re-visioning career services by iao

7/30/2019 Re-visioning Career Services by IAO

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WHITE PAPER

w w . i a o . o r g

RE-VISIONINGCAREERSERVICES FOR

STUDENTS SUCCESS

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Table of Contents

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2

3

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Executive Summary

Introduction

Career Services for Students Success

Industry Overview

Career Preparation on Campus An Outdated Model

Industry Challenges

Reinventing Career Services Industry Opportunities

Framework for New Career ServicesThe Future of Career Services

Conclusion

About IAO


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Introduction

Introduction2

It is that time of the year when students graduate

from their educational universities or institutes.

However, the economic uncertainty has

dampened the celebratory mood and spirits of

the graduating classes. Universities and

institutes will face tough questions from parents

who will want to know how the school is helping

their child to nd a job and succeed

professionally. The desire to see an immediate

return on the investment (ROI) of a college

degree has never been stronger.

Students and their parents focus on the choice of which school to attend, and then expect the strength of

that choice to lead to professional success four years later. The challenge for university and college leaders

is to ensure that students have a variety of learning opportunities to prepare them to succeed professionally.

From day one, students should be able to connect what they are learning both in and outside of the

classroom to their long-term goals. However, with the traditional career services model, universities and

colleges will be unlikely to meet the twenty-rst century needs of their students and alumni.

Colleges and universities are now required to take a closer look at the level of career services support they

are delivering to students beyond the learning experience. The need of which arose after the current

economical changes. The institutions need to nd new and better ways to support students, graduates and

alumni by advancing career services alumni across the education lifecycle. They need to have the systemsand processes in place to connect students and employers so they can drive higher placement rates and

track the career services outcomes.

This paper describes the mounting importance of connecting a college education to professional success. It

suggests a few factors that the university leaders should ask about their career programs and oer examples

of projects that can help to strengthen career development on campus amidst these times of deep

economic uncertainty.


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Career Preparation on Campus An Outdated Model

Career Services for Students Success

No right processes to communicate with employers and students and also no systems to connect them

and monitor their interaction

Absence of data management practices and so the students could not reach out to employers to market

themselves

Absence of data management practices leads to the lack of a comprehensive database of qualied candi-

dates

Lack of a proper data management system also shows that the institution is incapable of allowing employ-

ers to access student applications and post open positions

No track of career services outcomes in terms of student and placement data

Ease of availability of data to pull the reports and analytics to prove placement and compliance

Existence of systems to follow up with alumni and track career results

Career Services Reporting

Career Services Management

Currently the universities and institutions did not have proper resources to oer proper student career

services and support. The following management and reporting practices are being sued in their systems and

processes.

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Until recently, schools havent dedicated a lot of resources to career services because stronger market condi-

tions meant it was easier for graduates to get jobs. This also meant less post-graduation accountability on the

part of institutions. If a college was successful in training a student for the workplace, and that student met or

exceeded the standards in his or her chosen eld, then the college had done its job.

The stronger economy in the past has enabled colleges to put resources into other places, namely recruiting.

Getting the right students enrolled in the right programs not only had a direct nancial benet to the institu-

tion, but it also increased the likelihood of producing successful graduates and qualied job applicants.

While this approach has helped more students fulll their academic potential, and enabled colleges and

universities to deliver their academic missions, it has yielded some challenges:

Industry Challenges

Students Placement Rates institutions that can prove their placement rates will be entitled for

student funding

Career Services Department institutions need to dedicate more resources so that graduates can

connect with employers

Job Placement institutions need to place more students into jobs to see an increase in students

enrolment and retention

Career Services for Students Success6

More Graduates, Less Jobs Higher education is now in a situation where colleges are produc-ing an increasing number of qualied graduates, yet these graduates have fewer career opportunities in

front of them. On top of that, because the recession has resulted in challenging times for graduates, the

government has stepped in to oversee recruitment and placement activities to ensure institutions are in

compliance and students needs are being met.

