wcc career focus magazine: winter 2011

8/8/2019 WCC Career Focus Magazine: Winter 2011

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A Community Resource or Employment, Education and Enrichment Winter 2011 Volume 13

Job hunters, dont get trapp

THE DEAD ZONE

ONLINE or ON CAMPUSWhich fts you best?

When it come to education,HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH

NEW JOBS still demand b OLD SKILL

Dont be AFRAID TO FA

Job hunting RULES TIGNORE

Non-credit classes can jump

INCREDIBLE CAREERS

Welding graduate Sally Oleski

Find out

Where the JOBS Arin Washtenaw Co


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UNITED WAY AT WORK IN OUR COMMUNITYEmily is a mother of two and while attending WCCs nursing program she struggled to

ends meet. She is a single parent and her children are ages two and four. They atten

excellent child care center in Saline, but Emily needed help with her high child care co

Through United Way support of Childcare Network, Emily received a partial childcare

scholarship, making quality child care affordable. This has allowed Emily to concentr

on her clinical work and successfully graduate.

Last year, United Way provided $55,000 in child care scholarships to help families

Emilys. Last year 38 children from 23 families attended high quality child care pro

100% of families that received child care scholarship report a reduction in family

Parents remain employed and able to concentrate on their careers while their chi

are in safe, stable and nurturing child care environments.

EM

ILY

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Last year over 56 applications for scholarship were left unfunded due to a lack of res

Your donation will help more children in Washtenaw County get a good start

Marianne is an 86 year old woman who contacted a senior-serving agency for help

getting to her doctor appointments. The agency asked her to complete a short

wellness assessment and discovered multiple issues including - deteriorating health,

living in a home with no water or electricity, and no local family support.

Marianne was a perfect candidate for the Senior Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP).

With the support of other United Way funded senior serving agencies, a case

management plan was developed that helped stabilize her situation quickly.

SCIP partner agencies meet every two weeks to monitor progress of each case,

to problem solve, and to come up with creative approaches to the increasingly

serious problems of Washtenaw County seniors.

marianne

MAKING A DIFFERENCThe number of seniors, aged 85+, needing long term services has grown by more than 36%.

Your donation will help more seniors in Washtenaw County to seek and receive help.

JOE&LISAParents, Joe and Lisa work extremely hard to provide food for their two children. In thetough times, it is nearly impossible for them to afford fresh produce to increase the

nutritional value of their meals. This has the potential to put their children at a disadv

when it comes to brain development and physical growth.

After learning that fresh produce is available through their neighborhood food pantry,

to Food Gatherers, Joe and Melissa have been able to promote healthy living and teac

children the benefits of good nutrition.

Washtenaw Countys Food Security Plan reports only 13% of survey respondents e

recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables and they cited that access to

foods was limited because of cost.

The 2010 Hunger in America report shows 138% increase in the number of people needin

Your donation will help feed more hungry individuals and families in Washtenaw

Your one gift to United Way supports programs that: alleviate hunger; provide housing to the homeless; help children, youth, and seniors;

and assist the uninsured and underinsured with medical and dental needs. Contact United Way of Washtenaw County at 734.971.8200 or

www.uwWashtenaw.org for more information and to give. GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER. LIVE UNITED


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Questions about the WCC programs and services described in

this publication should be directed to the Ofce o Admissions

at 734-973-3543. Comments or questions about the publication

itsel can be directed to WCC Public Relations and Marketing

Services at 734-973-3704.

To advertise in CareerFocus call 734-973-3360.

Publisher: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Larry L. Whitworth,

President, Washtenaw Community College

Executive Editor: Cathy Smillie,

Executive Director of Public Relations and Marketing

Editor:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Laura L. Craword

Contributing Writers:. . . . . . . . Craig Clagett, Laura L. Craword,

Anita LeBlanc, James Militzer, Eleanor Shelton, Margaret Steen,David Wak

Creative Director/Graphic Designer: . . . . . . . . . . . . Julie Tanguay

Photography, cover student: . . . . . IDT, Steve and Patti Constable

Photography, student profles: . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jakob Skogheim

Production Assistance: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angela Law-Hill

Regional Advertising Sales: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rose Bailey

Mailing Fulfllment: . . . . . . . . . . Angela Law-Hill, Martin Thomas

www.wccnet.edu

Washtenaw Community College Board o Trustees

Stephen J. Gill, Chair

Pamela J. Horiszny, Vice Chair

Anne M. Williams, Secretary

David E. Rutledge, Treasurer

Mark Freeman, TrusteeDiana McKnight-Morton, Trustee

Richard J. Landau, Trustee

Washtenaw Community College Executive Ofcers

Larry L. Whitworth, President

Stuart Blacklaw, Vice President o Instruction

Steven Hardy, Vice President o

Administration and Finance

Linda Blakey, Associate Vice President o Student Services

Damon Flowers, Associate Vice President o Facilities

Development/Operations

Douglas Kruzel, Associate Vice President o Human Resources

Amin Ladha, Chie Inormation Ofcer

Wendy Lawson, Associate Vice President o Development,Grants and Government Relations

CareerFocus is published three times a year by Washtenaw

Community College, 4800 E. Huron River Dr., Ann Arbor, Michigan

48105-4800.

All rights reserved. No part o the material printed may be reproduced

or used in any orm or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording or by any inormation storage

retrieval system without the permission o the publisher.

Content

734-973-3543 IWashtenaw Community College I www.wccnet.edu CareerFocus I Wint

Find Answers to YourCareer Questions

CareerFocus Cafwww.careerfocuscafe.com/

washtenaw

CareerFocus Caf is the new online companion toCareerFocus magazine

FeaturesCAREER WATCH

4 The Dead ZoneDwindling and declining jobs

5 On Campus or Online?Online classes are a wonderul option, but not or everyone

6 The Local Jobs ForecastPrepare or the uture o jobs in Washtenaw County

STUDENT PROFILE

7 Lourdes Kincaid Heeding the call to healthcare

8 College, How Much is Enough?Two years? Four years? More?

QUIZ

9 Which Degree is Right for You?These questions will help you decide

10 Old Skills, New JobsEmerging jobs still demand old-ashioned undamentals

STUDENT PROFILE

11 Sally Oleski A solid career built on hard-earned skills

12 Get Up, Brush Yourself Off, Try AgainIf you dont know how to fail, youll never succeed

13 Rules to Bend, Break and IgnoreSome job hunting conventions no longer apply in

todays job market

14 Incredible Credible Career OpportunitiesLifeLong Learning non-credit courses can point your career

in a new direction

STUDENT PROFILE

15 Dick Dyer Organic Gardening Certifcate was the ticket to a new business

IN YOUR WORDS

16 Late Start, No RegretsIt took me a while to realize that

I was college material

In Every IssueWCC NEWS

2 WCC Begins Search or New PresidentFACTS AND FINDS3

Over What Hill?

If Youre Too Nice Nobody Will Like You

Who Makes How Much and Why New at the CareerFocus Caf

WCC SCHOOLS

17 Good Jobs Start Here

On the cover:Sally Oleski, Welding

Associate in Applied Science


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WCC News

CareerF

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NEW

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2 I Winter 2011 I CareerFocus Washtenaw Community College I www.wccnet.edu I 734

In 2010 the Washtenaw EconomicClub became part o WCCsContinuing Education division.

The Washtenaw Economic Clubwas ounded as a non-prot in 1998,and sponsors a series o luncheonspeakers on topic o interest tothe business community in theWashtenaw County region.

Over the years the Washtenaw Eco-nomic Club has brought nationalspeakers to Ann Arbor includingbook author andNew York Timescolumnist Thomas Freidman in

2008, journalist Bob Woodward in2004 and the high powered polit-ical couple James Carville andMary Matalin in 2000. But ater12 years as an independent non-prot organization, the club wasacing sustainability issues, withmembership sales and sponsorshipsdeclining as a result o local eco-nomic conditions.

Now nearly 100 local corporations,small businesses and individualsare members, and WCC oersthe Economic Club a venue or itsquarterly speaker luncheons in theMorris Lawrence building. The2010 schedule o speakers includedJohn Fernandez, U.S. assistant sec-retary o commerce; George Fulton,

U-M economist and researcher;Maddy Dychtwald, author and mar-keting executive; Alan Beaulieu,economic analyst and Lou Glazer,president o Michigan Futures, Inc.

In 2011, Fulton will speak at theOutlook Luncheon March 10, andon September 14, WEC will host

Chris Trimble, expert innovation and aculat the Tuck School oDartmouth.

Find out mor e aWashtenaw Economwww.washtenaweconcl

On September 28, WCCs Presi-dent Larry Whitworth ormallyannounced his retirement to theColleges Board o Trustees. August

31, 2011 will be his last day at WCC.Whitworth, who will be 70 next year,says in his straightorward manner,Its simply time to retire.

Whitworth became the Colleges4th president in the summer o1998 and his 13 years at WCChave been a period o change andexpansion. Under his tenure, stu-dent enrollment climbed rom about10,000 to over 14,000 a semester.

