Why student make it difficult to find then jobs
One of the most difficult part I believe is that there are some students that don't help you find then jobs. Instead they make it difficult by not given you the right information or they don't want to do what you tell then to do and after all that they get mad because they are not working.
Good points, Walter. Sounds like some of your students are not properly prepared for the job search and maybe lack confidence. Suggest you relook at the career services training you offer. Might be some things missing like skills or confidence building. Seems like these difficult students may simply be afraid to take the next step and liked the comfort of the classroom. Good luck, Susan
We have found that a lot of students have a fear of failure so they do not work with you or follow up on active leads. Having employers talk with student about their interview process and what they expect from an applicant has helped cut down but not eliminated this issue for us.
Good point John. A student's fears and lack of confidence can create a lot of roadblocks to their success. So probably put in employment skills training that slowly builds up confidence. This is usually done by starting with easy tasks that are easy to succeed at. This builds confidence. Then go to more advanced tasks. Suggest you have alumni talk about how they overcame their fears. Alumni can share success stories too. Employer visits might cause a lot of anxiety. So you have to space them carefully. Thanks for bringing this up.
Susan
One of the things I have found is that because we are a trade school a lot of people enroll, or are encouraged to enroll by family members, because they are not currently working. Once they get closer to actually being placed in the field they have reason after reason as to why they cannot accept a position or why a position is not the correct one for them. Mainly I just keep sticking with them and discussing with them in detail why they do not want to take a certain position or what it is in fact they are looking for. Quite a few times I have been told by students/graduates that they would rather stay on unemployment benefits than work for similar or even slightly higher pay. The only thing I've been able to do is just keep inundating them with job openings and reminding them that unemployment benefits do not last forever. If I could find a better way to get around the unemployment benefits angle, I would certainly use it; however, this is one approach that I have found works. A lot of graduates will buckle under the persistency.
Very good observation. We think it is because students are happy and comfortable in school and lack the self confidence to take the step to seek work. So they make up a lot of reasons that they can't work. In addition to the job openings, perhaps you can uncover their fears and them help them get over them. This could be fear of the interview, rejection, lack of confidence, and more. And also consider that confidence building takes time. It doesn't happen in a workshop or seminar. YOu might also think about how to pair alumni with your students to help them get over this stumbling block. Thanks, Susan
John,
this is very true many students fear failure and therefore restrict themselves from good job opportunities. involvement with the professors and the placement deparment and different seminars and hands on activivtie swith internships and externships are very helpful.
Yes, Kelly, we also believe that fear and lack of confidence affects the ability of grads to seek work. Often students will try to "escape" by not attending or ignoring all the career services offered. That is one reason we believe that the career services seminars and projects should be required. Then it's easy to identify those who are trying to stay away from them. It's easy to work with students so they gain the job search skills and build their confidence. Thanks, Susan
I have found that in some cases, not all, the culture at home for some of these students/graduates is not one of persistance, they are some what lazy in thier approach to job searching. So at times we have to help change the culture for that person and help them realize that in order to be successful in this economic downturn, we have to be persistant in what we want. If they came to school to get a better education or a change in career then we have to continue to help them see that they really need to help us help them, in makeing their way successful.
Sharon cologero
Good points. It is necessary to overcome old employment habits and mentalities. The challenge is how to teach persistence and how persistence relates to job search success. This is where alumni can help. Alumni can mentor students to help change the mind set. Thanks
I would not necessary agree that we have to change our client’s cultural tendencies nor teach persistence. Individual confidence is the building block to gaining employment. We have seen individuals who lack confidence and this is the primary factor hampering their full potential. Confidence could be severely damaged due to hundreds of job applications with no replies, interview rejections, or other aspects. The consequence for our clients can be seen when they begin questioning their abilities and motivation goes down.
We have to take into consideration the following:
-Understanding the current job market in your area and current limitations to absorb new professionals.
-Today’s human resources practices due to changing economies and company policies.
In order to build confidence or persistence, we have to consider merging career services with career counseling to provide interventions. This is a shortcoming of placement services which emphasize training and lacks understanding of the cognitive or thought process that these individuals have.
JUAN,
We agree that building confidence is a key to successful job placement. That's why we recommend that all career services training starts as early as possible because building confidence takes time. It is also true that at the same time you are building confidence the reality of the job search tears it down. Perhaps that points to a lot of hand holding. This means a great deal of preparation prior to the job interview. Then a lot of de briefing to deal with rejection and more planning to overcome problems and focus on future success. Your comment re job market is very important. A limited job market may point to reducing enrollment or stopping enrollment all together for that program. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
I think your insights are valuable. This suggests to me that we should link to the admission process a comprehensive planning tool designed for the understanding of the professional commitment to each program.
