Very good point, James. Students need to learn to write up their resumes to highlight their accomplishments. This helps the student with self esteem issues as well. Thanks, Susan
This is a great strategy, James, and can probably work with most students. However we feel that there should be full disclosure in admissions. And if the admissions folks don't understand why then they need to be trained on the fact that some careers do have barriers that are a result of backgrounds that can't be fixed. Thanks, Susan
Claudia: Many jobs that we don't think of as ideal still have quantifiable results that can show a prospective employer that the candidate can handle their particular job. For example instead of saying "Cashier at Grocery Store" one could say "Served over 100 customers a day, assuring that their groceries were tallied correctly and packaged quickly." There are always quantifiable results that can show achievement.
The greatest challenge I've faced in trying to help a student with a "background" is that the student doesn't always see it as a barrier. The first thing I do is sit with the student and have him or her tell me what they think might be the problem with their particular background as it relates to employment. When they come up with the answers then the realization of what they need to do to overcome the objections they might face is easier to accept. I can then work with the student to prepare a strategy for overcoming the negative aspects of the background.
I strogly encourage all my students to input good jobs as thier exp, I always take off their retail exp even if they have many years exp.
I think a professional resume should only include the IMPORTANT JOBS.
We strongly believe in externships wherever possible. We also believe that the experience should be formalized. There needs to be a set of competencies the student has to perform and be rated on. We also feel that there needs to be lots of evaluations, pre- and post-tests, supervisor evaluation, and student evaluation. The externship for many is the only work experience they can show. It has to be rigorous. The greater the rigor the more confidence the student will have during the job search. Thanks, Susan
Our Medical students are required to do 120 hours of externship before graduation where they do go into Dr. offices and really put what they have learned into practice. It really helps me to place students because I get feedback from the Dr. offices on their strengths and weakness and I can make suggestions to the students as to what type of work environment we should look to place them in. I tell all my students that it is extremely important that I get an updated resume with the extern site on it to show they have some experience.
Hi Jill, Really great points.It is a challenge when a student wants to train for a career where it is likely that can't qualify (ie criminal background.) What can you do so they can fulfill their interests yet know that they likely will not find employment. It takes a lot of creativity to get a related job. The student needs all the information to truly understand the obstacles they face. The school needs a clear admissions policy so students don't have to face these dilemmas.
Yes, looking for a job is a job. I think this mind set starts in admissions. You might want to see what your admissions people are telling prospective students. They may be saying that your placement department gets grads jobs. In addition, the idea of having to "work" to get a job might have to be threaded throughout the training experience for the student to really know it's up to them and that you provide guidance only.
As to seeking a job with no experience that is a problem often solved by requiring an intern- or externship. Some schools have great results where students are often hired by the internship site.
Hope these have given you some ideas to implement. Susan
My school's admissions department is very honest with students upfront about their chances of getting a job in health care if they have a criminal background. We run cori checks on every student and let them know the realities of the field before they sign up for a program. This seems to be effective in helping potential student decide whether or not they want to sign up. Perhaps other schools do this as well?
I have found that students who are serious about getting a job and who hang in there long enough will usually find work, if they are agreeable to working hard at it. Some students, however, expect that a job is going to be handed to them because they finished their training. This an attitude problem that I find to be the most challenging. I teach a course in Career Development and Employment issues, and I stress over and over that Looking for a job is a job, and you need to keep a positive attitude.
Furthermore, there is a problem with students who are trying to enter a new field with no relevant experience, they have to really go the extra mile and prove themselves to be even better than the average job candidate with years of experience. This is a big challenge in the health care industry especially for clinical jobs.
Hi Lucille
What great feedback. Sharing ideas and techniques is a great way to beef up all our career services departments and helps finding out things the hard or costly way. Keep measuring results and making changes. Good luck, Susan
Thank you so much for your wise advice. It is a continuing discussion concerning enrolling, retention and successful placement of our graduates once they have finished their program. I truly appreciate this forum where I can gain knowledge and experiences from my peers.
Lucille
Hi Lucille, Sounds like you are doing a great job at building self esteem, which is important for every student. Most students have issues with their pasts they have to get over. Felons have more to deal with. Your admissions people can start by not enrolling them in programs where they will be eliminated from getting a job. Susan
I find that students with criminal backgrounds face a particularly unique challenge in getting past their fears and built up defenses when getting into job placement.
We work at building up their strengths, customer service experience and computer skills to focus on positive attributes to bring to a company.
Hi Lawrence, All great ideas. For students with poor backgrounds, that could be an admissions issue, in our opinion. Of course it depends on your definition of poor backgrounds and whether it can be remediated. Some backgrounds simply eliminate people from certain employment. So they should not be admitted to those programs. Other deficiencies in background can be fixed if the student is willing and if you have an effective program. As to those with poor interview skills, etc. that's the job of the school placement department - to offer lots of programs to assist every grad to perform at their peak potential. Good luck, Susan
If I am dealing with "unplaceable" due to their background then I try to preemptively and honestly talk with potential employers about the candidate and explain why it shouldn't matter and how they have grown. If they are unplaceable because of bad interview skills, in addition to working with them, I ask friendly HR recruiters to give the students informational interviews and constructive feedback.
I know how you feel, Barbara. As educators we always think there has to be a way to identify the problem and solve it. And you know what? There are solutions. We just have to work harder to find them. Susan
Hi Susan:
These are great suggestions as one of my most challenging tasks are working with students who have a background and helping them in overccming their fear of not getting employed because of their past history. Thank you for all the helpful information. It saddens me when these students fall between the cracks and are never employed.
Thanks!
Barbara
Hi Yolanda
Great idea fo students to get involved in volunteer work to lighten up their dark past. Intern or externships are also a way plus students can gain experience for their resumes. Best wishes, Susan
We have found that getting the students involved in volunteer work has been very helpful, it helps to cast a new light on a dark past.
Good points Anna. This topic has come up before. What to do with people with challenging backgrounds. They deserve a chance. Earning your trust and then opening opportunities for them is the key. Thanks, Susan