He oversaw the development o asuccessul and growing distancelearning program, a reorganiza-tion o the Colleges programs into

schools, and the implementation onew computer literacy standards,to mention just a ew o the aca-demic initiatives hes championed.

WCCs campus, too, underwent anenormous transormation with therenovations o all existing build-ings and the construction o theGunder Myran building, the Healthand Fitness Center and the GreatLakes Regional Training Center.

WCCs search ora new presidentbegan in October withthe Boards selection o

a search consultant andthe ormation o a pres-idential search advisorycommittee consisting oaculty, sta, students, andcommunity supporters. Inaddition, the Board helda orum or the WCCcommunity to describeand discuss the searchprocess and the desired qualitieso the next WCC president.

The seartee and will rcandid

recommeight to the

Trusteend o Janby the end othe Board wits own liists and b

interviewsdates, making a nal sthe end o March.

WCC Begins Search or New President

Garretts Ater Dark OersGourmet Dining at Bargain PWhat would you expect to pay or aFriday dinner in an elegant restau-rant that included a warm spinachand artichoke dip appetizer ollowedby a delicious cream o brie soup withapples, a Caesar salad with parme-san crisps, a choice o our entrees

including perectly done roast rack olamb, many sides and then, o course,dessert.

How about $9.50?

That was the menu on Friday, Oct. 15 when Garretts, thdent-run restaurant, began a new Ater Dark evening mthat eatures multi-course dinners. Several o the upcoDark meals will also include wine pairings or an additiwas no surprise that the sold-out evening was packed ul

Garretts provides real world experience or WCCs culinahospitality students and is also open to the communitylunch service Monday through Thursday, and now, or GaDark rom 5:30 to 7 p.m. on selected Friday evenings.

Garretts Ater Dark is serving Fridays during the Fall 20

until December 3. Reservations can be made by calling 73

WCC Foundation Celebrates Donor GenerosityThis year, WCCs Foundation celebrates 25 years o providing scholarships or deserving students.Since 1985, hundreds o donors in the Washtenaw community have contributed to scholarships andendowments to help students get the education they need. In September, the Foundation unveileda new Endowment Recognition Wall commemorating the generosity o the Colleges many donors.

Designed by noted display artist W.A.P John o Graaktri who has created other imaginative dis-plays or local institutions such as the University o Michigan, St. Josephs Mercy Hospital andGreeneld Village, the lighted display is a three-dimensional collage o donor names placed prom-inently in the center o the bustling activity o the WCC Student Center where students are sureto notice it while registering, applying or nancial aid or waiting or academic counselors.

We wanted to put the display where students could see the investment our community has madeto ensure that all students have an opportunity to get an education, says Wendy Lawson, WCCsassociate vice president o development, grants and government relations.

We wanted to make a statement about the extent our community values our students.

Washtenaw Economic ClubFinds New Home at WCC

WashtenawEconomic

Club


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Facts and Find

A N D

A person in which age group is most likelyto create a successul start-up company?

a. 20-34 b. Over 55

How old is the average ounder o a start-up company?

a. 27 b. 40

An employee in which age group is morelikely to have innovative ideas that willresult in higher returns or their employer?

a. younger b. older

The answer to all three questions is b. Areyou surprised to discover how many olderworkers are behind creative ventures andinnovative ideas? Despite the stereotypeo brash, young entrepreneurs who crackopen markets with their resh thinking,its mature workers who are more likelyto start their own successul companies

and to have the latest, greatest ideas or their employ-ers, according to a Newsweek.com article titled The

Golden Age o Innovation.

In this day o early retirement incentives and50-somethings in search o new jobs, thatsjust the kind o inormation that might giveolder workers (and their employers) incentiveto tap into all that wisdom rather than retireto the bingo hall and the gol course.

O course itsnot all aboutmoney, but whoisnt interestedin knowing whateveryone else is

making? For the curious, the mostrecent U.S. Census report spells out

just what Americans earn.

The median (midpoint) income orall U.S. households is $49,777*

while the median earnings or allindividuals age 25 and older is$35,381**.

U.S. Household Income

Income Percent

Under $15,000 13

$15,000 to 24,999 11.9

$25,000 to 34,999 11.1

$35,000 to 49,999 14.1

$50,000 to 74,999 18.1

$75,000 to 99,999 11.5

$100,000 to 149,999 11.9

$150,000 to 199,999 4.4

$200,000 and over 3.8

The previous chart representshousehold income, which caninclude one or more individualincomes per household, but theollowing chart represents indi-

vidual income.

While there are sure to be excep-tions, putting these charts side byside makes it pretty clear how acollege education can boost income.

Think o it this way: A householdconsisting o a married couple whoboth have bachelors degrees canexpect a median household income

just over $96,000 a year, ar abovethe national median income or allhouseholds.

Boost Your Earning with Education

Education Medi

Less than ahigh school degree

High school degree

Some college

Associate degree

Bachelors degree

Masters degree

Proessional degree

Doctorate degree

*2009 **2008

WhoMakesHow Muchand Why

Every-one lovesa t eamplayer, right? Notas much as youdthink says CraigParks, co-authoro a study o group

cooperation out o Washington StateUniversity. When people worktogether in groups, members willgrow to dislike and distrust othermembers who give unselshly to thetask at hand and expect nothing inreturn, the study nds.

It sounds crazy but its true. Selfesspeople were almost as unpopularas their polar opposites, the verygreedy people who contribute nextto nothing but expect to reap theull reward o a groups success,says Parks o the results.

But why should the person who givesunselshly and expects nothing in

return be shunned? Some partici-pants indicated the selfess personsimply made everyone else who was

acting airly look bad. Othat the selfess actionollow the rules o expeior, and nally, a ew slike they were being ttrusting a person who on them later.

Source:

Your Most Helpful Co(Dont You Hate HimCraig Parks, Harvar

Review (blogs.hbr.or

Too good to live,www.economist.com

I YoureToo NiceNobodyWill LikeYou

OverWhatHill?


Searching or a Job? Planning a New CaCareerFocus Ca has resources to help

Here are some o the newest resources at www.careerocom/washtenaw:

Learn how you can be more organized and more effectivein our book review o The Checklist Maniesto.

Find out how a college education reduces your chances oployment by reading Everything Youve Ever Wanted tAbout College in Career News.

Link to hundreds of websites with information about joing, career paths and job resources under Search Esse

NEWat the

CareerFocusCaf


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hat do sewing machine oper-ators, machinists, computeroperators and le clerks havein common?

These jobs all top the U.S. Bureauo Labor Statistics list o occupa-tions with the largest expecteddeclines or 2008-2018. While thereare some bright spots and a ewexceptions in each o these cate-gories, the general trend or all othese jobs is toward ewer and eweropportunities.

In most cases, the astest decliningjobs are dwindling because automa-tion, outsourcing or the Internethas made them obsolete. And sad

but true, nearly all o these dyingjobs are among the ew remainingthat require little or no higher edu-cation beyond high school.

You might even call these Jobs toAvoid. Heres a look at the latestlist o occupations on their way out.

Clothing and textiles

Dwindling jobs include:Sewingmachineoperators

Textileworkers

The death spiral

Clothing manuacturing and tex-tiles were once a thriving U.S.industry until automation reducedthe need or workers and outsourc-ing sent jobs to lower-paid workersoshore. Today these low-skill,moderate-pay jobs in the textileindustry are hanging by a thread.

The only good news is that customsewing and alterations are una-ected by these trends and areexpected to remain a small but

viable source o jobs.

The mail

Dwindling jobs include:Postalservicemailsorters

Postalserviceclerks

Non-postalmailclerksandmailmachine operators

The death spiralHave you noticed that youre justnot paying bills, ordering merchan-dise or subscribing to magazines bymail like you used to? Thanks tothe Internet there is much less mail

to deliver and thereore less needor people to sort, deliver, receiveand distribute it. While the dwin-dling non-ederal, mail-related jobsare only low- to moderate-pay, addU.S. Post Oce jobs to the list olow-skill, good-paying jobs that areon the decline.

There is some good news or U.S.Post Oice mail carriers, how-ever, their numbers are expectedto remain fat rather than decline.

Manuacturing

Dwindling jobs include:Latheandturningmachinetool

setters

Grinding,lapping,polishingandbung machine tool setters

Multiplemachinetoolsetters

Electricalandelectronicequip-ment assemblers

Cutting,punchingandpressmachine setters

The death spiralAll the above occupations are asso-ciated with the manuacturingo large and small goods. Again,

look to automation and outsourc-ing as the cause o declining U.S.manuacturing jobs. The brightspots in manuacturing are in thedemand or higher skilled workerswho program, maintain and repairautomated equipment.

Oice clerks

Dwindling jobs include:Orderclerks

Fileclerks

Informationandrecordclerks

Ofceandadministrativesup-port workers

The death spiralThe paperless oce, or at least thepaper-light oice, has created adearth o jobs once dedicated to

sorting, moving around and lingall those printed documents.

