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Career Services

For students, alumni, and employers.

Career Services is a free resource to help students and alumni plan for their futures and advance their careers. We assist with career exploration and decision-making all the way through to strategizing how to successfully achieve career goals. 

We will help you to:

  • Define your career goals and develop a career plan
  • Decide on an appropriate major, education path and/or training program
  • Develop effective job search skills (resume, cover letter, interviewing, and networking)
  • Identify and apply to employment and career-related opportunities and events
  • Build career readiness competencies for a successful transition to employment 

Everyone has different life experiences and career goals! We're here to help support you on your career preparation journey!

Mission Statement
The mission of Career Services at Holyoke Community College is to assist students and alumni in all phases of their career development and to empower them in making meaningful and fulfilling career decisions in a diverse and global society. 

Vision Statement
It is the vision of Career Services that students and alumni will become capable, contributing members of the local, regional, and national economy and to become self-supporting individuals that contribute significantly to their families and communities.

Everyone has different life experiences and career goals! We're here to help students and alumni on their journey. While you're a student at HCC, we'll help you create or refine your career plan. 

THE CAREER PLANNING PROCESS

STEP ONE: Self-Assessment – Identify Interests, Skills & Experience

STEP TWO: Research Careers

STEP THREE: Find Education & Training Options

STEP FOUR: Become Career Ready   

Meet with a career counselor to:

  • Write or Update Your Resume
  • Draft a Cover Letter
  • Manage Your Social Media
  • Build a Professional Network
  • Develop Your Personal Strengths
  • Prepare for Interviews
  • Handshake (Complete Your Handshake Profile)

Complete Your Handshake Profile

Handshake is the #1 way that college graduates get hired. Handshake is an interactive career network and recruiting platform.

It is:

  • Equitable and inclusive, and
  • Designed specifically for college students and recent alumni

Handshake's key objectives are to help you:

  • Search for jobs/internships/events regardless of where you go to school
  • Build a professional network to include employers and your peers!

Benefits:

  • Targeted search for jobs and internships
  • Register for career fairs, information sessions, & employer panels
  • Schedule appointments and interviews
  • Receive personal invitations from employers
  • Learn about career fairs and job recommendations
  • Connect with alumni

Last year, employers sent more than 16 million messages to students on Handshake. Chatting with employers is a great way for you to learn about jobs, events, and help you to make a personal connection with an organization you may want to work for!

Get Started

  1. Begin by activating your account and creating a Handshake profile. (All HCC students registered for classes are automatically uploaded to the system which enables them to easily establish Handshake access.)
  2. Go to your HCC email and search for an invitation from Handshake. Then use your HCC e-mail user credentials to activate your account.
  3. Complete your profile and Handshake will begin suggesting opportunities for you!

To use Handshake, simply log into joinhandshake.com with your HCC username and password to use your free student profile, connect with employers, and access Career Services events.

Need assistance? Visit How to Complete a Handshake Profile

HCC students can improve their employment prospects by using their free Handshake account.

Handshake is a career management, networking, and job search tool. It is connected to over 770,000 employers! More U.S. college students are using Handshake to find internships and jobs than any other online platform. That is why HCC invested in its own Handshake platform to share with HCC students for free!  

Students can sign into their Handshake account with their HCC username and password to: 

  • Participate in job recruitment events
  • Learn from career exploration webinars
  • Network with peers, professionals, and employers
  • Find jobs and internships

 Complete your Handshake profile to get even more out of Handshake:

  • Showcase your education, experience, skills, and projects
  • Find relevant job fairs, work opportunities, and articles 
  • Apply and interview for jobs and internships
  • Select to let employers know more about you

We encourage employers to post employment or internship opportunities with their organizations at Holyoke Community College Career Services using the Handshake platform. If you are a Handshake system user, please submit your postings to Holyoke Community College through your Handshake account.

If you are not currently a Handshake user, we invite you to request approval to post your open positions at HCC through Handshake. You may begin this process by registering for Handshake by creating a Handshake account and requesting permission to post at Holyoke Community College. 

If you have questions about creating or using a Handshake account, visit the Handshake Help Center 

Job & Internship Fair, March 28, 2024, 4-7 PM, Kittredge Center Rm 301/303

Are you looking for a job or internship? Join us at our upcoming fair for an evening of networking, job and internship opportunities, and career growth. You can prepare for this event by attending FREE Career Readiness Workshops!

Workshop Details:

Creating Impactful Resumes                                                              
Dates: 1/31, 4/17, 4/24 

Essential Skills for Impressive Job Interviews
Dates: 2/14, 4/3, 5/1

Tools and Techniques for Building a Professional Network
Dates 2/7, 3/20

Proven Strategies for Landing Your Dream Job/Internship
Dates: 2/28, 4/10

Time and Location: 

Wednesdays 11-12:15 pm, Donahue 256 or Zoom https://hcc-edu.zoom.us/j/7251218862 

Please note: 

Students interested in participating in an internship for the Summer or Fall 2024 semester, are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to participate in one RESUME and one INTERVIEWING workshop.

Register for workshops here: Career Readiness Workshops Registration

Additional resources are available to research employment opportunities throughout the Pioneer Valley as well as beyond Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut. Use the links below to access the most common job search sites for employment in the Pioneer Valley.

Job & Internship Fair, March 28, 2024, 4-7 PM, Kittredge Center Rm 301/303

Are you looking for a job or internship? Join us at our upcoming fair for an evening of networking, job and internship opportunities, and career growth.

Free career workshops provide opportunities for students to learn about preparing for careers and finding employment. Career Services staff offers a variety of workshops at various times throughout the semester. They are open to all students and alumni.

All workshops are 45 minutes in duration unless otherwise noted. Please note that currently, workshops will be offered virtually through Zoom. 

HCC faculty, staff & Student Organizations

If you are interested in scheduling a workshop for your class, department, or student organization, please contact Career Services to set up a date. Workshop requests should be made at least two weeks in advance. 

Workshop topics

Resume & Cover Letter: This workshop helps students to understand how to construct a professional resume and cover letter relevant to the position being applied for. (60 minutes)

Navigating a Career Fair: This workshop helps students understand best practices in preparing for both a virtual and in-person career fair.

Networking Tools: This workshop will teach students how to build and expand a professional network. 

Interview Essentials: This workshop helps students understand best practices and techniques and interviewing for a job.

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