Best Practices of NACE College Members

NACE asked college career services practitioners to share information on successful programs/processes they have that serve their campus communities or the employers who recruit at their schools. NACE members can read the full text of these best practices articles on NACEWeb. If you're not a member, but would like to read these and other important articles on NACEWeb, click here.

Branding: Wilberforce University
Career Exploration: Albertus Magnus College; Ball State University; Belmont University; Boise State University; Bradley University; Central Florida Community College; Eastern Connecticut State University; Ferris State University; Geneva College; Kaplan University Graduate School of Management; Lafayette College; Marshall University; Messiah College; Montgomery College; Old Dominion University; Salisbury University; Tufts University; Union University; University of California-Santa Cruz; University of Connecticut; University of Delaware; University of Miami; University of South Carolina; University of Tennessee; University of Virginia; Virginia Western Community College
Career Fairs: Georgia Association of Colleges and Employers (GACE); Old Dominion University; University of Miami; Vermont Small College Consortium
Creative Ideas for Presentations to Students: AIB College of Business; Franciscan University; Rutgers University; University of California-Santa Cruz; University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Data Collection and Reports: Creighton State University and Montana State University Billings; Davidson College; Louisiana State University, Hamline University; Ohio State University; Southwestern University; University of Miami; University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón; Western Michigan University
Diversity: Mississippi State University; Rutgers University; University of Nevada, Reno; University of New Hampshire
Employment: Indiana University; North Carolina State; North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Northern Michigan University; Stevens Institute of Technology; University of Baltimore; University of Miami; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; University of Scranton; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Internship/Co-op Programs: Drexel University; Keuka College; Rutgers University; University of Illinois
Marketing: Central Piedmont Community College; DeSales University; Gustavus Adolphus College; Hiram College; Millikin University; Northern State University; Old Dominion University; Occidental College; Russell Sage College; Rutgers University; Southwestern University; Stanford Career Center; University at Buffalo (UB); University of Colorado at Boulder
Mentor Programs: Juniata College; SUNY Institute of Technology; University of Missouri; University of New Hampshire
Programming: Eastern Connecticut State University; Fox School of Business and Management, Temple University; Rutgers University; Tufts University,; University of Nevada, Reno; University of South Carolina; University of Virginia
Small Career Centers: Coastal Carolina Community College; Hood College; Northern State University; Viterbo University
Student Skill Building: AIB College of Business; Bradley University; College of Westchester; East Carolina University; Juniata College; Lakeshore Technical College; Louisiana State University; Northern Michigan University; Stony Brook University; Temple University; Tennessee Technological University; University of Arkansas; University of Houston C.T. Bauer College of Business; University of Miami; University of St. Thomas; University of Tampa; University of Wisconsin-Madison

Branding

Effective Branding at HBCUs: Part 1— Wilberforce University

Hardy Brown says that, among other things, it takes a university-wide effort to effectively brand a career center at a historically black college and university (HBCU). At Wilberforce University in Ohio, branding starts at the top.

"We have support from the board of directors, the president, and the executive vice president of the university," explains Brown, director of cooperative education and professional services. "We are a centralized office, so the entire university refers all students to us. Our branding starts there."

To read more about this program, see the July 18, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Career Exploration

Dealing With Parents Who Show Up for Student Career Counseling Appointments—University of Tennessee

It has only happened to Elizabeth Pallardy once in her new position as career resource center coordinater at the University of Tennessee—Knoxville, but it has become a more common occurrence at the center. Now, the center staff is discussing how to handle a situation in which a parent accompanies a student to an individual career counseling appointment.

For some guidance, Pallardy posted her request on NACE's JobPlace online community. Several of her colleagues had similar concerns; others who had experienced parents becoming involved created policies or procedures to address the situation.

To read more about this program, see the May 28, 2008 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Career Services Programs: Panel Discussion Helps Students Discover Career Opportunities on Campus

Marianne Green has worked on college campuses for nearly three decades. Dureing that time, she has derived myraid benefits from her work and her work environment.

In order to help a new generation understand the rewards of working on a college campus, Green and her graduate asssistant, Sarah Kohut, developed a discussion panel titled "Careers on Campus."

"The goal for this workshop was to enlighten students about some of the career opportunities at the University of Delaware, an on other college campuses," Green explains.

To read more about this program, see the May 14, 2008 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Formal Career Services Programs Part 2—Lafayette College

Lafayette College, a small liberal arts institution of approximately 2,400 undergraduate students, promotes its low student-faculty ratio. Its career services office has followed suit with "Gateway," Lafayette’s four-year career development program.

"Gateway" is designed to give students career guidance throughout their time at Lafayette, beginning in their first semester.

Together, student and career counselor discuss and develop a plan for a major and career exploration through four steps: discovery, exploration, preparation, and achievement.

To read more about this program, see the May 14, 2008 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Formal Career Services Programs Part 1—University of Connecticut

During the summer after her freshman year at the University of Connecticut (UConn), Amanda Ziebka heard about the career services office’s formal career exploration program called Explore (Experiences and Learning Opportunities in Real-world Environments) that supports sophomores and juniors as they choose a major or a career.

“It started as an experiential learning program to help students get internships,” notes Rachel Larson, career consultant and Explore program manager. “But it has evolved into much more of a decision-making program.”

To read more about this program, see the May 1, 2008 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Students "Hit the Road" to Find Their Career Paths—Messiah College

In 2005, two staff members from the career center at Messiah College in Grantham, PA, attended a conference keynoted by "Road Trip Nation," a group of new college graduates who set out to find out why people do what they do and how they discovered their passion.

"In the same way, many of our students come to us looking for answers to similar questions," explains Christy Hanson, assistant director of the career center for vocation and development.

"We wanted to offer them a structured, yet fun, opportunity to explore career fields of interest to them, while at the same time, learn more about themselves and the world around them," Hanson says.

The result is a program titled "Hit the Road: Explore the Possibilities."

To read more about this program, see the December 5, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Expanded Format of Career Kick Off Means Expanded Opportunities for Students—University of Miami

The University of Miami's Career Kick Off was launched in 2003 as an all-day Saturday workshop that included an etiquette luncheon and break-out sessions on career-related topics. This year, however, the event's committee decided to spread Career Kick Off over the two-week period leading up to the school's fall career fair.

Career Kick Off provides opportunities for students to network and make contact with alumni and employers. It also helps students build essential career development skills that will help them in the search for jobs and internships.

There was record student attendance at the Career Expo, up 20 percent from the previous semester, and 30 employer representatives participated.

To read more about this program, see the November 8, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

New Orientation Program Incorporates Parents Into Students' Career Planning—Boise State University

Boise State University has implemented its new student orientation program, which features an overnight stay and much more time to welcome students and involve them on campus.

As part of the orientation program, career center staff members are able to spend 45 minutes with every parent and/or family member who comes to orientation with his or her student.

"When you stand in front of 100-plus parents and family members and ask the question, 'How many of you hope that your student will graduate and go on to be a success in whatever field they choose?,' you really get their attention," explains Debbie Kaylor, director of the career center.

