STCC’s Career Services helps students land jobs, internships

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College is dedicated not only to providing students with unique education pathways, but also ensuring they are well-prepared to enter the workforce.

One of the most valuable resources available to students, Career Services, plays a crucial role in helping students fully prepare for their chosen careers.

In April 2024, Nathan Andary joined STCC as Director of Career Services and has brought with him a philosophy rooted in helping students and alumni find rewarding career paths.

“The Career Services office provides strategies on how to best build your career journey and profile, working from resume building and design to cover letter writing,” Andary said. “We work with students on interview skills, and a host of other considerations, that go toward supporting career success.”

Andary knows the modern workplace has evolved a great deal, with different sectors and industries adapting to new realities. STCC students come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences; STCC’s most recent graduating class featured graduates ranging from 18 years old to 77 years old. Approximately one-half of the students graduating in May 2024 were older than 24.

“Our students are parents; our students are caretakers of family members,” Andary said. “Career Services works with students and alumni to help them prepare for a career. We help with job or internship placements. I have a catchline: Your success is our wish.”

Your career planning shouldn’t wait until graduation. The more you get engaged in the beginning, the more confident you will get. Nathan Andary, Director of Career Services

Andary recently advised Sharay Salters, a business transfer student at STCC who is also the Student Government Association president during the 2024-2025 academic year. Salters describes herself as a nontraditional student, a mother of two children, one in high school and the other in elementary school.

Salters said she thinks a lot about her future and what type of career she might find after graduating from STCC.

“With the career services at STCC, I know I don’t have to be pushed out of the nest,” Salters said. “I don’t have to sink or swim. STCC provides support throughout the college experience, and even afterward.”

Andary showed Salters how to use Career Coach, an online tool with detailed job and salary trends. Users can fill out career assessments to see where their personality and skills align.

“One day I was walking past the Career Services office and the door was open, and that's when I had a lovely opportunity to meet the director, Mr. Andary,” Salters said. “He asked me what I was here for. I said I was a business student. He gave me a run through of everything that I can look into on the website. The first step was an assessment. After I took the assessment, I said, ‘Oh, my! That’s actually me! That’s who I am! It has given me opportunities about leadership positions and more details about managerial positions. I was wowed by that.”

Andary recommends students work with Career Services “the moment you come to campus.”

“Your career planning shouldn’t wait until graduation,” he said. “The more you get engaged in the beginning, the more confident you will get. You’re building knowledge through confidence vs. knowledge through fear. I wish for our students to not have fear. As they reach graduation, they will have gone through an internship. They will have gone through a practicum. They will have practiced it early on, and they will learn what they do and do not like.”

Career Services works closely with local and regional employers in presenting qualified students and alumni employment and internship opportunities.

Andary also works with faculty and staff who are encouraged to collaborate with Career Services on behalf of their students.

“We will connect your students with full and part-time employment opportunities as well as internship opportunities,” he said.

Students are encouraged to attend in-person career and college transfer fairs on campus. STCC will be hosting several such fairs throughout the academic year.

STCC Vice President of Student Affairs Darcey Kemp said Career Services bridges the gap between education and employment.

“We are committed to empowering our students with the tools and guidance they need to navigate the job market successfully,” Kemp said. “By connecting them with internships, job opportunities, and essential career skills, we help ensure that their education leads to meaningful, fulfilling careers.”

For more information about STCC career services, visit stcc.io/careerservices. Employers and students can contact Nathan Andary, Director of Career Services at nandary2401@stcc.edu or 413-755-5419 for full services, assistance, or information.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

• See All News