The Future of Career Services in Higher Education: 5 Trends Colleges and Universities Can Expect

Over the past several years, the career services function within colleges and universities has been significantly impacted. Between an economic downturn and new federal regulations, career services teams are having to elevate their support to a higher level than in years past.

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

The recent recession has put a tremendous amount of pressure on job seekers. Among those facing these challenges are graduates who have spent the last three, four, five or even more years preparing themselves for the workplace only to find their dream jobs are not waiting for them.

Economic Considerations:

The current economy is creating challenges for career seekers that those from previous graduating classes didn't face. It was not long ago that employers had to step up their recruiting efforts in order to attract and court future employees. Graduates entered the job market having their pick of opportunities and even the ability to negotiate salaries.

However, the recent recession has changed that dynamic dramatically. Today, there are fewer jobs and more competition to acquire those jobs. More pressure is being put on colleges themselves to help graduates secure job placementand launch a career in the student's field of study.

Regulatory Factors:

In addition to the economic challenges presented in placing students, the federal government has applied additional pressure on colleges and universities to place graduates on career paths in a recognized occupation where they can successfully repay their loans and avoid default. While regulations such as Gainful Employment are currently targeting career college programs, many pundits anticipate these regulations will hold colleges and universities to these same regulations in the near future.

Higher education is at a crossroads when it comes to career services and job placement. Institutions need to look for new ways to help students and graduates succeed beyond the classroom on a professional level.

INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

Until recently, schools haven't dedicated a lot of resources to career services because stronger market conditions 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 field, 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 financial benefit to the institution, but it also increased the likelihood of producing successful graduates and qualified job applicants.

While this approach has helped more students fulfill their academic potential, and enabled colleges and universities to deliver their academic missions, it has yielded some challenges:

More Graduates, Less Jobs - higher education is now in a situation where colleges are producing an increasing number of qualified 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 minimal resources to help students find and secure available jobs. Fewer jobs lead to more competition among graduates, leaving students who don't come out ahead of the pack with very few options.

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 intervention.

Recession and Weak Job Market:

Although experts predict that economic recovery isn't far off, 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 qualified the student is, he or she needs more help navigating the placement process. Colleges are being expected to shoulder some, if not a lot, of this responsibility.

Federal Regulatory Landscape:

Pending regulations proposed by the Department of Education have put for-profit colleges and universities under the microscope to prove placement rates for graduates. Institutions must evolve their career services and placement strategies, as well as reallocate money and staff given the regulatory landscape.

The recently released Gainful Employment ruling will dramatically impact the ways schools approach career services. Schools not only need to place students, but they need to do so in positions that give the students the highest likelihood that they will be able to pay down any debt accrued from financing their education. Specifically, the Department of Education states that Gainful Employment requires schools to meet the following metrics:

At least 35 percent of former students at an institution must be repaying their loans, defined by reducing their balance by at least one dollar per year
The estimate annual loan payment of a student should not be greater than 30 percent of discretionary income
The estimated annual loan payment should not exceed 12 percent of total earnings

While there is some leniency in the fact that schools will be put on warning should they not meet the above criteria three times in a four year period, the Gainful Employment regulation increases accountability on the part of the schools. From a financial aid perspective, colleges that have students with a debt-to-income ratio beyond the specified percentage risk losing financial aid for their students. This will surely translate into fewer enrollments, and could mean the loss of programs that are not filled to capacity.

From an accreditation perspective, colleges need to prove placement as an end result of student success. Almost all accrediting bodies assess placement rates, though in different measures, as a determining factor in a college securing and maintaining its accreditation. Again, the loss of accreditation could likely mean the loss ofenrollmentsand the departure of programs.

INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES

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 Results: It is about more than making sure students are qualified. 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 Rates: Colleges that build relationships with employers and the community, as well as establish themselves as the go-to partner in providing qualified graduates in specific programs and fields will increase job opportunities for students. Institutions have an opportunity to become incubators for certain professions, 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 Enrollment: Institutions that earn a better reputation for placing graduates will be able to leverage that data in their recruitment efforts 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.

