Almost all schools have already integrated all the most necessary skills of professional development for a student into a career-oriented step-by-step program.
The placement department already sets up job fairs for students, attracting employers towards their students.
1. A great job search project and activity that instructors could create is by providing a connecting link with students and selected employers. The school would ask the students to create a resume with their individual cover letters and resumes for a selected employer (based on a list) to the placement department, who would then send them directly to the employer or hiring department.
2. Another would be an interview schedule. The student would be given the task to schedule a number of their own job interviews, with an instructor (or placement department) to proctor and apply any assistance if necessary. Scheduling would be required as part of the coursework. If a controlled environment is required, then mock interviews with familiar faculty can also be setup as real-life simulations, with students submitting emails and resumes and participating in simulated critical mock interviews.
3. I have seen that field trips with potential companies have shown a positive effect with students. They are given the chance to learn about a company (or particular job market) and their operations or products. One factor that seems to lack with these field trips that could be useful towards a career would be is to give students a formal opportunity (such as a group session at the end of the field trip with hiring officers) to present their skills and apply. A placement department can schedule such an event, providing students a possible foot-in-the-door situation - while companies would be able to market not only their company, products or services, but explain their operations.
Hi DAvid, Sounds like a great plan. We like the idea of offering an intro presentation re services right when classes start. It links placement services with going to school. We also think returning each month to offer seminars is important for consistency. What about having some "employment skills homework" for students to complete in the meantime? Not something hard. Perhaps some tasks to build awareness, skills, and confidence and to prepare for the upcoming seminar. How do you handle programs that are shorter than a few months? Thanks, Susan
At the start of new courses on campus, the placement department will be offering an introductory presentation to overview the services that we will provide to the students and graduates. The placement department then will go back after the 1st month to each of the clasess and provide a seminar/workshop on preparing and writing a resume. Later in the course, we will then provide an opportunity for the students to participate in mock interviews.
Thanks for the explanation. So your employment boards are like talking boards. It allows everyone to talk to the information and embellish and explain what the job is about. It gets students to dream a little about what life on the job will be like. Thanks, Susan
The employment board is labeled and indicates the jobs available by category. For example: Medical Assistant/ Phlebotomy Technician/ EKG Technician, etc. During the Q & A impromtu with the graduates, they include what it is like to work with patients in a doctors office, etc.
Thank you for your feedback. Jackie
Hi Andrea, Great that you visit the classrooms when students are just starting. It reinforces the fact that placement skills are as important as the subject matter they are learning. That employment training is part of wht students learn in school and what is offered in their tuition. We find that creating resumes works well over a period of time. At first students are nervous. Then they start to realize the skills they do have even if their work experience has been light. And I bet the mock interviews improve with time. It is fun - kind of like play acting. Good work. Susan
We visit all the classrooms at the start of each month or quarter. We give the students information on what Career Services can help them with. In addition, we will take an hour or two and teach the students to build resumes and we will conduct mock interviews with the students. They love it and the feedback has been phenomenal!
Hi Jacqueline, Great that students learn about your placement services when they first enroll. Just wondering how students see the employment bulletin board during class. Do they realize what the board is all about and how it relates to them? When grads stop by, do the grads talk with students about what it is like in the workplace? Yes, students do need to hear about jobs out in the community. It helps with retention. And good idea that students learn that searching for a job is a job! And great idea to encourage instructors to integrate employment training, like role playing, into their classrooms, Thanks, Susan
We are starting a placement department, but have some services in place. The students are first exposed to information on placement when they complete their initial registration process. Then during class attendance, we have in place an employment bulletin board with the latest employment opportunities. Also, current students have a chance to see graduates when they come in to update C.E. requirements. The graduates visit the instructors and this opportunity is used to provide an impromptu Q & A with their job searching experiences. Students need to hear that there are jobs out there for them when they graduate even thought it may take a little longer to get hired. I would like to implement the interview role playing between the students and instructors into their lesson plans for all the programs.