Ater the digital revolution

Dwindling jobs include:Photographicprocessingmachine

operators

Machinefeedersandoffbearers

Papergoodsmachinesetters

Computeroperators

Switchboardoperators

Dataentrykeyers

The death spiralChanges in the way we deliver newsand inormation are behind thesedeclines. Revolutions in sotware,photography, phones and onlinemedia are making many o these

jobs obsolete.

Good riddance

Dwindling jobs includeDoor-to-doorsaleswo

and street vendors, workers

Telemarketers

The death spiralThe silver lining to theolution is that more mdone via the Internetbeore, which means yless likely to get an u

sales pitch when you phone or the door.

Moving materials

Dwindling jobs includeShipping,receiving

clerks

Packersandpackag

Laborersandfreighmaterial movers

The death spiralThese shipping a receivin decline because moreprocesses require ewe

Farming

Dwindling jobs includeFarmersandranche

Miscellaneousagworkers

The death spiralFarms too have becoand more automated ovdecades. However, in rsmall arms have actuto increase slightly asest in local and organgrown. CF

Career Watch

CareerF

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B

yLauraL

.Crawford

The Dead ZoneDwindling and declining jobs

Most o these jobs are dwindling because automation, outs

or the Internet has made them obsolete


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hat do students like most aboutonline courses?

The overwhelming majority agreethat its convenience that makesonline courses attractive. The abil-ity to study at a time and place otheir choosing, to it school intobusy and changing personal sched-ulesthese are the reasons peoplestudy online.

Pros

Online courses can save commutingtime and expense, and allow stu-dents to spend more time with theiramilies, and online courses allowstudents to learn at their own pace.

Also students who wouldnt usually

participate in a regular classroomsetting may be quite vocal in anonline chat or discussion group.

And cons

But online courses are not with-out drawbacks. Students who havetaken online courses oten miss thepersonal interaction with class-mates and the immediate eedbackrom instructors that comes withtraditional courses.

And students shouldnt enroll in anonline class thinking its going to beeasy. An online course may requiremore time than a traditional class.

There is also much more individualresponsibility placed on students whotake courses online. But students whoare sel-motivated and have a goodunderstanding o computers shoulddo just ne. And because much o thecourse content is text-based, onlinecourses may not the best option or

students who dont like to read

Hybrid: The best o bothworlds?

Students who are consideringan online class should also con-sider a new course ormat, otentermed hybrid or blended whichcombines traditional on-campusclasses with extensive use o onlineresources. That way, students cangain experience with online learn-ing but have the security o thetraditional classroom.

Usually hybrid classes will meet onalternate weeks and the majority othe coursework will be online. Theormat works well or students whoenjoy independent but guided study.

A hybrid course with extensive useo Web resources can promote a suc-cessul, active learning experience.

Give a hybrid class a trit works or you. You wpositioned to evaluate ibe a successul online

1. Feeling that I am part o a physicalclassroom setting is:

a. very necessary.b. somewhat important.c. very important.

2. I generally:

a. get things done ahead o time.b. need reminders, but get things done

on time.c. put things o until the last minute.

3. I preer to communicate:a. in writing.b. in person, but Im comortable

expressing mysel in writing.c. in person, ace-to-ace. I do not like

to write.

4. I would classiy mysel as:

a. a good reader, able to understandmost text material without help.

b. an average reader. Sometimes I needhelp understanding the material.

c. a slow reader. I oten need help under-standing text material.

5. I think ace-to-ace classroomdiscussion:

a. is helpul, but discussion viaemail is equally engaging.

b. is sometimes helpul.c. is vital.

6. I generally preer to:

a. gure out instructions mysel.b. try to ollow instructions on my own,

then ask or help as needed.c. have instructions explained or

demonstrated to me.

7. When aced with new technologysuch as gadgets and computer sot-ware I usually:

a. look orward to learning new skills.b. eel some apprehension, but try it

anyway.c. avoid working with new technology.

8. Taking into account my proessionaland personal schedule, I have:

a. less time or an online course thanan on-campus course .

b. about same amount o time or anonline course as an on-campus class.

c. maybe even more time or an online

course than an on-campus one sinceI dont have to commute.

9. I I have to go to campus to takeexams or complete work I:

a. would have diiculty going tocampus at any time.

b. will need to make an evening orweekend appointment.

c. can make arrangements to do soalmost anytime.

Scoring:One points or each a ans

Two points or each b ans

Three points or each c an

21 or more points: An onlwould probably be a good t

15 to 20 points: An online cowork or you, but you

prepared to make aments in your schstudy habits to hybrid course marst step.

14 or fewer ponline course inot the best wto learn right chance or sucbe better i you a traditional ocourse. CF

Are Online Classes or You?


Feature

ByCraigClagett

On CAMPUSor ONLINE?

Students who are sel-motivated

and have a good understanding o

computers should do just fne online

Online classes area wonderul option,

but not or everyone

WCCs blended clanow open to every

I youve heard about tages o hybrid or classes part time in time online but havenbecause o GPA or cretions, youll be glad to these no longer apply Winter 2011. Check ouschedule and see whatto t your schedule.

Find WCC online and hclasses at:

www.wccnet.edu/acadclasses/online/list

www.wccnet.edu/acadclasses/blended


8/28

youre one o the millions o Ameri-

cans starting (or changing) a careerright now, you probably wish youcould ind a good ortune teller.Recession, high unemployment,global outsourcingits anyonesguess what the economic utureholds. I you prepare or a job today,will it be here tomorrow?

Good question, and while thereare no certain answers, there isactually a great deal o solid inor-mation to base your career choiceson. Many economists and govern-ment agencies make it their job topredict which jobs will or wont bein demand in the near uture.

When it comes to the localWashtenaw County economy,CareerFocus dug up a ew answersabout the current state o jobs andsome predictions or the near uture.

Although the Washten

economy hasnt suermuch as the rest o tMichigan, it still elt theo layos in the auto insuered a blow at thePzer in 2007. Howevestill bright spots and haccording to one recenreport on the local econ

The Predictions

That report, The Ecolook or Washtenaw Cou- 2012 predicts a slowing local job market. Ito U-M Institute or RLabor, Employment anomy researchers Georgand Donald R. Grimebeen pretty accurate indictions going all the wthe 1980s.

While manuacturing county have dwindledraction o their numheyday o auto produckinds o employment losay Fulton and Grimesuggest that renewed joon the horizon, howevehiring will be sluggishrst hal o this year (2accelerating in 2011.

It appears that the uture has

arrived, and while it will create

new opportunities or the better

educated, it will continue to be an

obstacle or people with lower levels

o education.

B

yLauraL

.Crawford

The Local Jobs ForecastPrepare or the uture o jobs in Washtenaw County

I there is a single message to takeaway rom the recent economicorecast, its Get an education.Gaining skills and knowledge,whether you choose a certicate,a Ph.D., or something in-between,increases the chances youll landa job.

Local job growth is predicted in theollowing broad categories. But howdoes that translate into jobs andeducation? Here are some answers.

Medical and health care

Its probably no surprise that thesejobs will continue to be in demand.Many o them will be in associationwith the University o Michigan

Health System but plenty o jobgrowth is occurring in small privatehealth acilities such as ambulatoryhealth care acilities, nursing andresidential care acilities, doctorsoces and dental oces.

WCC programs that prepare youor these kinds o jobs:

DentalAssistingCerticateRadiographyAssociatein

Applied Science

RegisteredNursingAssociatein Applied ScienceNursingTransferAssociatein

ScienceNursesAssistantSkillsTrain-

ing Certicate o CompletionPhysicalTherapistAssistant

Associate in Applied SciencePharmacyTechnology

CerticatePre-MedicineAssociateinSci-

ence Transer

Inormation and IT

These jobs canbe ound inboth large ands m a l l c o m -panies t hatdevelop andpublish sot-ware, ranging rom Google to oneo the many small start-ups inthe county.

WCC programs that prepare youor these kinds o jobs:

FoundationsofInformationSystems Certicate

C+ProgrammingAdvancedCerticate

ProgramminginJavaAdvanced Certicate

ComputerScienceAssociateinScience Transer

InformationSystemin Science Transer

Finance and insura

Many o these positionsto mortgages and othand are with local baunions and insurancrather than large natirations. Surprisingly, estate are expected tosteady growth too.

WCC programs that preor these kinds o jobs

AccountingCerticate

Account-ing Associatein AppliedScience

BusinessAssociate in Art Tra

WCC Prepares You orTomorrows Jobs

WCC Programs

CareerF

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9/28

Lourdes Kincaid

Heeding the call to healthcare

When Lourdes Kincaid was growing up in Ecua-dor, she was the kind o girl who brought homehurt animals to nurse back to health and who wasready to help whenever a amily member wassick. My parents always said Id grow up to be adoctor, a nurse or a vet, she says.

Close. Radiography turned out to be the health-care proession that she chose. Shes certifed toperorm X-rays in the lab and in the operating

room, and with additional certifcation, radiogra-phers also conduct MRIs and CT scans.

Immediately ater graduating rom ography associate degree program Kincaid began working at St. JosepSaline where she had been a clinica

They had an opening, and they knIts not uncommon or students to this way. Although there have beentunities since the recession beganago. she adds.

