Career Development

In the past 18 years, I have seen a lot of Employer Information Sessions.  From my perspective as a career professional, below is a list of suggestions to create really engaging Information Sessions for a college student audience.

•  Try not to rely too heavily on PowerPoint slides.  If they are used, make sure text is not too dense on each slide.
• Incorporate video and images where possible.
• Skype in an executive or employee and ask them to talk about their work. 
• If bringing alumni in, ask them to not only describe their responsibility areas, but describe a specific, typical project they worked on.
• Leave out industry-specific jargon and acronyms.
• Share information about the state of your industry and what current issues are hot.
• Explain how you differentiate yourself from your competitors.
• Describe any training or mentoring provided first year on the job.
• Students are very interested in a typical career path and how long it takes to move from one position to another.
• Note average hourly wage for interns and average annual salary range for entry-level.
• Talk about the benefits to you when a student has internship experience.
• Offer job search and networking advice.
• Describe what is expected of interns and new hires in terms of professionalism.
• Prizes/give-aways are always appreciated.
• Always provide some refreshments too!

Interesting presentations become memorable presentations, and memorable presentations are talked about on campus.

When hiring interns or entry-level professionals, there are ways to reach out and communicate to the college student audience that can enhance a candidate’s perceptions about you and the position.

• Find ways to describe your organization’s culture.  What is the environment like?  Fast-paced?  Relaxed?  Deadline-driven?  Creativity valued?  Flat or Hierarchical? 
• Find ways to describe your positions in language understandable by a college student audience.  Balance the amount of information:  not too much detail, but not vague either.  Reduce jargon unique to the field or industry, use generally recognizable terms and concepts.
• When talking to candidates and explaining positions you have, it’s helpful for college students to hear adjectives that describe traits and characteristics that work well for that job function.  E.g. adaptable, fast-learner, competitive spirit, “people-person”, etc.  This helps them decide if it’s the right thing for them.
• Be ready to describe the typical career ladder within your organization, or typical career paths externally for the career field.
• Most workplaces have four different generations working together.  Therefore, it’s a good idea to promote an awareness of generational differences and encourage intergenerational respect.

Best Practices

• Develop a detailed, well thought-out job description and list of potential intern projects.
• Use the same hiring process as for regular staff, i.e. resume review & interview(s).
• Create a thorough orientation and training to the position, the department and your organization.
• Identify and communicate to intern who can delegate and supervise their work.
• Communicate with intern your expectations for communication and processing of tasks.
• Be prepared to offer feedback (positive or constructive) frequently.
• Have a mid-point and/or end-point evaluation meeting; provide written form and/or letter of recommendation if deserved.

Excerpts from the NACE Journal:

The Student Perspective

A survey of students by NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) reveals student comments about the best internship experiences.

“Students felt that the ideal organizational culture was …

• one where the internship program was recognized throughout the organization,
• the work environment encouraged diversity,
• the organization actively solicited feedback from the interns,
• the intern is treated just as professionally as full-time employees.”

An Employer’s Approach

The internship coordinator at Geisinger Health System shares their training workshop strategy for new, incoming interns:

“Address in training workshops:

• Conventions, forms and expectations of professional communication
• Intergenerational issues and differing expectations concerning technology, communication, and work styles
• Issues and problems presented by the blurring of lines between social and professional networking, activities and communication
• Professional etiquette.”

Read complete articles in the February 2010 edition of the NACE Journal at www.naceweb.org

In reading hundreds of posted job descriptions, some are confusing, some are discouraging (qualifications out of reach), and some are unclear about the nature of the job.  You want to create a description that is accurate, concise, and grabs the attention of a college student or recent graduate.  Below are some things to keep in mind as you review your current position descriptions.

• Eliminate excessive industry/company jargon
• State in clear terms what responsibilities are part of the job
• Be clear about the competencies needed, e.g. note personal qualities helpful, or specific technical skills needed
• Describe your organization’s culture, e.g. competitive, driven, collaborative, team-focused
• Be realistic about Qualifications, remembering the limited amount of work experience held by college students.

Quotes from recruiters about why they come to UST:

• Proven track record of turning out students with relevant skills, work experience, and leadership potential
• Reputation and quality of the candidates and faculty.
• Great candidates – alumni doing well in our organization.

Quotes from recruiters about UST candidates:

• Students had strong interpersonal skills and interviewing skills; they showed confidence.
• Overall very strong interviews. Good questions for me, good examples.
• Very driven, very self-motivated students, and intelligent students.
• They are very bright, have good intellect, and are confident in who they are. They also present themselves very professionally.

UST Student Demographics:

• UST Students of Color enrollment in 2009-2010: 14.5% undergraduates and 13.2% graduates.
• Average ACT composite score of the freshman class (F2009) was 25.4
• Almost 40% of the more than 6,100 undergraduates are enrolled in a Business major

• Create a separate web page for College Students in your Careers section.
• Offer Information Sessions via Webinar – place on your website for easy access.
• Host student/faculty/staff groups at your site – tours and conversations with your staff go a long way in solidifying your brand on campus
• Create a Linked In Group for College Recruiting, invite students to join and get out information you want them to know
• Create a company Blog area within your website – share information on entry-level positions by asking a new hire to blog about their job; include valuable descriptions of your corporate culture
• Advertise that you are available for Informational Interviews, on campus or off at your site.
• Use Career Development Center Linked In Groups!
• Use Skype to interview/communicate with out-of-state or out-of-country candidates.