More Graduates, Less Resources Until now, higher education has had to deliver minimalresources to help students nd and secure available jobs. Fewer jobs lead to more competition among

graduates, leaving students who dont come out ahead of the pack with very few options.

Although experts predict that economic recovery isnt far o, over the last few years, there has been more

pressure for schools to make sure their graduates have the necessary skills to attract employers. However, it

goes beyond simply preparing students for the real world. Fewer jobs means no matter how qualied the

student is, he or she needs more help navigating the placement process. Colleges are being expected to shoul-

der some, if not a lot, of this responsibility. To support students through the career placement process, the

government has taken the following initiatives and the institutions now need to take care of:


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While colleges and universities are starting to establish and step up their career services activities, there

are still tremendous opportunities to improve in this area. A well thought out and proactive approach to

career services can produce the following:

Better Placement ResultsIt is about more than making sure students are qualied. Colleges and universities that take the

initiative to help students prepare for the job application and interview process, as well as help

students and employers connect; will increase the likelihood that their students will secure jobs.

Increased Retention RatesColleges that build relationships with employers and the community, as well as establish themselves

as the go-to partner in providing qualied graduates in specic programs and elds will increase job

opportunities for students. Institutions have an opportunity to become incubators for certain profes-

sions, increasing the possibility that employers will come to them directly to hire graduates. Because

students know that these relationships can produce good job prospects upon graduation, they will be

more likely to stay engaged in school and retained through program completion.

Stronger Recruitment and EnrollmentInstitutions that earn a better reputation for placing graduates will be able to leverage that data in

their recruitment eorts and enroll more students as a result. Higher placement rates can have a direct

impact on recruitment numbers as prospective students look for schools that can help them succeed

both academically and professionally.

Reinventing Career Services Industry Opportunities


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8

Framework

Questions About Your Institution

Before doing anything, of course, you must assess your current situation and needs. Start by asking simple

questions about your institution and your career services operation to identify top priorities.

To what extent is our institutions leadership team committed to student and alumni professional

success?

Are we communicating this commitment to prospective and current students and their families?

Should our faculty members play a more active role in promoting the professional success of their

students?

Have we adequately connected academic advising and career advising?

Have we built in opportunities for applied learning through co-ops, internships, research with faculty, or

service learning?

Could we make more eective use of work-study funds to help students build relevant work experience?

Are we leveraging our assets in our alumni, parent, and local communities to support students in their

professional pursuits?

Are there opportunities for my institution to dierentiate itself from peers around professional prepara-

tion?

Questions About Career Services

Do career services sta members have the background, experience, and knowledge to connect students

to a broad range of resources and opportunities?

Are career services sta members well versed in the use of social networking and technology to nd job

opportunities?

Is our career services office proactively reaching out to employers and driving demand for our students?

Are the alumni aairs and career services divisions eectively collaborating?

Is our career services office adequately funded and appropriately staffed given institutional expectations

for results?

Are our career services goals contributing to our institutional goals?

Colleges and universities need to implement the systems and processes that will allow them to increase

placement rates and track data. Bringing software into the mix can make it easier to connect students and

employers, creating greater efficiencies and stronger results. It can also facilitate reporting capabilities so

institutions can stay competitive and compliant. There are specic actions that students, employers andinstitutions need to take, and information they need to access in order to strengthen placement results.

There are specic actions that students, employers and schools need to do in order to strengthen placement

results.



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Employer Needs

The shift in the job market has meant that employers have been able to be more selective in the hiring

process. As we embark on an economic recovery, that may or may not continue. Regardless, employers also

need to be able to market themselves, as well as search for and easily connect with qualied candidates.

Create Company Prole

Employers need to be able to communicate their value proposition to future employees in terms of their

business model, markets served, mission, culture and goals.

Post Job Openings Online

Employers need an efficient way to spread the word about job opportunities to a

network of students and graduates who will most likely meet prerequisites.

