Career Courses Create Competitive Candidates Amy O’Donnell MwACE Annual Conference August 2-4, 2009

While we’re waiting , please write your responses to the questions on the scrap paper provided Do you represent a college/employer, other? Do you think career courses should be offered? Required? Do you have a career course on your campus? If so is it required? What challenges do/might you face trying to implement career curriculum? If you have course resources would you be willing to share? Write your name/email address, if willing.

Do you represent a college/employer, other?

Do you think career courses should be offered? Required?

Do you have a career course on your campus? If so is it required?

What challenges do/might you face trying to implement career curriculum?

If you have course resources would you be willing to share?

Write your name/email address, if willing.

Today’s tasks Create awareness of why the UT College of Business Administration implemented required career courses Note employer survey results which support having career courses Share resources/ideas among colleagues who have or wish to have courses

Create awareness of why the UT College of Business Administration implemented required career courses

Note employer survey results which support having career courses

Share resources/ideas among colleagues who have or wish to have courses

Setting the context UT is a public institution of 20,700 students College of Business Administration houses 3200 students (about a 2750/350 split) There is a centralized career services office; however, the College values the discipline-specific attention it can offer in the Business Career Programs Office

UT is a public institution of 20,700 students

College of Business Administration houses 3200 students (about a 2750/350 split)

There is a centralized career services office; however, the College values the discipline-specific attention it can offer in the Business Career Programs Office

Business Career Programs Assists business students in securing internships during their undergraduate careers and full-time placement upon graduation Supervised by Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Administration, who, until fall 2004, also provided job search advising/resume critiques

Assists business students in securing internships during their undergraduate careers and full-time placement upon graduation

Supervised by Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Administration, who, until fall 2004, also provided job search advising/resume critiques

Business Career Programs In addition to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Administration, additional staff include ¾ time secretary Undergraduate Office Staff Graduate Student Career Development Curriculum/Lecturer provide exposure to career exploration/job search process

In addition to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Administration, additional staff include

¾ time secretary

Undergraduate Office Staff

Graduate Student

Career Development Curriculum/Lecturer provide exposure to career exploration/job search process

Career Development I & II Act in place of having full-time advising/administrative staff Required of all undergraduates One credit hour, graded A-C, No Credit (although this is changing Fall 2009) Six sections of “II” and then, “I,” are taught concurrently for 8 weeks 40 + students per section total approximately 480 students per semester

Act in place of having full-time advising/administrative staff

Required of all undergraduates

One credit hour, graded A-C, No Credit (although this is changing Fall 2009)

Six sections of “II” and then, “I,” are taught concurrently for 8 weeks

40 + students per section total approximately 480 students per semester

Career Development Courses take students from self-assessment through the offer Career Development I: self-assessment Introduction of resources major/career exploration Career Development II: job search strategies/networking refining written documents interview prep professionalism

Career Development I:

self-assessment

Introduction of resources

major/career exploration

Career Development II:

job search strategies/networking

refining written documents

interview prep

professionalism

How did we get faculty support? New Dean welcomed idea of introducing required career curriculum when Associate (then, Assistant) Dean’s attention to career-related tasks became too much Support came easily when presented to College’s Undergraduate Studies Committee College faculty as a whole University Faculty Senate Piloted in 2004; became required in 2005

New Dean welcomed idea of introducing required career curriculum when Associate (then, Assistant) Dean’s attention to career-related tasks became too much

Support came easily when presented to

College’s Undergraduate Studies Committee

College faculty as a whole

University Faculty Senate

Piloted in 2004; became required in 2005

Our story is unique “ Another challenge…is convincing the administration that offering career courses provides benefits to students,” (Brooks, 1995) Administration investment remains an issue at many institutions as faculty are opposed to awarding academic credit (Mead and Korschgen, 1994) Raphael, A. (2005, Fall2005). CAREER COURSES: HOW WE KNOW WHAT STUDENTS ARE LEARNING. NACE Journal , 66 (1), 34-39. Retrieved July 29, 2009, from Education Research Complete database

“ Another challenge…is convincing the administration that offering career courses provides benefits to students,” (Brooks, 1995)

Administration investment remains an issue at many institutions as faculty are opposed to awarding academic credit (Mead and Korschgen, 1994)

Why explore career course’s impact? Continually receive comments from employers stating students are better prepared than they used to be Reactions from: Students Colleagues Employers Trying to lend support to university colleagues warranted it (“enthusiastic” about unique required model)