To read more about this program, see the October 24, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Embedded Career Module Helps Reach First-Year Students—Montgomery College

The division faculty counselors along with the career services center at Montgomery College, a two-year school in Conroe, Texas, have tried a number of strategies to encourage first-year students to begin their career exploration and degree planning. They have found success with an embedded career decision-making module offered in all first year Developmental English Writing II classes.

"Career counselors and divisional counselors make one-hour class presentations to students on career decision making and invite them to access more testing and services in the career center," says Monique Olivas, faculty counselor. "An added bonus is that professors and the department have become more informed about our services, and they are referring students to the career center throughout the year."

To read more about this program, see the October 10, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Counseling Techniques: Providing Students and Alumni With Guided Brainstorming to Jump Start Career Exploration—Kaplan University Graduate School of Management

What do you do if a student says that she "feels stuck" in her situation or an alumnus says he is the victim of a downsizing and doesn't know if he has the skills to do anything else? Jane Henderson, who provides career support for Kaplan University's Graduate School of Management, has a solution: guided brainstorming.

Henderson explains that guided brainstorming is a confidential conversation that is structured to lead the client to new ways of thinking about his or her career path. Since Kaplan is a fully accredited "virtual" university, all of the guided brainstorming sessions are conducted by phone or online. Henderson serves as the coach.

To read more about this program, see the September 26, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Career Services Office Prepares Students for Academic Advising Meetings—Salisbury University

The career services office at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland, conducts sessions for new student orientation that introduces career services to the students. But, in addition to introducing students to the services available to them as they begin their career exploration, career center staff members help students prepare for their first advising appointment with their academic/faculty adviser.

"Doing so has been a good bridge between career services and academic services," explains Rebecca Emery, Salisbury's director of career services. "We have always done sessions that introduce students to our career services, but we introduced the concept of program planning to them."

During the sessions, career services staff give students advising folders and have them schedule an appointment with their advisers.

To read more about this program, see the September 26, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Technology Summit Leads to Scholarship Opportunities—Virginia Western Community College

Last October, Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) in Roanoke, Virginia, held its first Technology Summit, which was a joint effort between the school's Hall Associates Career Center and the Division of Business, Engineering, and Technology, in conjunction with employers within the greater Roanoke Valley.

Through the program, a business selects highly motivated students to sponsor as they pursue degrees at VWCC.

"Many local employers have agreed to offer technical scholar opportunities to qualified students," McMinnis says. "These scholarships will provide benefits ranging from paid internships with highly competitive wages, valuable and relevant work experience, and flexible hours, to funding for tuition, fees, books, and other college expenses.

In return, the sponsor can provide direct input regarding the students' academic pursuits and develop specialized, technically skilled, and motivated employees.

To read more about this program, see the August 15, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

A Blueprint for Building a Cyber Career Center—Old Dominion University

The career management center (CMC) at Old Dominion University (ODU) was faced with a dilemma: providing career services for a growing student and alumni population, and a large national distance-learning program. To address this, CMC staff developed ODU's Cyber Career Center.

The goal of the project was to develop an electronic means for the staff of the Cyber Career Center to communicate to students and alumni and electronic resources to refer them to, thereby giving students virtually the same programs and services they would receive in person. Instead of drawing clients into the CMC, the CMC wanted to push the information out to clients wherever they may be.

To help others create a similar offering, ODU posted information about their efforts at www.odu.edu/ao/cmc/services/cyber.shtml.

To read more about this program, see the May 11, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Bringing National Career Development Month to Your Campus—Eastern Connecticut State University

During summer planning, one thing you might want to consider adding to your schedule is celebrating National Career Development Month in November.

Last fall, the office of career services at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) collaborated with recruiters from Fastenal to hold National Career Development Month (NCDM), during which the career center held myriad career events and activities.

"It was a huge success," says Nancy DeCrescenzo, associate director of ECSU's office of career services. "The employer sponsorship and collaboration made it all possible.

Following are some suggestions from DeCrescenzo for planning an implementing a NCDM celebration on your campus.

To read more about this program, see the July 18, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Student Programs—Union University

Each October, students at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, have an opportunity to take an academic approach to their career planning and preparation through the career center's Career "U"niversity program.

Career U—which is free to all students—consists of a series of hands-on workshops that help explain the "hows" and "whys" of many career-related subjects. Career U also features a mini career fair.

"Career U supports the mission of Union University and the career center by preparing students to pursue their life calling," explains Jacqueline Taylor, assistant dean of students and director of career services.

Corporate sponsors present workshops and serve on the "Ask the Experts" panel.

To read more about this program, see the December 7, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Tailoring Career Services Programs to Meet the Needs of Today's Students—Belmont University

In an effort to increase awareness of career services and to help today's millennial student better understand career options, Belmont University developed a program that assists students in their career exploration.

The career services staff created a series and branded the programs "Career Exploration Series." Students can explore a broad range of careers within various industries, and network and connect with professionals in the community.

Career services staff at the Nashville school researched the trends, values, attitudes, and behaviors of the millennial generation. They observed the changes in new students and how this generation is different from previous generations.

For instance, during Belmont's on-campus career fair, the staff noticed a disconnect between the expectations of today's students and employers.

To read more about this program, see the October 27, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Career Libraries Adapt to Changes in Student Expectations—Tufts University, University of Virginia, University of South Carolina

The expectations of college students have changed, and the timestamps that read 3:45 a.m. on e-mails to career centers from students seeking guidance or resources offer partial proof.

Career resources directors and center librarians have noticed this change and are working to offer resources in ways that best serve their customers.

Diana Cook, assistant director of career resources and technology at Tufts University, says students have specific expectations.

"Students today are multi-taskers," she says. "If you look at their computer screens, there are 12 different windows open, they're instant messaging a friend, sending an e-mail, and doing their homework. They want to do things on their timetable, they want to do it from home, and they want to do it at 3 a.m."

At the University of Virginia, Elly Tucker, assistant director of career resources in university career services (UCS), is working to transfer alumni data bases, directories, job posting subscriptions, and various handouts from paper to digital formats. Conversion of files presents career librarians with challenges.

To read more about this program, see the October 12, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Engaging Parents in Their Students' Career Search—Albertus Magnus College

The career services office at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut, offers an hour-long workshop for parents titled, "How to Help My Child's Career Planning."

The workshop, held during summer orientation, is designed to help parents explore ways to start career conversations with their sons or daughters, and simultaneously recognize the importance of targeted conversations.

This theme has been effective in that the conversation starters are organized around key career-planning concepts and not by progressions through the class years, an innovation that has elicited positive feedback from parents.

The conversation starters are organized into four themes.

To read more about this program, see the October 12, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Sparking Workshop Attendance—Bradley University

Smith Career Center at Bradley University held a mini job-seeking conference in September 2006 that provided freshman through graduate students with critical career exploration and job-search information. It also served as a primer one week before the largest career fair on campus.

The conference was in response to having less than satisfactory student attendance at workshops the previous year. After meeting to address this issue, the staff decided to package workshops into one main event they called "The Big Event."

"The Big Event" was marketed to appeal to the student who might not have time to devote four hours to the program. Career center staff encouraged students to "come for the keynote and stay for the entire event, or come and go as your schedule allows."

And they did. There were more than 300 student attendees at the keynote address and more than 400 students participated in the concurrent sessions.