View Student Background and Resume

Employers need to be able to quickly and easily learn about and qualify prospective applicants.

Generate Resume Books

Employers need to be able to compile resumes from qualied applicants in order to compare skill sets

and achievements, and seek out the most appropriate candidate.

The solution: an employer portal can enable a company to strengthen its ties with a college or university.

This increases the likelihood that the organization will look to that institutions as a reputable source of job

seekers, connect with those candidates, and expand their employee base.



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As colleges and universities take on greater accountability in job placement, they need to look for new ways

to help students and graduates succeed beyond the classroom on a professional level. They can accom-

plish this by delivering a higher level of student support throughout the education process. They also need

to work closely with employers to make sure job candidates are meeting employer expectations, as well as

connect these job seekers with their potential future employers. When it comes to supporting students,

institutions need to do the following:

Track Student Information for AdvisingCareer services advisors need a comprehensive tool set that enables them to track the student through

the job search, assessing qualication and activities, as well as conducting follow ups.

Integrated Academic and Demographic Information - Advisors need a centralized place to access the

students information, from grades to career goals so they can make sure the student is condent and

capable in his or her chosen eld, as well as on track to meet employer requirements.

Contact Management and Communication Tools - Advisors need to be able to regularly reach out to

students regarding such things as resume suggestions, new job postings and more.

Prole Background, Skill Sets and Preferences - Advisors need to be able to easily compile a students

information in order to identify career opportunities that would be a t for the student

Track Opportunities and Career Services OutcomesCareer services advisors need an efficient way to stay on top of all postings so they can better match

qualied students with job opportunities; they also need to manage and measure which postings secure

hires.

Track Placement Information, Salary and Employment Historycolleges need an easy way to analyze how many students are being placed, what they are earning, the

success rate of each student once placed, and the career path each student follows out of institutions.

The solution: an employer portal can enable a company to strengthen its ties with a college or university.

This increases the likelihood that the organization will look to that institutions as a reputable source of job

seekers, connect with those candidates, and expand their employee base.

College and University Needs

a.

b.

c.



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The solution: an employer CRM will enable the college to establish and grow relationships with a network of

employers, providing them with greater insight into what employers are looking for so they can produce

qualied graduates.

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When it comes to engaging with employers, institutions need to do the following:

Communicate with and Manage Potential EmployersColleges need a tool set that will enable them to build stronger employer relationships in order to better

match students with jobs, as well as to secure the institutions reputation as a credible source of qualied

graduates.

Track Multiple Locations and Contacts per Employer Institutions need to make sure they always

have a current database of employers with which they can connect students.

Track Multiple Opportunity Types - Advisors need to be able to analyze job details, such as full time,

part time, hourly, internship, externship and more.

Contact Management - Advisors need to be able to track current and past outreach with employers to

see which relationships are in good standings and where additional outreach is necessary.

Communication Tools - Advisors need to be able to proactively reach out to employers to reinforce

the relationship and stay top of mind

a.

b.

c.

d.

Track and Manage Job RequisitionsCareer services advisors need an easy way to follow existing and new job postings so they can match

qualied applicants with those employers and opportunities.

Manage Alumni Network at the EmployerThe career services team needs to be able to track and report on the number of students working

with a specic organization so they can assess the success rates of graduates by employer, as well as

determine organizations where their students skill sets are the best t.



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As more colleges and universities look for ways to boost career services and meet new federal regulations, as

well as learn specically what works and what doesnt work, what can institutions expect? Higher education is

positioned for a renewed focus on career services where it will experience the following trends:

Institutions are going to be working closer with employers, communicating on a more regular basis to

ensure students are acquiring the skills employers want, and employers are providing employment oppor-

tunities to qualied students from specic schools and programs. Colleges and universities will need to

make it easier for employers to post job openings online and view a students background and resume.

