Venusa,
This is a strong range of strategies and activities to support placement of students. The annual alumni gathering is great way to maintain and grow the school's network of employers.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
Currently, our placement department work closely with faculty, program directors and students and setting a structured plan where they get the chance to meet with students in general and meet with them individually. We also integrate career services into each of the programs where career services team work clsoely with each student by doing a mock interview, creating strong relevant resume and cover letter and teaching students to develop soft skills that are needed or sought by employers at a workplace. Students are also required to meet with career services team prior to and after their externship. We also hold alumni gathering at least once a year to promote not only community building but also networking particularly with successful alumni and connect them with recent graduates to provide inspiration and informal mentoring regarding job searching and techniques to become effective at a workplace or how to maximize one's potential.
Our placement department does a great job. Additionally, students go through the interview process at the end of most of their classes, preparing them for the real thing.
Jeff,
Thank you for your thoughtful and detailed post. Yes, even if we do think students come to us with the appropriate knowledge and experience "reviewing" interview techniques is helpful.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
While career placement contributes substantially to the the retention and the job placement efforts, it is essentially everyones responsibility to assist in thess areas. Students learn how to write a resume, mock interviews are conducted, and the skills necessary for the students to be successful are taught in the various courses that they take on our campus. It is important not to assume that the students know certain things because as adults these concepts are intuitively obvious. For example, the students' ideas of what constitutes appropriate dress for an interview may not be consistent with that of their propespective employers. They need to be given specific directions involving dress attire, maintaining eye contact, and exhibiting proper poster, etc. Everyone can contribute to the overall effort.
Karen,
Thank you How often does Career Services meet or visit with students throughout their program?
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
We have a professional development course that our Career Services staff instructs during the program. We have a plan set up to allow the introduction of Career Services to our students, earlier in the program to identify what they are here for and how they can assist.
I agree as well. Our career services department is great. They are very involved with the students and care about their placement and goals.
I agree. Our career services department is introduced to the students during the Orientation.
Since the very begining the department works woth the students in preparing for thier jobs. By preparing them with their resumes and mock interviews.
They are trained for the mock interview.
Our placement department offers seminars including mock interviews, job fairs throughout the quarter to prepare students for employment.
Your school sounds like they have the programs but need more instructors like you who care about student motivation.
I teach online and have found that small words of encouragement go a long way in motivating students. Also, exposing them to professional association websites creates and interest and exposure to the possibilities for their careers. Often we take a 'field trip' to the association websites.
Katessa,
Thank you for your post. Instructors do need to care. Students cans sense if they do not.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
The placement department at my school continuously keeps students notified of upcoming job fairs and other opportunities for them to get involved for job placements.Career services tries to find new places where students can be placed. They always ask for faculty and staff to share information with them and contacts so that they can get students placed within a job.
At my school in particular, the retention rates could increase if more of the instructors acted as if they really cared about the students and their well being to actually succeed. The student population at my school is mainly of one demographic. These individuals have never really succeeded in life and they do not really know how they can succeed. Therefore, teachers, administrators, and other faculty members need to extend themselves to the students.
Lynn,
Providing a list of potential externship sites is probably the better way to go. Another method is to ask students to research names and addresses of potential externship sites near their home.
Dr. Ron Hansen
Our placement department interviews and places students for their externships. During the interviewing process they ask them where they would like to do their externship, but sometimes they do not have an option. We should eliminate that question and we should follow up with students that do not get jobs.
Crystal,
I have seen schools that start the resume early on and have the students add on to it as the students complete each course.
Dr. Ron Hansen
Our campus has a pretty good placement department. We do have workshops on setting goals, resume writing, interviewing techniques, etc. I believe we can improve by starting the placement process much sooner. Right now we do a goal setting workshop early but we do not do the resume and interviewing techniques until much later, almost at the end of the program.
Amy,
I like that the department that will help them most at the end is overseeing a program to help the student make it through the program.
Dr. Ron Hansen
Our Career Service department gives each student a specific person to work with in the first few weeks of school. Students feel like they have someone who can help them create a successful career from the beginning.
Dorothy,
Whenever we have the chance to make learning more student centered we are helping our students to be more prepared for the workforce.
Dr. Ron Hansen
