BIO63: Introduction to STEM Careers: Section 5811: Zoger A

Bio 63/Chem 63/Phys 63/Math63

Abigail Zoger  

•  azoger@santarosa.edu 
•  (707) 527-4524  
•  Baker 1824  
• Office Hours:  M 4-5pm, W 9:30-10:30am and by appointment 
• New Office Hour: 4-5pm on the Thursdays we have class
• Class: every other Thursday 5:30-7:30pm 
• Resources Page: Resources

Tentative Course Schedule: 

January 24th

• Student Information- fill this out
• Principles of Career Development:
• Begin Self Inventory Module                   

February 7th      

• Finish Self Inventory Module
• Begin Career Occupation Exploration Module                                                

February 21st   

• Continue Career Exploration Module
• Faculty Mentors visit (Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Math etc)                                      

 March 7th 

• Finish Career Exploration Module
• Begin Job Search Skills Module 

March 28th 

• Continue  Job Search Skills Module                               

April 11th

• Finish Job Search Skills Module
• Begin Career Plan Module                                                            

April 25th

• Continue Career Plan Module                                                         

May 9th : Meet in Lark 2039

• Finish Career Plan Module
• Faculty Mentors visit (Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Math etc)                                                             

May 23rd: Meet in Baker 1820

• Finals Week: Career Plan Presentation 
• Exit Survey                                             

 

Policies

• Attendance is required. Points will be deducted for absences unless cleared with the instructor before hand, or with documented excuse. 
• Grades will be assigned as follows:  A> 90%; B = 80-89%; C= 70-79%; D= 60-69%; 
• If taking Pass/No Pass you need at least 70% of the total class points and complete the final presentation.
• Students are expected to behave respectfully to each other and the instructor; not speaking when some one else is talking; arriving and leaving on time; getting up during class only in the case of emergencies. 
• Food and drink is allowed as long as it is not distracting to other students. For example it shouldn't have a strong odor or make noise ( no crinkly bags!)
• Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Student Code of Conduct page.
• Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. Students are encouraged to share information and ideas, but not their work. : SRJC Writing Center Lessons on avoiding plagiarism
• Accessibility : Every effort is made to conform to accessibility standards for all instructor-created materials. Students should contact their instructor as soon as possible if they find that they cannot access any course materials. Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources (527-4278).
• Emergencies  In case of an emergency where you would usually call 911, at Santa Rosa JC you must instead dial 527-1000 (from a cell phone) or 1000 (from a campus phone)for an immediate police response. In the event of an emergency during class that requires evacuation of the building, please leave the class immediately, but calmly to make sure everyone got out of the building safely. During lecture, gather in Bech Parking Lot. During lab, gather on the lawn between Baker and Bech. Wait to receive further instructions.  If you are a student with a disability who may need assistance in an evacuation, please see me during my office hours as soon as possible so we can discuss an evacuation plan.

Primary Goal for the Semester

Our STEM courses at SRJC do a good job of teaching students how to be successful in the classroom.  Students learn the essential material so that they can transfer and succeed in the increasingly demanding work of upper division courses.   However, students need to be taught how to find work and develop a career in addtion to how to study and master cotent.  If we want students to study that which they are passionate about, we need to teach them how to get a job in that field.  That is the purpose of this course

 

One important piece of information is that job hunters and employers do not prefer the same methods for filling vacancies/finding employment.

 

 

 

As you can see from this  diagram ( from What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles), employers want to  hire someone they know already, or someone that they have some guarantee will be of a  high quality.  This means they want someone with recommendations, evidence of past work or accomplishments. This implies that in order to get a job, you need to already have done the job or worked for the employer. Which leads to the obvious question: how do you get on this merry-go-round?

That is what this course is designed to accomplish: teach you some important principles and skills to solve this dilemna.  

• Self-knowledge/Self Inventory: 

  • We need to define who and what we are and then look for the work/jobs that fit us.  This provides a wider array of options   If I try to squeeze myself into the mold of what I think already exists, then I'm limited.Furthermore, what we like to do, is what we are good at.
  • Transferable skills: part of self-inventorying is assessing what are my skills. Skills such as synthesizing data can be applied in many different areas.  Biotechnology companies need people with these skills, but so does the business side of the house. 

• Prioritization:

  • We each have many different skills as well as different needs.  We need to learn what is most important to use in each stage of our life/career so that we can focus our time and energy. Here is link to a digital version of prioritization grids.

• Research:

  • We need to investigate and research the opportunities available in the fields that we're interested in. This requires learning about the field but also that we begin to build relationships with people in the field. Networking is a key component of finding work (becoming someone that the employer's colleagues know). 

• Planning

  • Finally, we need to learn what is required of people in our field and create a plan to acquire those skills, courses, experiences .

The modules of this course are designed to teach you these principles  

1. Self Inventorying Module will cover self inventorying, prioritization grids and skills assessment
2. Career Research Module will cover how to research occupations as well as introduce you to key research techniques such as networking, informational interviewing.
3. Job Seeking Skills Module will focus on some essential skills such as how to write a resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile.
4. Career Planning Module will guide you through creation of a plan that incompasses your plan for your time at SRJC and your transfer institution through to your first job.