Well see more proactive communications between students and a schools career services team to make

sure students can eectively market themselves to employers. Well also see this outreach start earlier for

example, instead of waiting until a student is one month away from graduation, the placement process

might start 6 months to a year prior to graduation.

Well see shift in career services organizations to include more staffing and resources dedicated to place-

ment support. Not only will we see an increase in career services headcount, but also increase in the service

level they deliver to students. Sheila Curren, author and leader in the eld of student career services, hit the

nail on the head when she said, I think a fundamental change needs to take place in the way career centers

are organized, and in the training that is given to career services professionals. Good career services canmake a huge dierence to a students ultimate success after graduation.

Institutions will implement the tools and technology

necessary to more eectively track employer and job

posting information, as well as measure placement

results. Colleges and universities will identify key perfor-

mance indicators (KPIs), including placement by

employer, program and student; volume of job postings;

and average salary and debt of graduates so they can

make more informed decisions in order to provideincreased support to students seeking targeted employ-

ment.

.

The Future of Career Services

Stronger Employer Relationships

Automated Communications

More Student Self-Service Functionality

Increased Tracking and Measurement


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Higher education knows that something needs

to be done. The industry is seeing a shift as

career services gain traction in priority and

importance primarily because of the current

economic situation and government interven-

tion. Institutions must evolve their career

services and placement strategies, as well as

reallocate money and sta given the regulatory

landscape.

From an accreditation perspective, colleges

need to prove placement as an end result ofstudent success. Almost all accrediting bodies assess placement rates, though in dierent measures, as a

determining factor in a college securing and maintaining its accreditation. Again, the loss of accreditation

could likely mean the loss of enrollments and the departure of programs.

The argument of this white paper is that campus career centers and student employers must work together to

improve retention and success by providing specic types of employment opportunities, such as internships

and part-time jobs. This type of collaboration must be based on a sound understanding of the ways that

employment aects retention and success. A strong professional preparation program is a long-term invest-

ment that will have an immediate impact. The summer is an ideal time to conduct an assessment, design a

strategy, and begin to implement changes.

While there is little data out there that speaks to placement results across higher education, the consensus is

that there is tremendous room for improvement. Colleges and universities need to set their goals higher in

order to:

Exceed accreditation requirements

Stay compliant with federal regulations

Recruit at a higher level

Fulll the obligation a college has to its students and graduates

Conclusion

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About IAO15

About IAO

Accreditation and educational quality assurance are essential factors that complete the educational

ecosystem. While regional accreditation bodies have dutifully evaluated education providers on a regional

scale; a body to recognize and accredit education providers on an international scale was needed in the

wake of growing globalization. With more students studying at Educational Institutions or working for

companies outside their home country, it was imperative to create standards that are both regionally and

internationally recognized and accepted.

To accomplish the challenge, IAO created a unique Points Prole System by organizing the best global

practices in education in one place. IAO gathered educational quality assurance standards from around in

world in collaboration with various regional accreditation bodies and created evaluation criteria, that

works as a general basis of evaluation for any education provider, regardless of its regional location. The

core focus of the Points Prole System is to work as an additional international accreditation for education

providers that will supplement their regional accreditation.

The Points Prole System is a dynamic and evolving system that is continually updated in order to cater

new developments in the academic world. In relation to this, IAO is also working upon a Points Prole

System for students on an individual level that will increase individual acceptability and recognition of

students in both educational sector and the employer market.

IAO owes its success to its strong network and team of accreditation professionals spread in over 25

countries around the world. IAO has also collaborated with regional accreditation bodies to supplement

their strict accreditation methods with its expertise of standardizing the educational environment interna-

tionally. IAOs expertise and services are also recognized by dierent global accreditation associations.


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Contact IAO

Contact Oce:IAO, 10685-BHazelhurst Dr. #11524Houston, TX 77043, USA

Phone: 1-866-2768-IAO (426)

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://iao.org

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