeed to see reviews on those companies.

What Can I Do With This Major? Learn about typical career areas and types of employers that hire people with each major, as well as strategies to make you a more marketable candidate. Accessible through UTSA’s Career Center webpage.

SMART Goals: Objectives for Your Career: Setting clear, specific goals for your professional development can help you determine each step of your career. In this article, we discuss what SMART goals are, explore how to set them and provide examples to help you develop your own.

Networking
  • Handshake: research employers, reach out for questions, and apply to jobs/internships.
  • Informational Interviews: questions to ask professionals in your intended field for career guidance or employer research.
  • Professional Association Finder: search by industry or occupation to find professionals in your intended field to conduct informational interviews with.
  • Network Target exercise to identify where to begin networking.
Job/Internship Application and Hiring Process
      • Job Search Academy by Indeed: a free virtual program focusing on mastering the 5 key areas of the job search, so you feel confident every step of the way. On-demand workshops for the following topics:
        • 7 Steps in a Successful Job Search
        • Ready your Resume
        • Ace the Interview
        • Evaluating Job Opportunities & Negotiating Pay
        • Strategies for Career Management
Resume Writing
      • Grow with Google HSI Career Readiness Program that is listed towards top of page has some great resume writing resources.
      • Job Search Academy listed in the Job/Internship Application & Hiring Process section.
      • Resume Builder & Reviewer on Indeed: good starting point for those needing to build a resume from scratch. Schedule with our department if needing help instead of using paid services through Indeed.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

      • AlamoEXPERIENCE Events Calendar: this is where all events and activities coordinated across SPC will be listed. Students are also encouraged to review student organizations that may relate to their academic or career goals.
      • Alamo on the Job: From the classroom to career, Alamo on the Job Interns are matched off campus with top rated businesses within the San Antonio Region. The Alamo on the Job Interns will receive paid on the job training to succeed in their chosen field of study.
      • Center of Excellence for Math: community outreach programs and student research project opportunities that encourage and offer different opportunities for students wanting to major in the STEM field.
      • CIMA-LSAMP Program: undergraduate research, internship, scholarship, and networking opportunities for STEM students.
      • Faculty-Student Mentoring Program: The SPC faculty-student relationship is an important part of your time here. A student working with a faculty mentor and their student academic advisor will achieve the goal of college completion, university transfer or career employment more successfully.
      • Handshake: database of employer contacts, internships, job opportunities, and employer-organized events. Students who complete their profile in Handshake have a better chance of getting noticed by recruiters in their career field of interest. Recruiters are a great source of information regarding the company they work for and are eager to answer any questions about their organization.
      • Office of Workplace Learning: if you qualify for the Federal Work-Study Program, then visit here to review paid internships within the non-profit and private sector.
      • Project SURE: Are you looking for an opportunity to expand your STEM education and increase your work options for the future? Then please visit here for more details on participating in undergraduate research experiences! 
      • Student Engagement Grants: opportunity to get involved with a special initiative, meeting other students, and developing a network of professional contacts. Financial support is provided to each student and is only available to SPC students. Identify the extracurricular experience you are looking for.
      • Study Abroad: offers students a transformative experience, fostering personal growth, cultural understanding, and global perspectives, all while gaining invaluable skills and memories that last a lifetime. Scholarships available!
      • Base 11 Digital: promotes pathways to STEM careers and entrepreneurship, especially for women and BIPOC who are often underrepresented in those fields. Join Base11 Digital to gain access to STEM mentors, innovation challenges with cash prizes, and the Boule Fellowship Program.
      • HBCU National Center (HBCUNC): a collection of websites to search for internships within the heart of Washington, D.C. HBCUNC offers a grant program to pay for housing during the internship experience.
      • Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU): review all the types of internships available through HACU's National Internship Program, and when you are there be sure to check the navigation pane on the left to review more information on applying to the program. 
      • Parker Dewey Micro-Internships: When you are launching your career, Micro-Internships provide a tremendous opportunity. Not only can you explore different career paths and work on interesting assignments, but you can also demonstrate your abilities to potential employers while building your professional portfolio and network all while being paid for your time. 
      • Pathways Program: federal internship and employment opportunities for current students, recent graduates and those with an advanced degree.
      • Ready to Work: The Alamo Colleges District is a proud partner of Ready to Work, an educational and job placement program to help San Antonio residents improve their quality of life.

 

Contact Information

Director of Career Services:
James Cooper
jcooper121@vaftizo.com
210-486-2494
MLK Center for Advocacy and Student Empowerment (CASE)		 Career Experience Team Lead:
Nathan Martinez
nmartinez324@vaftizo.com
210-486-2351
MLK Center for Advocacy and Student Empowerment (CASE)		 Certified Career Experience Navigator:
Fernando Rover Jr.
froverjr@vaftizo.com
210-4867039
SWC Industrial Technology Center (ITC), A135

Hours of Operation

Hours of Operation for August & January:

Mon-Thurs
Fri
Sat		 8:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Regular Hours of Operation:

Mon, Tue, Thu
Wed
Friday
1st Saturday of the month

8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Hours of Operation for June & July:

Mon-Thurs
Fri
Sat		 8:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.
Closed
Closed