I love working with patientstheyerent, says Kincaid. And even wheeling well, theyre still so nice.

Although most o her work is in discovered that she really likes thto use her radiography skills durinprocedures such as hip replacemeliosis surgery when the surgeon nesee where to work.

Kincaid was 37 years old when shewanted to get a college education at WCC, although she just wasnt swanted to study. Once she decided oshe put her name on the waiting list aher prerequisite classes. By the time sshe had 90 credits, which she transeMichigan University where she will sobachelors degree in health administra

It wasnt an easy program and oinstructors Connie Foster, WilliamJim Skufs were really tough, KincaI realized why ater I took my AART Rto become a certifed radiographehad to prepare us to learn a lot o inreally had to go through the hoops.

STUDENTPROFILE

Fulton and Grimes also note that

jobs requiring little or no educationwill continue to dwindle, but jobsrequiring high levels o skill andeducation will be in ever increas-ing demand. It appears that theuture has arrived, and while itwill create new opportunities orthe better educated, it will con-tinue to be an obstacle or peoplewith lower levels o education, thereport states.

By 2012, the report predicts thelocal unemployment rate will havedropped only slightly rom the cur-rent 8.9 percent to 8.6 percent.The majority o that job growth

will occur in medical services,state government (this includescolleges and universities andhealth care) nance, inormationtechnology and research.

The evidence

Thats just what theyre seeingin WCCs Employment Servicestoo. New job postings are upabout 20 percent in 2010 over2009, estimates advisor DavidWildong. Were seeing increasein everything rom entry-level tocareer-level jobs, he says.

The biggest percent is in the

healthcare elds, he adds. Forexample, we see a lot o demand

or certied nursing assistants or

nursing care acilities, senior careand home nursing services.

Other jobs experiencing higherdemand include accounting, inor-mation technology (especiallyentry-level positions with smallstart-up companies) and preschooleducation, says Wildong. He alsooers a heads-up that the State oMichigan plans to increase hiringbetween now and 2013 becausemany current state employees willbe retiring. This includes a broadspectrum o positions rom civilservice to department o correc-tions to community health and

many others, he says.Manpower Inc. o SoutheasternMichigan (which serves Washtenawand Monroe Counties) also con-rms that demand or healthcareworkers is up, and they also seemore demand or proessional jobs,and surprisingly, even manuac-turing jobs.

While we still oer many entry-level positions, says Sheryl Timpa,a Manpower representative, Man-power has seen an increased needor applicants who have collegeeducation or specialized certica-tions in the areas o proessional,

skilled trades and healthcare. CF

Proessional andbusiness service

These jobs cross a broadspectrum that includesc o m p u t e r s y s t e m sdesign, legal services,accounting, engineeringtesting, scientic research and develop-ment, advertising and public relations.

WCC programs that prepare you orthese jobs:

AccountingCerticateAccountingAssociateinApplied

ScienceLiberalArtsAssociateinArt

TranserGeneralStudiesinMathandNat-

ural Science Associate in ScienceTranser

Education

Jobs in private elementary and second-ary schools are expected to continue togrow, even while public education slows.


MostanyWCCtransferprogramincluding Elementary Education Asso-ciate in Art, Secondary Education

Associate in Art, Liberal Arts Asso-ciate in Art, General Studies in Math

and Natural Sci-ence Associate,Math and Sci-ence Associatein Science

Leisure and hospitality

Some o the bright spotsin this area o moder-ate job growth are golcourses and drinkingestablishments.

WCC Programs that pre-pare you or these jobs:

HospitalityManagementCerticateand Associate in Applied Art

Retail and wholesaleSome o the areas where jobs areexpected to grow are: grocerystores; sporting goods, hobby,books, and music.


BusinessAssociateinArtTranser CF



10/28

or years, going to college typi-

cally meant pursuing a bachelorsdegree. But with todays hyper-competitive job market and the

variety o post-secondary programsavailable, choosing a degree mayno longer be so simple. How canyou decide how much education isright or you?

The case or our years

According to many experts, a bach-elors degree is still the standardentry point to most proessionalcareers. With the economy theway it is, companies are hiringewer and ewer people, and theyre

expecting more out o their employ-ees, says Jason Rich, author oTheEverything College Survival Book.So a job that did not require a our-year degree ve years ago may nowrequire it, just because employerscan demand it. I you cant aordit, or logistically its not possible,

then getting a community collegedegree is the next best thing. But itheres any way you can do a our-year college degree, do it, he says.

Laurence Shatkin, career consul-

tant and author, agrees. He citesa U.S. Census Bureau study show-ing that bachelors degree holdersaverage almost $1 million more inlietime earnings than high schoolgraduates. Whats more, he says,The kind o high-tech, ast-

moving, global economy we have now

requires that people learn through-out their careersnew skills,new technologies, new businessenvironments. And a bachelorsdegree teaches you learning skills,like reading comprehension, sel-discipline, and independent,critical thinking. And thats onereason employers value it as muchas they do. O course, it also repre-sents a commitment o our years,which represents a kind o matur-ing process that employers respect.

When two years is enough

However, that doesnt mean a

our-year degree is the rightchoice or everyone, says LynnOShaughnessy, author oThe Col-lege Solution and college blogger orU.S. News and World Report onlineand CBS moneywatch.com Youcant just say, To get a good job, youneed a bachelors degree, so every-one should go get one. Frankly, Ithink people succeed best in theircareers i they ind somethingtheyre really passionate about. Andor some students, vocationalcareers would be best.

You have a higher like-lihood o doing well iyou nd something you

really enjoy, and go orit. And that might be work-ing on a Mercedes, or it could bestudying philosophy.

But i you do opt or ab a c h e l o r s p r o g r a m ,OShaughnessy says, makesure youre capable o doingthe work. I you haventdone particularly well in highschool, you should probably con-sider going to community collegerst. Then, i you do well there, youcan move up to a our-year school.Because i youre not prepared todeal with the rigors o college and

you wash out, then you could have abunch o loans, with no degree andlittle prospect o paying them back.

Whats right or you?

Rich counsels a similarly practicalapproach to graduate school. Dont

just keep getting degrees or the

sake o getting degrees, unless itsactually going to help you land the

job you want, he says. It dependson the type o career youre look-ing or, and the type o companyyou want to work with.

Some companies will only pro-mote you to a certain level unlessyou have a graduate degree. Oth-ers dont care so much about thedegrees, and are more concernedabout your perormance. So youvegot to ocus on what the real worldwants, and kind o mold yourselto that.

I youre having trouble decidingbetween dierent degree options,Shatkin says, dont be araid to takeit slow. You might start out with atwo-year degree. Then i you wantto continue getting more academicskills, go onto the bachelors.

You might even be ab

in that occupation whnight courses to nishlors degree, then workbeore deciding i you wgrad school. It may be ago in and out o careerrather than deciding ultimate career goal isbeginning.

But regardless o the pursue, Shatkin belhigher education is aEverybody needs somesecondary training, heoptions or people with adiploma are eroding c

This last recession toskilled jobs that peopwith a high school dipshipped them overseasthem with robots. And those jobs are not comin

Everybody needs some sort o post-

secondary training. The options or

people with a high school diploma

are eroding constantly. This last

recession took the low-skilled jobsthat people could do with a high

school diploma, and shipped them

overseas or replaced them with

robots. And it looks like those jobs

are not coming back.

ByJamesMilitzer

College, How Much is Enough?Two years? Four years? More?

Feature

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11/28

ByJamesMilitzer

Which Degree is Right or You?These questions will help you decide

Quiz

Scoring:

Questions 1-3: I you answered yes to two or more o these an associates or trade school degree might be your best b

Questions 4-5: I you answered yes to both o these quesprobably should start with a bachelors degree.

Questions 6-7: I you answered yes to both o these questionate degree could help you achieve your goals. CF


YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

1 Did you haveless than a3.0 GPA inhigh school?

I so, says Lynn OShaughnessy,you might have trouble tackling abachelors program. To evaluatewhether youre ready to handle aour-year school, the main criteria

you should use is your GPA. Andtheres just something about that3.0 mark thats importantstudiessuggest that people who get a 3.0or higher in high school do betterin college.

2 Are you willing topractice a speciictrade or yourentire career?

I you are, an associates or tradeschool degree should be sucient.I theres something very specicyou want to do, the vocational

route works, says Jason Rich.But your career path is going to be

very ocused. I you go to school tobecome an electrician or a plumber,thats what youre going to do orthe rest o your proessional lie.Whereas i you go to a our-yearschool and pursue business, orexample, you could learn as yougo and mold that into a lot o di-erent things.

3Do your liecircumstancesrequire you tolaunch yourcareer quickly?

I youre in a hurry to start work-ing, a community college or tradeschool might be preerable to alonger program. Because theyreso occupationally targeted, com-munity colleges are a good way tolearn a highly saleable skill in aairly short amount o time, saysLaurence Shatkin. And they usu-ally have a good rapport with thelocal industrial base, who encour-age them to oer programs that willprovide the workorce that employ-ers are going to need. So theyre notlikely to oer programs that leadto unemployability.

