Workforce and Career Preparation

Catherine Voss Plaxton, M.A. Ed., M.A., PPSCEmployment Specialist, College of Business

SJSU Career Center

SJSU Washington Square Workforce and Career Preparation

Employment Trends in Business, Engineering and Science

Factors in Career Readiness

Resources for Student Preparation

• Exploring Majors and Careers

• Equipping for Job & Internship Search

SJSU Washington Square Regional Economy

Low Unemployment• 4.3% in San Jose/Santa Clara Metro • 6.2% in CA• 4% = full employment

Top Growth Industries• Professional and business services, e.g.,

accounting, law• Scientific and technical services , e.g., IT,

engineering consulting

Top Startup Industries: technology and healthcare

Sources:• SV Bank Innovation Economy Outlook

2015• Silicon Valley Indicators, Silicon Valley

Institute for Regional Studies• Employment Development Department

July 2015 Indicators• Silicon Valley Business Journal

SJSU Washington Square Regional Economy

• Computing Everywhere – mobile devices, increased connectivity, attention to user experience as control over devices decreases

• Internet of Things – giant network of connected ‘things” which includes “people”, leveraged for new solutions

• Cloud/client Computing – scalable, self-service computing across devices, need for customer success

• Advanced, Pervasive, Invisible Analytics – extensive data gathered from numerous connected sources, analyzed for insights

• Context-rich Systems and Smart Machines – adaptable responses and machine learning through analytics

• Risk-based Security and Self-protection – security built into new IT layers

Source: Gartner, Inc.

Co

nn

ectivity

From Gartner, Inc. Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2015

Data

SJSU Washington Square Regional Economy

Talent Acquisition (Recruiting)• Increased ethnicity / gender awareness for

Affirmative Action hiring

• Emphasis on hiring women in engineering / STEM majors and sales

• Need for diverse skillsets within sameindividual (STEAM, analytics)

• Use of social media for passive recruiting – LinkedIn, Portfolium

Gig Economy – is it REAL?• Share of persons holding multiple jobs: 4.8%

in 2015 vs. 5.5% in 2005 (Source: WSJ)

• SJSU Spartan Staffing – SJSU solution

SJSU Washington Square Engineering Careers

• Software Developer• Computer Systems Analyst• Information Security Analyst• Web Developer• Mechanical Engineer• IT Manager• Civil Engineer• Computer Systems Administrator• Database Administrator• Computer Programmer

Source: U.S. News & World Report Survey Best Technology Jobs 2015

SJSU Washington Square Engineering Careers

SpartaJobsSJSU Jobs & Internship Database

• Majority for Engineering / Computer Science majors (1489 of 2666 postings)

• SJSU technical majors in greatest demand based on SpartaJobs postings:

• Computer Science (348)• Software Engineering (257)• Electrical Engineering (158)• Mechanical Engineer (78)

Diverse Opportunities

• Software and Network Development (all phases)

• Machine Learning, Data Science

• Designer, User Experience, Product Manager, Product Marketing, Sales Engineering

• IT Services, Business Analyst

• Manufacturing, Supply Chain

• Leadership Development / Rotation programs - Sales, Marketing, Technical

SJSU Washington Square Science Careers

Employment Trends

• Applied Math and Stats students hired for big data roles

• Openings in government due to baby boomer retirements. 

• Clinical Lab Scientist positions in demand in hospitals

• Biopharma and biomedical companies grow with development of new drugs and medical devices for aging U.S. population.

• Many SJSU students hired in entry-level research positions in biotech.

• Hybrid roles in field of biotechnology:

• Biostatistician = statistics + biology

• Bioinformatics = computer science + biology + mathematics

SpartaJobs

• Clinical Lab Scientist

• Research Associate

• Microbiologist

• Data Analyst

• Biostatistician

• Lab Assistant

• Associate Chemist

SJSU Washington Square Business Careers

• Market Research Analyst• Accountant• Operations Research Analyst• Financial Advisor• Logistician/Supply Chain• Insurance Agent/ Loan Officer• Business Operations

Analyst/Manager• HR Specialist• Sales Rep/Manager• Compliance Officer

Source: U.S. News & World Report Survey Best Technology Jobs 2015

SJSU Washington Square Business Careers

SpartaJobs

• “Sales” – 468 postings

• “Operations” – 230 postings

• Operations Analyst

• Purchasing/Supply Chain Specialists

• “Analyst” – 125 postings

• Market Research Analyst

• Financial Analyst

• IT: Business Analyst, Project Leaders

• “Recruiter” – 68 postings

• Customer Success

Employment Trends

• Analytics in all fields

• Field-specific applications helpful

• Tough finding candidates in full employment fields: Sales, Accounting, IT

• Social media networking, recruiting

• More investment in training new hires, especially Sales, IT

• Substantial government openings

SJSU Washington Square Factors in College and Career Readiness

SJSU Employment Specialist Advice for Students

• Start with a sense of interests

• Acquire wide breadth of skills and knowledge: STEAM, business, social skills

• Reach out to meet people in your field

• Leverage social media – LinkedIn, Portfolium

• Seek internships – key part of recruitment pipeline

• Seek rotations and leadership development in career roles

• Be open – explore sales, account management, marketing, business development, customer service

• Adaptive, determinist, growth mindset

Remain more employable during down-times!

