Robert Pearl Starks

Robert, Some schools have accounts that are controlled by others and they are typically for Lead Generation purposes which is a completely different objective than what career services has in mind. How can your career services department use social media to accomplish your objectives? First, identify your objectives and then ask yourself how social media simply plays a role...not THE role. Try to use social media not merely to disseminate information, but to drive the action you need. Think in marketing terms - what are the "conversions" you want to occur? Is this using a blog to build traffic (Audience),… >>>

Robert, Exclusive job listings result from close partnerships and these take time to develop. While there is no road map on how to develop these types of partnerships, let me share with you my experience. I found that going above and beyond with employers to understand their needs was the first initial step in developing a close partnership. This meant, I would visit their location, speak with the hiring managers, and ask for an opportunity to be seen as a free resource to do their sourcing and staffing. I would train my advisors to pre-screen candidates, to go through mock… >>>

Robert, Of all the lines you could have selected from the content, I find it so insightful that you have chosen to discuss this because it is dead on! That single concept alone which can be so seemingly simple isn't and it is the perspective required to truly understand the value of a social media strategy. The other reason it is so insightful is because it will guide realistic expectations when pursuing a strategy because just as relationships are long-term, so to is a social media strategy for the department and results are somewhat like a snowball - they are… >>>

Mary, Does you school have any required programs or courses for students? Here is a small sample of some I'd like to toss out for everyone and hope to see the list of interventions grow: ● Required Career Preparation courses as part of core curriculum ● A series of required career services seminars ● Periodic portfolio and/or department chair/lead instructor panel reviews after so many credit hours have been completed as "career-readiness" checkpoints ● Student school-to-work transition programs that focus on career management skills or leadership programs ● Volunteer/service-learning programs or real-world community-based projects ● Networking programs ● Interdisciplinary projects… >>>

What methods/tools do you find most valuable in ensuring transfer of knowledge to performance in your employee development efforts?