4Do you want aproessionalcareer, but areunsure aboutwhich proession?

I so (and i you can handle thetuition bills) the fexible structureo a our-year degree could helpyou nd your calling. Spend therst two years learning as muchas you can about whats out there,Rich says. Take electives that goout in totally dierent directions,pursue internships in dierentindustries, just to gure out whatyour interests are. Then when you

nd something you like, spend thenext two years building up yourskill set by ocusing on the classesyou need or your major.

5 Do you want toacquire diverseskills that willprepare you ora variety o jobopportunities?

According to Shatkin, a bachelorscan provide the general knowledgeand thinking skills that will helpyou continually evolve in your

career. Lielong learning is becom-ing more and more important,because technology and marketconditions are going to change. Forexample, i your company startsdealing with a oreign market theyhavent dealt with beore, languageskills will suddenly become reallyimportant. And i a new technol-ogy or computer application comesalong, you need the critical think-ing and sel-discipline to learn it.

You might not get those things witha two-year degree.

6Does your dreacareer requirehighly specialiknowledge andstrong researcteaching skills

I so, says Shatkin, adegree could be or youunless its a proessionaschool where you learn ttechniques o a particution, most graduate deyou how to do researcgoing into college teacresearch skills are usedemand or college teac

huge. But there are a liber o occupations or ware useul skills.

7 Are you willingspend signiicatime and monein the short terto improve youcareer prospecin the long term

Graduate-level classesiderably more expeundergraduate classerequire a lot more wo

Richs view, That relacommitment will pay oon, when you get the detranslates into a much ing job. Youve really glong-term, and ocus oncareer goals are, both imand in the next ve orUltimately I really recoget as much educationas long as its relevant you want to pursue.


12/28


WCC Programs

CareerF

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By

EleanorShelton

Old Skills, New JobsEmerging jobs still demand old-ashioned undamentals

ocational technologies such as weld-ing, automotive repair, constructionand electrical technology are thedying arts o yesterday. Theyre old-school, obsolete and irrelevant tothe high-tech, clean-energy utureo the 21st Century.

Wrong.

By 2018 there will be 2.5 milliongreen jobs created in industriesrelated to renewable power gener-ation, residential and commercialretrotting, renewable uels, engi-neering and research, according toa 2008 report by Global Insight.

Workers who want these jobs willneed a solid oundation in many othe basic technologies such as weld-ing, construction, engine mechanicsand electrical systems.

Basic skills in a new package

Students dont always need aspeciic program such as WindTurbine Technology or Solar Elec-trical Installation to acquire skillsor emerging green jobs. Programslike this are oten just new applica-tion o existing undamental skills.

Given a sound basis o genericskills, upskilling or adding toexisting job-related skills willenable someone to carry out theull range o tasks required by anew green occupation, say a 2010report by the European Centre

or the Development o VocationalTraining.

Skills in old or even decliningindustries may be valuable to thelow-carbon economy. For example,workers with experience in ship-building and in the oil and gassector are highly sought ater inthe wind turbine industry or theirskills in welding, surace treatmentand outtting, the report explains.

Going rom gritty to green

The green revolution is requir-ing more education even or

the entry-level positions, saysChristina Snyder, project manageror the Clean Energy Coalition, anon-prot organization that pro-motes clean energy in Michigan.As an example, construction work-ers need more knowledge today toinstall the specialized vapor barri-ers that make houses more energyecient.

Or consider the skill it takes to bean energy auditor, a job thats expe-riencing growing demand. Thatperson needs to have an under-standing o architectural design,HVAC, mechanics and electricalsystems, as well as basic math andphysics, says Snyder.

The same applies to other emergingtechnologies. There are 1.6 mil-lion hybrid vehicles on the roadtoday and auto repair shops anddealers will need more technicianswho know how to x these complex

vehicles.

Technicians who know how to xelectric and hybrid drive systemsand have computer savvy are theones who will make more money,says Mark Schmidt, a nationaltraining instructor or the National

Alternative Fuels Training Con-

sortium at the University o WestVirginia.

More youth are leaving high schooland going into post-secondaryeducation because they realize theyneed more skills. This new technol-ogy is too advanced or just highschool, he adds.

Mark Olance, assistant director orcurriculum and training also at the

National Alternative Fuels Train-ing Consortium notes that studentswho want to become automotivetechnicians are going to have to

add a solid understanding o electri-cal systems to their resume. Werenot electricians but now we have tounderstand how it works.

To be well-rounded, students willneed to consider whats ahead. Wethink that the next push in alterna-tive uels will be hydrogen, whichmeans that college students willneed sciences, such as chemistry,as part o their curriculum, saysOlance.

While the construction industrymay have been hit hard by therecent recession, not so greenbuilding. Those who specialize in

sustainable design and construc-tion have ound steady work.

Mostly, green construction meansremodeling. People want moreenergy-eicient windows, doorsand insulation. Were seeing anincrease in heat pumps and on-demand hot water, says SteveSeidel, part owner o RenovationBrothers a residential constructioncompany in the Detroit metro area.

Construction students classes in heating and to be amiliar with thermics. Its important or

see that what they aretheir math and sciencebe applied to hands-otion principles.

Workers who can weld bine, understand thesystems in a car or whmore energy ecient be sought ater by empthose who have a passiohave the satisaction they are making a digenerations to come. C

By 2018 there will be 2.5 million

green jobs created in industriesrelated to renewable power gen-

eration, residential and commer-

cial retroftting, renewable uels,

engineering and research. Workers

who want these jobs will need a

solid oundation in many o the basic

technologies such as welding, con-

struction, engine mechanics and

electrical systems.

WCCs curriculum in the voca-tional technology programs haschanged to incorporate skillsneeded or the new cleaner andgreener jobs. But the ocus stillremains on undamental skillsand good techniques.

Auto body

Bobby Feldkamp is an automotivepainter with Stoney Creek Colli-

sion and a WCC graduate.WCCtaught me good auto-paintingundamentals that I can noweasily adapt to the new water-borne painting technology, whichwill be state mandated by 2014.Because I already had the skills,my employer benets because Ihave no learning curve downtime, he says.

Other vocational techadapting to the chanscape too.

Automotive servic

Students will soonto repair electric carcourse on alternativnology. Knowing hoand repair electric caralternative uel vehic

WCC Vocational ProgramAdapt to Changing Techn


13/28


14/28

Feature

CareerF

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ByAnitaLeBlanc

he door just slammed on yourdream job. Your great idea just

bombed. You blew your oppor-tunity to make a good impression.Right now you eel like the worldsbiggest loser.

Google ailure to nd some com-ort, and youll discover a treasuretrove o stories about those whoound enormous success ater mul-tiple blunders, most citing majorboo-boos as among their greatestassets.

Good or Edison, you think, whoailed more than 6,000 times beorecreating an electric light bulb thatworked, and kudos to Kentucky

Fried Chickens Colonel Sanderswho had his chicken recipe rejected1,009 times beore a restaurantaccepted it.

While it may be inspiring to readabout how a myriad o mistakesprecipitated the amazing coups oothers, it isnt all that helpul whenthe ailure is yoursand the glori-ous story o your success is yet tobe told.

Embrace your mistakes

While motivational quotes may toutthe value o mistakes, most o us

want to distance ourselves romthem as soon as they occur, espe-cially those whove been scolded athome, school or work or makingthem. Failure is what happens whenwe no longer learn rom our mis-takes. Mistakes are the necessarymilestones along the road to success.

Think about it. Did you color within

the lines the rst, second or thirdtime you picked up a crayon? Ocourse not, you learned more abouthow to color properly each time youstrayed outside the cartoon charac-ters silhouette. Shouldnt you giveyoursel the same guilt- and ear-ree reedom to ail and continuetrying as an adult?

Ralph Heath, consultant, keynotespeaker and author oCelebrating

Failure: The Power of Taking Risks,Making Mistakes, and ThinkingBig, credits the thousands o mis-takes he made in his 30-plus yearsin business as crucial to his success.

In act, at his previous enterprise,Ovation Marketing, horror storieso the week were proudly sharedat weekly sta meetings, ratherthan shameully acknowledged orsurreptitiously hidden.

He says, Our mistakes werethat requent and horriic! And

they were outstanding learning

experiences.

Know your imperectionsThe essential dierences betweenthose who founder and those whogo on to excel are a positive per-ception o their ailures and adetermined perseverance to suc-ceed. Champions eagerly harvestall the wisdom their ailures oer,accepting them as part o theirgrowth, avidly seeking more risksto urther promote their insights,and celebrating each all as part otheir learning.

How can you make ailure yourbest ally rather than worst enemy?

Read on!

Acknowledge the loss and acceptthe responsibility or your ailure

You can begin to change somethingonly when you stop blaming oth-ers and start accepting your part.

