Alex Delaney-Gesing
Assistant Editor

Choosing a career path to follow is one of the most difficult things a person will do in life. More specifically, selecting to work in a field that not only appeals to the person, but pays enough to support them throughout their life is even more of a daunting and challenging step to take.

At Lorain County Community College’s Career Services, the goal is to help students discover, prepare for and pursue potential career opportunities. Although countless tools and resources are already accessible to students, a new program is being launched that links students to job market information in their field of interest.

Called ‘Career Coach’, this new tool is set to become available for use by mid-October, according to Marcia Jones, manager of career services at LCCC.

Located on LCCC’s website under Career Services, Career Coach will specialize in connecting students with potential job openings in the nearby areas. By entering in a field of study, the tool will reveal the types and number of positions open for employment.

“[Career Coach] will show you a graph of projections in terms of average median wages in that industry or career path in terms of how many new jobs are expected,” said Jones, “ It will show the number of people employed under that title in our MSA (metropolitan service area). And you can narrow it down by choosing the graphic region, so a lot of the information is specific to northeast Ohio and surrounding counties.”

The tool provides further information, including the employment number in a specific area and those nearing retirement, as well as a breakdown in terms of the percentage of workers in that certain field of a certain area.

“All the information involving these numbers [in various fields] is taken from over 90 different labor market resources and compiled and combed and sorted and sifted,” Jones said.

From the number breakdowns of potential job openings, Career Coach links back to LCCC with related degrees offered on campus either through the college or its university partnerships.

A key aspect of the tool includes its link to an online job board for work-seekers in specific fields that lists job postings and opportunities within the area.

Also included within the Career Coach tool are assessments that provide insight into the types of career best suited for individuals. These evaluations are similar to that of the on-line assessment MyPlan, an interactive program that helps students discover which occupations would appeal to them based entirely on their personality, interests, values and skills.

Other tools offered by Career Services that focus on helping students choose their career path include free workshops held multiple times a month. As displayed on the Career Service’s web page,  the workshops include a ‘Mini Career Decision Boot Camp’ and its longer version called the ‘Career Decision Boot Camp’, a four-hour workshop that serves as the first step for students in the transitioning period of a career and is intended to help those who are still undecided on their career examine their individual desires, abilities, temperament and personal assets.

Included in this is the opportunity for students to familiarize themselves with the resources that will enable them to become informed about employment trends and the requirements of various occupations, as described on the web page.

Also included on Career Services’ page is the option and contact information of a Career Development Specialist for students to consult if they are still undecided on their future career path. Additionally a self-help guide to choosing your own career is at student’s disposal as well.

Upcoming events involving Career Services includes “Resumania Week”, taking place during the week of Nov. 3-7. LCCC and University Partnership students are invited to take part in free 15-minute resume critiques, located in LCCC’s College and Learning Centers. All that is asked of students is to bring a copy of their updated resumes.

For more information regarding Career Services’ various tools, workshops, assessments and guides available to help students in selecting and pursuing a career path, go to wwww.lorainccc.edu/careerservices.