Hinds Community College Blog

Do You Possess These Skills?

• Business skills. They must manage every aspect of their business. This includes reaching out to prospective clients, handling their finances, and advertising their services.

• Interpersonal skills. Strong interpersonal skills are essential for employees in business and marketing management, because they spend much of their time interacting with supervisors, staff and clients. To attract and keep clients, they must be pleasant, enthusiastic, and trustworthy. 

• Organizational skills. Business and marketing managers must be able to work independently, managing their own time and organizing, planning, and prioritizing their work.

If you answered yes, then you possess some of the skills needed to be successful in the world of marketing management. Other skills used in this industry are computer skills as well as proficiency using social media of all forms. Business and marketing managers must have excellent oral and written communication skills as well as the ability to establish and maintain personal relationships with supervisors, staff members and clients.  It is beneficial for persons in this field to be mature, creative, highly motivated, flexible and decisive. 

What Marketing Managers Do?

Marketing involves creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging ideas, goods, or services that have value to customers and is one of the major components of business management. The success of a business is crucial to understanding the importance of marketing. At some point in an individual’s career they will most likely engage in activities related to marketing. 

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers coordinate their companies' market research, marketing strategy, sales, advertising, promotion, pricing, product development, and public relations activities. In small firms, the owner might assume all responsibilities while in large firms an executive vice president directs overall advertising, marketing, promotions, sales, and public relations policies. 

Will I Be Able To Find Employment?

In every business around the globe, regardless of type, marketing and management is the root of them all. All businesses buy and sell products or services of some type. They advertise, conduct community public relations, manage employees and business operations, and utilize computer technologies through the Internet, inventory systems, multimedia, social media, and e-commerce.  If not for marketing and management, the standard of living we all enjoy throughout the country would not exist. 

In fact, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security projects 3,320 new jobs in Sales and Related Occupations for the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area through 2018 with first-line supervisors/managers earning an entry-level wage of $11.38 to $19.32 per hour as of April 2012.  MDES also projects 130 new jobs by 2018 in Management Occupations with entry-level wage estimates at $19.27 per hour or $40,080 per year.  Professional positions and the opportunities for advancement are unlimited for those with initiative and ability. 

Need More Information?

The Marketing Management Technology program of study is designed to provide specialized occupational instruction in management, e-business, advertising, public relations, human resources, professional sales, and multimedia presentations.  In the program, students design advertising campaigns, create a business plan for opening a new business, create a corporate training manual, develop PowerPoint presentations for business, and utilize numerous additional hands-on learning projects related to business and marketing.

This program is located on the Rankin and Raymond campuses of Hinds Community College.  For more information about the Raymond Campus Marketing Management program, contact Ebony Robinson via email at Ebony.Robinson@hindscc.edu or by phone at 601.857.3228.  For more information about the Rankin Campus Marketing Management program, contact Jane Foreman via email at JEForeman@hindscc.edu) or by phone at 601.936.5502. 

 
What do you want to be when you grow up? Oscar Wilde once said: "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Just start exploring what your interests are and you’ll find exactly what you were meant to be by following your dreams. Be wary of those who tell you “you’ll never make any money doing that” or “you should be a...” and then there is that famous “that’s not a career”. 

Do You Possess These Qualities?

• Concentration.

• Customer-service skills.

• Manual dexterity.

• Physical stamina.

• Physical strength.

If your answer is yes then the Meat Merchandising Program (located on the Raymond Campus of Hinds Community College) might be a career path you should explore.

The Meat Merchandising Program is designed to give students the opportunity to master the skills necessary for success in meat merchandising, which includes slaughtering, chilling, aging, quartering, cutting, and inspecting pork, beef, lamb, poultry, and fish. Students are also given the opportunity to learn various types of marinating, seasoning, smoking, grills, roasting and frying of foods.

What Butchers and Meat Cutters Do?

Butchers and meat cutters cut and trim meat from larger, wholesale portions into steaks, chops, roasts, and other cuts. They then prepare meat for sale by performing various duties, such as weighing meat, wrapping it, and putting it out for display. In retail stores, they also may wait on customers and prepare special cuts of meat upon request.

Butchers and meat cutters in meat processing plants may have a more limited range of duties than those working in a grocery store or specialty meat shop. Because they typically work on an assembly line, those in processing plants usually perform one specific function—a single cut—during their shift.

Butchers and meat cutters use sharp tools such as knives, grinders, or meat saws. They must follow sanitation standards when cleaning equipment, counter tops, and working areas in order to prevent meat contamination.

Some butchers run their own retail store. In these settings, they usually track inventory, order supplies, and perform other recordkeeping duties.