To read more about this program, see the September 28, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Students Embark on an Online "Quest"—Ball State University

Thanks to the combined efforts of career services, communications, and computer services staff members at Ball State University, students can now embark on an online "Quest" to help match majors, classes, and careers to students' interests.

The Quest program guides students through a series of questions about their interests, and using programming that is based on BSU's academic offerings and the Occupational Outlook Handbook, offers students a list of activities and related careers to help them identify a potential academic course at BSU along with a future career path.

To read more about this program, see the February 16, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Calling and Vocation Month—Geneva College

Geneva College, a faith-based institution in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, is helping students discover their calling through a month-long schedule of career exploration and self-assessment activities.

"Generally, our goal is for our students to be thinking intentionally about their gifts, talents, skills, and abilities and how to connect them with academic, vocational, and experiential opportunities," explains Robert Rostoni, director of career development.

Activities include guest speakers, faculty testimonials, an art gallery for reflection, and fireside chats.

Students working with the career development center through the stages of career exploration have a more fluid decision making process as seniors.

To read more about this program, see the June 23, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Career Exploration—Central Florida Community College

Central Florida Community College's career development center got together with the school's arts and sciences faculty to hold a career exploration roundtable.

Titled "A Faculty Roundtable: Exploring Majors in Math and Science," the event attracted more than 65 students looking to find out what to do with their math or science degrees. The success of this event, and requests from other academic departments, will lead to future roundtables in the Fall semester.

To read more about this program, see the April 29, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.

Career Building Conferences—Ferris State University

Career services and the student leadership and activities department at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan merged two separate conferences into one event in order to pool human and financial resources, result in greater efficiency, reduce costs, increase attendance, and offer a more comprehensive program. The new conference includes as many as four motivational keynote speakers and 15 breakout sessions on leadership and career success topics. By all accounts, the conference has been successful. More than 500 students attended the winter 2002 event (an increase from past years) and there was a 25 percent reduction in costs.

The combined conference covers 16 topics, offers a networking luncheon with employers, and enlists local professional associations for support.

To read more about this program, see the May 5, 2003 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Career Day—Marshall University

Two years ago, Loren Wenzel, chair of the College of Business at Marshall University, contacted the center to ask for help planning, marketing, and presenting a career information day for Marshall’s College of Business students. The goal was to provide career information from participating employers and offer networking opportunities—as opposed to the usual job-focused fairs. Employers could talk about career paths within their organizations and the types of majors they seek, even if they had no openings at the time. Students could concentrate specifically on networking and information-gathering, instead of a job search.

To read more about this program, see the April 7, 2003 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Career Fairs

Small Colleges Collaborate on Graduate School Career Fair—Vermont Small College Consortium

For two days in September, recruiters from 24 graduate schools visited Vermont and recruited students at four college campuses during the first Vermont Small College Consortium Graduate School Fair. Recruiters from schools as far away as Maryland attended.

"This is a great way to get schools on each of our respective campuses that probably would not come for a visit to the individual host colleges," says Renee Beaupre White, director of career services at Green Mountain College. "Recruiters loved it and felt they accomplished so much in just two days."

To read more about this program, see the November 8, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Fun, Interactive Approach to Proper Dress Campaign—University of Miami

The Toppel Career Center at the University of Miami created the "Dress 2 Impress" campaign to address some of the issues the practitioners were noticing with students dressing inappropriately for on-campus interviews, career fairs, and information sessions.

"While we have always educated students on appropriate attire, we decided to do something that was more fun and interactive," explains Christian Garcia, associate director, employer relations at the University of Miami. "We purchased mannequins and named them Rudy, Judy, and Tomas. And we dressed them in clothes donated by Macy's to demonstrate what proper attire looks like."

To kick off the "Dress 2 Impress" campaign, the career center held an event on "The Rock"—an outdoor stage in a high-traffic area in the center of campus.

To read more about this program, see the February 16, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Urge Students Not to Be Job Fair Dummies—Old Dominion University

After employer surveys told Old Dominion University's career management center staff that students don't attend career fairs properly attired, the school created a campaign called "Don't Be a Job Fair Dummy."

The program, which ran a month before the March 2006 career fair, had the support from local merchants, who provided well dressed mannequins, and employers, such as an image coach sponsored by Target Company.

The components of the program were:

Educate students regarding appropriate job fair attire.
Create an element of amusement to attract student attention.
Get employers involved.
Reward students who complied.

The results? The majority of students came to the career fair properly dressed, hundreds came to the student registration booth to compare themselves to the dummies, and employers were well pleased with the students and the campaign's success.

To read more about this program, see the April 13, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Timing the Key for Success of GACE Career Fair

The first career fair held by the Georgia Association of Colleges and Employers (GACE) had more than tripled the anticipated employer and student attendance.

Holding what could be called a "just in time" career fair—at the end of the recruiting season—allowed employers with unfilled job openings to meet with new college grads who were still looking for jobs.

An added bonus for GACE: 44 new members to their organization.

To read more about this program, see the July 7, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Creative Ideas for Presentations to Students

Innovative Programming Taps Into Reality TV Craze—Rutgers University

What does a reality show contestant have to do with a successful career services program?

While Rutgers University was swept up in alumnus Randal Pinkett's quest to be "hired" on NBC's "The Apprentice," the school's career services department launched a reality-based web series that followed five Rutgers' juniors as they searched for summer internships.

"The Intern" chronicled the students' experiences on the career services web site through every phase of their internship search. The goal was for other students to emulate the strategies showcased on "The Intern" and land their own internships.

Being able to connect with students via their peers had both educational and marketing benefits.

To read more about this program, see the July 20, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Reaching Students—University of Massachusetts, Lowell

How can a career center reach more students? Target the right students and let word spread about the benefits of using your services.

During the summer of 2005, the career services department at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell met with the dean of students and the residence life staff to discuss having each resident adviser (RA) and student assistant residence director (ARD) attend an individual meeting with a career counselor during the fall semester.

The idea was to target individuals who were in a position of access and peer influence, and have them directly experience the benefit of what career services could do for them.

To read more about this program, see the July 20, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Making a Show of Career Service—Franciscan University

At Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, the career planning and services office has turned its orientation program into a one-hour talk show.

During the show, a student host introduces each of the directors of the different departments—career planning, study abroad, and study skills lab—and brings them up on stage. The host asks questions that cover the basics of what the directors and their departments do.

Commercials put on by the orientation team break up each "guest's" interview.

This entertaining new format holds students' interest, and is accompanied by a show "program" containing the show's information so that students can refer to it later.

To read more about this program, see the September 1, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Teaching Students About the Importance of Branding—AIB College of Business

AIB College of Business in Des Moines Iowa has freshmen saddling up to their career orientation program.

Using a western theme, the program discusses the meanings of branding. Students are encouraged to draw their own "brand" as they discuss the obstacles they face as freshmen in reaching their career goals.

To read more about this program, see the August 18, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Matching Majors and Jobs—University of California-Santa Cruz

NACE JobPlace members often share ideas and practices used in their career centers to attract freshmen, market their centers, counsel students, and more.

The career center at University of California-Santa Cruz (UCSC) has a quick exercise to help undecided student during its "Choosing a Major" workshop.