Hi Adam, We also believe that instructors need to talk about how what is taught in class applies to the work world. It's a way for students to envision what it is like on the job. Hands-on exercises that replicate the real world of work is essential as well as having people from the workplace visit the class and talk about what it is like on the job. We think this should be a daily occurence. Students need to link up what they are learning to why they are learning and how their knowledge and skills will be used when they get employment. This acts as a retention strategy as well. Thanks, Susan
Some thoughts below:
1. Having the instructors focus on real world application of the skills that are being taught as they relate to the workplace so that students understand how to create linkages and illustrate value for potential employers during interview process
2. Having the instructors create opportunities for hands-on exercises within the classroom environment that are made to look and feel like the real world workplace students will be exposed to
3. Having instructors integrate representatives from local businesses into the classroom experience and create networking opportunities for students as a result
HI Andrea Great that you and your staff visit the classrooms. Hopefully the instructors get some ideas about talking up the job search process and what it is like on the job.Your Career Services Week sounds great. We are wondering how you can incorporate some of the activities on a day by day or at least once a week basis. Employment and job search skills take more than a week to develop. Thanks, Susan
My staff and I frequently visit classrooms and the instructors love it! We review how to build resumes, interviewing skills, we do mock interviews with the students, how to dress for success, etc.
Most importantly, we have a career services week, and each day is a different theme. For instance, Monday is Job Fair Day and we bus students to a local job fair, Tuesday is Resume Building and interviewing techniques. The instructors inform the students they must make an appt. with career services for a mock interview. WE have a Red Carpet Fashion Show with employees and faculty as the models and they are dressed for interviews or inappropriately dressed. The students love it!
Hi Julian
Nice idea about the pre grad luncheon. It's another thing that students can look forward to as they are nearing the end of their studies. This time, by the way, is often when there are a lot of drop outs. The "entertainment" for the lunch can be the mock interviews where everyone can get a laugh or two and learn from each other. Thanks, Susan
I would host a pre-graduation luncheon to include a mock interview and review resumes session. Also I am avaiable to answer any last minute concerns or questions.
Hi Ivonne, Great that you are working with faculty to integrate employment skills training into the classroom. You have many great strategies so students learn the skills and gain confidence. Are all your offerings required? We find that to be effective the students must be required to complete all excercises and employment skills tasks. Then they take it all seriously and of course benefit. Yes, all exposure to employers is very important. Makes the employers human and the employers can give practical tips about how to be effective on the interview. Your students have every opportunity to be successful. Really great. Susan
As a career services representative, I can be a facilitator and coordinate with the school faculty and administrative staff to develop lessons plans that will integrate the program coursework with career placement. Preparing for and providing career placement education through classes, internet exercises using search engines to discover employment listings and requirements, seminars to provide hands on trainings on resume writing and interview skills, field trips to discover real life experiences, and guest speakers to motivate and answer related questions, the students will be able to develop and empower themselves with research, writing and oral skills that will boost their confidence and get them ready for interviews and job placements.
Visiting employers is crucial in that it exposes the student to real time life experiences. Guest speakers provide motivational and goal setting ideas plus the opportunity to have topic related questions answered.
Lesson plans can include videos and movies related to career placement and discussions on the skills viewed to further enhance the learning experience. Other activities that can be assigned to students include (i) interviewing industry professionals and writing a about the experience; role playing and mock interviews; and videotaping interview exercises for self-evaluation.
Hi Iva
Very good. We also think that every course should have a focus on keeping students eyes on the job. That means paying attention to professionalism and work ethics like being on time. And talking about what it is like at work. Typically instructors work themselves. So they have the opportunity to talk about a typical workday - the ups and downs and how to deal with challenges. This is great for retention too. STudents keep their focus on graduation day. Thanks, Susan
Professionalism, resumes, retention, importance of being on time at the job.
Hi Carey
This is great - using instructors as part of the placement process. We believe that instructors should talk about life on the job and interlace talk about work throughout their teaching. Students have to be reminded daily that what they learn in class is what they need to be successful on the job. It's a great idea for the instructor to write references for the students. Often this is the only reference the student will have. And we like that you give placement presentations in classes ( is that for each course?) 4 times a term or session. And it's great that you get the buy in from the instructors. Instructors can be a rich source for employment skills training. Thanks, Susan