Are The Jobs Going To Be There?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of butchers and meat cutters is projected to grow 5% from 2012 to 2022. As more people demand pre-cut, partially prepared, and easy-to-cook meat products, butchers and meat cutters will be needed to prepare them. The popularity of various meat products such as sausages, cured meats, or specialty cuts is expected to result in demand for butchers and meat cutters in grocery and specialty stores.

Need More Information?

This program is located on the Raymond campus of Hinds Community College.  For more information, contact Chad Davis via email at Chad.Davis@hindscc.edu or by phone at 601.857.3719. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? Do you possess communication skills, creativity, a competitive spirit and strong visualization skills? If you answered yes to any of these qualities, you should explore Fashion Merchandising as a career path. 

Fashion Merchandising is a program of study designed to provide specialized instruction in all phases of fashion merchandising in order to prepare students for careers in the fashion and its related professions such as manager, wardrobe consultant, buyer, sales representative, visual merchandiser and boutique owner.  A combination of classwork and practical experience is stressed. In the program, students sketch fashion designs, create a fashion line, design fashion trend boards, apply various makeup application techniques, design digital fashion makeovers, create textiles, sample box and create numerous other fashion projects. Some students also take an introductory sewing class.  

What Fashion Merchandisers Do?

Fashion merchandising jobs require a blend of fashion, marketing, and business expertise. Fashion merchandising incorporates all of the processes in the fashion business ranging from producing, product development, promoting, and buying and selling fashion items, such as clothing, accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, and shoes. Essentially, fashion merchandisers select items to purchase that are then sold in their stores, creatively display products to customers, and develop other strategies to resourcefully market their merchandise. A fashion merchandiser may work for a textile manufacturer, a designer, or a fashion retail store.

Where Are The Jobs In This Field?

According to the Mississippi Department of Labor, jobs in retail trades are projected to be the second highest area of job growth in Mississippi over the next ten years with approximately 5,000 new jobs being created in Central Mississippi in retail, clothing, accessories, and general merchandise stores. In fact, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security projects 3,320 new jobs in Sales and Related Occupations for the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area through 2018 with first-line supervisors/managers earning an entry-level wage of $11.38 to $19.32 per hour as of April 2012. MDES also projects 1300 new jobs by 2018 in Management Occupations with entry-level wage estimates at $19.27 per hour or $40,080 per year. High energy professional fashion positions and the opportunities for advancement are unlimited for those with initiative and ability.

Need More Information?

This program is located on the Rankin and Raymond campuses of Hinds Community College.  For more information about the Fashion Merchandising program located on the Raymond campus, contact Ebony Robinson (Ebony.Robinson@hindscc.edu) at 601.857.3228.  For more information about the program on the Rankin campus, contact Jane Foreman (JEForeman@hindscc.edu) at 601.936.5502. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? From a young age it was just understood that I was going to college. I would have to figure out what I wanted to be but, I was going. College wasn’t an option; it was just an afterthought...an extension of high school you might say. It would be where I would learn to make a living because everyone works these days. With that being said, you need some common knowledge to know which career path to go down. 

• Analytical skills

• Detail oriented

• Math and computer skills

• Mechanical skills

• Stamina

• Technical skills

If you answered "yes" to any of these qualities, Machine Tool Technology might just be the career option for you.

• Work from computer-aided design (CAD) or computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) files,  blueprints, or sketches

• Set up, operate, and tear down manual, automatic, or computer numeric controlled (CNC) machine tools

• Install, align, secure, and adjust cutting tools and work pieces

• Monitor the feed and speed of machines

• Turn, mill, drill, shape, and grind machine parts to specifications

• Measure, examine, and test completed products for defects

• Compute and verify dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of work pieces

• File, grind, and adjust parts so that they fit together properly

• Test completed tools or dies to ensure that they meet specifications

• Inspect for proper dimensions and defects

• Smooth and polish surfaces of tools and dies

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for machinists and tool and die makers should be excellent as employers continue to value the skills of these workers.  Employers in certain parts of the country including Mississippi report difficulty attracting skilled workers and apprenticeship candidates with the abilities necessary to fill job openings. Manufacturers continue to rely heavily on skilled machinists as they invest in new equipment, modify production techniques, and implement product design changes more rapidly. Machinists are still necessary to set up, monitor and maintain automated CNC machine tools.  Typical jobs filled by students who have completed this program include apprentice machinists, production machinists and maintenance machinists. 

Need More Information?

This program is located on the Raymond campus of Hinds Community College.  For more information, contact Norman Trimble via email at Norman.Trimble@hindscc.edu or give him a call at 601.857.3423. 