Continually receive comments from employers stating students are better prepared than they used to be

Reactions from:

Students

Colleagues

Employers

Trying to lend support to university colleagues

Why explore career course’s impact? There is overwhelming evidence that career courses have a positive impact on student outcomes (Folsom and Reardon, 2001) Students who enroll in career courses begin their career planning earlier and develop greater self awareness (Brooks, 1995) There are clear advantages to taking a career course over individual counseling sessions (Stonewater and Daniels, 1983) Raphael, A. (2005, Fall2005). CAREER COURSES: HOW WE KNOW WHAT STUDENTS ARE LEARNING. NACE Journal , 66 (1), 34-39. Retrieved July 29, 2009, from Education Research Complete database

There is overwhelming evidence that career courses have a positive impact on student outcomes (Folsom and Reardon, 2001)

Students who enroll in career courses begin their career planning earlier and develop greater self awareness (Brooks, 1995)

There are clear advantages to taking a career course over individual counseling sessions (Stonewater and Daniels, 1983)

Survey Particulars Sample comprised of primary contacts who recruited last year and those who had record of resume referrals from 2004-2009 Sent E-mail invitation to participate to 200 recruiters who quickly began responding online Adjustments were made for incorrect addresses/contacts Sent one reminder message Reporting 96 participants and 48% response rate

Sample comprised of primary contacts who recruited last year and those who had record of resume referrals from 2004-2009

Sent E-mail invitation to participate to 200 recruiters who quickly began responding online

Adjustments were made for incorrect addresses/contacts

Sent one reminder message

Reporting 96 participants and 48% response rate

How many years have you been recruiting at the UT College of Business? This impacted results

Where do you recruit your interns/entry level workforce?

For what disciplines or majors do you recruit? Respondents verified mostly typical business disciplines: Accounting Finance Management (HR, Organizational Leadership) Marketing, E-commerce Professional Sales Supply Chain/Operations IT Some not major specific

Respondents verified mostly typical business disciplines:

Accounting

Finance

Management (HR, Organizational Leadership)

Marketing, E-commerce

Professional Sales

Supply Chain/Operations

IT

What activities generally comprise your recruiting program? Still value high touch

Have you noticed a change in UT Business students’ ability to be competitive in the last four years?

If you are new (within the past three years) to recruiting UT Business students, how do they compare?

Are you familiar with the practice of offering students career development/job search courses?

Do you believe colleges should require career/job search courses?

What benefits do you believe are or could be realized by colleges requiring career courses? Noted awareness of careers and “reality”

Would you say that students who take career courses versus those who do not are more competitive in the market?

If one of the colleges where you recruit decides it wants to implement required career curriculum, would you be wiling to support the college with written recommendations?

Would you advise on curriculum?

Would knowing a college requires career curriculum impact your decision to recruit there?

In the absence of required career courses, what recommendations would you have for colleges as they create competitive candidates?

Are you aware UT College of Business students are required to take two career development courses?

Observations Although 70% of our recruiters weren’t aware of our required curriculum, they believe our students are competitive (62%) or about the same (36%) as students from other schools 67% of surveyed recruiters had only been recruiting five or fewer years, and thus wouldn’t have had a basis to judge students from the days prior to required curriculum

Although 70% of our recruiters weren’t aware of our required curriculum, they believe our students are competitive (62%) or about the same (36%) as students from other schools

67% of surveyed recruiters had only been recruiting five or fewer years, and thus wouldn’t have had a basis to judge students from the days prior to required curriculum

Observations 85% of employers believe that colleges should require career curriculum, yet only 53% say knowing the schools require the courses would impact their decision to recruit 81% of employers said they’d be willing to support you with written recommendations 65% indicated they would advise on curriculum

85% of employers believe that colleges should require career curriculum, yet only 53% say knowing the schools require the courses would impact their decision to recruit

81% of employers said they’d be willing to support you with written recommendations

65% indicated they would advise on curriculum

Conclusion? Sounds like employers like the idea of enhancing competitiveness through career courses. UT College of Business offers assistance: Dr. Terribeth Gordon-Moore, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Administration, 419-530- 4376, [email_address] Amy O’Donnell, Career Development Lecturer 419-530-2422, [email_address]

UT College of Business offers assistance:

Dr. Terribeth Gordon-Moore, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Administration,

419-530- 4376, [email_address]

Amy O’Donnell, Career Development Lecturer

419-530-2422, [email_address]

Discussion?

Discussion?