Heath admonishes thanecessary to acknowled

tions surrounding a ainot talking about suwere talking about leayoursel compassionaseek it rom others andyoursel to achieve evailuresand successes

He says its importaize that ailure does nlack o intelligence; pintelligence levels makBerating yoursel or bis a waste o time, espea gae may simply be ta lack o experience or in

Give yoursel the oppolearn rom your mistak

Ask yoursel objectively,pened? and What can this? The answers cathe inormation to notsame error, and Heath ntunities to change yourenvironment.

He recalls when a longdecided to pull their sizetising account and aslarger agency. In light o ship, the client oered toto a meeting with the neSee how the big boys d

Heath remembers, Iwring his neck, but swpride and went. I learnewhere wed allen downand discussed it with mclient, looking or wayimprove. I believe that bly open to criticism awere the impetus behent returning their ac30 days later.

The only real ailur

Experience shows theailure is giving up. Whwanta new career, reset o riendsstay optdont lose sight o yourdreams in the ace oMaybe i youve ailed ovthe thought o surrendtempting. But what iattempt is the one thato success? CF

Did you color within the lines the

frst, second or third time you picked

up a crayon? O course not, you

learned more about how to color

properly each time you strayed out-

side the cartoon characters silhou-

ette. Shouldnt you give yoursel thesame guilt- and ear-ree reedom to

ail and continue trying as an adult?

Get Up, Brush Yoursel O, Try AgaI you dont know how to ail, youll never succeed



15/28

B

yMargaretSteen

Feature

734-973-3543 IWashtenaw Community College I www.wccnet.edu CareerFocus I Winte

Rules to Bend, Break and IgnoreSome job hunting conventions no longer apply in todaysjob market

t eels more important than everin this competitive market to doeverything right in your job search.But you may want to rethink someo the rules you thought you knew.

I you have been using the ollowingconventions to guide your search,experts say its time to rene yourapproach.

1Perect your resumeand use it to apply to asmany jobs as possible

Its no longer enough to have justone resume, no matter how polished.

Your resume needs to be customizedor each job you apply or.

Jobseekers should make theirresume refect the job they want,not necessarily the job theyve had,says Teri Cullen, career servicesmanager at Waubonsee Commu-nity College in Sugar Grove, Ill.

But wont that take more time, thusreducing the number o resumesyou can send out? Yesand thatsnot a bad thing.

Everybody always thought, OK, Idid this one resume, I send it out to500 employers, and it works, saysPat Nash, associate dean o careerand advising support at CentralPiedmont Community College inCharlotte, N.C.

But it doesnt work anymore.Instead, you need a resume thatclearly shows your interest in andqualications or a specic job.

Instead o doing this shotgunapproachsend your resume toeveryone and it will stick some-wherein this job market what youreally need to be doing is target-ing your resume to the companieswho would hire you, says KathrynUllrich, who runs alumni careerservices at the UCLA AndersonSchool o Management and is theauthor o Getting to the Top: Strat-

egies for Career Success.

2Make sure yourresume has one ullpage or every10 years o workexperience

Although your resume may turnout this length, it should be becauseyou included all the relevant inor-mationno more, no less.

I love seeing something end with-out being lled with fu, Ullrichsays. I you include everything youneed and your resume is one-and-a-hal pages, dont eel obligated toll the second page.

You also want to make sure yourresume includes your accomplish-ments, not just a list o jobs. Andit needs to have white space so itsreadable. This may mean goingover one page even i you haventreached the 10-year mark.

Trying to cram everything ontoone page is not the answer, sayscareer expert and strategist MaryJeanne Vincent.

3

Write a cover letter thatdiscusses your career indetail

You do need a cover letter, Ullrichsays, But make it short. Explainhow you heard about the job open-ing, then use bullet points to listthe ways in which you match the

job description. Finish by explain-ing how youll ollow up.

4Dont botherpeople orinormationalinterviewstheyretoo busy

Do your research so youknow what to askand thendont be araid to call. Yes,its true that some peopleeel so overworked thatthey cant spare a ew min-utes to help a job hunter.But i you show a genuineinterest in their work (asopposed to simply asking or a job),many will be glad to help.

Im nding across the board thatpeople are willing to help, saysMarianne Adoradio, a career coun-selor in Silicon Valley. It could bethat people eel badly that its sohard to get jobs right now.

5When your phone rings,be prepared to set up aninterview

That phone call may actually bethe irst interview. Employersare screening people more by tele-phone, Nash says. I you dontmake it past that initial screening,you dont get oered the opportu-nity to come in and interview.

So make sure your voice mail hasa proessional-sounding messageon it. And i an interviewer catchesyou on your cell phone in a noisy,distracting place, dont be araid to

ask i you can call righa quieter location.

6Take any jobyoure oered

Depending on howneed the money, you mhaving to take a job thaideal. But dont start ouattitude.

Its a mistake to saytake anything, VinYoure setting your sig

I you end up settling

your dream job, try to could oer a path to wheto go. I you do need toback, try to do that at where you can work ontransition to a new josays. CF

Its time to rethinksome o the rules youthought you knew



16/28

Feature

CareerF

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B

yAnitaLeBlanc

enise Watts had been taking pho-tographs since she was nine yearsold, proudly shooting, developing,raming and sharing her work. Butit wasnt until she lost her job oeight years in 2006 that she con-sidered turning her hobby into acareer. While she cites the cameraequipment, backdrops and lightsshe purchased as crucial to herhome-based portrait business, shecounts the Photoshop class she tookthrough WCCs LieLong Learning(LLL) department as one o her bestinvestments.

Career clout throughnon-credit classes

Watts is among the many adultlearners and non-traditional stu-dents who have taken advantageo the LieLong Learning depart-ments non-credit coursework, andeither advanced their careers orlaunched new ventures as a result.

The basic dierence between non-credit and credit classes, explainsMonique James, the departmentsdirector, is that students whosuccessully participate in creditclasses earn academic credittowards a certicate, associate, bac-calaureate or other degree; those in

non-credit classes do not.

But dont think a lack o academiccredit means a lack o opportu-nity to bring clout to a career. Withcourses geared towards adult learn-ers and non-traditional students,

LLL oers those engaging in itsclasses the means to:

Advance a career or developadditional jobs skills

Adding to your skill set throughLLL classes is a compelling wayto become more useul (and indis-pensable) at your current job. Italso adds versatility and valueto your resume when the timecomes to seek a new vocation orother employment.

Explore a new career

LLL classes let you pursue aninterest in a prospective careerand better learn about its real-ity and requirements.

Earn Continuing EducationUnits (CEUs)

Youll nd a myriad o ongoingproessional coursework through

LLL that helps ensure that yourknowledge and skills are up-to-date with the latest trendsaecting your eld. CEUs aremost oten required or thosein the educational, healthcare,social work and constructionsectors, as well as code oi-cials and business and industryproessionals.

Discover or fulfill a personalinterest

Personal enrichment classesallow you to learn more abouta new skill or interest or your

own pleasure.

Adding skills toward a newcareer

Watts appreciates how her Pho-toshop class gave her the skills toresize photos, remove the blem-ishes and wrinkles o her subjects,

and work in layers to ter compositions. It me process my photos ashe notes. She credits htor or helping her becomore competent, but moin her work.

While her business turned into the ull-tihad hoped, Watts stilportion o her income ing events and portraitsamilies and graduatisupplementing it with entrepreneurial venturephotography and planshoning her crat and probusiness. My instructstill in touch by emailencouraging me and I ing and getting better.

Incredible Credible Career OpportunitLieLong Learning courses can point your careerin a new direction

Adding to your skill set through

Lielong Learning classes is a com-

pelling way to become more use-

ul (and indispensable) at your cur-rent job. It also adds versatility and

value to your resume when the time

comes to seek a new vocation or

other employment



17/28

Feature


Dick Dyer

Organic Gardening Certiicate wasthe ticket to a new business

Dick Dyer elt his enthusiasm or his job at Pfzerwaning. He and his wie, Diana, had moved to AnnArbor in 1987 rom Illinois where hed workedor Abbott Laboratories in discovery research a-ter earning his doctorate rom the University oWisconsinMadison. He led research teams in Ann

Arbor, frst or Parke-Davis, and then Pfzer. Despitealready considering plans to move on in 2005, hewas disappointed that he didnt have control overthe decision when he was among the frst round oPfzer employee cuts.

He did take advantage o his generous severancepackage to explore new career options. He tookgol lessons (Maybe Id run a gol course); checlasses (I thought about opening a restaurant);a grant-writing course (I could write grants) andorganic gardening classes through WCCs LieLongLearning.

I thought I knew a lot about organic gardening asDiana and I were lielong vegetable gardeners, butthe Lielong Learning classes opened my mind.I learned to see soil as more than minerals and

moisture, as an ecosystem that required specialcare. Id been using hybrid and genetically modi-fed seed, but started using heirloom. I began to seeorganic gardening as a possibility or a commercialenterprise.

New roots take hold

Dyer is proud o his 22 years in the pharmaceuticalindustry and his part in the discovery o new treat-

ments or arthritis, inflammation and asthma. Los-ing his job meant he needed to rethink not only hisincome stream, but also his uture ocus.

