Current Flathead Valley Community College students and recent grads talked about the harrowing jump from school to the real world Feb. 5 in the Digital Portfolio course.

Eight recent FVCC grads in the graphic design and web technology programs came to detail their experience to students.

Dawn Rauscher, the web technology and graphic design program director, said the panel went better than she could have expected.

“I emailed all of the students thinking maybe two or three would show up,” she said of her panel members. “They all responded. I was really impressed by the students in the course preparing so well and having such professional questions.”

In her programs, 15 are en route to graduating this spring. Many of the questions dealt with how to seek out jobs.

Tyler Rasmussen, a recent graduate and current employee of The ZaneRay Group, a Whitefish web design firm, gave hope to the nervous students.

“Employers are looking for technical skills,” he said. “But they are also looking for raw material, for potential. I learned a solid skill set here but was able to learn more out there.”

Pete Francisco, an employee of Whitefish web design firm Wheelie Creative, agreed with Rasmussen.

“The basics were the most helpful thing I learned here,” he said. “But our industry is constantly changing and you have to keep learning. I thought I graduated and learned it and that was it. Not the case.”

Rauscher makes calls to local firms for her students at the end of their Associate of Applied Science degrees. 

“Our program is preparing students for the work force,” she said. “That specific course helps them with all the tools they need to get out there and get employed.”

The Digital Portfolio Preparation course teaches students how to make resumes, cover letters and how to interview for a job. One of the final projects in the course is a realistic work interview, helped out by local employers.

“Sometimes the panel really hires the students,” Rauscher said.

The programs offer skills that are in high demand and can lead to jobs with competitive salaries, she said. 

One of the program’s adjunct professors, Lisa Slagle, is the founder and owner of Wheelie Creative, which employed Francisco after he received his degree from Flathead Valley Community College. 

The skills are so in demand that companies scramble for graduates of the program. Amy Stewart, working as a software engineer at Vubiquity, a video content managing service, said some companies will take a leap of faith if the person has a good portfolio to show off.

“I think it was definitely competitive,” she said. “Some people are sticklers for four-year degrees, but for most the certificate was just fine. You can’t know everything, so you have to be able and willing to learn on the job.”

The Graphic Design program allows students to earn associate’s degrees or a certificates of applied science. The Web Technology program offers associate’s degrees. 

For more information, contact Rauscher at [email protected] or the Main Office at 756-3822.