Students, are you undecided on your college major and future career path? If so, I would like to recommend the fall 2010 class PSY-1001 “Career Exploration” Section E15 which meets 11 to 11:50 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in the SSC Bldg, Room 1H3.

The class begins with a series of self-assessment tools to help you identify your interests, abilities and career values.

The online DISCOVER career guidance program from ACT is demonstrated and fully described to facilitate your individual utilization of career surveys that ultimately provide a summary of specific career fields for you to explore.

The DISCOVER program contains 26 career and occupational fields and your “Career Box,” created through your likes and dislikes choices, will pinpoint fields for your in-depth analysis.

Questions such as “Do I need an associate, bachelor or master’s degree?” and “Do I need a license?” or “What is the salary levels, both entry and with experience, for this career?” can be answered. And, through U.S. Department of Labor data, outlook projections for the next 10 years are provided.

The “Career Exploration” course teaches students to understand the course catalog, what a college credit hour means, how to transfer to a four-year college or university, and through online GPA calculation sites, demonstrates the importance of earning the best grades possible for future acceptance into competitive entry programs.

These programs include medical, law, teaching and future graduate level work.

Each of the OCCC competitive entry programs also are reviewed, for example, nursing, PTA, OTA and our career technology partnership programs of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Respiratory Care Therapist and Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician.

Guest speakers from the OCCC Clinical Research Program and Student Life enrich this class along with career videos and scholarship opportunities.

The process of searching and applying for professional internships is highlighted as well as professional dress, dining etiquette for job interviews and the importance of having a positive social networking presence.

The course also provides professional career tool development with résumé, cover letter and job interviewing guidance.

Please visit the Student Employment and Career Services office on the first floor of the Main Building, next to Student Life for additional details or visit the website at www.occc.edu/es or phone 405-682-7519.

—Deborah Vaughn
Student Employment and Career Services