Networking homework for students
I give out a homework assignment; find 4 people who you can network with or 4 individuals in an office, firm, hospital etc who you can make contact with for future help in job search. Has any one else done anything similar?
This is great James. The more students are connected with each other and with staff the more likely they will stay in school. So great retention technique. We like the idea or required networking with potential employers as well. Thanks, Susan
James - How has that translated thus far with placement success? I like the idea!
Hi Dr. Schulz,
Starting in the 2nd Module of the course, I asked the students to bring business cards from around the area where they live. Of course, they must dress professionally, introduce themselves and ask a question about that persons job. What do you think about this idea as a networking tool (at this point I have not mentioned the word 'networking')???
Hi Christelyn, The idea sounds interesting but we are not quite clear on what you are doing. Are students to go to prospective places of employment and bring back business cards of people who hire at each company? Or work at each company? Good idea to encourage them to dress for success. Then are they to ask the person about their job (the one the grad is pursuing?) If yes, then it is a form of networking. You might want to follow carefully as to results so you can fine tune the program. And also figure out at what point students are ready to do this task. And perhaps prior to their visits they need to all brainstorm about the questions. Bottom line - see what the results are and you'll know if the plan is working and then what changes are needed to make it work. Good luck, Susan
At this point in the program, the intent is for the student to start telling people they know in the industry about their new career goal, that they are enrolled in school for a specific field and are doing research. I want them to start looking for places where they would lke to be at for their externship/internship or work. Usually, the student knows where they would like to complete their externship/internship and since I am the only one in the Placement Department, it would be to their advantage and helpful to me if they can start networking and I would have a warm lead/contact to follow up on.
Hi Cristelyn - Really well thought out plan. Students perform meaningful tasks and are your outreach arm at the same time. Really good. Thanks for letting us all know. Susan
WOW! That's a great idea -- guess what my students will be doing this week for homework?
Learning how to network takes knowledge, skills, and practice. For your students to be successful with networking homework they need some lessons on how to. Then they will need detailed feedback to assess how their networking assignments went and how to improve. We need to hear more about teaching students to network. We could all use lessons. Thanks, Susan
I do a workshop with each of my classes approximately mid point through the in school portion of the course.During this workshop which deals with the rules and regulations of the Placement Department; What is an externship?; and job placement issues; I also discuss that if a student has a facility that they know of and wish to do their externship there and the Placement Department does not deal with this site, that by all means, supply the name, address,telephone and contact name to me.Therefore through a collaborative effort we can solidify a site that the student has already deemed satisfactory.
Good idea, Stephen. When students find externship sites that meet your requirements, everyone benefits. You gain an extra site and a potential employer. The student is comfortable and might even end up with a job there. What is important is that you have strict guidelines re what an acceptable externship site is and that there are specific skills the student must satisfactorily complete. And that there is an outcomes assessment plan in place to measure how everyone is doing. Thanks, Susan
Yes, Our students here in our campus as soon as they enrolled in the program one of the assigments they receive from the instructors is,they need to go out in the community and bring in at list 5 different sites.
Hi Lesli, Interesting assignment. How does it work? Are students given job specifications and types of employers they need to contact? Do they have the confidence to handle the assignment? What has been the results so far? How are the empployer relationships built and maintained? Very interesting. Thanks, Susan
Great idea!! It actually takes the student out to their community and enables them to see first hand what it's all about. This actually engages them and sparks their interest in something they might not have previous considered. I reiterate Excellent Idea!!
Yes, we agree about the interesting concept about getting students to learn about the resources of their communities first hand. We think it also helps to boost their confidence. They get to see people in the community as real and approachable. That has to help during interviews, which are usually about how confident the student is. Thanks, Susan
We also have our students complete a "wish list" before they start their externship. We ask them to submit a list of three employers where they would like to complete their externship. However, we do get some students that refuse to participate. How would you handle this?
That's a great idea, Luis. This gets the students involved and maybe even thinking about working so hard at their externship placement that they are hired. And of course it makes it a bit easier for you to locate externship placements. Do students refuse to participate in the externship experience or in submitting the list. If they don't participate in the externship my guess is they shouldn't graduate. Same for the list. You might want to make all "employment skills" training required. That might address the problem. Also suggest that you prepare the students so well that you attain 100% placement from the externship sites. We actually talked to an externship coordinator who made that claim. We think it's a great goal. Thanks, Susan
At my school we host educational seminars every Friday and have partnered with a national organization for networking professionals in our industry. We allow them to use our facility to host their large networking events and mixers and in turn our students are allowed to attend for free. This event happens monthly and has really helped some of our students to network and find jobs.
thanks for sharing this with us, Lisanne. Sounds like hosting these seminars has a lot of benefits. There are publicity opportunities and also these events probably bring people who would not likely visit your school. Are you able to hand out school information materials ? Can you get the names and emails of those who attended so you can follow them up? Very ingenious. Susan
yes I have, I actually just started it , I gave them the assignment of three sites to network with, see if they can mentor them or wil they be willing to do an externship, and what it will take for them to be hired by thier company. i gave that assignement o 19 students and gave them a few weeks to get it done and a date they had to have it done by, I then told them that we will do the follow up in thier behalf.
Sharon cologero
