look before you leap externship-job shadowing program

Develop, Grow and Strengthen a Job Shadowing Program

Look Before You Leap Externships

Heather Engelking, MPA

What Is An Externship?

• a one-day to week-long, voluntary job shadowing experience

• First hand exposure to environments and professionals in a career of interest

• students observe and interact with employer hosts gaining insight into reality based aspects of their future careers

– acquire an understanding of expectations related to a profession in a “real world” work environment

Externship FactsAn Externship:

Is not an Internship and does not offer permanent employment with an employer

is completely voluntary and there is no financial compensation or academic credit earned

can be completed in Orlando or at other host employer locations (Other FL cities, or out of the state)

Benefits of an Externship• Educate future professionals in

your field• Recruit new talent (internship,

co-ops, PT/FT employees• Brand your on-campus identity

with students and staff• Brush up on what students are

learning in the classroom• Expand or develop relationship

with Career Services• Understand what it takes to

mentor • Give back to the community

For Employers:• Gain a realistic perspective of a

career field, facilitating career decision making

• Investigate needed job skills

• Make new connections/network

• Possibly find a mentor

• Assess your fit with an occupation

• Discuss your future academic track with professionals with first-hand experience

• Professional awareness (savvy)

For Students:

Externship Activities

• Determined by employer host

• Hands-on or observational

• A “day in the life”

• Involve key team members

• Defining structure and creating agenda works best

• More than a “sales pitch”

Externship Program at UCF

• Coordinate 3 programs a year– Spring (March), Summer (August), Winter (December)

• Open to ALL majors– Supporting all industries

• Open to ALL class levels– Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, Post Bac, Graduate

and Alumni within 1 semester after graduation

• Career Services Staff/Resources– Assistant Director supervision, Graduate Assistant manages

program (20 hrs/week), Volunteer– Marketing/Graphic Design, Webcourses, Online Registration

Evolution of the Externship Program at UCF

• Initial implementation: Spring Break-March 2003– 14 students and 9 employers

• Online registration

• Mandatory in-person student orientation

• Optional in-person student reflection session after externship

• 2 Sessions: Spring Break (March) and Winter Break (December)

Evolution of the Externship Program at UCF

• Winter Break Externship 2008– 58 students and 43 employers

• Funding interrupted– Winter Break Externship 2009 cancelled

Registrations

◊ 191 students

◊ 61 employers

Matches

◊ 105 students

◊ 54 employers

Drop Outs

◊ 37 students

◊ 12 employers

Spring Break Externship 2010Completers

◊ 68 students

◊ 42 employers

Issues

• High number of drop-outs

• Mandatory in-person Orientation

• Poor attendance for Reflection Sessions

• Professional Expectations in the Workplace

• Learning Outcomes?

Leveraging Technology• Articulate– Online orientation

Leveraging Technology• Webcourses– Manage large number of students through process

Leveraging Technology• Webcourses - Learning Modules– Professionalism, Networking, After Externship– Quiz

Leveraging Technology

– Enhance interactions among registered students– Q & A Section

– Matched Students

– Reflection Boards

– Feedback

• Webcourses – Discussion Boards

Leveraging Technology

• Survey Monkey– Online registration for students and employers

Recruitment & MarketingStudents• Mass email to all students

• Email to past externs

• Email faculty and staff

• Flyers/Palm Cards/TV slides

• Posted on CS Website

• Offered “Link Loot”

Employer Hosts• KnightLink – mass email

• Previous hosts

• Assistant Directors on Employer Relation Team

• Career Events **

• Leverage campus connections– Community Relations

– Alumni Center

– Medical School

• Contact lists (i.e. non-profit)

Student Marketing

UCF Process

• Recruitment Period (students & employers)• Students entered into Webcourses– Review Learning Modules

– Discussion Board:“Why do you want to job shadow?”

– Quiz

• Registration Closes– Experience list (compiled employer registrations)

– Ranking Assignment (students) • Only students who have passed the quiz have access to experience list

for ranking assignment

• Student Attrition

UCF Process• Matching– Preliminary Matches– Secondary Matches– Pre-selects**

• Commitment Contract– Healthcare & Non-Healthcare

• Career Services notifies employer hosts of matched student(s)– Name, major, class standing, email, phone

• Students emailed contact information of employer host– Primary coordinator’s name, phone and email address

After the Externship• Evaluation / Surveys (students & employers)– Feedback & Recommendations (both)

– Learning outcomes (students)

• Reflection postings (students):– What did you learn?– Suggestions for improvement

• Certificate of Completion (student)

• Certificate of Appreciation (employer)

Outcomes• Winter Break 2010Registrations

◊ 797 students

◊ 100 employers

Matches

◊ 233 students

◊ 100 employers

Drop Outs

◊ 3 students

◊ 1 employer

Completers

◊ 230 students

◊ 99 employers

• Spring Break 2011Registrations

◊ 622 students

◊ 39 employers

Matches

◊ 138 students

◊ 39 employers

Drop Outs

◊ 6 students

◊ 1 employer

Completers

◊ 131 students

◊ 38 employers

About 50% of students who initially register do not complete the quiz, so are not in the pool for matching

Outcomes

• Winter Break 2011Registrations

◊ 989 students

◊ 107 employers

Matches

◊ 310 students

◊ 105 employers

Drop Outs

◊ 4 students

◊ 2 employers

Completers

◊ 306 students

◊ 105 employers

• Spring Break 2012Registrations

◊ 832 students

◊ 105 employers

Matches

◊ 229 students

◊ 97 employers

Drop Outs

◊ 6 students

◊ 12 employers

Completers

◊ 215 students

◊ 93 employers

About 50% of students who initially register do not complete the quiz, so are not in the pool for matching

Best Practices

• Leverage Technology

• Connect with campus resources

• Thought out, structured program instead of trying to wing it

• Opportunity for employers to pre-select

• Discussion Boards

Thank You!

Questions? Comments?

Visit our Website: www.career.ucf.edu

Heather EngelkingAssistant Director, Employer Relations

Career Services, University of Central FloridaHeather.Engelking@ucf.edu