With all the challenges of life, choosing a career can be made easier with the help of the Career Advisement Center at Palo Alto College.

Palo Alto offers a wide range of instructional programs and occupational and technical education for advancement in the workforce.

“The leading majors students ask about are Business, Nursing, Education and Criminal Justice,” said Palo Alto Counselor Patty Parma. “Many students are interested in Toyota and what they can do to get into that field of work.”

According to the United States Department of Labor, Registered Nurses make up the largest part of the healthcare profession, with 2.3 million jobs. More new jobs are created for Registered Nurses than any other occupation. The U.S. Department of Labor also determined that Professional and Business Services Careers are some of the fastest growing industries and will create nearly five million jobs by the year 2011. Engineering Technology is another career that is expected to rise with the change in technology.

“Palo Alto courses are really hands-on and the teachers are really striving to make sure that you get the best education for your career,” said Sadiq Bandeali, a sophomore at Palo Alto majoring in Engineering Technology. “Engineering is a career that’s always in demand, so my future will be secure.”
Criminal Justice is a leading major at Palo Alto, and many students are looking into this career.

“Criminal Justice has always intrigued me,” said Daniel Gollihar, a freshman Criminal Justice major at Palo Alto. “Criminal Justice is a great way for me to help out the community, as well.”

Many students often do not know how to choose a career and are unsure about what careers are in demand in the San Antonio area. Luckily, there is help. Palo Alto has a Career Resource Center, and Lydia Ortega, the Senior Job Placement Specialist, will help students in every way she can to obtain employment and to determine which career suits them best.

Students can also search for careers themselves. The Palo Alto web page displays a Student Resource link, which guides students to online Career Services and Job Placement Services. These links offer students personality quizzes, which help determine what interests, skills and values a student may have for a certain career. Students can access this information on the computers in the Welcome/Advising Center or the Ozuna Learning Resources Center. The Career Resources Center is located in the in the Counseling Center.