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
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.
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
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 Christopher, This is all really great. Linking students with employers for resume building sounds like mentoring, which is great. And puts students in touch with people who hire. We like the idea of an interview scheudle and required interviews. We like that an instructor or career services person works with the students. And field trips are great. It brings the student right into the workplace to see and feel what it is like on the job. And hopefully impact on retention. All easy-to-implement strategies once put in place. Thanks, Susan
The ability for students to list in detail all of the training and lessons they have learned reinforces the understanding of those skills gained as well as preparing them for life after graduation. When speaking with a potential employer, a student may ramble on about their training or he/she might be too curt and not provide enough information. Both can result in a missed opportunity for employment. To prevent this from happening, an instructor could integrate a feedback section of class to require students to orally summarize the training they have received. The instructor can then provide guidance to the student if he/she needs improvement. This would equip students for with the interview skills for a finding employment in addition to making students more aware of the pedagogical results of their training; both enrich student education.
H Erich, What you point to is the need for comprehensive employment skills training and not just a demonstration or explanation. Interviews have many ways to succeed and fail. The grad needs lots of practice and feedback over time to understand what a successful interview is and have the confidence to feel strong during the interview process. We think instructors and the entire career services staff needs to be involved throughout the students experience at school. Thanks, Susan
We have adopted a soft skills curriculum that provides material for instructors to address in the classroom. The material incorporates individual and group projects which deal with such topics as resume writing, interviewing, teambuilding, appropriate use of electronic media (cellphones, email, etc.) and social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace). The curriculum is multi-media and up-to-date regarding today's electronic workplace. It is "turn-key" for instructors and easily adapted to the individual industries they represent.
Sounds like students have no excuse and have every opportunity to develop employment skills. We think that these soft skills should be required for every student. Do you have any special alumni programs?
Thanks, Susan
Guest speakers and field trips to places where students will potentially be employed are always great sources. We also have students map out thier educational and career plans in the first weeks of course work. Once they have established this "plan" they are given an assignment to research the demand, salary, minimum requirements, growth of field, etc. This gets the focus going early in the educational program and we continue to build on that so they will be prepared to enter the field upon graduation.
Great first assignment, Jay. We like the concept of students creating a career plan from the start and then working on the plan. Sounds like they can change their plan with new information and understandings of their goals. This makes the process dynamic and allows for growth over time. We do believe that developing a work-ready mind does take time. Typically grads have a hard time leaving the comfort of the classroom. Thanks for the very easy to implement strategy. Susan
In my classroom we learn a 30 to 60 second (elevator) speech for a prosective employer, that can be used any time they meet out side the employers work place.
Not only do we teach professionalism, dress code, proper english for interviews but while even coming on the employers property, proper parking spaces, clean vehicles.
Sounds very detailed Alvin. You show the student how to feel like a professional down to the clean car. It's almost like you provide transformational skills so the student does turn into a confident job seeker. There are many subtle skills to teach students as they are completing their course work. These skills take a while to be integrated into the students' mindset so they can act confidently. Good points. Thanks, Susan
Since we are a technical school, we have students, in a variety of classes, use a technical skills inventory checklist. We have compiled a list of technical skills for current technology and older technology. This helps our students tremendously in building a skills section on their resume. So many times students overlook the technologies they really do know. The checklist has worked great!
Great idea. Seems like your checklist is a way to build a resume. Also helps students understand all their skills and knowledge so they can easily discuss them during interviews. This seems also really helpful for the person who may have recently lost a job and feels as if it might have been because of lack of certain expertise. The checklist can show them who they are professionally in black and white. And point to where more training or skills may be needed. Thanks, Susan
I concur with Suzanne--the technical skills checklist is an excellent way for students to include the technical skills they have that they may not have thought to include.
Aside from the technical skills checklist, we have a transferable skills list as a guide for students who are career-changing, to include skills they gained through previous experience, to their new career, which helps make the transition a bit easier.
We also have a soft skills checklist, another guide for students to show the employer that they are well-rounded, and aware of another set of skills necessary to perform their tasks successfully.
These are great strategies. Very good to have checklists so students and grads can check off what skills they have and include them in their resumes. There are also software programs you could probably develop that automatically construct resumes and adds the skills each time the student completes a course. The transferable skills checklist is also innovative.And can broaden the breadth of experience shown on the resume. Softskills are also important and demonstrate the ability to be a team player and also leadership skills. Thanks for the ideas. Susan
It is shocking to find out how many students do not know how to do a basic job search on the internet. So an activity I would give our instructors would be to make each student find three job website links. Although this seems very simple, it is sometimes the most helpful. After each student is complete we combined all of the students findings, print & make copies for the entire class. Simple but effective.
-Joanna
Resume writing activities, time management skills and how to create a well thought out plan for job searching. The importance of using the resources available (technology, library, networking, media, etc.)
These are all great skills to teach students in preparation for their job searches. We think these kinds of tasks should be required. Show that acquiring employment skills is as important as skills needed for the job. And keep in mind that in addition to skills, grads need confidence. That takes time to build. Thanks, Susan