Presented with a list of five alumni names with their majors in a column, students are asked to match those names with real job title in a second column.

This exercise helps students become more aware of career options available to them.

To read more about this program, see the August 4, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

NACE members can join in the JobPlace discussions by signing up online.

Data Collection and Reports

Ohio State University

The office of engineering career services (ECS) at Ohio State University (OSU) can report the post-graduation plans of more than 90 percent of its graduating bachelor’s-level students. It has achieved this by working closely with academic advisers, apprising them about ECS's efforts, and detailing how they can assist in the attempt to obtain data.

ECS has broken down its work into initiatives that are done on an ongoing basis, and those that are undertaken quarterly and annually.

To read more about this program, see the February 6, 2008 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Effective Data Collection— Creighton State University and Montana State University Billings

At Creighton University, in Omaha, Nebraska, the key to ensuring a response rate of 90 percent or better is simplicity.

"We have tweaked our survey quite a bit to get it as simple as possible," explains Jim Bretl, director of Creighton's career center.

"With four touches, we have been able to secure a response rate of 90 percent or better within six months of graduation," Bretl notes.

At Montana State University Billings (MSUB), the career services office conducts its annual graduate survey with financial support from each college that funds an incentive for early respondents.

Respondents who meet the office's early deadline by responding via mail or on the web get a gift card paid for by their college. This year, the career center is sending early respondents a music download card printed with the MSUB logo.

To read more about this program, see the January 23, 2008 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

High Student Survey Participation—University of Miami

The Toppel Career Center at the University of Miami has achieved an excellent response rate for its graduation survey. While responding to the survey is not required of students, participation is encouraged and tied to the pick-up of regalia (cap and gown) for graduation.

"Students here are required to apply for graduation online," explains James Smart, career center director. "Once they complete the application, they are asked if they plan on attending graduation and, if so, they are asked to order their regalia."

About three weeks before graduation, the career center sends out an e-mail to students asking them to complete the graduation survey.

"This year nearly one-third did in the first day," Smart says. "We send out periodic reminders to those who have not and wind up with a nearly 70 percent response prior to the distribution of regalia."

To read more about this program, see the June 22, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Measuring Learning Outcomes—Davidson College

The career services office at Davidson College in North Carolina is working to assess student-learning outcomes and apply the results to the programming and services it offers. To accomplish this, a 26-question survey was developed that is based on Taylor and Betz's Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale.

The goal was to determine whether using career services over time was positively related to self-efficacy. Data has shown that overall service utilization is not related to self-efficacy, but that internships, individual appointments, and workshops are.

To read more about this program, see the July 7, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Shifting Focus to Achieve Desired Student Learning Outcomes—Western Michigan University

Knowing where WMU students gain employment is important, but the Career and Student Employment Services department (CSES) wanted to be held accountable for facilitating learning and personal development, not "placing" students.

To begin the process of developing the framework that became its new strategic assessment plan, CSES identified what it would be held accountable for based on what it wanted the students to learn, be able to do, and experience within the framework of the career development model.

To read more about this program, see the June 8, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Measuring Results

Southwestern University

Career center staff at Southwestern University recognize the importance of showing the career center's impact on its 1,250 liberal arts students at this private institution in Georgetown Texas.

The center uses low tech methods such as a sign in sheet whose information is entered into an Access data base to show faculty, administrators, potential students and parents how they are helping students.

The center also gauges satisfaction and solicits recommendations for future actions from participating students. The career center also maintains a first destination data base of graduates. An early start and repeated follow up surveys, e-mail and phone calls result in a 97 to 99 percent response rate to the center post-graduate survey.

To read more about this program, see the May 12, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Measuring Results

Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University (LSU) uses a management system to track its contacts with students.

Each student is assigned an ID and a university e-mail account. The system allows career services staff to login a student contact by either ID or e-mail. Once logged in, staff can track individual appointments, student attendance at presentations, workshops, and events, and use of any other service. Staff can also track general e-mail inquiries and even track on-campus media interviews and articles in student papers.

The information allows LSU career services to report on its services by college or service at any time, and helps counselors follow-up with students with surveys conducted pre- and post-appointment.

Hamline University

Hamline University in St. Paul Minnesota tracks several performance assessments:

An internship final evaluation form.

Pre- and Post- surveys for practice interview week

An office user survey

The career center also tracks feedback on its delivery of "Hamline Promise" —a university-wide directive to provide "a distinctive learning environment with personal attention and exceptional experiences to prepare [students] to contribute and prosper in a changing world."

To read more about this program, see the April 27, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Reports Prove Career Center's Value to Faculty, Administration—University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón

The University of Puerto Rico at Bayamó's Career Development Placement Center has developed an effective system for measuring its results.

Offering services which are organized around academic departments, and cataloging job openinings and new students in the same fashion, center has been able to produce monthly reports showing statistics related to each academic department.

Annual reports organized by academic departments are often used by employers to prepare recruitment programs.

To read more about this program, see the January 6, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Diversity

Survey Will Yield Valuable Information for Minority Students—University of Nevada, Reno

Recognizing that diversity is a critical issue for employers and students alike, the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) recently launched a survey to help both groups. In January, UNR conducted its first Diversity Initiative Survey to not only quantify the level of diversity recruiting among the employers it works with, but also to identify the employers that are actively recruiting diverse students and have policies and practices in place that support diverse employees.

"The core thing we're trying to find out is which employers are diversity friendly," explains Kevin Gaw, director of career development. "We want to know if there are organizations who really want to diversify their work force to match an increasingly diverse population and open to recruiting underrepresented candidates."

To read more about this program, see the February 2, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Diversity Programs—University of New Hampshire

This fall, a University of New Hampshire (UNH) alumnus returned to campus to address current students participating in the Diversity Network Program (DNP). What made it special was the student got her job through a connection she made and cultivated through the DNP.

Run by the UNH advising and career center, the DNP combines career education from career services practitioners with advice and mentoring from employers for 40 students of underrepresented populations.

Students are expected to attend three career seminars throughout the year to learn about career development and planning, different career and internship opportunities, and networking skills. In addition to the three seminars, there are three networking lunches, during which career mentors who are professionals in the working world connect with students, giving them an opportunity to practice their career skills and gain advice from those in the "real world."

To read more about this program, see the January 19, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Targeted Career Fair/Interview Day—Mississippi State University

In an effort to meet the meet their employers' needs for more effective recruting methods, the career center as Mississippi State University (MSU) developed a targeted Career Fair/Interview Day.

Scheduling a small, targeted career fair followed the next day with an interview day has helped employers improve their on-campus marketing and create increased interest—and interviews, and has allowed the center to provide a concentrated number of employers on-site to students, providing them with the opportunity for multple interviews in one day.

The results of this program are often seen within two to three weeks after the interviews, when students begin receiving offers.

The program requires the buy in of employers, students, and faculty, but has proven successful for MSU, with both students and employers reporting increased satisfaction.

To read more about this program, see the May 12, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Best Practices for Diversity Networking—Rutgers University

Two years, ago the Rutgers University career services diversity team sat down to brainstorm ideas for building connections between students of color and employers. One idea was to use young alumni.

