Targeting Intervention Strategies
Upon reading the last chapter I believe my department can do more to improve the student's employability skills and I am going to implement some stratagies right away. I try to work with students one-on-one now but I don't feel it has been as effective as I would like. As you know student's can have so many obstacles in their way when applying for jobs and addressing them more effectively will be my priority. My school has a class specific to teaching soft skills and I must say it has been a very effective class. It teaches professionalism and how to get along with people in the office just to name a few. It is a very good class and overall the students' soft skills have improved quite a bit.
Does your institution’s career services department assess student employability skills and barriers to success prior to offering interventions? If so, what assessment is used and how are interventions applied? If not, how does the staff personalize interventions to ensure that the best approach is applied to each student?
In my particular dept. we are all about accessing students' employability skills. In fact, last week I identified 2 students that will need extra help developing these skills. I started coaching them and had them interview with an employer on campus. I want them to get used to speaking with employers, conducting proper research and overcoming their social skills. I have other students who are very well-adept and versed, they have no problem interviewing and meeting with employers.
The assessment I mentioned is not formalized nor is it done consistently. In my opinion there is a need for a formalized approach to meeting with students and to assessing their needs. Career advisors that understand this do this on their own. They are the ones that realize that relationship building and individualized attention will allow the students to feel valued and respected and that can be empowering to the student. The result is a student that is more confident, becomes an active participant in their job search and works as a partner with their Career Advisor.
Since all Career advisors are not 'naturals' there needs to be a structured process on each campus. The plan should include when to interact with students, what those interactions should be and when and how to discover and overcome barriers to employment..
Hi Sheri,
I'm curious - is the assessment that career services team members conduct something formal and/or structured/consistent or is it simply an individual using their own judgment based on their personal interactions with students and done on an "adhoc" basis? I noticed the mentioning of "intuitive career services team members." I'm wondering how the skills/practice of sound assessment for individualized intervention strategies are developed among team members who aren't "intuitive" in this regard. Do you find it to be a correlation with experience or is it more of a "natural" trait that some individuals possess while others don't? What's your take?
Robert Starks Jr.
The more intuitive Career Services Team members do assess the students employability skills and barriers early in the student's lifecycle. And then they are able to work closely with them to develop an effective job search strategy with more focused meetings centering on a job search as the student gets closer to graduation.
Often we will see Career Services Team members treat a class of students as one, providing singular guidance. This approach is hit or miss. Some students will be helped, others will be frustrated and will disengage from Career Services, and possibly the school.
Hello Paulette,
Do you have any thoughts/ideas on how the practices you described (1-on-1 work with students, weekly team meetings) can be scaled for large and/or online institutions? As you know, some institutions have trouble with these types of practices because of their size and/or their delivery (online, blended and/or on-ground). Any thoughts?
Robert Starks Jr.
No, we do not assess student employability skills and barriers to success prior to offering interventions. When I or another faculty work with students, there is a lot of 1-on-1 work. We also have a weekly meeting in which the core administrators meet to discuss students who we have determined need some attendtion due to circumstances, attendance, grades, etc. We will focus on those needs at that time and determine what course of action may need to be taken.
I teach one element of the Business Course and am able to interact with some of our student population and get to interact with them. We have an open door policy which allows students to come to my office for assistance for all aspects of the job search ~ and they take advantage of it.
Ann Marie,
This approach is fairly typical in smaller schools. What approach do you take when you have a student who has been identified as having "challenges" related to their employability who does not seek you out?
Ann Cross
We have a general workshop that all students must attend. From there, I encourage students to seek me for further assistance. Some come by just to have their resume looked at, and others need a lot more assistance and I have to help them build a resume. But mostly, the workshops answer student's basic questions and they are happy with that.
Anna ,
So true! One of the greatest challenges we face in Career Services is the building of confidence with our students.
Ann Cross
No, I try to meet with every student individually and did not realize in my meeting with them how much analysis I do. We do not have any systems in place and think it would be a fabulous aspect to implement. When I meet with them I try and break down their background (from their work experience, to education, volunteer experience, etc.) Most of the time in my nine years of working with students on their resumes and job search they often are lacking confidence and do not see how their experiences will be a benefit to them in their future job, or in the job search process.
We meet individually with students right from orientation. From there we work with them offerring both individual and group planning.
Julia,
Great! How well do you feel they are working?
Ann Cross
The staff utilize a vocational and career instrument to assess the student's employability skills.
Deborah,
Thank you for your response. Did your school create the curriculum for the course you mentioned?
Ann Cross