Diana and I talked about how we could contributein a new way at this stage o our lives. We eventu-ally discovered a niche market in garlic arming. Weelt that our new business, Dicks Pretty Good Garlic,would serve our needs as well as those o our amily,riends, community and the local economy. Our de-cision to begin commercial market gardening wasntbased on a whim, but a our-year process.

The Dyers purchased a 15-acre property, and ap-plied or and received a Food System EconomicPartnership grant in 2009 (That grant writing classcame in handy, chuckles Dyer) used to purchaseseed garlic and seaweed emulsion ertilizer. Wesold 23 varieties this summer at local armers mar-kets and to restaurantsvarieties you wont fnd inthe supermarketand are auditioning another 17,boasts Dyer.

Most people think garlic in supermarkets comesrom Caliornia. Actually over 80 percent is romChina. Its not resh when it gets here, and theres aworld o dierence in the potency and flavor. Wevedoubled our planted crop or next year and are plan-ning a hoop house next year so we can grow othervegetables year round.

One o our sons told us a riend posted a slideshowon Facebook shed seen in a MSU nutrition classabout Dicks Pretty Good Garlic. He told us howproud he was o us. It doesnt get much better. CF

AL

LieLongLearningBoosts YourProessionalClout

Are the time constraints o work oramily obligations keeping you romsecuring the skills and trainingyou need to advance your currentproession, build expertise in youreld or nd a new career? Or maybeyoure araid o attending college orthe rst time, making a commit-ment to a degreed program or yourereturning to a ormer occupation.

Never ear! The LieLong Learningdepartment at WCC oers fexiblenon-credit classes on-campus, inyour community and online thatcan raise your career quotient, allwithout the time commitment orstress o academic coursework.

Computer and tech classesto unlock your career

Computer proiciency, using theInternet and managing yourwork with sotware applicationsare expected skills in nearly everycareer today. And just as computerhardware and sotware applica-tions routinely receive upgrades toimprove their perormance, smartcareeristas proactively stay on topo technology to increase their eec-tiveness and value at their current

jobs, or to make themselves moreattractive in the career market-place. Consider these LieLong

Learning classes:

ComputerbasicsWindowsandMacs

Software applications forbusiness

Digitalimaging

Graphicandmultimediadesign

Webdesignandprogramming

E-marketing/social mediamarketing

Licensed and certimeeting career ma

Nurses, teachers, socithose in the constructiand other licensed proerequired by their licento acquire additional and training in order ttheir licensing. LieLing oers accredited claproessionals, within thcategories, meet theirmandates to earn CEducation Units (CEtact hours:

Architects,designers

ers and code ocialBusinessandindus

sionals, including re

Educators

Nursingandhealth

Socialworkers

I am the boss o m

Have you ever thought your own boss? LieLonhas classes that can aicovering i you have whamake a living doing whand that can teach yoning and support skillsto successully open an

your new business ven

What kind o businessnities abound or youdiverse options, suchraphy, cooking, autommotorcycle repair andconsider adding polish ity to an interest bycerticate in one o thcurrently oered byLearning:

Organicgardening

Sewing

Computers

Medicaltranscriptio

Floraldesign

Childcareadminist


18/28


CareerF

o

cu

s

ByDavidWak

In Your Words

hen I was growing up I never

even thought about attendingcollege. The act is, I hated schooland the regimentation andboring teachers who dronedon about subjects I didnt careabout. They looked as bored asI did most days.

I was part o the late 70s gener-ation that took up the drugs androck n roll o the 60s, i not thepolitics. It wasnt that I hatedlearning. I devoured books, butschool bored me so much that Ihad to take summer classes justto get out in time. Ater I grad-uated, my mom pushed me to go

to community college so I regis-tered but mostly played hookyand funked out. Ater 13 yearsI was done with the classroom.

Instead I worked at my ami-

lys urniture business in PortHuron, Mich. I made decentmoney, but I wasnt contentand didnt know what I wanted.Some people said I was goodwith words and I should studyEnglish, but I was more inter-ested in partying.

But by the time I turned 27, Iquit drinking and partying. Iwas tired o my hometown andneeded a change. A riend livedin Ann Arbor and I sometimesvisited him. I liked the areaand decided to move, leavingbehind a comortable yet sti-

fing existence.

It was tough making a livingin upscale Ann Arbor. By theearly 90s, many good-payingjobs were drying up, and I sawthat I needed a degree to landa decent job. That was whenmy riend convinced me to goto WCC.

Youre college material, dude,

he said simply.

When I signed up or classes, Iound I liked being in college.A lot. I was sharing ideas withinspiring and accessible teach-ers and other older students thatI could relate to. One o my Eng-lish teachers, Maria McLeod,said she liked my writing andsuggested I take up journal-ism, but I didnt take her tooseriously.

In 1992 I signed up or a cre-ative writing class, and I wrotea semi-ctional piece about a

childhood ght between dier-ent actions o kids. My teacher,the noted poet and novelistLaura Kasischke, said she likedit and encouraged me to seri-ously pursue writing.

You are a writer, she said, andat age 30 I ound my calling.

I continued with my classes atWCC but I soon realized cre-ative writing was a hard racket.There were hopeul novelists inevery coee shop in town, and Ineeded grants and connections,or a dedication to writing with-out pay. While I loved the idea o

being a novelist, I realized thechances o ever making a living

rom it were slim. I

to write, but to madoing so let ew optwas journalism.

Ater nearly eight yeing part-time classeI transerred to EMUjournalism. Duringyears there I took siism classes. Then opknocked.

A classmate told melanti Courier was hcalled the editor andjob covering townshipsoutheast Washtena

I was intimidated areporter at rst. It wresponsibility to writstories or the paperand I didnt always nI kept at it.

It didnt pay much, bI was getting paidOver the years, I my writing with loture stories and movand I went on to wriArbor.com and some publications.

Im still a reelancist and Im always l

steady work with so publication, but so I hold an unglmoonlighting job onUnortunately thesewhole scope o mediaing and newspapers dying out.

I sometimes look at mwonder i Im a succecially maybe not, but money was never thtant as Im a bohemia(Although money doevery handy.) In the ensay I eel successul b

doing what Im suppdoing, and Im using Without college, thahave been possible. C

By the early 90s many good-paying

jobs were drying up, and I saw that I

needed a degree to land a decent job.

That was when my riend convinced

me to go to WCC. Youre college

material, dude, he said simply.

Late Start, No RegretsIt took me a while to realize that I was college material


19/28

734-973-3543 I Washtenaw Community College I www.wccnet.edu CareerFocus I Winte

Salaries are based on most current data available as o June 2010. Earnings vary based on experience, education and location. *From the U.S. Bureau o Labor Statistics most current Occupational Employment Statistics (May 2009). **Fr

SCHOOL OF ADVANCED

MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

Whether your interest is in robotics, manuacturing or automa-tion, the programs in the School o Advanced ManuacturingSystems will ft your needs. Maintain and troubleshoot themachines that make commercial goods by specializing in oneor more aspects o the machining industry. Develop entry levelor advanced skills in electronics, automation, industrial com-puting, fluid power, numerical controls or welding. Advancedspecialization is also available in some of these areas.

AutomationAre you looking or a career as a hydraulic technician, in robotics or an introduction to manu-acturing engineering? Consider the feld o Automation.

Automation Technology Certifcate

Fluid Power Certifcate

Automation Technology Associate in Applied Science

ElectronicsSpecialize in industrial electricity/electronics or computerized systems and programmablelogic controllers. The feld o Electronics is open to you.

Industrial Electronics Technology Certifcate

Industrial Electronics Technology II Advanced Certifcate

Machine ToolLearn about machining operations through the production of parts using WCCs extensivemachine tool laboratory.

Machine Tool Technology Certifcate

ManuacturingDevelop skills needed to be a numerical control operator orutilize your imagination in the eld of manufacturing. Innova-tion and lean manuacturing are important skills in the feld omanuacturing.

Advanced Manuacturing Certifcate

Numerical Control Programming Certifcate

Related OptionsWeldingSee School o Construction Technology

Computer Systems Tecnology CertiicateSee School o Inormation Technology

Planning to transer? Talk to a WCC counselor about the Colleges wide range o transer andarticulation agreements with our-year institutions.

SCHOOL OF

APPRENTICESHIP ST

Find a trade-related associates degree program that builds on your unique set of sgiving you the knowledge and skills needed to move into organizational leadership

Apprenticeship StudiesIndividualized programs that utilize earned certicates, apprenticeships and trade-rits tailored to the needs of the student. The Occupational Studies degree offers thecombine certain certifcate programs with general education courses and electivean individualized Associate in Applied Science degree.

Apprentice Completion Certifcate

Journeyman Industrial Associate in Applied Science

Occupational Studies Associate in Applied Science

Articulated Union Building Trade ProgramsThese programs are restricted to members o the United Association o Journ

Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipetting Industry of the United States and CanConstruction Supervision Certifcate

Construction Supervision Associate in Applied Science

Construction Supervision Associate in Science

United Association o Journeymen and Apprentices o the Pand Pipeitting Industry o the United States and CanadaThese programs are restricted to members o the United Association o JournApprentices of the Plumbing and Pipetting Industry of the United States and Can

Industrial Training Associate in Applied Science

Industrial Training Associate in Science

Sustainable Technologies in HVACR Associate in Applied Science

Planning to transer? Talk to a WCC counselor about the Colleges wide range o trarticulation agreements with our-year institutions.