In 2002-03, career services launched a series of panel discussions titled, "I'm Graduating: Now What?" Three panels were offered during the spring semester, all of them featuring first- or second-year African American, Latino, and Asian American graduates.

"The idea was good, but despite a strong marketing effort, we didn't attract as many students as we had hoped," says Toi Tyson, an assistant director of career services. "The students who attended loved it, but something was missing, and we realized what we needed: high-profile employers."

The diversity team went back to the drawing board, and in the fall of 2003 introduced a new series of employer diversity networking socials which attracted "Top-name employers; social interaction and networking; a less formal atmosphere than career days, interviews, or panels; and food" for an October event.

Career services repeated the event in April with 50 students and 20 representatives from 10 employers.

To read more about this program, see the August 19, 2004 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Employment

Gone Efficient: Job-Search Strategy Groups—University of Baltimore

When Malka Weintraub was a career services practitioner Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, a student approached her and said she and her friends wanted help getting jobs.

"I said 'fine, let's do it,' " recalls Weintraub, now a career counselor at the University of Baltimore. "They were a highly motivated group, and we met regularly. All of them found jobs they wanted and we all felt very good about it."

The experience stayed with her, particularly how, with such a demand for appointments, group counseling was very efficient and provided participants with a network of support.

In 2002, Weintraub launched the "job-search strategy group" at the University of Baltimore. She typically counsels a group each semester, and another one throughout the summer. Groups consist of eight to 10 students and alumni.

To read more about this program, see the August 29, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Program Assists Graduates Without Jobs—North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

What happens to students who haven’t applied or been offered a job by graduation? Students at North Carolina State University's (NCSU) College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) have another opportunity to receive helpful guidance.

CALS's Backpack to Briefcase program is designed to prepare students who graduated in May for the transition to the professional world. It is held over two days and is open to CALS seniors who graduated without a job. This year, 30 students attended.

Participants learn "the things we teach all semester long," Marcy Bullock, CALS director of career services says. But the intensive Backpack to Briefcase program includes material—introductory for some, refresher for others—to help keep students motivated in the search for employment.

To read more about this program, see the August 15, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Using Technology to Address Concerns Over Student Participation—University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), 80 percent of the student body commutes, 90 percent works one or more jobs, and 40 percent are first-generation college students.

They spend little time on campus except for classes, and the career development center (CDC) has a history of live workshops not being well attended. Additionally, UWM students are consistent with their millennial classmates in their competence with technology, and they are averse to risk and tackling problems on their own."

Like all students, UWM students have a significant learning curve when it comes to career goal setting, job-search education, and career transition preparation, says Thomas Bachhuber, director of the CDC.

To address these concerns, the CDC developed "The Art & Science of Job Seeking: Using the Web to Its Full Potential," a PowerPoint slide and audio presentation. This web-based workshop is located on the UWM CDC home page and is divided into three parts.

To read more about this program, see the April 27, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Best Practices for Networking—Indiana University

Indiana University's ''Networking Night Series'' is aimed at providing current students with the opportunity to experience and practice networking with professionals in their field of interest.

The series included eight, two-hour events, each focused on a specific career field. After a brief presentation on networking, a panel of professionals offered their perspectives on effective networking. Students then put what they learned into practice by networking with the panelists during a hors d'oeuvre and ''mocktail'' reception.

Both students and panelists expressed satisfaction in their participation. For 2006-07 the series is expanding to 12 events and an improved system of measuring the program's impact will be implemented.

To read more about this program, see the June 22, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Putting Networking Knowledge Into Action—University of Scranton

At the University of Scranton, the career services office partnered with the alumni relations office to create a networking event which allowed students to put their lessons in networking to the test.

At a luncheon which included alumni, guests, student clubs, and individual students, the career center staff arranged seating to match alumni with student clubs where possible. Alumni spoke about their careers and how networking has helped them. All participants recived a handout with networking tips and a complementary business card case.

To read more about this program, see the March 2, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Best Practices for Keeping Employers Informed—University of Miami

Two years after developing "The Recruiter Connection," a quarterly electronic newsletter, the University of Miami's Toppel Career Center has seen an overwhelmingly positive increase in recruiter participation in the center's programs and services.

How do they know its from their newsletter? The responses are a direct result of the newsletter's contents:

Employer information sessions surged after the Spring 2005 issue's tip included advice for holding information sessions.
Employer inquries increased after the newsletter announced Target Corp. as the Center's employer of the year.
Many employers contact the center asking how to become a featured employer or how to become involved with te career center.

To read more about this program, see the April 14, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Best Practices for Reaching Small/Nontraditional Employers—University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Networking through the local Chamber of Commerce has increased visibilty for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's career center. Participating in monthly breakfast meetings, and sending welcome packets to new area businesses, has lead to more job postings with the career center. A bonus—small businesses developing internship programs for UNL students.

To read more about this program, see the March 31, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Best Practices for Employer Outreach—North Carolina State

To help counselors at North Carolina State's career center meet and connect with on-campus recruiters, the career center built in a 15-minute morning break into its interview schedules. Recruiters are invited for refreshments and to meet the center's counselors.

To read more about this program, see the March 18, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.

Best Practices for Employer Outreach—Stevens Institute of Technology

Holding a yearly Resume Roundtable every spring helps the Office of Career Development (OCD) at Stevens Institute of Technology keep abreast of current resume and career trends along with fostering strong ties with area employers.

Reaching out to employers from all industries that hire Stevens' students, the OCD holds roundtable discussions, then invites students to sit one-on-one with employers to receive resume feedback.

This program has lead to increased employer participation in workshops, and has lead to interviews of student participants.

To read more about this program, see the March 4, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Increasing Employment Opportunities—Northern Michigan University

Just two years after Northern Michigan University (NMU) implemented a new program to help its criminal justice majors secure employment upon graduation, the employment rate for these majors jumped an astounding 27.1 percent. The program—“Professional Development, Assessment, and Presentation: A Partnership Between Academic Affairs and Student Services”—is designed to provide students with confidence in their skills and knowledge, and an ability to express their value to employers. Recruiters who work with NMU’s criminal justice department said its graduates lacked those qualities prior to the implementation of the program.

Before the start of each semester, JobSearch Center staff members meet with faculty from the criminal justice department to review the schedule for the professional development and assessment class (CJ 490) and determine when JobSearch Center staff will address the class during each 15-week semester. The five class presentations are:

Initiating Job Searches and Determining Career Courses
Developing Resumes and Job Search Correspondence
Public Speaking and Professional Presentations
Preparing for Interviews
Business Etiquette and Professional Presence

Institutional commitment to the program is evidenced by the financial support the Criminal Justice Department provides to the JobSearch Center (approximately $500 each year for the last two years, and $1,000 in support of the 2003-04 Criminal Justice Job Fair) and by the development of similar programs for other NMU academic courses of study.

To read more about this program, see the April 7, 2003 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Internships/Cooperative Education Programs

Innovative Programming Taps Into Reality TV Craze—Rutgers University

What does a reality show contestant have to do with a successful career services program?

Being able to connect with students via their peers had both educational and marketing benefits.

