Students need to be aware of their footprints, and be proactive in keeping true to their brand.  I appreciate the tip for students to keep their name consistent across all their social media/platforms. I also liked the example on how to save your “profile pictures” using the descriptor along with hyphens will help in keyword searches.

Helping students learn how to brand themselves and be aware of their social media is critical to our work asCareer Counselors. I really appreciate the visuals and resources provided in this section as well.

This section was very helpful in explaining the difference between traditional career marketing and now with digital career marketing.  I would think doing a blend of both OutBound and InBound marketing when looking for a job would be beneficial.

I learned that as Career Counselors we have to stay current on trends in hiring so we can best meet the needs of our students and put them in the best possible hiring position.  Reminding students to be mindful of their social media footprint is always going to be key and part of the coaching conversation. It’s interesting that there is a way for businesses to aggregate data from the web to find candidates and predict fit. 

I was not familiar with the 5 Keys, this was a great way to explain how to be a valuable employee/team player.  The examples included in this section are very helpful and I will look to them when working with students before they take on their first internship/work experience.

I like the idea of generating questions to ask of the company. I feel this will give the students confidence going into the interview knowing this is a two way street!  I’m looking forward to all the resources as well! 

I like how this section breaks down the parts of both the resume and the cover letter and provides questions or examples to help us guide our students.   Especially the section regarding Resume duties to skills conversion for the food server example. This section was a great reminder/refresher and I’m excited to use these resources with my students this coming fall.

So far in this module, I have learned that it’s very important for your students to spend time upfront organizing their thoughts,  employment needs and must-haves.  I will use the resources in this module to help guide my students through the process of their employment journey. Another takeaway is to remind students that their social media footprint can be impactful on their employment search. Be aware of how you present yourself in all venues.

Establishing realationshipswith employers is vital to a Career Service Department as well as maintaining contact with graduates of the institution.  By doing so, we can gather information that will ensure we are providing our students with the best training to prepare them for the workplace.  Keeping stats on employment placements, retention and contact information is necessary. Not only is it best practice in keeping our Career Service Department up today, this information may need to be shared with reporting boards.

I was reminded to have students review job postings/company websites to glean information about skills/values/vocabulary used to describe the position and or culture of the company. I also think reviewing the company’s mission statement can also provide insight to help you decide  if you are a good fit for the company.  Another reason to review this information is to help you cater your resume to this industry/profession and to highlight the skills you have that are in alignment with the company which you are applying to.