By Dylan Bradley/ne news editor

TCC students have an advantage in a competitive job market with career services.

College graduates are currently underemployed, with 37 percent of employed college graduates in positions that do not require a high school diploma, according to a report from the Center for College Affordability and Productivity last year.

NE academic advisor Irene Lucado said taking core classes teaches students critical thinking, and that is what is really valued.

According to a Monster.com article, the best tool to showcase the skills learned and initiative taken is the resume. It also stated that resumes should be tailored to the specific job being applied for, and getting an education in the field relating to the job is a specific strength.

Career services offices are located on each campus and offer resources for student job seekers, including web-based tools and one-to-one coaching.

“It’s such a competitive workforce, you need to be developing skills along the way in addition to what you are learning in the classroom,” said Sandra Walker, NE career services coordinator.

“Working on a degree shows that they’re taking initiative to get advanced education and improve their skills on the educational level,” she said.

NW student Garrett Dodd had a similar opinion.

“It looks good that someone has some kind of priority other than just working a minimum-wage job or that you’re striving toward some kind of goal,” he said.

NW student Adam Straight works in the food industry. He goes to TCC so he can transfer to a four-year school, get his bachelor’s degree and become an accountant or math teacher.

“Something that involves math, numbers and people,” he said. “You know the saying: ‘If you shoot for the moon, you’ll land in the stars.’”