To read more about this program, see the July 20, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Field Period Experience Valuable for Students and Grads

Keuka College in Keuka, New York, has embraced experiential learning by adding to the school's curriculum. Requiring that tudents complete a minimum 140 yours of field experience, Keuka ensures that its students have what it takes to go from the classroom to real life.

The school's Center for Experiential Learning (CEL) houses six separate programs which promote experiential learning, and provides one-stop shopping for employers, alumni, community members, and students.

As evidence of its success, in Keuka's 2004 Recent Graduate Survey, 47 percent of respondents reported receiving a job offer from a field period site, and 98 percent of respondents were working or in graduate school.

To read more about this program, see the February 16, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Student-Run Externship Program Provides Valuable Experience

The extern program at the University of Illinois Career Center provides unique opportunities for students of all majors to get insight and experience over school breaks. Developed at the request of the students—the program is managed by former externs hired by the university's career center and alumni association.

Former externs also participate on the student board, reviewing resumes, conducting interviews, and serving as mentors to new students accepted to the program.

To read more about this program, see the October 14, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Required Co-ops Benefit Students at Drexel University

At Drexel, students in certain majors are required to participate in the co-op program. Each year, approximately 4,289 of the school’s 16,300 students participate in the program. Drexel’s career center works with 7,090 hiring managers at 1,507 business, industrial, governmental, and other cooperative education employers in 27 states and 12 foreign countries.

Here, staff at Drexel share some of the school’s best practices:

Provide support for the co-ops—Drexel’s career development center has 14 co-op coordinators who work with students participating in the co-op program and with companies whose hiring needs best meet the skills of their student caseloads. Students are assigned to coordinators by their majors. Coordinators visit companies where students are working to observe the students on the job and, if necessary, to assist in problem resolution.

Recruit new employers to participate in the program—Coordinators explain Drexel’s co-op program to them and detail the benefits of developing and participating in co-op programs.

Provide enough work experience—Co-op students alternate between full-time classroom studies and full-time employment with university-approved employers. Typically, students are on co-op for two terms (six months), alternating with two terms of classroom study.

To read more about this program, see the March 3, 2003 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Marketing

Central Piedmont Community College

At Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), broadcast general manager David Rhew wanted to expand his audience from cable television capabilities that reach two counties to the seemingly limitless expanse of the Internet. Rhew began posting the college’s videos—including several from the school’s career services office on YouTube.

CPCC has 84 videos posted on YouTube, including 10 about career services. The career services videos also are linked on the CPCC career services web site.

To read more about this program, see the March 5, 2008 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Student Advisory Board Provides Valuable Service—Occidental College

For the past three years, the career center at Occidental College has used the services of a student advisory board. The board has provided benefits, yet it still is a work in progress.

"We feel we are still fine-tuning," explains Valeria Savior, interim director. "Each year we have run the board differently."

This year, Occidental's student advisory board has three target areas for improvement: marketing, student outreach, and employer relations. All monthly meetings focus on these three topics.

One of the tasks the board took on to help the CDC understand students' perspectives on these issues was conducting informal interviews with their peers. From the results, CDC staff drew some interesting observations about the students they serve.

To read more about this program, see the May 11, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Involving Families—University of Colorado at Boulder

This year, parents of students attending the University of Colorado at Boulder will have a ready resource to use when determining how to best be involved in their child's career exploration and job search.

The career services office has beefed up the family pages on its web site.

"We hope more families will read the information, become more educated in talking with their student on career-related matters, and advise their students to use our services," says career counselor Jodi Schneiderman.

Some of the quick tips the office recommends for parents are:

Let Your Student Make His/Her Own Choices
Support Involvement in Co-Curricular Activities
Be Patient and Encouraging
Recommend Visits to Career Services

To read more about this program, see the August 31, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Getting First- and Second-Year Students Involved in Career Services

Reaching first- and second-year students is a challenge for most career centers. How do you get these students involved in the job-search process? How do you even let them know the career center exists?

Several career centers provided details about the ways in which they reach out to these students.

At DeSales University, located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, the career services office holds an open house to attract students to the office.
At Russell Sage College, in Troy, New York, freshmen first meet their faculty and student mentors during orientation the summer before their first semester.
At Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, first-year students are required to take a First-Term Seminar (FTS) course their first semester on campus.
At Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, the career center connects with first-year students in the classroom.

Get details on these programs and on the programs at many other colleges in Spotlight Online. Read part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Student Marketing Task Force Helps Create a Buzz About Career Services—Rutgers University

Foregoing the usual student focus groups, the Rutgers University Career Services Office launched a Student Marketing Task Force to help increase student input and improve the department's outreach efforts.

The Career Services office recruits volunteers through the campus newspaper, the center web site, and through word-of-mouth. Staff members interview students interesting in participating on the task force to find out their interest in participating. Of particular interest are marketing and communications majors, who benefit from participating by adding career related activities to their resumes.

The task force of 15 student volunteers works with career services staff on a variety of projects, randing from distributing flyers and working promotional tables to planning a marketing blitz for a new mock interview service and conducting a campus-wide marketing survey.

How successful has the task force been? Their recent promotion of a campus-wide survey reached over 2,700 students.

To read more about this program, see the November 10, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Open House Introduces Freshmen to Stanford Career Center

Stanford University's career center offers food, games, prizes, and a raffle to students attending their "Frosh Open House" in an evening event developed in 2003 to attract students early in their academic career. Students are also introduced to career information along with the other services offered by the career development center.

The CDC's effort seems to have paid off, with 43 percent of Stanford's freshmen having registered at the career center.

To read more about this program, see the September 29, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Showcasing Success Stories—Southwestern University

Located at the edge of campus, the career center at Southwestern University is making the most of its high-traffic student center bulletin board area.

The Success Stories Showcase highlights the success stories of recent Southwestern Graduates in an interesting and attractive way. Using frames, fabric, and raised lettering, the board showcases twelve success stories at any given time.

"The success stories theme lets students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including alumni, parents and prospective students) learn more about career options for SU students in an engaging way."

The showcase has been so successful that the stories are now also included in the career services' annual Post-Graduate Survey brochure and are highlighted in the student newspaper.

To read more about this program, see the July 7, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Best Practices—Offer a Slice With That Advice

The career management center at Old Dominion University developed an employer-sponsored seminar series where employers present a career-related topic and serve it up with a slice of pizza.

Standing-room-only sessions and a waiting list of employers requesting to be included are two measurements of the success of this program.

To read more about this program, see the January 5, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Instant Messaging Program Blends High-Tech and High-Touch Services

When the office of career services at the University at Buffalo (UB) began its strategic planning process in 2000, one of the goals was to increase the number of students using the career services office.

UB's institutional analysis office offered a popular medium for reaching the university's tech-savvy student body: instant messaging.

The pilot program "IM the Career Counselor," launched in February 2004, proved an instant hit—the first message was received within an hour. The program is used by new students as a first contact, current students with questions, and even alumni returning to the job-search.

To read more about this program, see the October 29, 2004 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Best Practices: Career Kit Giveaways Increase Career Center Traffic

At Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, staff in the Career & Experiential Education Center implemented a Career Kit Giveaway for seniors in the Class of 2004. Each week during the spring semester, the center held a drawing for a career kit

The career kit contained many items already on hand in the career services office, plus a few other job-seeking must have's such as stamps, envelopes, resume paper—and breath mints (just in case!).

