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San Joaquin Valley College Blog

Online Career Services Team gets creative to overcome great distances

January 21, 2014
These four men and women work to the best of their ability to provide the best employment opportunities for SJVC graduates.

A degree is a great investment for the future, but it is only a single part of a multitude of things necessary to attain stable employment. Even with a stunning resume, an applicant must still impress with their interview.

At each on-ground campus, SJVC students are able to meet and work with a Career Services Department that assists students and graduates in all stages of the grad-to-employee process: from resume to interview to the first day on the job.

SJVC Online has a creative approach to offering the same services to students throughout the country.

The Online Career Services team reaches out to students they will most likely never meet in person to help them secure externship experience before graduation and employment after.

Bryan Campbell, the Online Career Services Manager, is a graduate of SJVC itself and twenty-year veteran the staffing industry who knows intimately the experience of a student, putting him in the perfect position to advise them.

Tiffany Loken, one of the four Career Services advisors, is known to care for her students beyond scholastic concerns.

“She has the biggest heart you’ll ever see,” says Bryan Campbell. “She wants to help with everything.”

Jane LeBarge, one of the first and longest-serving advisors, has a stand-out reputation for being dedicated to the success of her students.

Lastly, advisor Ivan Melchor , despite being the newest member of the team, managed to exceed his graduate placement goals.

Together, these four individuals help recent online graduates find employment.

“It can be difficult, when you aren’t familiar with the area” says Tekla Patton, Online Student Advisor. “Our advisors live in California but a student could be as far away as New York.”

Local connections cannot be utilized, and new ones must be made miles away. Differing time zones across the country can complicate matters further.

“We’re missing a major piece by being on the phone, “says Bryan. “Communication is mostly non-verbal.”

Creative hurdle jumping is a must for the Online Career Services team. With technology, student and advisor, in reality states apart, can be in the same room. Webcams and Skype empower the team to interact closely with their students, playing our mock job interviews and addressing concerns “in person”. Video technology allows advisors to inform the student on what they’re doing right, and point out areas that need improvement.

“Not too flashy, you’re fidgeting, sit up straight, don’t talk with your hands.”

Even the attire can be reviewed, ensuring the students dress correctly for a interviews

It is a day-to-day commitment from the advisors to do all they can to help distant students succeed after graduation.

“I appreciate all they do, the calls they make,” says Bryan. “It’s crazy how many they make. The students don’t even know how hard they work for them.”

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