Welcome to Career Services at Richland Community College
Career Services assists individuals in:
- exploring career options
- connecting employers
- identifying internship opportunities
- conducting job searches
- resume and interview preparation
- preparing for the world of work
Browse Programs
- Programs at Richland: visit our course catalog
- MyMajors evaluates interests and relates them to major choices.
- My Next Move evaluates interests as they relate to career choices.
Richland Community College Handshake
Handshake for Students
Handshake is the #1 way college students find jobs! Join Richland Community College’s Handshake today and…
- Create a professional profile
- Get recruited by top employers
- Search for full, part-time, and internships
- Showcase your skills and classes
- Sign up for in-person and virtual events
Richland Students use your Richland Email and Password to access your Handshake Account and let the search begin! https://joinhandshake.com/
Employers for Handshake
Handshake – a powerful, modern platform that enables employers to search for, manage relationships with, and recruit top talent at Richland Community College and institutions across the country
- Connect directly with local, talented, and skilled Richland students
- Post full-time, part-time, and internship opportunities
- Promote profession development and recruiting events
- Sign up to participate in RCC Career Fairs and Events!
Employers sign up here for RCC’s Handshake!
Looking for a Job?
Local Job Searches
Richland Community College and Local job searches:
- Handshake
- CareersDecatur.com
- Centralillinoishelpwanted.com
- Community College Jobs and Career Resources
- Illinois Work Net
- Springfield State-Journal Register Newspaper
- Illinois Job Link
Top National Job Searches
- LinkedIn.com – Largest professional social networking site.
- Internships.com – Bills itself as the world’s largest internship marketplace.
- Idealist.org – Nation’s largest employment board for nonprofit jobs.
- Glassdoor.com – Career search, salary information for 160,000 companies, employee reviews of companies
- Monster.com – One of the oldest job boards.
- Careerbuilder.com – Has the largest online job site in the U.S.
- Indeed.com – A Google-like search engine and one of the most efficient sites for surveying job listings.
- ZipRecruiter for Richland Students
- Simplyhired.com – A Google-like search engine for jobs.
- USAjobs.com – Government’s official site for federal jobs and employment information.
- Higheredjobs.com – Faculty and Administrative positions at colleges and universities.
- Neuvoo – A free job search engine that indexes jobs directly from companies career websites, placement agencies, and job boards
Specialized Job Searches
People with Disabilities:
- Disabledperson.com – A premier job board for people with disabilities.
- DisabilityJobexchange.com
- Abilityjobs.com – Enable people with disabilities to enhance their professional lives by providing a dedicated system for finding employment.
- Gettinghired.com – Bridging the gap between job seekers with disabilities and employers looking to hire.
- Applying for a job with a disability or impairment – Read this article for tips on how to format your resume, prepare for an interview, and more.
LGBTQQIA:
- Outandequal.org – Find jobs at diversity-friendly companies and research careers by networking with LGBT and allied colleagues.
- Lgbtcampus.org – Higher-ed jobs and other jobs.
- Hrc.org – Human Rights Campaign is a resource for LGBT professionals.
- Diversityworking.com – Job search engine for diverse backgrounds.
Women and Minorities:
- Minorityjobs.net
- Employdiversity.com – Your connection to diversity and global hiring.
- Diversityjobs.com
- Rileyguide.com – Resources for women, minorities and other audiences.
- Diversityworking.com – Largest diversity job board online.
Veterans:
- US Department of Veterans Affairs
- Hireourheroes.org – Providing Veterans the essential tools to succeed in today’s workforce.
- Veterans2work.org – Helps returning military veterans discover and launch fulfilling civilian careers.
- Hireveterans.com – Jobs for America’s best since 2003.
- Vetjobs.com
Resume Help
Follow these tips before submitting your resume: RCC Resume Packet 23
Format:
- Keep it short and to the point. New or recent graduates are typically one page in length. Make sure it is one full page or two full pages, not a page, and some change. If more than one page, put your name at the top of each page.
- Common fonts, sized at 10-12 pt.
- Make headings stand out by using bold, underlining, italics, or all-caps.
- Keep the format and spacing uniform for each section.
- Keep sentence structure uniform. If you start out using full sentences, finish using full sentences.
- Use present tense for current involvement/tasks and past tense for past involvement/tasks.
- Month and Year format (example: November 2009-January 2012) and be sure to include start and end dates for all activities except graduations and certifications, only use year of completion (May 2015). Include an expected graduation date.
- List in reverse chronological order (most recent first) for each section.
- No abbreviations
Content:
Header
- Center your name and make it slightly larger or bold to stand out from the rest of your resume.
- Use a professional-sounding email address (one that uses your name or initials). Remove the hyperlink for your email address by right-clicking on it and selecting “remove hyperlink.”
- Include at least one contact phone number and label it as “home” or “cell.”
- Include your current mailing address.
Professional Statement or Summary of Qualifications
- These are optional, but one of them on your resume is preferred.
- Tailor this section to suit each job.
Education
- Include the institution, city and state, degree, minors, and month and year of graduation or expected graduation date.
- Only include GPA if it is a 3.0 or higher
- Use bold, italics, and underline to make sections stand out.
Experience
- Can include paid and unpaid or volunteer experience.
- It does not have to include every position held and you can have another section titled “Related Experience.”
- Include company, title, city and state, dates worked and bulleted under each include a list of major duties with most important duties listed first.
Skills
- Could include computer skills, CDL, current certifications, languages, heavy machinery operator, etc.
- Be sure to include your level of proficiency with a skill (Fluent in Spanish, Proficient in Microsoft Office). DO NOT say you are an expert or fluent unless you are, because you can be tested.
Activities, Honors, and Memberships
- Can be combined in one section or separated if space allows.
- Be sure to include on and off-campus items in this section.
- Leadership roles should be highlighted and dates included.
Interview Help
Contact the Career and Completion Center to schedule a mock interview.
Internships
An internship is a cooperative learning arrangement between a private or governmental institution/business, Richland Community College – Career and Completion Center, and the student. An internship is a work-based, experiential learning opportunity that is the culmination of your classroom education.
- A student should contact the appropriate academic department and meet with the faculty sponsor for their academic degree early in the semester to discuss potential internship opportunities.
- After receiving tentative faculty approval, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the institution/business regarding the internship. A student should take advantage of The College resources related to internship opportunities by visiting the Career and Completion Center in the Student Engagement department to discuss internship sites, resumes, interviewing, and portfolio development. Update your resume and allow your faculty sponsor or the Career and Completion Center to review it. The resume will be a critical component in your search for an internship.
- Once a student has the commitment of an institution/business to provide the internship, the student needs to begin the Experiential Learning process. Please contact the Career Coach to begin this process.
- Once the agreement has been reviewed and approved by the Career and Completion Center, your employer, and your faculty sponsor you will receive an email notifying you of the approval.
- The student should then receive an Internship Packet from their faculty sponsor.
- The faculty sponsor will create an electronic folder for managing student surveys, employer evaluations, and the student’s self-evaluation.
- The internship requires that you meet with your faculty sponsor for one hour each week. You will need to set this schedule with your faculty sponsor.
- The internship requires that the student follow all rules and policies set by the employer. Tardiness is considered an absence.
Termination by the internship provider for any violations of rules and policies will be reviewed by the faculty sponsor. If the advisor finds the grounds for dismissal were valid, the student will receive a failing grade for the course.