Laney College has 10,084 current students. Eagle Hire, Laney’s online job search database, has 474 student accounts.

While some community college students are lifelong learners and aren’t searching for a job, it seems unlikely that fewer than 5 percent of Laney students need jobs.

Raya Zion is the Laney Employment Services Center (LESC) manager. She is brimming with support for students who need jobs, and yet she’s finding that the information is just not getting to the students who need it.

So, the LESC is reaching out.

They’re holding more job fairs than ever before, including three in April alone. They’re also catering to the students in a more strategic way than before. LESC’s most recent job fairs have been tailored to specific departments, like bioscience or skilled trades, and were planned for times when students in those departments are most likely to be on campus.

They have started an Instagram account, @EagleHire, to increase visibility. “We’re not doing enough,” Zion said, despite their consistent outreach efforts. To Zion, it’s not enough because “we’re not where I want us to be.”

LESC is more than a list of jobs. Eagle Hire is just one of the resources for students, and of course, the job fairs are another.

But they can also help students in many stages of their job search.

They are a great resource for interview preparation, and can even help students find professional clothing to wear. Students can make appointments for one-on-one career counseling. The center even has access to programs that set students up with a free phone, as those are increasingly necessary in the job market.

Lynna Wong is a director in the employment services center. She got her job through the center, after it helped her find a temporary job in the biosciences field. She is working with Zion to reach out to students so that they can benefit as she did from their assistance.

Even though the LESC has connections to over 700 employers that offer a wide variety of positions, it is a very small number of students taking full advantage of what they offer.

Companies like Tesla, Comcast, Bank of America, and others table at the job fairs, offering the chance to meet with employers in person while applying for positions. Students who are signed up on Eagle Hire will receive notifications about upcoming job fairs, as well as a list of companies that will appear.

If you’re in community college and looking for a career, there’s no reason not to use the LESC. 
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The center is in Tower 201. More information can be found online at http://www.laney.edu/wp/employment. Students can sign up for Eagle Hire at https://laney-csm.symplicity.com.