SJSU Washington Square Factors in College and Career Readiness

Ed. Research Perspective . . .

Four Keys to College and Career

Readiness

From research by David Conley, professor and analyst of education policy, U. of Oregon.

Source: http://projectinfolit.org/smart-talks/item/80-david-conley-deconstructing-college-readiness

SJSU Washington Square

Employer Perspective . . .

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)10 Skills Employers Most Want in 2015 Grads 

1. Ability to work in a team structure

2. Ability to make decisions and solve problems (tie)

3. Ability to communicate verbally with people inside and outside an organization

4. Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work

5. Ability to obtain and process information

6. Ability to analyze quantitative data

7. Technical knowledge related to the job

8. Proficiency with computer software programs

9. Ability to create and/or edit written reports

10. Ability to sell and influence others

Factors in College and Career Readiness

Source: www.naceweb.org

SJSU Washington Square Factors in College and Career Readiness

From Accenture Report on Silicon Valley Work Culture:

• A rapidly changing work environment dependent on creative thinking and the ability to problem-solve independently

• Global companies that work on projects around the world

• Demonstrate leadership capabilities (at every level)

• New grads hit the ground running

Source: https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-outlook-california-dreaming-corporate-culture-silicon-valley.aspx

SJSU Washington Square

“Here’s my definition of college and career ready:

• A college and career ready student possesses the content knowledge, strategies, skills, and techniques necessary to be successful in a postsecondary setting.

• Not every student needs exactly the same knowledge and skills to be college and career ready.

• A student’s college and career interests help identify the precise knowledge and skills the student needs.”

Factors in College and Career Readiness

Source: http://projectinfolit.org/smart-talks/item/80-david-conley-deconstructing-college-readiness

From an interview of David Conley conducted by Project Information Literacy . . .

Focus and Value of Career-Development Interventions

SJSU Washington Square SJSU Career Development Model

EXPLORE Majors and Careers

EQUIP for Job and Internship Search

EXPERIENCEYour Field

LAUNCHYour Career

FRESHMANSOPHOMORE

JUNIORSENIOR

PRE-COLLEGE IDEAL:

• Rough sense of interests, strengths, and skills

• Start of a career story

TRANSFER IDEAL:

• Ready to gain direct experience in field

SJSU Washington Square Resources for Student Preparation

Milestones: Explore Majors and Careers

At SJSU In High School In Community College

Connect to the Career Center • Awareness of campus services• Self-determination

• Awareness of campus services• Self-determination

Form initial academic/career interests via assessment and informational interviews

• Naviance• californiacolleges.edu• Save assessment results

• californiacolleges.edu

• Save assessment results

Select a major based on initial academic and career interests

• See course descriptions at info.sjsu.edu

• Use Explore Majors/Careers section of Career Center website

• See course descriptions at info.sjsu.edu

• Use Explore Majors/Careers section of Career Center website

Explore requirements for major

• Student Success Center websites • Student success center websites• Prepare for internship and

international experience requirements

Explore fields in which your major prepares you to work

Check out web resources: • What Can I Do with My Major?• O*Net Online (advanced search)

Check out web resources: • What Can I Do with My Major?• O*Net Online (advanced search)

SJSU Washington Square

Milestones: Equip for Job and Internship Search

At SJSU In High School In Community College

Write a resume and cover letter (career story)

• Begin logging successes and skills • Develop a resume for job/internship search; consider target field

• Leverage resources on SJSU Career Center website and californiacolleges.edu

Enhance social media presence

• Assess current usage and privacy settings

• Explore LinkedIn through Alumni

• Assess current usage and privacy settings

• Create a LinkedIn profile

Make a positive impression at interviews and networking events

• Persuasion and presentation coursework

• Grow leadership in student clubs

• Persuasion and presentation coursework

• Leverage resources on SJSU Career Center website: Big Interview

• Grow leadership in student clubs

Cultivate a career network • Start a reference list• Conduct informational interviews for

major selection

• Explore informational interviews with LinkedIn alums;

• Enhance reference list (faculty, employers)

Resources for Student Preparation

SJSU Washington Square SJSU Career Development Model

EXPLORE Majors and Careers

EQUIP for Job and Internship Search

EXPERIENCEYour Field

LAUNCHYour Career

FRESHMANSOPHOMORE

JUNIORSENIOR

PRE-COLLEGE IDEAL:

• Rough sense of interests, strengths, and skills

• Start of a career story

TRANSFER IDEAL:

• Ready to gain direct experience in field

Catherine Voss Plaxton M.A. Ed., M.A., PPSCEmployment SpecialistCollege of Business

Nellie Rochon-Ellis,M.A. Employment SpecialistCollege of ScienceCollege of Applied Sciences and Arts

Donna GilmourEmployment SpecialistCollege of EngineeringComputer Science

SJSU Washington Square SJSU Alumni Panel

Ganesh IyerSr. Manager for Sales Operations, Cisco SystemsFounder, IcebreakerQAlumni of College of Engineering

Zuleica PenaAssurance Associate, Price Waterhouse CoopersAlumni of College of Business

Raul PeralezCouncilman, City of San Jose Alumni of College of Science