Career Placement
It is important to help graduates with their resumes, letters, etc for interviews. A lot of candidates have a degree or a diploma but lack a good personal presentation. The placement departments need to assist in this area as well.
Some institutions assist in career placement where there are institutions that do not. It does not make institutions that do not provided career placement any less valuable to the student. Many students currently have employment or careers and are looking to enhance their education for advancement purposes only.
Ignacio,
It is required by rule to provide placement services which does not translate to a formal career department. You can provide career counseling services, such as resume buiding, access to websites that are hiring, etc.
Patty Aronoff
Patty,
I am quite interested in this matter. More precisely, I would like to know exactly how far this obligation goes: Are all licensed institutions required to have a formal career department, or is their obligation an abstract requirement to assist their students in finding a new job when they ask for assistance?
We are an online Business School with our main campus in Florida, but almost all of our students live and work outside of the United States. They come from a wide variety of countries, most of which we have no presence or direct contact with. How are we supposed to grant placement services in this context?
Also, we are specialized in post graduate programs, which include as admission requirements working experience by the candidates. Our students are almost always already working, and they rarely enroll with us because they feel we can help them directly find a new job. Actually, they seldom, if ever, ask for placement assistance on our part. Again, how far does our obligation to offer placement services go in this context?
Sandra,
All schools are required to provide placement assistance. It is in the best interest of the school to make this a top priority.
Patty Aronoff
Until now, I did not know that an Institution was required to do Career Placement! I totally agree with you, and I think it would be a plus for the student if the institution could provide this kind of service service. Very good idea!
Patty,
You struck a chord when you say "e-market". With today’s technology it is possible to interview even while your body is not there.
Many Universities are asking for a video recording of the student answering a set of questions as a pre-admission requirement.
Companies in Japan are hiring candidates in the U.S. via video-phone conferencing.
Social media like LINKEDIN offer the potential to be "found" by the way the user sets his/her profile and makes connections.
Youtube.com offers the potential to be constantly available to the world via video recordings.
And I can keep going on and on. My point is that while career services at many learning institutions offers an invaluable service, I believe they are still growing into today’s technology to help students attain the necessary knowledge to fully market themselves.
I truly hope that in the future, the full spectrum of possible avenues is taught to our graduating classes. As a matter of fact I would like to see career services develop into somewhat of a class setting in and of itself.
Stephanie,
Thank you for posting your personal experience. You have shared an important point of services. Our schools are judged by placement effectiveness.
Patty Aronoff
We have students of all our ages here, so I can only imagine the varying levels of knowledge they have when it comes to knowing where to look for jobs, how to get your foot in the door, and how to impress in an interview.
I was glad to see that our school offers resume and portfolio building assistance, interview practices, and helping the student to look for jobs. The best part is that this service is even offered to the student after they graduate.
I really plan to emphasize the value of these services by sharing with students my own experiences. Some interview questions can really catch you off-guard; I once was asked about my workplace flaws. I wasn't prepared with an answer, so I didn't have time to think of what they wanted to hear. I ended up saying that I am not a quick learner, which I am sure did not make me sound too promising. A service like the one provided at our school could've made me more confident and prepared.
ARIELYS,
Placement duties are best done by staff who know the community. Their network of employers and the building of relationships is critical to their success.
Patty Aronoff
What is the most effective way to improve the placement department? or what the best type of person to hire for such?
Fernando,
We need to create a new personal brand with the student. They have learned and created a new knowledge/skill set and that needs to e marketed.
Patty Aronoff
Fernando,
We need to create a new personal brand with the student. They have learned and created a new knowledge/skill set and that needs to be marketed.
Patty Aronoff
