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What do students say would make them likelier to engage with career services? In write-in comments, Student Voice survey respondents from four- and two-year colleges suggest embedding services in academics, plus better promotion of services and other steps.
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Nearly seven in 10 students have interacted with their college or university career center at least once, according to the most recent Student Voice survey from Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse on preparing for life after college. Experts like Shawn VanDerziel, president and CEO of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, say the ultimate goal is to get 100 percent of students using career services, given that students who seek out them out reap benefits when they enter the job market.
How can colleges and universities boost student engagement with career services? VanDerziel suggests catching students where they are by infusing career services into curricular and co-curricular activities.
Jennifer Benz, assistant vice president of career exploration and success at Miami University in Ohio, also suggests boosting student engagement “at scale” by not simply relying on students “to come see us.”
Miami is embedding career planning into the new-student experience. During new-student orientation, students begin learning about various career industries and select “career clusters” of interest. The Center for Career Exploration and Success then uses this information for target communications with students, sharing relevant opportunities including employer visits to campus, career panels, industry-specific career fairs and more. Miami’s first-year experience course also includes career-related learning outcomes, including the construction of a résumé.
“This helps students begin the practice of attending to their professional development needs early and often throughout college and beyond,” Benz explains.
In addition, the center works with each academic department to ensure career content is embedded beyond the first year. This includes promoting the value of internships, what employers expect of employees, job searching and graduate school planning.
What do students themselves say would make them likelier to engage with career services? In write-in comments, Student Voice survey respondents from four- and two-year colleges suggest—like VanDerziel and Benz—embedding services in academics, plus better promotion of services and other steps. Read on for more student responses.