The Future of Career Services:

As more colleges and universities look for ways to boost career services and meet new federal regulations, as well as learn specifically what works and what doesn't work, what can institutions expect?

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

1. Stronger Employer Relationships

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 opportunities to qualified students from specific schools and programs. Colleges and universities will need to make it easier for employers to post job openings online and view a student's background and resume.

2. Automated Communications

We'll see more proactive communications between students and a school's career services team to make sure students can effectively market themselves to employers. We'll 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.

3. Dedicated Staffing

We'll see shift in career services organizations to include more staffing and resources dedicated to placement 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 field 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 can make a huge difference to a student's ultimate success after graduation."

4. More Student Self-Service Functionality

We'll see colleges and universities empower students to play a bigger role in the career placement process, giving them better access to resources so they can build an online profile highlighting qualifications and their resume, track job postings and opportunities, connect with employers, and apply for posted positions.

5. Increased Tracking and Measurement

Institutions will implement the tools and technology necessary to more effectively track employer and job posting information, as well as measure placement results. Colleges and universities will identify key performance 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 provide increased support to students seeking targeted employment.

CONCLUSION

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
Fulfill the obligation a college has to its students and graduates

The current economy and regulatory landscape are forcing colleges and universities to take a closer look at the level of support they deliver to students beyond the learning experience. Institutions need to take career services to the next level in order to truly support students, graduates and alumni across the education lifecycle.

MBA Career Services - The (Un)Used Service?

It's amazing how many MBA students underutilize their program's Career Services office. I mean, you make a huge investment in time, money, and personal sacrifice to pursue this life-changing degree and go through one of the most intense and stressful periods in your life. After going through all of that you definitely want your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, right? But it seems that students forget leadership guru, Stephen Covey's sage words: "Begin with the end in mind". Because at the end of the program, don't you want to be employed in a job that fits your career goals?

This is where starting an early relationship with Career Services from day one at the start of your program is the most important decision you can make in your career. Why? The CS staff, and especially the Director of CS, needs to be on a first name basis with you. You need to be sure you know the deadlines and procedures for enrolling in Workshops as well as upcoming events. You need to make an appointment with a Career Advisor and take all the assessment tests that are available and begin the process of identifying your strengths and career limiting attributes. From there it's up to you to continue on the path that your Career Advisor has put you on. This will ensure that you begin developing your career interests as you take classes, get to know your classmates and listen to company presentations.

Usage rates for Career Services will surely vary from business school to business school. But in my experience the 80-20 rule always seems to prevail, meaning 80% of Career Services appointments are made by 20% of the students. Of course the 80-20 rule doesn't apply to career workshops and other one-off events that will attract a large number of students. But there are always a small number of students who maximize Career Services and use this "free" resource to their advantage.

I can't tell you how many Alumni call me on a daily basis pleading with me to meet with them. Why? Because once you graduate you get very limited access to career services (if any). And most MBA programs have a very small support staff to manage Alumni Career Services and this staff is limited in what they can provide. And even still, alumni will never have access to the job postings and on-campus recruiting reserved for the current students. The most you'll get as an alumnus is a listing on the alumni job posting site and some online career resources. So your strategy from day one should be to get as much as you can from Career Services while you're a full-time student!

The relationship building process with Career Services that is so crucial to landing a job is done in the one-on-one coaching sessions. Savvy Career Advisors can help guide you towards your career goals and teach you how to maximize your courses, MBA clubs, networking events, and other program activities to your advantage. Think of a Career Advisor as a personal trainer. Except it's free!

You don't pay any extra for Career Services. Imagine if you joined a gym and as part of your 1 or 2 year membership package, you had unlimited access to a Personal Trainer who could give you the proper workout and nutrition plan required to meet your goal. And even better, this person could keep you motivated with advice on proper techniques and habits. If you utilize the gym equipment improperly you don't get the desired results. Now imagine that the reason you joined the gym was because you had a goal to lose 20 pounds. Wouldn't you take advantage of the Personal Trainer to ensure you were working properly to achieve that goal? It's no additional cost! This person has an in-depth knowledge and experience to help you in ways that you can't imagine.

