Jobs
Informing Students About IT Career Paths
The National Convergence Technology Center (CTC) works hard to support convergence programs (IT and communications) around the country and prepare students for lucrative jobs in the IT space. But no matter how well-trained faculty members are or how cutting-edge curriculum may be, students won’t get jobs unless they know what jobs are out there. We…
Read MoreWriting IT Resumes
The CTC recently spoke with Deidra Witt, Talent Acquisition Sr. Advisor at Dell, to better understand what recruiters are looking for in entry-level job seekers. We learned that HR and hiring managers work together to develop job descriptions, both new openings and backfilled positions. Recruiters look at the requirements for the job and then a…
Read MoreTale of the Thumbtack: Updating a Program Bulletin Board
Developing strategies to successfully recruit students is a key goal of the National Convergence Technology Center (CTC). The CTC staff recently rolled up their sleeves to tackle this problem head-on when we decided to update a bulletin board in a classroom hallway here at Collin College. The bulletin board is in a high-traffic area students…
Read MoreDiversity Challenges in Silicon Valley
A recent article by Vauhini Vara in Fast Company looked at the problem of workforce diversity in Silicon Valley. While the article mostly examines how Pinterest seeks a successful strategy to hire more women and minorities, a similar struggle is underway at a number of high-tech companies. In many cases, the executives understand that there…
Read MoreViews on Successful Hiring
At the recent ATE PI conference in Washington, DC the National Convergence Technology Center (CTC) participated in a panel discussion on the hiring process of students who were successfully hired in their industry. The discussion focused on student mentoring, resume and interview preparation, and the hiring process. Dr. Ann Beheler facilitated a discussion with Collin…
Read MoreHumble Attitude, Tenacity & Excitement for Information Technology Accelerate Student’s Career
Six months ago, a rainbow-haired Chelsea Hall-Fitzgerald had just completed a computer networking certificate at Collin College. She also worked part time in a big box appliance store. Today, her hourly wage as a full-time project coordinator for AMX by Harman is three times what she made as a clerk, and she is on track to complete her…
Read MoreThe Importance of Soft Skills
The National Convergence Technology Center (CTC) often hears esteemed members of its Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) express concern about a lack of “soft skills” among new hires. Employees with fresh community college degrees and certificates almost always have considerable technical competency and know-how. But they sometimes lack abilities that don’t easily fit into…
Read MoreAdvice on Negotiating Salary
The first step in compensation negotiations should always be to research your value. The best place to start is with the free salary calculator from Job Search Intelligence. This tool performs a salary data search for the occupation and region in which you are seeking employment, and factors in your experience and education to provide…
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