The success and populary of the program has prompted Millikin to continue the practice into the Fall semester, when the new kit will also include leather business card holders with the Millikin University logo.

To read more about this program, see the September 3, 2004 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Mentor Programs

Alumni Mentoring Eases Pathway to On-The-Job Success—University of New Hampshire

Pathways is a voluntary, one-to-one mentoring program designed to bring University of New Hampshire (UNH) alumni professionals together with UNH students for the purpose of professional growth. Alumni share their knowledge of the "real world" with students and provide insight on navigating through the post-college world of work.

"This opportunity allows our students to build career networks and grow as professionals and leaders," explains Bethany Cooper, associate director of career resources and recruiting.

To read more about this program, see the October 24, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Partnership Provides Students With Leadership, Networking Training—SUNY Institute of Technology

The office of career services at SUNY Institute of Technology (SUNYIT) in Utica, New York, formed a partnership with the Utica Rotary Club to offer its students a mentoring program.

Through this program, students establish a community leadership mentoring relationship, cultivate community leadership skills, build career-networking opportunities, and learn more about 'service above self.' It also serves as an extension of the career services mission to connect students with the real world of work.

To read more about this program, see the June 8, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

University of Missouri Program Allows Business Students to P.L.A.N. for Their Futures

The P.L.A.N.(Promoting, Learning, and Networking) program combines mentoring, job shadoing, and alumni networking to create a unique experience that benefits the 500 student and professional representatives that participate each year.

A student-run initiative, the P.L.A.N. committee reviews student applications and uses career center and alumni contacts to identify potential hosts or mentors. Following several development workshops, students meet with mentors for a dinner, then schedule a "job shadow day" with their mentor.

To read more about this program, see the May 26, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Alumni Mentor Programs—Juniata College

An Alumni Career Team of about 600 alums had agreed to assist students with career-related issues. Now all new students are assigned an alumni mentor—by career field—to help them adjust to college and to provide education and career-related information and advice. The program was designed so most, if not all, mentoring activity could be performed electronically.

To read more about this program, see the April 7, 2003 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Programming

The Role of Career Services in Student Retention, Persistence to Graduation—University of Nevada, Reno

Of the more than one million students who enter four-year colleges and universities each year, fewer than 40 percent will earn their degree in four years, and slightly fewer than 60 percent will do so in six years, according to a 2002 report issued by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Kevin Gaw, director of career development at the University of Nevada, Reno, says career services is part of the process of ensuring students remain in school and continue their work toward a degree.

"I see us as the final phase of the initial handshake we make with students and parents," Gaw says. "We make a deal with them, although it's not explicit, that when a student gets an education from an institution, we're there to help them get into graduate school, professional school, or a work position.

Gaw and his staff are doing a great deal to fulfill the promise conveyed with that handshake.

To read more about this program, see the October 12, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Involving Employers—Center for Student Professional Development, Fox School of Business and Management, Temple University

If your college career center is relying on employers only to do the same old resume writing, dress for success, or interviewing workshops, your students are missing out, says Marcia Robinson, associate director of corporate relations in the Center for Student Professional Development (CSPD) at Temple University's Fox School of Business and Management.

"Many career center staff members have a lot of experience working in career centers and do a great job keeping up with what is happening in their own professions, but not necessarily what is happening in the industries they are advising their students about," Robinson explains. "Since we all cannot become experts in every industry, it is critical to have companies participate [in career services programs] in nontrivial ways."

The CSPD is partnering with employers in several nontraditional ways, including:

2006 Enterprise Student Professional Organization Innovative Leadership Award;
2007 Signature Senior Program; and
Professional Development On-The-Go Series.

To read more about this program, see the August 18, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Best Practices for Innovative Programming: Eastern Connecticut State University

How do they celebrate National Career Development Month at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU)? According to Nancy DeCrescenzo, associate director of the career office, they "do what we normally do times 10."

To raise awareness of the center and the services offered, the career services office held an event every day during the month of November. Some events and activities held include:

Workshops in resume writing, job-search strategy and interview preparation
Career-related events tied to specific student clubs and organizations, such as "Careers in Marketing Night" with the Marketing Association Club.
A graduate school fair
An etiquette dinner
Luncheons with career counselors
Remote career center locations throughout campus

How well did their marketing efforts work? The career services web site showed 6,500 more hits than for November of the year before, and the office saw a 20-percent increase in student appointments for the 2005-06 academic year.

To read more about this program, see the August 4, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Best Practices for Innovative Programming: Rutgers Taps Into Reality TV Craze

While Rutgers University alumnus Randall Pinkett struggled to be hired on TV's "The Apprentice", the career services office was busy creating its own reality-based series.

"The Intern" launched on Rutgers career services web site in the fall of 2005, chronicling the job searches of five Rutgers juniors.

The students posted journal entries detailing every step of the way as they bid for internships—from the workshops and activities they participated in to their feelings about the job search.

Some of the components needed to coordinate this academic-year-long program include:

Student/Candidate Recruitment and Selection
Web Page Development
Programming and Counseling
Marketing and Publicity

The program's web site has logged more than 5,000 visitors, and helped the career services office get its message across to students in an interesting and interactive format.

To read more about this program, see the July 20, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Small Career Centers

Coastal Carolina Community College: The E is for More Than Just Effort.

How does a one person career center serve the entire student body?

"'Efficient' and 'effective,' or more clearly stated, becoming more efficient and effective in design, development, and delivery of services," according to Jeff Nardo, career services coordinator at Coastal Carolina Community College.

To read more about this program, see the February 18, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Flexibility is Key—Hood College

Volunteers and alumni are enlisted to help this small career center give a big impression across campus. With help, two full time staff members are able to offer up to 50 career-related programs a year.

To read more about this program, see the February 4, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Marketing the Career Center—Viterbo University

Enlisting student workers, staff at Viterboro held a beanbag toss to market upcoming events. Passing students all had a chance to "toss it in" and a drawing was held from the students who got the beanbag in one of the holes.

To read more about this program, see the January 21, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Don't Cancel that Class—Northern State University

Working closely with faculty has helped this two-person career center find a place on campus. Career counselors help out by holding career-related presentations when a class would otherwise be canceled.

To read more about this program, see the January 20, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Student Skill Building

: Business College Scores With Video Game Simulation—University of Houston C.T. Bauer College of Business

The Rockwell Career Center at the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business was looking for a fun and interactive way to engage its students to overcome several barriers to long-term career success.

“We needed a fun and interesting way to help our students not only develop an understanding of the competing, internal needs of an organization, but also develop empathy for the challenges of leaders who have to make decisions without easy answers,” Jamie Belinne, assistant dean for career services said. “Putting this information into a video game format was the best way to fit into their existing learning styles and fully engage the students.”

To read more about this program, see the June 25, 2008 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Expanded Format of Career Kick Off Means Expanded Opportunities for Students—University of Miami

There was record student attendance at the Career Expo, up 20 percent from the previous semester, and 30 employer representatives participated.