January 2015 marks my eighth anniversary as the head of Public Relations at Hinds Community College. I came here after a career in journalism, including nearly 25 years at The Clarion-Ledger, 17 of those as an education writer.

I began work here on Jan. 8, 2007, with my first event being the annual spring convocation. I believe the first story I wrote was about that year’s emeritus class when we honored the late Vashti Muse, Bob Dunaway and Adam Jenkins for their service to Hinds. Just a few days ago, I finished a release honoring retirees Rebecca Tustain and Dr. Dan Hogan who were named as this year’s emeritus honorees. Hogan retired the first year I worked at Hinds.

Working at a higher education institution is very different from working at a newspaper, of course. I was surprised at how heavy and fast-paced the workload was, just like newspaper work was. But there is a lot more variety in my job duties. On any given day, I may escort a television crew to an interview about our new tobacco-free policy, teach a class of student journalists in a publications class, participate on a committee discussing student services policies or write a feature story about a graduate for our alumni magazine.

The variety and the fast pace keep me busy – and, I hope, fresh.

I’ve had the pleasure of covering lots of big events at Hinds. I thought in celebration of my eight years here I would spotlight a few of the stories I’ve covered at Hinds each year. These aren’t necessarily the biggest of the year in terms of news value – but important to me.

2007 - In April, Hinds gained 60 acres of land along I-20 next to our Rankin Campus and Pearl High School. The Garner family including Ronnie, Sigrid and their son T.I. donated 40 acres of land and the Rankin County Board of Supervisors purchased another 20 acres for the college.

The land acquisition more than doubled the size of the Rankin Campus, which has the second highest enrollment of Hinds’ six locations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next year, in 2008, the college unveiled the expansion plans for what is now the Clyde Muse Center, with a 3,000-seat auditorium. Opening in 2011, the Muse Center has been the location for fabulous Hinds events, plus it has been booked for events ranging from high school graduations to trade shows to conferences.

2009 – Hinds broke a credit enrollment record of more than 12,000 students. On the first day of fall classes, students parked on Hinds Boulevard on the Raymond Campus because there were no available spaces.  I remember having to park there myself when I returned from someplace and there were no parking spaces.

2010 - In May, we hosted for the first time what has become an annual tradition – a field trip at Renfroe Stadium for Hinds County special education students. I’ve worked that event several times and it’s always fun and heart-warming. Hinds employees and students probably have as much fun as the kids do. That same spring, Hinds began the first district wide GED graduation, which has also become an annual event.  The first year 84 GED achievers participated. I love hearing their inspiring stories of why they decided to get their GED. Many times, it’s to be a role model for their children or grandchildren.

 

2011 - Hinds Honors student Tameka Wilson was elected as the first Phi Theta Kappa International officer from Hinds when she won the job of president from among a field of 10 candidates. I got to know Tameka a bit and was impressed with her drive and determination.

2012 - A beautiful new classroom building at Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center was named for the late trustee Jobie Martin. That building continues to win awards for its innovative and energy efficient design. We also opened two new residence halls on the Raymond Campus, one for women and one for men, a much needed boost to our residential life.

2013 – Hinds and Mississippi University for Women inked a partnership allowing culinary arts students to get their bachelor’s degree at Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center. This partnership is among many we have with state public and private universities that benefit Hinds graduates and, in some cases, our employees.

Kendra Conley, one of my former students on the Hindsonian staff, was surprised when her dad who had been deployed in Afghanistan as a sergeant in the Army made it to her May graduation.  He had videotaped a message to her but managed to get home in time to see her get her diploma. Getting all of that arranged made for a hectic but exciting day.

Graduation is probably my one most favorite event to cover. I love seeing the excitement in the faces of the graduates and their families, especially the nursing graduates.

2014 – We spotlighted our Unmanned Aerial Vehicle program at John Bell Williams Airport at spring convocation that included special guest Mississippi first lady Deborah Bryant.  We also opened the new George Ball Simulation Center at Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center that is a huge boost for our nursing and allied health students as a way to practice their clinical skills. And exciting for us sports fans – the Hinds Eagle baseball team came within a hair of winning the national title in baseball at the World Series in Enid, Okla.

In between all of these stories I’ve singled out, there have been lots of events that we have every year, sometimes several times –graduations, convocations, legislative meetings, employee and student award recognitions, homecoming and the annual April golf tournament, among many others. All of these stories have one big thing in common: They’re all about the people of Hinds Community College, students, employees or members of our community.

It’s been a great run so far, and I’m looking forward to many more years to come.