So what you should you do as you contemplate your future career during your first or final year of the MBA Program? It's never too late to talk with Career Services! But don't go in expecting a 2-week plan to get you your dream job. It doesn't work like that. Nothing in life does. Think of the work tennis great Roger Federer put into perfecting his game. He built his career through dedication and hard work. And so you have to adapt the strategies and work-ethic of the great ones. The earlier you start putting in the necessary work to obtain your career goals, the more likely it will be that you'll achieve them. If you're like a lot of MBA students who put off the job search until it's convenient for them to start searching, then you might not get the results you expect. Either way, talk to your Career Adviser today and commit to doing the work necessary to obtain your career goals - no matter how long it takes!

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Are Free Career Services a Good Investment?

New Career Search Needs More Than Free Services

Finding a new career is not an easy task. A major mistake can be made by not realizing how much money will be lost if the task is not approached professionally. Along with the loss of money is a loss of self-esteem, loss of control, loss of identity, loss of independence. This often leads to anger and depression. Hoping to help the situation, many schools, public interest groups, companies that are downsizing, governments, and government retirement guidance officials offer free career and employment services. At first glance it would seem that a person seeking employment would be wise to invest their hopes in these free services. Another option is to place your career in the hands of a recruitment firm. We believe that, unfortunately, using any of the above approaches is not the preferred investment strategy; here's why.

The Hard Facts About Finding a New Career at Free Agencies

Being unemployed, the salary lost can net at least $3,000 per month for professional people. Do the agencies assess the cost of the individual being unemployed? Is there a sense of urgency?
Recruitment agencies have thousands of applicants on file. The numbers are very similar for most other 'free' agencies because their success depends on a shotgun approach. The more resumes they have the greater chance they have of filling a position. The less chance you have of finding a position.
The average time to gain employment with these agencies is not a statistic that will be readily shared with you. Yet it is of primary interest, especially since it is costing you $3,000/mo. to remain unemployed.
Ask the service provider if the jobs obtained by the successful candidates were satisfying career positions. Chances are, they do not maintain these statistics either. Yet, since we are talking about your career, it is very important that you know.
It is unlikely that these service providers have statistics about whether their successful candidates are earning more than they expected. Salary is a very personal and emotional matter. Most candidates need assistance to get the best possible income package.
Once the assisting agency has landed you the job many think their work is done. There is no follow-up support during the important work adjustment period or if difficulties at work arise.

A Different Approach to Using Free Career Service Agencies

While we can't speak for every career coaching or counseling company, we can give a few examples of our own experience to the seven points above. Having said that, respectful career specialists cannot guarantee a job because there are simply too many variables to control; but coaching firms can refer to their past statistics.

Costs of being unemployed can range from $3,000 to $10,000 per month net. The cost of career coaching services at about 1 to 2 month's lost wages is at the lower end of this range.
A second point is that over 90% of career coaching candidates report finding a job faster than with any previous means. There are examples of people spending two years on their own looking and then finding a job within two months using the career coaching methods.
An examination of our current files reveals an over 90% success rate.
Statistics show that the average time for clients to gain employment with career coaching is 11.2 weeks. Naturally, some people take 2 weeks and others take 22 weeks. A competent career coaching company will share these statistics with you.
The business should focus on creating a match between you,your skills and a challenging, self-satisfying opportunity.
Career coaching companies exercise techniques that help the candidate earn more money, based on an appreciation of human behavior, a clear understanding of when to act and when not to, all combined with plain common sense. A good career guidance company will negotiate an extra amount, which easily justifies the cost of the coaching service.
When you accept a job after working with your career coach you will have spent sufficient one-on-one hours together to form a respectful bond. Sometimes that bond will last a lifetime.
Career-coaching companies are paid by the prospective employees. Naturally, you should become the primary interest. While commercial enterprises often approach career coaching companies for talent, a career coaching company should not accept payment from the commercial enterprise - thus, avoiding a conflict of interest. Many gratis placements are made this way.

