Does your school encourage productive student employment?

How does your college appear when it is fully committed to the success of student employment? As they say, you’ll know it when you see it.

When your college is fully committed to student employment success, everyone in the college community (not just the Career Services Office) is responsible and accountable for helping students learn about, prepare for, find, and keep successful employment. If you are a student at a regular institution where solely the Career Services staff members do those duties, you are not attending a college that is fully committed to the success of students seeking jobs.

At colleges that uphold the college community principle, there is a noticeable difference that parents, current students, and future ones will all be able to notice straight away. Every college brochure, website, employee, and every person associated with the school in any way will demonstrate the college’s sincere concern for each student’s ability to graduate with a job in their own field of interest, one that has the potential to lead to a career.

Students must consent to a large number of additional commitments when they enroll in a committed college. These commitments begin in the first year and continue through graduation. Students who are dedicated to their studies in college are aware that being prepared is essential for landing a job. Actually, there are so many tasks that students must complete that an action plan for each semester will be needed. Committed colleges in Colorado Springs also have a well-thought-out plan of action that they may use to lead all parties involved in the institution—faculty, staff, and students—through a process that frequently leads to employment success for students in all majors.

What commitments must students make?

• Adherence to a system that requires each semester of independent work
• Determining early career objectives
• Frequently used job searches on the internet
• Enrolling in classes that can help you get ready for a job hunt
• Regular performance reviews and career counseling
• Sharing information with other students
• Building a network for employment
• Establishing relationships with potential references

Since there are tens of thousands of people associated with the college, it needs committed and strong leaders to create a system like The Job Identification MachineTM. But when the entire campus community rallies around this noble objective, wonderful things will happen, the kind of things that almost guarantee the success of students looking for jobs.

The students at your college must, of course, take their training and job search preparation assignments seriously. Without the enthusiasm, passion, and caring of this community, students cannot get the volume and quality of employment preparation support required to ensure that many students impress employers.

When the entire college community works together to help students learn how to conduct a thorough and effective job search, doing the things that will impress employers, and identifying thousands of employment opportunities, there is a feeling and activity that is not present on most college campuses today.

Everyone is aware that something extraordinary is happening, both on and off campus. Students are up in arms over the employment opportunities they never knew existed at other campuses. College staff are astounded by the accomplishments of committed College Leaders, Professors and Instructors, Administrators, and everyone else who works on campus. Alumni and parents’ contributions are recognized.

All participants are welcome to the celebrations and awards ceremonies held on campus. Reporters and administrators from other colleges ask participants about what transpired. With good reason, the college community expresses its happiness and satisfaction in the job outcomes achieved by the graduating class through feelings, sights, and sounds.

Does this happen at your university?

Advice for Parents of High School and College Students, The College Student’s Companion Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of four books, including The College Student’s Guide to Landing a Great Job and The 4 Realities of Success During and After College. Under the alias “The College & Career Success Coach,” Bob writes articles for campus publications and college career services departments.