Every college leader knows that student employment success depends on a number of important factors. To help students improve their chances for success in the job market, most colleges have created a Career Services Department. This department helps students:
- Identify a career direction and a college major
- Find Internships and part-time jobs
- Prepare their resumés and cover letters
- Identify job banks and other employment resources
- By arranging for campus interviews… and much more
However, most colleges are not able to devote the personnel, money and resources that are necessary to reach and help each and every student. When there is only one Career Services person to work with twelve or fifteen hundred students or three or four people to help five or six thousand students, many of those students will receive little or no assistance. That translates to mediocre student success in the competitive job market. In fact, some students will find themselves at a severe disadvantage when they do not have the information, tools and guidance they need.
Wouldn’t it be nice if your college was different. Things would be much better for students if your college was able to reach and help every single one of them, Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors alike.
For students to become highly successful in the job market, they should:
- Understand every step of the job search preparation process
- Gather the information that is critical to employment success
- See examples of the tools that are used by the best candidates
- Set up and follow an employment plan that leads to their goals
- Learn how to stand out from the competition
- Find out where the most desirable jobs are located
- Know exactly what their target employers want, need and expect
- Perform the actions and activities that will benefit potential employers
- Prepare an impressive resumé and sales letter (not a cover letter)
- Learn how to prepare for and ace their employment interviews
The fact is that all of this and much more is not only possible, it is rather simple and can be done with no additional costs for your college.
Some readers may find this hard to believe. However, there are different and more effective ways to reach and engage students early on to make certain that they are better prepared for the senior year job search.
No longer do resource starved colleges
have to worry that they are not doing enough
to help their students
find greater success in the job market.
Since most students would like to land jobs in their areas of interest, jobs that pay well enough for them to live on their own and have career potential, concerned college leaders should investigate the new approach that creates a win-win for everyone. When you talk to the right person, ask the right questions, keep an open mind and make a few simple changes, your college can easily give all of your students the quality job search preparation assistance that can help them compete for more and better jobs.
It should not matter that the idea did not originate on your campus. What should matter is that there is a way for you and your college to provide all of your students with the assistance they need and most importantly, you can find out what it is and how it works.
Question: Does your current approach reach and help all of your students become better prepared to compete for good jobs in their areas of interest?
Breakthroughs occur when people are driven to find something better and are willing to accept new ideas. Those ideas are often so practical, simple and obvious that they have others asking, “Why didn’t I think of that myself?”
I will leave you with two questions: Do you want to help more of your students find greater success in the job market? If yes, are you willing to accept a practical, simple, obvious and effective idea?