Summary

Finding a new career can be very difficult. With a professional approach to finding a job you can save money, time and possibly a lot of frustration. The proper career guidance services can lead you to finding a job or career that you enjoy much sooner than expected.

Good luck and good hunting.

Bill Caswell is a co-founder of Career Coaching International and continues to coach those candidates seeking career coaching services.

He was previously a co-founder and CEO of an e-learning company. Bill established his information technology company in Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax, Seattle and Guadalajara, Mexico. He sold it in 1996.

Bill provides career advice free of charge at his website http://www.ccinternational.ca

More Employment, More Trade and Services

Wednesday 4th January, 2012

Nicaragua: More Employment, More Trade and Services   
     Wednesday 4th January, 2012  Source: Prensa Latina

Managua, Jan 4 (Prensa Latina) Trade and services will keep their upward trend in Nicaragua in 2012 as employment sources increase, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce Eduardo Fonseca said on Tuesday.
Fonseca recognized that those fields are above average of the past few years, and their growth will benefit the business people and the peo...
Barack Obama may well be down in the popularity polls, but not because of the Republican Party. Indeed the incoherent Republicans are struggling to come up with a viable candidate to take on Obama in the 2012 U.S. presidential election.

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Wednesday 4th January, 2012

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Career services professionals-recklessly runs a Business to $ 50 m

I have had extensive dealings with all types of career services professionals and have, unfortunately for the students of the universities, discovered that about only 1 out of 20 actually understand their job and are effective at it. To be an asset to the students, there are things that career services professionals need to understand:

The Students Are Clients of Theirs - They Are Clients That Pay A Lot of Money

The cost of a college education, before loan interest can run up to nearly $250,000. This money is spent to ensure that sons and daughters of hard working people get educated and, thus can contribute to society in a meaningful way. To do this, the students need to begin by obtaining a career that is right for them and is conducive to them being successful. Seemingly, a lot of career professionals like to work 9 - 5 hours. Why not? In academics it's hard to get fired. It seems as if a lot of career services professionals expect some sort of accolade for a 6 o'clocker.

If a school has roughly 10,000 students and, on average each student is paying $50,000 (this number factors in full tuition students, scholarship and mixed) that career services professional is carrying a client revenue stream of $50,000,000. However, most career service professionals shrug off the fact that companies 30% of this size have 24hr. support. The career services employees work for the students and exist to obtain one goal and one goal only - making the career goals of their clients a reality.

This means even if the career services professional has to claw through the dirt to get it done. Why are they different from the business world? What gives them exemption from execution?

The Professors Are Clients of Theirs

Professors spend years preparing to be able to educate young minds by obtaining MBAs and PhDs and, thus inspire the students to go out into the world, make an impact and do their best to live ethical, productive lives. Therefore, in this scenario, the professors are the sales representatives that go out and find the "leads" only to have a 9 - 5 career services not close the account. Career services professionals need to be very proactive and very appreciative of every single professor within that university because that is where their "leads" come from. No closer likes subpar leads. No lead generator can work with a subpar closer. In any company, regardless of industry, subpar closers see only one thing: the door.

Unfortunately, this mentality and understanding only exists in 5% of today's university career centers. Moreover, to better service their clients (students and professors), the career services representatives need to go to each class, introduce themselves as the "account manager" who has personally been designated to work with the clients (students) throughout the account cycle that is 4 or 5 years in this case.

For any good account manager who was carrying a quota of $50,000,000 going to a class and, subsequently servicing the two forms of clients they have at a single time is a no brainer. Companies spend millions of dollars per year in R & D attempting to figure out how to be this effective. Have most career services personnel? Nope.

Budgets Are Budgets - They Must Make Due with the Money Given Being underfunded is not an excuse. Companies are under funded all of the time, however they make due and, upon doing a stellar job for their clients (the students in this case) their corporate division can make a strong argument as to why more revenue needs to be diverted to their team because their success and client execution needs more resources. They don't understand it's not the other way around. Produce, then complain.

