We really need to develop a library of resources for our students in reference to job search skills and life skills. Any suggestions on some good resources?
Hi Wanda
Great idea to offer a professional development course. It is important to develop a work mindset in students before they embark on the job search. Getting a job is more than writing a resume or learning how to fill out forms. There are also work ethic skills, learning how to stay on the job,how to advance, negotiate for a better position and salary, and more.
Sounds like a great course.
Best wishes
Susan
Betty Sue,
We too advertise the survivor jobs, but we only place ads for those minimum salaried positions. With that you have less chance of them utilizing those jobs as careers.
We also teach a course called Professional Development. It goes a little further than giving them skills in job search preparation.
Some of the topics covered are: Employer expectations; Self-Concept, Self-Esteem and Self-Disclosures; Verbal/non-verbal Communication and Listening skills. All of which are also important aspects in helping preparing them for employment.
Hi Laurie
Sounds like you are a branch campus? Perhaps your coprorate offices have career services strategies in place that you can customize to your area. You might check. Meeting with employers in the area is great. Actually it's important to keep in contact with both employers and prospective employers. They can be great resources for you and can provide assistance for your job fairs, metnoring, practice interviews, and as speakers. Students need a lot of employment skills training. They learn more by hearing people talk about how to be successful getting a job and on the job, and by seeing and practicing. I'm discovering that having students read about employment skills is not as effective interaction. Sounds like you are doing a great job.
Best wishes
Susan
Dear Susan,
Our school is part of a large school system, however our school is new to the area. Our career services department has been meeting with employers to begin developing relationships for current and future graduates. We have also been working with the students individually and in the classrooms providing employability training. We think it is important to continually plan activities and events (job fairs, guest speakers, etc.)directed towards the ultimate goal of the graduate locating a position in their field of study.
Nancy
Great usable ideas. Web sites can be very effective way to get employers to post jobs. You are right - first you have to make a personal introduction via phone, meeting, or fax or email. Then the process usually flows.
Best wishes
Susan
Hi Nancy
Great idea to hold mock interviews. But working with 200 students will get challenging. Why not have alumni help, or employers, and people to act as mentors. Train them in the skills you think work. Then set appointments so all 200 students do get the interviewing skills and practice they need.
Best wishes
Susan
Alison:
Try a mailing or a fax to local offices highlighting your programs and your services to employers.
We are in the process of creating a flyer ~ stating of course that posting a job lead with the school is FREE, targets the right training to the right position and ensures proper training and background.
The flyer can be mailed, or delivered in person to local companies.
We have also recently put an "employer services" button on our website. From here they can fill out an job listing form, or contact us by phone.
In the three weeks since the button went on the website, I have had 7 job listings from it. Of course, I always make personal contact to introduce myself, and let them know we received the request.
Two months ago I did "mock interviews" with an entire class, one at a time, over the course of three days. The experience was excellent for both the students and myself. I gained insight into common mistakes made, and I got to know the students much better.
The feedback given to the students was well received by them, and all-in-all, they are more prepared.
The problem is, this was a class of 23 students, and the exercise required about 8 - 10 hours of my time. We have an enrollment of close to 200, and I simply do not have the time!
Hi Alison
Using the place of employment as an externship site is a great idea. The student and supervisor can plan meaningful projects that are beneficial to the student and the workplace.
Wouldn't it be great if working students could develop special projects at work so they can see their studies in action.
Best wishes
Susan
Hi Alison
Great job on your externships. You are really seeing the benefits. To ensure that you are the first to know about job openings where your grads are already placed, suggest you stay in contact with the employers. There are several ways.
With grads permission survey the employers asking for their opinions about the grad, your training, what should be added to your training, etc. Do whatever it takes to maintain a relationship with them. Demonstrate that your school is interested in producing work-ready staff for them.
Then you'll be able to find out about job openings early enough to place your students.
Best wishes
Susan
One way we have managed this is to place the externship which all our students must do in the final module before graduation. One group of our students can use a job as an externship if it relates to the program that they took at school. A number of our students have used this method, especially if funds are low, and have been able to complete, graduate, and have a job.
We use externships for all our students and it does account for a large number of our placements, students are hired upon completion of the externship. We also have some members of our Advisory Board who take students as externs. I would like to be able to expand the hiring from sites that have hired graduates previously. Ususally I do not find out about the openings until after they have been filled. How do some of you handle this situation?
Hi Sacey
Can you share with us the ways that you work with students on employment readiness and placement? If you work only through lead teachers, can you provide them with guidelines and materials so that what they offer is consistent and comprehensive in the area of preparing students for the world of work?
Best wishes
Susan
THis is a challenge for me aswell. I try to develop and maintain and excellent rapport with lead teachers to ensure feedback on skill levels and attitude of graduates. You can also have lead teachers complete a "survey" on students prior to graduating identifying their strengths and weaknesses
Hi Deborah
Congratulations. You have built a wonderful base for a career services department. More offerings than many established schools. You have put the foundation in for further growth.
Seems like you have two challenges. One is to market the career services to students and the other is to develop their work ethics. Marketing career services is an on-going task. This means well thought out strategies to reach everyone campus wide - faculty, staff, students, alumni, and employers. Lots of public relations. You might also make completion of career services workshops a requirement or a privilidge. To prepare students for the world of work you might consider inviting successful grads to talk about how to be successful on the job. Employers might also be willing to talk with students about the importance of good work ethics, how to negotiate salary, job retention, getting an increase, etc. Job shadowing and mentoring could work.
Keep up the good work.
Best wishes
Susan
I began working at this young technical school in August developing the Career Services department from the ground-up. I have implemented a job bank, hosted a career fair, taught resume writing workshops and held mock interviews. In addition to counseling students, I have networked within the employer community to increase the awareness of our program offerings. My challenge is to market my department to our students so that they are more prepared about the world of work when they enter the job market. We have a Career Managememt course that is taught out of the Business school and I am attempting to become more involved in the curriculum development for those courses since it seems that we may be lacking in that specific area. My main concern is centered around typical workplace behaviours and ethics that some of our students just aren't familiar with.
Hi Sundra
Yes, it does seem that your school is aware and supportive of running an effective career center. Your offerings sound great. My guess is that some students don't realize the value of the service or may not think it is for them. There are two possibilities to consider. One is to require students to complete career service offerings. The other is to establish eligibility criteria in order to take advantage of your career services. For example, the student must complete at least 1/2 of the course work or a certain number of modules in order to set their first appointment.
It's great that you will have a budget for books and materials. In the meantime, you could create a list of urls that relate to employment in the fields you teach, get subscriptions to local news papers, etc.
Looking forward to hearing more from you.
Best wishes
Susan
I work with all students who are graduating to prepare them for the world of work. This includes resume development, interviewing skills ( including mock interviews), completing applications and conducting a job search. Students are strongly encouraged, but not required, to participate. Having a current resume
is essential to assist them in identifying employment. I am able to e-mail or fax information as quickly as opportunities become known.
We need to have more resources,( books and journals ) available to our students. That is in the budget for next year and hope that we will be able to address.
Our college is keenly aware of the importance of Career Services/ Placement. All departments, admissions and faculty know how important it is to promote the college to prospective students and parents and say that someone will work with them to identify employment.
