Follow up
We don't currently do follow up with our students after they graduate. What is the best way to begin doing this with students? Just creating surveys? What if we want to contact older students, is that appropriate if they have not been contacted in a long time?
HI Elizabeth
It's always the right time to contact your grads. We suggest an emailing to everyone giving them an update about your school and perhaps courses they would be interested in. The first email and also snail mail will help to clean the list and hopefully get you some updated info. Then we suggest following grads and leads up every month. Create an online newsletter with valuable information about your industry, programs, employment, etc. You have a lot of opportunities for increased enrollment and more when you stay in contact with grads. Best wishes, Susan
I'm new in this position, so I have been contacting former graduates to inform them of my new status and to explain that even though my job is new, we still offer Lifetime Job Placement. they seem grateful and appreciate the call from their alma mater.
Great Deborah. The grads can tell you lots of things to include in your career service offerings. Now they can look back and tell you what they wish the school had provided them. They are also a source of people to visit your school, mentor your students, give presentations, and maybe even tell you where job openings are. Lots of opporutunities. They might even enroll in a course. Good idea, Susan
Getting the rest of your staff involved can also be a great help. It's very appropriate to contact former graduates, as a matter of fact they do appreciate it, but sometimes someone else (Admissions, Instructors etc.) have a better rapport than we do and can gain a fast connection with the person by making a simple phone call. Email and snail mail is always ok but voice is always the prefered method. It's more personal and I think more appreciated. It's very important to get everyone involved. Placement and Retention is everyone's business.
Thanks,
Scott King
TechSkills
Sacramento, Ca.
Well said, Scott. Retention and placement is everyone's business. We also feel that phoning is the best way to keep in touch with grads. And with a list of questions to ask you can make an informal phone chat a valuable way to gain information. And to ask questions and make requests. Grads are a great resource in addition to being prospective students for other programs you offer. Best wishes, Susan
Our college has several surveys we send out after a student graduates. The graduate receives one after 30 days and another after 90 days. These surveys ask about their experience here at the college and about their employment information. Follow-up is always done on these surveys by calling (preferred), emailing or even texting on their cells phones (becoming more and more popular with our younger generation) to thank them for taking the time to fill out the survey and check that we can do anything else for them at this time. We also remind them we are always here for them if they need us. As a result, I receive job leads from old graduates for our new ones and they know I care and keep me posted on their reviews and raises!
Surveys are also sent to employers (students signs release form before leaving campus) on their job performance and suggestions they might have.
Really great, Pam. You've outlined the foundation of a great placement department. You stay in touch with both student and employer and have discovered the benefits of employer contact. Yes, they are a source for new leads and for other jobs! Just wondering why you don't also send out a 60 day survey? Many schools find it is a way to stay in touch, particularly if the grad tends to move a lot. Thanks again, Susan
Our school tries to stay in contact with graduates by providing workshops and special events especially for past graduates. It gives the graduates an opportunity to be a part of an event pertaining to their career as well as touch up on their skills. I believe it keeps them motivated as well.
Hi Christine - What a great idea. Sounds like you have an informal alumni organization. Maybe schools should have a more creative name for their grads! Keeping grads attached to your school provides benefits all around. They can refer your school, learn, give you feedback about your programs, tell you about jobs at their place of employment, function as speakers, mentors, coaches, and lots more. So the whole school benefits. Thanks for the ideas, Susan
We have a career services department that does the follow up to see why they are not working and what she can do to help the situation
Hi Javier
Good idea for career services to follow up. What is important is for everyone to stay connected with the student to coach them along the way and identify areas where students need extra help. Thanks, Susan
This sounds like a good idea I would like to try to implement. We send out surveys several times a year, but only get a response from those who are currently employed. For some reason I think if they are not employed they are embarrassed to respond. I'm thinking to include a question asking is they would be interested in a certain worshop geared toward grads. Maybe we'll get a few responses we won't have otherwise.
Susan,
I am having difficulty getting employer surveys back. I either fax them over to the graduates employer with a release, or I hand deliver them. However I am not recieving many back. Any suggestions???
Hi Lea - Getting anyone to fill in surveys is always a challenge. No solutions but there are ways to increase responses. First check to see how easy it is to fill out your survey. Some are too long, type is too small, they are too complex and more. Give people several ways to complete - in person,on the phone, on line, fax, mail, and more. And just call. Often a phone chat will get you more information than a survey. Good luck, Susan
Lea,
What we do sometimes is call them on the phone and get some kind of feedback, we then write down our phone conversation. Most of the time this make it a bit more personal and the employer will respon the next time knowing that you really care abou their opinion.
Leticia,
Great idea. Sounds like you can get some great testimonials this way too. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