Most of the time new students make their selection or career choice based on assumptions. We should institutionalize a program as part of the admission process to make students aware of career tools and services available to build skills which leads to growth opportunities.
JUAN,
Thanks. We agree that career services and admissions need to talk with each other. In fact, we think they should share the same office space. Potential students often don't know if there is a real match between their interests, capabilities, and the job. Admissions and career services have to take a consultative approach to ensure the right student enrolls in the right program and gets the skills to get and do well on the job. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
Walter I too have come across some students who make it very difficult to help them gain employment. One of the primary and most difficult things I face is that a lot of our student demographic is Hispanic. They do not speak English; and as we all know, that is vital in order to get good employment opportunities. How we’ve handled that situation is that we’ve put them in contact with local organizations that provide them with free English lessons.
Aside from that, we do have to handle and deal with students who simply may seem like they have a bad attitude or disposition. I’ve been able to break through some of my students by doing positive reinforcement icebreakers and exercises in a classroom setting pre/post Placement presentations. When it comes down to it, and I speak one on one with them, they’ve expressed that they are afraid, they feel overwhelmed and for the most part have never really had anyone tell them they are able and capable of being successful and doing good. I’ve made it a point to make sure they have the tools needed in order to build that confidence and make every single student understand that they’re ALL there to improve their life in one way or another and should therefore always treat each other with respect and up lift one another. This I can tell you has been very effective as it has made them feel like a team and not so alone. The result of this is that they are more receptive to my recommendations and willing to do what it takes and cooperate so that I am able to help them in turn.
Ivania,
You have pointed out some important issues re admissions policies and more. If students have difficulty with the English language and this impedes the ability to seek employment then you may need to re consider whether your school should be enrolling them. There also needs to be a vary large disclaimer saying that the graduate may not be able to seek employment if their English isn't adequate. It is great that local organizations are providing English lessons. English needs to be taught prior to enrollment. Some students have a bad attitude re employment. It is probably more about fear. All this can be addressed by consistent and persistent and even required training in employment skills. Confidence building takes time, knowledge, practice, and much more. Putting them in groups so they see they are not alone is great. It sounds like you are dealing with the challenges effectively. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
I agree Jennifer, many of the students who i seen enroll because of family pressure and come with a history of incomplete educational attempts. False expectations of income play a roll in the demotivation of the job hunt. We educate for the beauty industry and income potential is dependant on perserverance & years in the industry. I emphasize that we have opportunites for employement under part time or full time and we can relocate to a better job if they invest time and have patience to gain the necessary experience. the first year is the toughest but we offer openings where they will be accepted without clientele or experience and i remind them as kindly as possible that a rookie must be humble.
I too hear excuse after excuse as to why the job cannot be accepted. All i can say it that being a persistant coordinator pays off. I created a list of my "challenging" cases and do my best to keep them informed of events, job fairs and new openings as often as possible. You can lead the horse to water as the saying goes.
Sometimes we coordinators are the only source of support and pressure students/ grads have to stay on the path to a successful career. Our persistancy to guide can truly be the key to breaking a vicious cycle of inconsistancy/failures and opening the door to confidence and success.
Paola,
All good points that most schools experience. False income expectations is a big issue. That's why we feel career services people should be part of the interview process. The entire admissions process should focus on outcomes - our opinion. Sounds like you are covering all the issues and expectations and what it takes to actually get employed. It is important to point out the challenges to reduce the surprises. It is true about the lead the horse to water issues. However, we think a prepared horse will seek water on its ow. That's what we have to do - talk about the job search process as realistically as possible. Also constantly provide employment and job search skills and provide ways to practice them before graduation day. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
How do you motivate the career student? The ones who come to school just to go to school, because it is paid for. They graduate has no intention on utilizing the skills gained or your CS dept.
Antonia,
This is interesting. Maybe it starts in the admissions process. Perhaps everyone needs to take another look at the admissions requirements at your institution. It is not only about having a GED or HS diploma. It's a lot more. The purpose of going to a career school is to get a job or continue ones education. That has to be clear. If the applicant doesn't meet the requirements they will not be accepted until they do. It will be interesting to see how that helps solve the problem. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
