Sheri LeachCHEP

Chasminh, on campus job fairs can be very productive and can also be a lot of work. What strategies have you employed to allow you to be so successful with hosting about 30 employers on campus every two months? Have you implemented a system that allows you to track interview activity and hires as a result of these events?

Vivian and Lazara, you both mentioned the value of strong alumni partnerships. And you are both correct, strong alumni partnerships and interactions are valuable for a variety of reasons. One of the greatest pleasures for a Career Services Professional is when a successful alumni calls the career office to hire another graduate! Do either of you see the value in a program where an alumni is paired up (as a mentor) with a current student? Why or why not.?

Lazara, the lack of jobs in a geographical area is a challenge. In an area with many career colleges, the challenge you face is to become the number one source and the first call employers make when they have an available position. How can you differentiate yourself and your students/graduates so you will get those calls?

Vivian, you make two great points. Availability of jobs and market fluctuations can definitely be a challenge to employment. As we know, relationships are the key to our success. How do you maintain a healthy relationship with employers who do not currently have job openings? I want to say, Kudos to you for educating your students on how to become self-employed. Self-employment can be very fulfilling, but also difficult. What are some best practices that you share with your students to empower them to become successful and maintain gainful employment as a self-employed professional?

Chasminh, failing to meet the state mandated requirements for employment is definitely a common barrier. There are strategies that can be applied to ensure more students take the exams and pass. What are some examples of the specific training that you have initiated for your students, and have you seen positive results?

Identify at least one new event programming idea you learned in the course that you would like to see your institution implement (Job Skills Olympics, Job Fairs, Networking Mixers, Industry/Alumni Speakers, Intern/Extern/Volunteer Fairs). How do you believe this would improve graduate employment outcomes?

Which of the following experiential learning opportunities mentioned in the course does your institution implement (Service Learning, Internships, Externships, Co-ops, Interdisciplinary Projects, Work-Study), and how would you evaluate the success of each?

Does your institution’s career services department assess student employability skills and barriers to success prior to offering interventions? If so, what assessment is used and how are interventions applied? If not, how does the staff personalize interventions to ensure that the best approach is applied to each student?

Does your institution currently consider how enrollment management plans impact employment rates, or is there often a discrepancy between the goals of admissions and the goals of career services? How would you recommend this gap be closed, and/or what strategies has your organization successfully implemented?

What are some new opportunities for improved partnerships you believe your institution should adopt to move forward?