They Have Competitors

If you were to ask 95% of career service professionals who their competition was, they would immediately refer to their football rival three states away. Their competition are the schools that are close by and that have students that go up against their students for jobs. This is their competition; it's not another college due to the fact that they can dunk a basketball.

Career services professionals need to stop spending so much time living off a win in a sport done by actual athletes that have no affiliation with them, but the name on a jersey. Instead, they should analyze how the athletes accomplish what they do and bring that model into the career center.

It's just known that career services professionals don't do competitive analysis. They don't follow up with companies that interview their competition to see how their students stacked up against the other schools. This should be done on a daily basis. Then, once this knowledge is obtained, the career services professionals need to use this information to better serve their clients.

Also, many career services professionals have not, in their professional career, done any competitive analysis on their competition's career websites. Thus, they can't serve their clients are best as possible because they don't know how the other teams write resumes, answer certain interview questions, approach the job hunt or just about any other aspect that could be deciphered with a 2 minute analysis.

They Are In Sales and Need to Make Outbound Calls

Unless a school is an Ivy-League institution, career center employees have to understand that the recruiting process is a 50 / 50. This entails making outbound calls to companies that are currently hiring or that are very reputable and are currently not looking at their students.

Most career service professionals never make outbound calls and, subsequently don't service their $50,000,000 worth of clientele to the fullest extent possible. Businesses, to sustain this revenue, fight tooth and nail to keep their clients satisfied. To a business, to ensure client satisfaction, getting their hands dirty with a few cold-calls and, subsequently starting a sales cycle to better the experience of their client is something they are more than willing to do. Actually, in most cases, they enjoy the challenge. This is not something that be done by someone who ducks out of the office at 5:30 because their TiVo is getting full.

It Is Their Fault If Students Don't Come to the Career Center

Students are not just magically going to appear in the career services center and a lot of career services professionals use this as an excuse. There are no excuses when carrying a $50,000,000 quota. You execute; you don't leave at 5, you don't get complacent with 20 people showing up for your resume speech, you go out and hunt.

Most career center professionals do a lackluster job of getting the students in their office. In this case, their clients (the professors) need them to do so. They have to close the deal, but don't want to come to terms with the fact that "sales" which is a bad word to most career services professionals is part of their job description. However, with most career centers, excuses are tossed around like pre-made pizza pies regarding this aspect of their job.

Also, many don't even think of the fact that there are psychology professors steps away who exist and could better help them understand as to why they are not getting the students in their office. Career service professionals, the majority of them, have access to hundreds of free consultants. How many companies can say this? How many career services professionals can say that they use their consultants?

The Career Website Should Contain No Less Than 100 Articles - Most Original

There are CEOs who run million dollar corporations and who, maybe don't type themselves, but write books. Presidents who run nations still find the time to write memoires. I manage 14 people and still write for marketing purposes. Most career service professionals, after 5 p.m. have no loyalty to the needs of their clients. It's as if they are a call center employee who jumps out of their seat the minute the clock ticks and their shift ends.

They don't act like an executive carrying this kind of quota. Their clients need resume help. How many resumes (actual samples) for each kind of graduate does the career services professionals have linked?

They Don't Understand Basic Management Skills

Instead of forming a team, it seems that most career services professionals like to be hung up on the fact that they have an "assistant." Instead of basic management 101 skills, these individuals like to make it known that they think of their assistant as only an assistant. When was the last time this "assistant" was given the autonomy to help carry out the aforementioned activities for the large account?

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Services sector pickup fails to create more jobs

Tuesday 6th December, 2011

Services sector pickup fails to create more jobs   
     Monday 5th December, 2011  Source: The Guardian

o Services PMI for November at 52.1, up from 51.3 in Octobero Employers shedding jobs at fastest pace in over a yearo Rise in output down to new businesso Fears unemployment will rise above current 8.3%
Libya has been liberated largely because of countries like Canada. Hoorah for Canada and its Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose policies have painted him firmly in the image of former United States President George W.Bush.

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Tuesday 6th December, 2011

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