Career Development Projects and Milestones

MnITcareers.org Web Site

Using feedback derived from a series of user tests with a diverse group of students, we completed an extensive reorganization. Our more useful and user friendly site is now also deployed with an open source content management system.

IT Student Action Board

The 2009 board began with 12 IT student members. This year, in addition to offering feedback on projects and assistance with student outreach, the SAB will be sponsoring their own events. To decide on which career development activities or projects to promote, the SAB created an online survey and sent it to IT students throughout the metro-area MNSCU system.

Inside IT Online Career Development

The Center produced three career development modules: Talk with an IT Professional, a complete guide to Informational Interviews, includes how to prepare for, what to expect during, and the importance of follow up afterwards. The local IT professionals interviewed share insider tips about IT career options. Coming soon are Career Networking and Non-Technical Skills Employers Seek. These modules offer a comprehensive overview of career networking techniques and why non-technical skills set you apart and how to get them. Although specific to IT students, the skills portrayed are important for career development in any industry.

IT Career and Education Guide

To best serve our diverse student audience, two new guides—one for the high school audience, and one for the college age and adult audience—that offer information and  resources have been developed. The guides assist student decision-making regarding which IT career pathway and educational program to pursue. 

Got IT

Over 115 students and parents participated in GOT IT?, a free IT career exploration fair for high school and college students, in November 2009, hosted by Thomson Reuters, co-sponsored by Advance IT MN. The event, a collaborative effort between industry and education, included exhibits about Dakota County-area companies, information about post-secondary education programs, presentations on IT careers, and hands-on activities. Student ratings indicated the event increased levels of interest in IT careers almost 25 percent. The feedback from participants was highly positive and plans are underway to bring the event to other campuses.

Internships

OASIS  (Outsourcing Alternative, Student In-Sourcing) and Advance IT are engaged in a new initiative to create IT internships for MNSCU students.  The project, begun this winter, is currently advertising for Software QA Analysts. OASIS will contract with organizations to hire and train students as well as provide a certification exam. Additional opportunities for student internships are being pursued through iSTEM, Maverick Software, and GenesysWorks.

Beckman Coulter Tour

The Center collaborated with Metropolitan State Upward Bound Program in July 2009 to bring 50 Arlington high school students to Beckman Coulter, a bio-medical technologies manufacturing company to meet IT professionals, tour the systems integration lab and IT department, and participate in hands-on activities with software development and PC rebuild. Of the 42 students who filled in a questionnaire, 28 (66%) said that they were more interested in pursuing IT careers because of their tour.

MCTC Summer Windows on the World (WOW) Program

In June 2009, Minneapolis high school students came to MCTC to learn computer security. They participated in a two week long “Career and College Experience” with various activities in five different career fields. Firasat Khan, the Center’s security project manager, taught students the importance of being knowledgeable computer and Internet users through the “S.H.I.E.L.D.” program. Through the S.H.I.E.L.D. components, Security Smarts, Hardening Hardware, Internet Interactions, Electronic Ethics, Layered Lockdown, and Digital Defense), students learned about encryption, secure passwords, detecting phishing email, and components of setting up a secure network.

High Tech Girls Day

Advance IT MN in collaboration with Minneapolis Community and Technical College, offered a half-day intensive experience in IT. In March 2009, 40 Minneapolis high school junior and senior girls in the High Tech Girls program engaged in learning about IT careers through a hands-on computer rebuild class, toured the MNSCU IT department and interviewed women in that department, enjoyed a luncheon Q&A session with panel of women IT professionals and an interactive presentation outlining various careers in the IT industry.

Career Fairs

Advance IT Minnesota partnered with Inver Hills Community College, Metropolitan State University, and Minneapolis Community and Technical College bring an IT-specific component to the fairs by recruiting IT employers for spring 2009 Career Fairs.

MPower Math & Science Camp for Girls

The Center was a sponsor for Metropolitan State’s Summer MPower Math & Science Camp for Girls. This comprised a week of hands-on activities, field trips, science and math projects, games, and making new friends for middle-school girls. One participant, who had taken a leadership role in the group, said she wasn’t very excited about a math camp when her parents told her she was going, but by the end of the week found she really had a lot of fun.

What IT Career Fits Me?

“What IT Career Fits ME?” an online, IT specific career assessment is available on MnITcareers.org for IT students and alumni.  Our specialized-for-IT MAPP (Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential) assessment matches an individual’s MAPP profile to 25 different IT jobs and indicates the best fit.

You will find the complete MAPP narrative, plus comparison of your motivation to various IT careers, job tasks ranked by your preferences, and personal factors such as leadership, social, interpersonal and how you best learn and retain information.

Women in Technology

Advance IT MN was instrumental in coordinating a group of industry professionals and educators who brought Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Economist and Founding President of the Center for Work-Life Policy, to the MHTA spring conference as one of the keynote speakers. The aim of the group was to highlight the importance of retaining women in science and technology careers. A break out session was also planned, featuring a panel of women from Medtronic, Adventium Labs, General Mills and 3M, discussing policies and practices their companies employ to retain women. Additionally, the Center sponsored scholarships for professionals in transition to attend.

Student E-Bulletin

A new benefit this past year for MNSCU students,  the E-bulletin is emailed one to two times monthly to keep students appraised of current and upcoming IT career development events, scholarships, IT articles, and career and job search tips.

Computer Geek U

IHCC offered their always popular program again in August and in December 2009. This course provides an excellent introduction to the IT industry and interactive exposure to personal computers, hardware, and operating systems. Individuals participate in hands-on activities and lab-based learning to become familiar with various hardware and software components and discover best practices in maintenance and safety.

After School Tech

From January through April 2010, students will be learning the necessary computer skills to excel in a digital world.  The course is made up of three modules and prepares students for the IC3 Internet and Computing Core Certificate Exam.