Small office and limited staff
If you had to prioritize placement functions and only offer a few of the most important what would you choose, for your students? for your school?
Hi Jacquelyn
Good question. If budget is an issue you still have lots of options. Use employers to assist with presentations, mock interviews, provide information. Use grads to do a lot of handholding and tell students what the workplace is like. Use information and websites available from the Internet. If you are limited in staffing then get a lot of good systems and procedures in place that can kind of run themselves in placement. We think placement is a priority and is as important as admissions.
Good luck, Susan
At our school, we do not have a budget established however, we invite industry to the school to present to our students. Also, students have great success with placement through our Internship program
Hi Dawn
Budget is always an issue. So first step is to create a budget and present it to management. Start getting the idea across that placement equals enrollment and thus needs to be funded! Internships a great way to enhance placement. Employers can be a great resource for no charge placement services. The Internet has a lot of no charge resources too.
Good luck, Susan
i would make sure all employers for the psst five years were listed
Hi Billy
Listing all employers is always a good idea. Of course the list has to be current meaning that you are actively working with them. In fact, there are a lot of advantages to connecting with employers. You can get a lot of great feedback and they can be a source for more placements and enrollments. Best wishes, Susan
We find that establishing relationships with employers for both job leads and externships are most effective in getting graduates employed. We realize this must be a priority as well as making sure that the students's resumes are good enough for the employer to consider and that the student exhibits professionalism. Which means the professional development piece is a priority also. Although relationships are estblished we refuse to send them with just any ole person.
Hi Kimberly
All great points. You are establishing employer relationships with many goals in mind - externship placement, job placement, new enrollments from their current staff, feedback re programs, participation in career events, etc. So everyone has to look good and be good. Takes a while to set up the systems and methods for evaluation. Thanks for sharing. Susan
I feel one of the most important things that I do in the placement office is inform my students of interviewing skills, job search techniques, and resume writing. Giving the students the skills to write a resume and interview well is something that they will always have.
Right you are Sara. But don't expect students to become experts in getting a job after your first session with them. It takes reviewing with them what went well and where improvement is needed after each interview. Think of your assistance as a course that requires time to gain the skills and knowledge. Best wishes, Susan
I feel that doing Graduate Exit Interviews is an effective tool in placing students because the student's specific goals are noted which focuses the job search and enables me to more closely match the student to a possible career.
HI Michele
We like exit surveys and have seen that they are very effective when held a few months prior to actual graduation. It helps motivate students for the final push to graduation and starts to identify their areas of concern as they are about to leave the safety of their school environment. Best, Susan
Utilizing para-professionals and student/alum volunteers is a quick way to reduce budgetary needs. And as individuals have already stated, don't forget to establish key relationships with employers who have a stake in helping to sustain career placement offices. Ultimately, employers will benefit with future staffing needs from the graduating pool of students at any given college.
HI Rayyan
Limited staff is always an issue, particularly for small schools. Great idea to use volunteers and also employers to assist. Also it is important to take the time to set up a well organized placement department with a very comprehensive policies and procedures manual and copies of all related materials. In this way one person can handle placement working only a few hours a day until there is a budget to pay for more staff. Also information and updates can be sent to students and grads via email. Employment skills can also be offered online. Again, it takes time for planning and set up.
Best wishes
Susan
I am currently starting a placement department from the ground up at a school that just opened. Due to the fact that I am the only person in my department (for now) here is what I chose.
Resume Writing Skills (I block time every day just for students to come in my office)
Mock interviews, dos and don'ts
Externship education for students (What we expected of them and what they can expect)
At this campus Placement is the Extern Coordinator as well so it is a BUSY job….
I hope that helps a little.
Gina C.
Hi Gina
Looks like a grreat start. What you might do is to think of every week that the student is in school and what kind of employment skills training you can offer. There's a lot more than interview practice and resume writing. See if can ask for 10 minutes in class time for a presentation. Plan workshops and events. You'll be surprised how much the efforts impact on retention, student satisfaction, and of course placement. Best wishes, Susan
Ongoing interaction and relationship building throughout the student's school life at the facility and even beyond would be my first priority- then making sure that at our Career Services workshops, we drill the students with the necessary tools that will help them to find a job in their respective career field. Building a relationship with the community will be next in line so as to create more opportunities for graduates. :)
HI Asha, Great idea to develop ways to have ongoing interaction and build relationships with students from the beginning. Even at the time of admissions. It takes time up front to develop a program and calendar. But once done can be more or less automatic regardless of the number of people on staff. Not sure students want to be drilled on the tools. Perhaps better to show them the need for the tools and have them get motivated and interested. Also good to see what their concerns are and address them. Best wishes, Susan
Thanks for the tips Susan. I inherited a dept that was not given the appropriate attention in the past and I am in the process of cleaning up and organizing while trying to keep up with servicing our present students and graduates so prioritizing is definetly something I am paying attention too.
HI Asha, Inheriting a position is always a challenge. You have to decide what to keep of the old systems and what to put in that's new. Sometimes it pays to create something that's all new. It will take time upfront. But once you develop a policies and procedures manual and can even get some assistance, you'll be able to be creative and have fun. Good luck, Susan
