Students that are "unplaceable".
What measures can we take to employ students with a more than favorable background?
Hi DeAndre
I think you mean less than favorable resume?? Of course that's why students are in school - to get training and qualifications to get a job. That means they have to excel in the classroom and build experience. That means the placement department has to work with students so they gain confidence and can articulate their new skills to the employer. It is quite a challenge. But with a comprehensive plan you can motivate students to be all they can be. Thanks, Susan
It is certainly a challenge. But it is important to look at each graduate as an individual. Evaluate skills/strengths etc. I am currently working with a grad who is very shy and it is very hard for him to interview. We have now done one in office mock interview and one on the phone. He is making great progress. We will be taking him to an informational interview with a company that has an opening in his field. From there he will then interview with the person making the hiring decision.
Well said, Millie. It is our job to identify barriers that are preventing students from interviewing successfully. You gave a great example. You say that the graduate was shy and you put plans in place to overcome the shyness and give him skills and practice he could rely on. You won't make him less shy. But you did give him the knowledge so he can perform. Very impressive. Susan
Many of our students enroll with us who have past felonies and DUI's. Their past, even though they are ready to change their lives, haunt them when it's time to find the career of their dreams. Most corporations and larger companies require background checks that go back 7 years or more as well as a good driving record and pre-employment drug screen. I am finding that the sooner I work with a student prior to graduating and as I continue to build relationships with employers, I am able to match wants and needs of both graduates and employers.
Sounds like you are doing an outstanding job, Dolores. It is great you are helping students overcome bad backgrounds. One thing to watch is professions where students who are felons or have DUI convictions are simply not allowed to enter these fields. These individuals need to be disqualified from admission for failure to meet criteria. It's sad but a fact of life. Best wishes, Susan
Developing concrete relatioships with employers is the only tool to provide opportunities for students that have past felonies and DUI's. Employers tend to be more lenient when they trust your judgement on a potential worker and will negotiate to provide an opporutnity for those students who have felonies.
Good points Anna. This topic has come up before. What to do with people with challenging backgrounds. They deserve a chance. Earning your trust and then opening opportunities for them is the key. Thanks, Susan
We have found that getting the students involved in volunteer work has been very helpful, it helps to cast a new light on a dark past.
Hi Yolanda
Great idea fo students to get involved in volunteer work to lighten up their dark past. Intern or externships are also a way plus students can gain experience for their resumes. Best wishes, Susan
Hi Susan:
These are great suggestions as one of my most challenging tasks are working with students who have a background and helping them in overccming their fear of not getting employed because of their past history. Thank you for all the helpful information. It saddens me when these students fall between the cracks and are never employed.
Thanks!
Barbara
I know how you feel, Barbara. As educators we always think there has to be a way to identify the problem and solve it. And you know what? There are solutions. We just have to work harder to find them. Susan
If I am dealing with "unplaceable" due to their background then I try to preemptively and honestly talk with potential employers about the candidate and explain why it shouldn't matter and how they have grown. If they are unplaceable because of bad interview skills, in addition to working with them, I ask friendly HR recruiters to give the students informational interviews and constructive feedback.
Hi Lawrence, All great ideas. For students with poor backgrounds, that could be an admissions issue, in our opinion. Of course it depends on your definition of poor backgrounds and whether it can be remediated. Some backgrounds simply eliminate people from certain employment. So they should not be admitted to those programs. Other deficiencies in background can be fixed if the student is willing and if you have an effective program. As to those with poor interview skills, etc. that's the job of the school placement department - to offer lots of programs to assist every grad to perform at their peak potential. Good luck, Susan
I find that students with criminal backgrounds face a particularly unique challenge in getting past their fears and built up defenses when getting into job placement.
We work at building up their strengths, customer service experience and computer skills to focus on positive attributes to bring to a company.
Hi Lucille, Sounds like you are doing a great job at building self esteem, which is important for every student. Most students have issues with their pasts they have to get over. Felons have more to deal with. Your admissions people can start by not enrolling them in programs where they will be eliminated from getting a job. Susan
Thank you so much for your wise advice. It is a continuing discussion concerning enrolling, retention and successful placement of our graduates once they have finished their program. I truly appreciate this forum where I can gain knowledge and experiences from my peers.
Lucille
Hi Lucille
What great feedback. Sharing ideas and techniques is a great way to beef up all our career services departments and helps finding out things the hard or costly way. Keep measuring results and making changes. Good luck, Susan
My school's admissions department is very honest with students upfront about their chances of getting a job in health care if they have a criminal background. We run cori checks on every student and let them know the realities of the field before they sign up for a program. This seems to be effective in helping potential student decide whether or not they want to sign up. Perhaps other schools do this as well?
I have found that students who are serious about getting a job and who hang in there long enough will usually find work, if they are agreeable to working hard at it. Some students, however, expect that a job is going to be handed to them because they finished their training. This an attitude problem that I find to be the most challenging. I teach a course in Career Development and Employment issues, and I stress over and over that Looking for a job is a job, and you need to keep a positive attitude.
Furthermore, there is a problem with students who are trying to enter a new field with no relevant experience, they have to really go the extra mile and prove themselves to be even better than the average job candidate with years of experience. This is a big challenge in the health care industry especially for clinical jobs.
Hi Jill, Really great points.It is a challenge when a student wants to train for a career where it is likely that can't qualify (ie criminal background.) What can you do so they can fulfill their interests yet know that they likely will not find employment. It takes a lot of creativity to get a related job. The student needs all the information to truly understand the obstacles they face. The school needs a clear admissions policy so students don't have to face these dilemmas.
Yes, looking for a job is a job. I think this mind set starts in admissions. You might want to see what your admissions people are telling prospective students. They may be saying that your placement department gets grads jobs. In addition, the idea of having to "work" to get a job might have to be threaded throughout the training experience for the student to really know it's up to them and that you provide guidance only.
As to seeking a job with no experience that is a problem often solved by requiring an intern- or externship. Some schools have great results where students are often hired by the internship site.
Hope these have given you some ideas to implement. Susan
