Job Postings and Leads emailed to students
In the Job Opportunities section it mentions having a job openings resource book, which we do provide. It does have internet listings and leads that we hear of within the community. I do not find a lot of students looking at that resource, so we have been emailing the leads to our upcoming and recent graduates in the hopes that they will take our advice on how to apply for each posting.
Good point, Heather. With technology the job openings can best be on the website that can be accessed through password. We also think that emailing updates is important. Emailings keep you in touch with students and grads. When they know it is about a job openings, they are motivated to open the newsletter. This gives you the opportunity to include other valuable information. If you convert all grads to alumni then you have their attention and can keep them attached to the school for a long time. And have a better chance of their opening the email. In thinking about a job book, there may still be people that like to look through something while at school. YOu might want to measure that. Thanks, Susan
I am constantly looking for job leads and posting them up on our career board for our students to see. I also look for websites that can help the students with their job search. I email our students constantly with the websites that I find to have job oppenings for them.
Looking for job leads is a good idea. And checking websites. But the jobs are really located by developing relationships with the employers who hire your grads and those that do not yet. This takes spending time in the community visiting all employers. Also it is important to stay in touch with grads. That's why we recommend having a formal alumni association. Happy grads (your school has to be sure your grads are happy and successful) will often be happy to tell you about the jobs that are open and even introduce you to the hiring managers at their place of work. These days placement departments have to go way beyond checking the newspapers or websites to locate job openings. Good luck, Susna
Also, following-up with the graduate (calling them) to inquire if they have review and applied at the job leads is a must. You will be able to track the graduate's job search efforts.
We also agree, Sharon, that it is a must to follow up grads to see how their interview went. And also to see if they need help getting the interview. It's important to recap what happened during the interview that was good and what could have been better. Then the grad will maintain the momentum and do better next time. The goal is for the grad to get placed in the field trained for. And at the right salary. Thanks
I like Heather's posting. Our department takes similar steps. For graduates that are actively seeking out job opportunities, we send out a daily e-mail with jobs in it that are from our industry. Part of my day each day is spent locating these opportunities on the web, and from discussions with employers. This daily newsletter has led to many positions, and is one of the most popular elements of our Placement Department. Possibly my favorite element of it, is that it allows for daily interaction with graduates. I'll get the occasional e-mail with an update about their career, or their interest in one of the listed positions.
Great idea to have a daily emailing from Career Services. Lets students and grads know how active you are and focused on assisting with the job search process. And yes, you get a lot of feedback and have the opportunity to build and sustain relationships with employers and alumni. The alumni can tell you about even more job openings. Thanks, Susan
I think Heather is taking some great strides towards helping students become more aware of job opportunities. My school takes great pride in our online website where we are able to post job opportunities and career fairs, but it seems as though the students have trouble becoming aware of the website, so I also send information to the students via email. Another tactic that I utilize is passing out a handout with the instructions to view our job posting website at every presentation I do for the school. This not only allows me to thoroughly get the information out to the students, but also allows the student body to be aware that I am the person in charge of the website so they are able to know who to go to with questions and/or concerns.
Nicole,
Posting job openings and career fairs is very important. As you point out, not everyone checks so many students and prospective students could miss these important events. To us this means that every student needs to be contacted by career services on a regular basis. Faculty should know about career services to get the word out. Facebook and other social media are also a way to announce career services functions. It's very important to also engage alumni. They often need jobs. Alumni can also mentor students to keep them focused on the job search process. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
