The hope for every college graduate is that they find employment. Some students need to find employment while they are going to school in order to support their academic efforts. So, being able to find a job may have immediate importance as well as for their career lifetime.
Their hope continues to expand to finding a sustainable job, with a company where they will stay and enjoy a career. Beyond that, they hope to find employment in their field of study in school
The outlook the last few years has not been good and the results of students' efforts to find a job in their chosen field has not been very good. The outlook for the future is not a bright as they would like.
Here is some of the early data from the annual NACE Student Survey:
On the improvement of employment:
More than one-quarter (25.5 percent) of the Class of 2012 that applied for a job has one in hand, according to results of NACE's 2012 Student Survey. That is up slightly from last year at this time, when 24 percent of 2011 graduates who applied for a job reported having accepted one.
The percentage increase of 1.5 percent is not encouraging. As has been the case for years these low results have shown that the practices that students have been using to gain a job have not been effective for three out of four graduates.
On receiving job offers:
Among 2012 graduates who applied for a job, only 44.2 percent received at least one job offer. In comparison, 41.4 percent of 2011 graduates who applied for jobs received an offer.
As in the increase above, the 2.8 percent increase is not very encouraging. Again, it points out the ineffectiveness of the practices followed by the students to find a job.
On the percentage of students who applied for a job and took the survey:
Slightly more than half of senior taking part in the survey (52.1 percent) reported they had applied for a job. That is well below the activity reported for the Class of 2011 - approximately 75 percent had applied for a job by the time of the survey, but consistent with the results for the Class of 2007 through the Class of 2010, when the percent of the class applying for jobs hovered between 42 and 50 50 percent. This can be surmised as evidence that the graduates are lacking in confidence about getting a job.
The NACE reported information above is very telling. With 22.9 percent less applying for a job indicates that they do not believe there is a job out there for them. Many graduates lack belief they have an effective way to find a job, get noticed, get an interview, and get an offer, and job.
Considering the process the students are pursuing to find that job, it becomes clear why they are not as successful, though many tried in spite of negative input and an alarming number apparently decided not to try.
The practices the students learn and follow fails 3 out of 4 times, because the practice is not designed for success. The practice we are talking about is: create a resume, send a resume, and wait for a positive response that rarely occurs. This widespread practice was created over years of job applicants responding to employment ads and those advertising employers demanding resume submission. It is the primary, if not the only, means by which employers were able to seek people they wanted to hire.
Consider that there is a huge gap or even a chasm that exists. On one side of the chasm is the effort of the students to gain an education in a chosen field with the belief that education will provide a solid foundation in a career for an employment lifetime. The school is on the same side of the chasm is working diligently to provide an education to students. Embedded in the minds of nearly all students is the expectation that their educational credentials and the assistance of the educational institution is what they need to land a career opportunity after graduation.
On the other side of the chasm are the skills and abilities of the students to conduct a successful job search that will provide the job they want in their chosen field. Alongside the students is the school (career services) teaching the best skills and abilities, of which they are aware to the students with the intention that their students will be successful in finding the job they want.
Those are the two sides with the chasm in between. The chasm is the result of the decades-old practice taught and used by almost everyone inside and outside of academia. The practice is to create a resume, send a resume, and wait for a positive response.
Sure, there have been a myriad of variations. Now we have LinkedIn, Facebook, and all the other social media. Video resumes and countless "tips" are promised to create a successful job search. Conducting a Google search for "job search training system" yielded 920,000,000 results. Surely, they cannot all be offering ineffective training. Can they? Our research and investigation revealed that practically everything offered is a variation, re-labeling or re-packaging of create a resume, send a resume, and wait for a response.
There are huge efforts to help the freshman choose the best education that matches them with their desired education and professional path. These efforts are very helpful. However, at the end of their educational career, they are still left with having to get across the chasm between their excellent educations and finding a job. These are two separate and distinct processes.
What are the consequences of this gap or chasm that exists? It is clear that many students are not able to find a job in a reasonable timeframe. Many opt to go back to school for a bachelor's degree or even a graduate degree thinking that by the time they are done, the right job will be available. In addition, they may feel their advanced degree will make them more attractive. Their logic is sound, but the reality is discouragingly
different. The reality is they still have the same chasm between their advanced education and how to conduct a successful job search.
Others will take a marginal job that may outside their chosen career. They are simply waiting until the job they want appears.
Another consequence is the class of graduates before them is still seeking work and the one coming after them. This adds to the competition for jobs.
School's place their reputation at risk when they do not have a good record of placing students in jobs. On-campus recruiting may be strong at some schools but not all students can take advantage or choose to take advantage of that opportunity. It leaves them with the same dilemma.
We have reviewed hundreds of career center programs. We have spoken to hundreds of career center directors. We discussed what they feel is challenging to them and most feel the same frustration. Regardless of what they have available or try, the results are not measurably better, because the practices and processes are a form of the failed create a resume, send a resume, and wait for a positive response.
The same career assistance professions have expressed they would like to see something effective for their students and school. They have shared with us that the majority of students lack enthusiastic confidence that what they get from the career centers is going to prepare them to land a job. What both want is to close or bridge that gap or chasm that exists between their education and their ability to find a sustainable job in their chosen field.
The chasm between the student and the school working hard for the students' education can be bridged now by an effective process they can apply to effectively find a job in their chosen field.
The answer is not a software package, a new website, creative SEO techniques, new technology, an applied theory or the well-intended tips that everyone must know to get a job.
What is the best answer to bridging the chasm?
It is a skill-based training system that provides practical instruction and education of how to proactively find a job in the desired field. It trains individuals with solid, time-tested principles and fundamentals that allow them to take charge of their job search. It is designed and delivered so that the graduate sees both its obvious effectiveness and their ability to apply the training.
Why does it work?
It provides the students with skills for hands-on, proactive steps to gaining the job they want. Each step creates progress rather that being passive. It puts the job seeker in charge not the potential employer.
It is forged in the crucible of 50 years of hands-on, day-to-day personal interactions with employers and job seekers forging fundamental principles that consistently bring the two together. It has succeeded through five recessions, countless industries, and many different positions. The proof has been in the success of both the employer and job seeker.
About Us
Kevin Sutton invites you to read more articles and learn about our training webinars and in-person sessions. For educational institutions train the trainer learning is available. Career Services Professionals can read more of specific opportunities to bring this training to their school. You can find us at http://www.careertalkguys.com/.
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