Dr. Susan Schulz

Angela, We agree. Placement does begin with admissions. Let's face it - people want to go to career schools to get jobs. So the Career Services Director is a very important person. We have learned that many schools have the admissions and career service staff sit in the same offices! We also think that students should be required to complete employment skills training and meet with placement staff on a scheduled basis. Thanks, Susan Dr. Susan Schulz

Angela, Very well said. We believe that Placement can impact on every area of the school - enrollment, retention, and of course placement. Relationship building with employers, prospective employers, students, grads, and alumni are all key to success. All your constituency can be sources for job openings and can assist to train students in the job search process. Thanks, Susan Dr. Susan Schulz

Stephanie , Yes. a budget is a guide or road map. And like any map sometimes you have to change directions. The focus is on having a goal and a route to get there. There are rest stops where you ask - how are we doing? Let the information guide you. People are often afraid of a budget because it might point to all the wrong things and failures. The reality a plan and budget can also show where you are doing well and even exceed expectations. Thanks. Very thoughtful. Susan Dr. Susan Schulz

Stephanie , Good idea to learn from both the successes and challenges of others. Then make improvements.Many school owners are discovering the benefits of active alumni. Alumni are usually are happy to assist the school in all areas of operations starting with admissions. Just make the alumni feel valued and needed and provide lots of rewards and recognitions. MaxKnowledge has a course on Alumni Community development. Thanks, Susan Dr. Susan Schulz

Stephanie , Good idea for in-person interview - especially for massage therapy. We have found it is essential that prospective students understand the program - how challenging A & P might be, that they are working on their fellow students, that there are levels of undress. And we feel it is a must that prospective students have a massage. Surprisingly many haven't. To head off wrong information being given, you might want to consider a book of do's and don'ts and musts and must nots. Thanks, Susan Dr. Susan Schulz

Nancy, Great idea. Staying in touch with employers and developing relationships with non employers is sooo important. They will tell you about job openings now and in future and also externships, They can provide feedback about your training and give you information about training needs in the future. You are right. The only magic in creating these lists is for staff to get on the phone (with talking points to follow) and reach out to the community. Thanks, Susan Dr. Susan Schulz

Nancy, We agree. Students think that if they complete training they are also prepared for the task of seeking a job. As you know - not true. That means that career services should have required training, courses, and workshops to teach employment skills and competencies. Grads need to take the job search slowly enough for feedback at each step. Eventually they will improve. But feedback and hand holding is our watch word. Thanks, Susan Dr. Susan Schulz

Nancy, Thanks for your comments. Placement and Temp agencies might not be a good resource for entry level jobs. This points to career services kind of functioning as an inhouse placement service. Jobs are why our students enroll in our schools. So we think that should be a focus. Career schools have a responsibility for training students to be effective job seekers. They need lots of workshops, training, feedback, and handholding. That's what it takes to get to them to the water trough and get an employer to say yes. Thanks Dr. Susan Schulz

Joseph, Great to have a professional website. It's essential in this highly technical age and will probably save marketing dollars. Your talk show performance provides lots of publicity opportunities before, during, and after. Maybe it can also be posted on your website. Setting up an advisory board is often a challenge as you are discovering. Sometimes it pays to send out two or three times the invites. Also call with a follow up to explain the roles of the advisors. To get results it often takes many stategies and many repeats to promote. Thanks, Susan Dr. Susan Schulz