We have a data base and a updated list which is looked and updated on a weekly and monthly basis.
We also in contact with alumni. I have them come and speak to the current students. It really helps when the grads get to positions of management, they will come back and get a grad for externship which for the most part becomes a train to hire position.
HI Walter, You pointed out a few of the many benefits of the placement department. Keeping in touch with employers and potential employers is vital. They provide job openings and are a rich resource for your department. And your grads are certainly sources for learning about new job openings and externship positions. So far few schools have really developed the opportunities created by keeping in touch with grads. Career schools definitly need alumni departments. Thanks, Susan
one of the most effected way is do a search of all related employers in the serounding area and list them in order 1 to 10 with 10 being most likley to hire,make a contact list (H.R.department)set up PAC meetings at your school plan a nice lunch,take advantage of the oppertunity to show off your school,what a great oppertunity to "brain pick" and possibly make changes to your curriculm to remain current with the industry.
Hi Roland, Interesting strategy re employers. We find, however, that it is a challenge to rate employers. Each have a variety of things to offer. Some have jobs, others are willing to volunteer to conduct mock interviews, others will mentor and offer externships and on and on. Staying in constant contact with employers and potential employers yields hundreds of benefits. Thanks, Susan
The most effective ways of indetifying employers that are most likely to hire graduates comes from networking and research I have found. IT is important to reach out to area employers and develop relationships with hiring managers and HR representatives. This helps to drill down on the type of employees that are most in demand and to track hiring trends. Networking is also aneffective way to identify employers that are most likely to hire entry level candidates and graduates. It is a great help to understand what type of formal trainig, mentoring, and OJT programs exist at certain employers.
Hi James
Great points. Networking takes many forms. But it's all about meeting potential employers, finding out what their picture of an ideal employee is, and seeing your school as the source for staffing. Networking can happen with current employers and those who don't know about your school. Communicating will generate lots of ideas on both sides of the table. Networking can be formal - like joining appropriate organizations. It can be informal by regularly staying in touch with the business community. Thanks, Susan
I've been using www.indeed.com for job lead generaton for a couple of years now. Indeed.com is a job board aggregate website, meaning it pulls from all the other job boards like Monster and Careerbuilder, but also from company websites, diversity job boards, you name it! The only postings I haven't seen are Craig's List--and that website is worthy of it's own job alerts (set an alert using keywords and get daily emails of new jobs posted). But only 20-30% of jobs are advertised so you need to build a passive employer list as well. If I were starting from scratch, I'd hit the industry associations and find out who their members are and what they do. From there, using the internet and some key words and/or SIC codes, I would start to build lists of potential employers. If you aren't comfortable cold calling in to get hiring manager or HR contact names, set up a profile on www.linkedin.com, make connections with heavily connected users and do a "people" search using zipcode for location and company name (check current only)to find names. If you get too big of a return, drill down by adding keywords.
I could go on forever with this--if anyone wants more info, email me!
Hi Laura
Really a great focus on using the internet and social networks to build a base of employers and jobs. How do you localize your search? Also Monster, etc. often includes jobs other than entry level. We think a good combination of calling on local employers plus using all the internet opportunities is a good mix. Using the internet helps those grads who will seek employment out of the area. Bottom line, you've pointed us to other opportunities using current technology. thanks, Susan
I took your forum question to be about "building" your employer list. This list gives you the base to develop a marketing/job development plan that includes all kinds of media, both print and on-line as well as introductory phone calls and site visits.
Hi Laura
We feel building an employer list to be very important. And there are many ways to do that. Relationships with employers and prospective employers offers many opportunities as you point out. The more creative then the more opportunities develop. Thanks, Susan
In addition to locating employers online, I found the graduates, staff and instructors to be a good source of employer information. Although these employers are not currently hiring, I work to establish some sort of rapport so that when they do have a hiring need, they will contact me as a person who will watch out for their interests and concerns. As names are gathered they can be added to the list. Especially "list worthy" are those employers who have hired graduates and are very happy with them.
HI Carey
Great strategies to network with grads, staff, and more for names of employers. Of course it would be nice if the employers were currently hiring. But the strategy is the same. Develop relationships with them, get their feedback, be sure they know you as a resource for staffing, get them to volunteer as mentors and coaches and send their employees to your school for training. Then keep in touch. We think all employers are listworthy. They are of value whether they hire your grads or not. Great ideas. Thanks, Susan
Building employers is the same as building trust, employers which can be on your list as well as you being on theirs takes some time. You can build this relationship through graduates who perform well with employers and who can set an example of your institution. Companies where students have their internships are also a great ways to build relationships these companies can see firsthand how student perform. Attending job fairs and being seen as well as meeting new employers based on the recommendation on old ones is a big plus.
Hi Leonid, You are quite right about the importance of building relationships with employers. You want to know about your students on the job. Are they work ready? What skills or knowledge should they have that they don't? How should you modify or upgrade your courses? Employers can give you great feedback so you'll know. Externships are a way for a company to assess a student as a potential worker. Externships are also effective in giving students real work experience. Re job fairs - we feel students need the skills and know how about how to be successful at these events. Thanks, Susan
I participate in many of the professional organizations in our area so I am able to meet the many employers. We are a culinary school so we get involved in many of the food events that take place also. Plus many of my former students are now in positions to be hiring so they will look at our students because they know the training that the present students have been through.
We are developing an alumni group to also facilitate this process on a little more formal basis.
By being involved in the community we are able to get our students placed in the industry.
Great Glenn, There are so many ways to be involved in the community no matter what programs offered by your school. There's lots of creativity when you are a culinary school. Food does get people's attention. But there are many ways any school can be creative and attention getting. We think Alumni Associations are great for career schools. Grads are perfect for recommending their friends and family to your school. And grads can offer lots of support and ideas. Thanks, Susan
The most effective ways to build a list of employers who are likely to hire our graduates is by establishing a working relationship with sales representatives, HR directors, Managers, and instructors. Use surveys to get feedback from employers, alumni, and students. Use the information gathered to create a database with all the names, telephone numbers, fax numbers, address, and email address of the students, alumni, and employers surveyed for future use and updates. Use the data gathered to create new programs, assess strengths and weaknesses of the Career Services Department, assess the student and employer satisfaction, and report statistics to the organization and regulatory boards.
Hi Ivonne, All really great ideas. Bottom line is there are many ways to connect with employers and many ways to stay connected. It's important to use some kind of customer relationship management system. It will help you create and keep lots of information updated and have ways to keep track of following up. Thanks for the details. Susan
I feel you should use the same lists you have for your externship sites. You should also send out a flier to inform sites that they can contact you for potential hires instead of paying for advertising. It would also be good to have an employer relations tab on your school website.
Good points, Mindi. We think that there should be an employer relations person on staff. Their main job is to stay in touch with employers and potential employers and the entire community. Find out all the ways that your school can be a resource for the community. Work to meet the needs of employers and they will look to your school for training and placement. It's a win-win situation. Thanks, Susan