WCC Schools

National Median Salaries

Numerical Tool andProcess ControlProgrammers$46,010*

See the School oAdvanced Manuactur-

ing SystemsVideo

wccnet.edu/lashvideos

When you invest in education,you want to see your time andmoney pay o with a good

job when youre done. WCCoers a whole range o certi-

icate and associate degree programs that

you can complete in just one or two yearsand start earning a good, solid paycheck.

One year or less

With about 15 to 30 credit hours o courses,certicates in occupational and technicalprograms can get you started in careerssuch as:

AdvancedManufacturing

Automotive,AutoBodyandMotorcy-cle Technology

AdministrativeandMedicalOfceAssistants

HVAC

CulinaryArtsandHospitalityManagement

You dont have to stop there either, anyo these certicates can become associatedegrees with additional courses.

Two years

With about 64 credit hours o classes,associate degree programs oer great jobopportunities too:

HealthSciences

InformationTechnology

VisualArts

Many associate degree programs canbecome bachelors degrees too whenyou transer your credit to our-yearuniversities.

Four years

Get the rst two years o youdegree at WCC and save thdollars. Whether you know exyou want to major in or you nexplore your interests, WCC g

ies and transer programs canto a good start.

And more

The list goes on. Try out a eld, update your skills with aor add a new credential to yoExplore the WCC schools listimore career opportunities. C

Good Jobs Start Here


20/28

18 I Winter 2011 I CareerFocus Washtenaw Community College I www.wccnet.edu I 734-

Salaries are based on most current data available as o June 2010. Earnings vary based on experience, education and location. *From the U.S. Bureau o Labor Statistics most current Occupational Employment Statistics (May 2009). **Fr

SCHOOL OF AUTOMOTIVE AND

MOTORCYCLE TECHNOLOGY

If you are looking for the best technical training in the automo-tive or motorcycle elds, WCCs School of Automotive andMotorcycle Technology is the place or you. Whether your ocusis fnding employment as a technician, learning about peror-mance or creating a custom look, our intermediate and advancedcerticate programs as well as associates degrees will enhanceyour personal and proessional qualifcations. These programsoer the perect blend o classroom and hands-on education not

available in any other educational setting.

Auto Body RepairThese certifcates prepare you or various positions in the auto body repair industry.

Auto Body Repair Certifcate

Collision Repair Refnish Technician Advanced Certifcate

Collision Repair Technician Advanced Certifcate

Automotive ServicesThe automotive certifcates prepare you or work as an automotive technician, diagnosing andrepairing malunctions in automobile systems.

Automotive Mechanics Certifcate

Automotive Services Technician Advanced Certifcate

Custom Cars & ConceptsDevelop advanced skills in the customization of the auto bodythrough the completion o these advanced certifcates.

Custom Auto Body Technician Advanced Certifcate

Custom Fabrication & Chassis Design Advanced Certifcate

Motorcycle Service TechnicianPrepare or a career as a motorcycle mechanic or build upon skills already developed.

Motorcycle Service Technology I Certifcate

Motorcycle Service Technology II Advanced Certifcate

Related OptionsWeldingSee School o Construction TechnologyOccupational StudiesSee School o Apprenticeship Studies

Planning to transer? Talk to a WCC counselor about the Colleges wide range o transer and

articulation agreements with our-year institutions.

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

ENTREPRENEURIAL ST

Learn the fundamentals you will need to become a busi-ness leader or entrepreneur. These programs help youdevelop entry-level skills in various aspects o business.Whether your goal is to make your place in an existingindustry or branch out on your own, these programs canprovide the oundation or success.

EntrepreneurshipLearn how to recognize market opportunities and plan

a small business through completion o this certifcateprogram.

Entrepreneurship Certifcate

BusinessChoose one or more areas in the feld o business as youprepare or your uture.

Business Sales and Marketing Certifcate

Human Resource Management Certifcate

Management Supervision Advanced Certifcate

Management Supervision Associate in Applied Science

AccountingAccounting and tax services, CPA rms and small businesses need employees withskills. These programs can provide the skills needed or entry-level positions.

Accounting Certifcate

Accounting Associate in Applied Science

Business Oice SystemsWhether you are just starting out in an ofce or advancing to a high-level admiexecutive assistant position, these programs can help you achieve your goals.

Administrative Assistant I Certifcate

Computer Sotware Applications Certifcate

Medical Ofce Assistant Certifcate

Administrative Assistant II Advanced Certifcate

Administrative Assistant Technology Associate in Applied Science

Related OptionsBusiness Associate in ArtSee Transer and University Parallel ProgramsOccupational StudiesSee School o Apprenticeship Studies

Planning to transer? Talk to a WCC counselor about the Colleges wide range o

articulation agreements with our-year institutions.

SCHOOL FOR CHIL

PROFESSIONALS

If you yearn to be involved in nurturing the next generation of young people, o Child Care Proessionals is the place to begin. Gain theknowledge and skills required or state licensing and nationalchildcare credentials while enjoying the personal experienceo working directly with children.

Child Care ProessionalsWhether you are looking to care or children in a home-based center or a proschool-based setting, these programs can prepare you or an entry-level position

care proessional.Child Development Certifcate

Child Care and Education Advanced Certifcate

Child Care Proessional Associate in Applied Science

Planning to transer? Talk to a WCC counselor about the Colleges wide range o trarticulation agreements with our-year institutions.

National Median Salaries

Automotive Bodyand RelatedRepairers$37,980*

Automotive ServiceTechnicians andMechanics $35,420*

MotorcycleMechanics$31,820*

National Median Sa

Sales Representatives,Manuacturing,TechniScientifc Products$

Employment, RecruitPlacement Specialists

Food Service

Managers$47,210*First Line SupervisorsManagers o ConstruTrades and ExtractionWorkers$58,330*

First Line SupervisorsManagers of Mechaners, Repairers$51,0

Executive Secretariesistrative Assistants$

Medical Secretaries

National Media

Preschool

Teachers$24,5

See the Auto BodyRepair Video

wccnet.edu/lashvideos

Washtenaw Community College is accredited by

The Higher Learning Commission o the North Centr al Association

230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500

Chicago, Illinois 6 0604-1413

312.263.0456

www.ncahlc.org

For inormation on Washtenaw Community College, visit www.wccnet.edu, or call 734-973-3300

Washtenaw Community College ADA/EEO/Title IX/Section 504 Compliance StatementsWashtenaw Community College does not discriminate on the basis o race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, height, weight, marital status

or veteran status in provision o its educational programs and services or in employment opportunities and beneits. WCC is committed to compliance in allo its activities and services with the requirements o Title IX o the Educational Amendments o 1972, Public Act 453, Section 504 o the Rehabilitation Acto 1973, Title VII o the Civil Rights Act o 1964 as amended, Public Act 220, and the Americans with Disabilities Act o 1990.

Inquiries concerning programs and services under Title IX and Section 504, and the Americans with Disabilities Act should be directed to the Oice o theAssociate Vice President o Student Services, Room SC 275A, Student Center Building, 734-973-3536. Inquiries regarding compliance in employmentshould be directed to the College Airmative Action Oicer in the Oice o Human Resource Management, Room 120, Business Education Building, 734-973-3497. Inquiries concerning access to acilities should be directed to the Director o Plant Operations, Plant Operations Building, 734-677-5300.

Title II Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act Compliance Statement

The Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act o 1990 is a ederal law that mandates the disclosure by all institutions o higher education o therates o graduation, the number o incidents o certain criminal oenses, and the deault rate or student loans. The law also mandates that inormation beprovided on the type o security provided on campus, the pertinent policies regarding security on campus, and policies that record and deal with alcoholand drug abuse. Washtenaw Community College is in ull compliance with these provisions and provides the required inormation annually through col-lege publications. Inquiries concerning the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act should be directed to Washtenaw Community College, Oiceo the Associate Vice President o Student Services, Room SC 275A, Student Center Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 (telephone 734-973-3536).

WCC is a smoke-ree campus.


21/28

734-973-3543 I Washtenaw Community College I www.wccnet.edu CareerFocus I Winte734-973-3543 I Washtenaw Community College I www.wccnet.edu CareerFocus I Winte

Salaries are based on most current data available as o June 2010. Earnings vary based on experience, educatio

*From the U.S. Bureau o Labor Statistics most current Occupational Employment Statistics (May 2009).

**From Salary.com.

SCHOOL OF CONSTRUCTION

TECHNOLOGY

Become part o the growing global community o skilledtrades proessionals or skilled trades managers. Design, plan,construct and complete structures or your home or or yourcareer. You can earn a certicate or degree in ResidentialConstruction, Construction Management or Heating, Ventila-tion and Air Conditioning. These programs oer the perectblend o class

wcc career focus magazine: winter 2011

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