To read more about this program, see the November 8, 2007 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Double Dipping and Cold, Wet Handshakes: Taking Etiquette Training to the Classroom—Tennessee Technological University

To teach students professional behavior in social settings, the career center at Tennessee Technological University (TTU) has gone mobile. The center's "Etiquette on Wheels" program is an innovative student workshop designed to bring basic etiquette training into the classroom.

TTU career services uses 'on-wheels' in the title because dishes, drinks and ice, and chips and dip, are brought into the classroom in a rolling cooler. The program provides student interaction with demonstrations such as double-dipping and cold, wet handshakes.

Advantages of the program are:

It addresses important career-readiness issues;
It is quick—60 to 90 minutes in length;
It is hands-on and encourages participation; and
It addresses current and sensitive areas, such as social networking and cell phone usage.

To read more about this program, see the September 28, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

The Resume Doctor Is In—College of Westchester

At the College of Westchester, the doctor is always in, the Resume Doctor, that is.

The Resume Doctor—a member of the career services staff—assists students with their resumes and other career development needs. Students can schedule appointments, but may visit the doctor without making a formal appointment. In fact, the Resume Doctor often is strategically located in the highest traffic area in the college, the student lounge/cafeteria. The Resume Doctor also appears at various school events and club activities.

To read more about this program, see the September 14, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Orientation Requirement Becomes More Convenient for Students—University of St. Thomas

Students at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, are required to attend an orientation session before they can apply for on-campus interviews. One issue with this requirement is that many students' schedules don't permit them to attend a session because of academic, job, or other commitments.

To overcome the dilemma, the Career Development Center reworked the information it offers during its standard orientation session into a quiz that can be taken online. The offering has been effective. Of all students fulfilling the orientation requirement, 40 percent do so online and get interviews at almost the same rate as those who attend live sessions.

To read more about this program, see the July 7, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Soft Skills Boot Camp—Lakeshore Technical College

Employer feedback to Lakeshore Technical College's student employment office told them that students technical skills were exception, but their "soft skills" needed some work. To address this, the "Job Seekers' Boot Camp" was developed.

Holding a one-day event offering employment readiness sessions a right before the spring recruiting season, Lakeshore Technical College invites students and alumni still seeking employment. Local employers are invited to make presentations and panel discussions on topics including:

Beyond Job Titles and Degress: Secrets & Techniques to Get a Good Job
The Basics: Resume Workshop
Work Ready Protocol: How to Deliver on the Soft Skills Employers Are Begging For
Prepare for the Interview Drill: Develop Your Personal Stories and Style
Professionalism in the Workplace: Dress & Image.

To read more about this program, see the May 25, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

University of Tampa Kicks Networking Into High Gear

At the University of Tampa, student networking is put in the fast lane.

Scheduling students for five minute sessions with recruiters allowed for a fast-paced but well coordinated networking event.

Staff encouraged students to use their 30-45 second commercial to describe their interests, values, personalities, and skills. Employers were asked to speak about thw works of work in addition to their industry and job function.

The two-hour networking event was kept small to be manageable, specific instructions were given to students and employers, and the event was a success for all.

To read more about this program, see the May 12, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Tapping Into the Value of Professional Association Membership—University of Wisconsin-Madison

Students at the Erdman Center for Operations & Technology Management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Business are learning early the value of involvement with a professional association—the career center requires it.

The career center doesn't only require that students be involved in at least one professional association, they'll pay the bill as well. The networking opportunities, opportunities to develop professional speaking, and potential to build long-term relationships and contacts are only a few reason why student participation is required.

Aspinwall says. "Students actively involved can learn about trends in the industry, relate this to their current classwork, and/or apply it in their internship or future job. This is very attractive to employers."

To read more about this program, see the January 20, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Professional Development Institute Provides Students With Skills and Polish—University of Arkansas

The career center at the University of Arkansas recently launched its Professional Development Institute (PDI) in an effort to address three core needs: consistency in program development, a way to help student develop skills necessary to provide leadership for their own career planning, and ways to collect important data for assessment of student learning.

Participation is open to all University of Arkansas students, although it requires a true commitment to training, development, and individual career coaching. The program includes assistance with resumes, cover letters, interviews and etiquette, core training seminars, personal branding, co-curricular "credits" earned through an experiential education program, the assignment of an individual carer coach, and other programs to help U of A students develop the professional edge that they will need in the competitive job market.

To read more about this program, see the January 20, 2006 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Student Leadership Retreat Teaches Temple Students Valuable Lessons

The Center for Student Professional Development (CSPD) at Temple University's Fox School of Business held its ninth annual Leadership Retreat for officers of its student professional organizations.

Sponsored by corporate partners and facilitated by employer representatives, this year's program helped students hone their leadership skills by focusing on the book "The Leadership Challenge."

As a result of the program's success, the CSPD is now working on a university-wide committee to develop leadership programs for the entire campus.

To read more about this program, see the June 9, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

ECU Uses Volunteers to Provide Mock Interviews

East Carolina University's career center enlisted the local Kiwanis Club to help expand their mock interview offerings. The H.I.R.E.D. (Helping Individuals Reach Employment Destinations) program was developed, using the help of retired professionals to conduct mock interviews with students.

Setting up mock interviews with real companies and job titles has helped make the process more meaningful. The experience of interviewing with seasoned professionals, have helped students prepare for their real interviews.

To read more about this program, see the May 26, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Guidance on the Go: NMU Offers Web-Streamed Videos

For students at Northern Michigan University (NMU), job-search guidance can now be with them wherever they go, whenever they want.

Working with the university's audio/visual department, NMU's JOBSearch Center developed a series of career development videos that can be viewed online through the center's web site.

To read more about this program, see the May 12, 2005 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Mock Interview Day Provides Stony Brook Students With "Real Feel"

The career center at Stony Brook University (New York) has expanded the way it prepares students for interviewing by incorporating real practice into the program.

Sixty-five students received a short review of interview tips and were then matched with volunteer employers who held 10-minute interviews followed by feedback from the employer and the student's peers.

To read more about this program, see the December 2, 2004 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

Interns Make Presentations to Orientation Students—Juniata College

At Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, students can earn a notation on their academic transcript for completing an internship, but earn no credit. (Juniata also has a credit program.)

To receive the transcript notation, students must complete a learning agreement plan, work a minimum of 240 hours within their field of study, be evaluated, evaluate their experience, be visited at their work site, and make a "presentation" about their experience.

Presentations which used to be made to faculty members are now made to new students enrolled in Juniata's (required) orientation course. Interns get to sharpen their presentation skills, and new students have the opportunity to get a fresh perspective of their fields from fellow students.

To read more about this program, see the November 11, 2004 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

LSU Resume Tutorial and Builder—Louisiana State University

Career services decided LSU needed additional resume-writing services. They researched web sites for tutorials, but didn't find any that addressed creating resumes for entry-level professional applicants. The department worked with LSU Computing Services for more than a year to develop the online, step-by-step tutorial and resume builder. While some student balked at a "cookie-cutter approach" to resume writing, the career services staff showed users how to be creative with the resume template and how it's beneficial for them to use it.

To read more about this program, see the May 5, 2003 Spotlight Online. (Members only. Nonmembers can find out how to join NACE here.)

NACE is a founding member of International Network of Graduate Recruitment and Development Associations (INGRADA).


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