Lexington, KY - If you still think universities have "placement centers," your nomenclature is about 20 years out of date. Students aren't placed in jobs anymore. Career center staffs are working harder than ever, though, to be the go-between for students and employers.
Ray Clere, director, Graves Center for Calling and Career, Georgetown College:
Many employers have scaled back active college recruitment; however, I would argue that right now it is more important than ever for employers to maintain a presence on campus, even if it isn't posting jobs or interviewing students for positions. If an employer withdraws from active campus recruitment for two to three semesters, then it's difficult to maintain their brand or identity on campus, and when economic conditions improve, the employer will have to reintroduce themselves to students. If employers maintain their college/university connections during lean times, then they will be much better positioned for success when economic conditions improve. Since we're a fairly small college, we make every effort to personalize our communications and interactions with employers, and we know our students very well. If an employer chooses to work with us, they can be assured that we will assist them with every step of the recruitment process, whether they are seeking part-time help, interns or recent graduates. We also have a strong network of alumni and if we receive job announcements that require experience beyond entry-level, then we share these announcements with GC alumni.
Francene Gilmer, assistant provost and director, James W. Stuckert Career Center, University of Kentucky:
We consider our office as the "gateway" to the student talent from Kentucky's flagship institution. Small family businesses to major corporations connect with our students through participation in our signature events, such as the fall and spring Employer Showcase, on-campus interviews and hosting employer information sessions. We can be your consultant for discovering various ways to connect with our students based on your particular needs and interests. Business owners can take advantage of marketing opportunities that help create their brand on campus. Businesses that want to preview the UK student talent can do so by providing internship opportunities. The focus of our office is career development and management.
Mary H. Raider, assistant director, EKU Career Services, Eastern Kentucky University:
Most of our services are free to employers and are customized to fit individual company needs. Employers can connect to EKU by posting job openings, recruiting on campus, speaking to students and faculty, and attending job fairs. The more an employer is visible on campus, the easier it is for the company to recruit quality candidates. We encourage employers to visit the campus often to build a strong employer image at EKU. Often employers will ask that EKU Career Services send them "the best" students. The Career Services staff will distribute your job opening information to all students. Employers then can select the student that best fits the organization's needs. All students have a unique set of strengths they bring to the table, and since our opinion of "best" may be different from the employers', we leave the selection process to the employer.
Deborah Jones, director, Career Services, Centre College:
Centre has an online job posting system called CentreWorks (https://centre-csm.symplicity.com/employers/) where we post full-time jobs, internships, summer opportunities and part-time jobs. On-campus recruiting is also available. Career Services also coordinates all academic credit internships at Centre College. Internships are guaranteed to Centre students as part of the Centre Commitment (which also includes study abroad and graduation in four years). Sixty percent of our students are in the top 10 percent of their high school class and, upon graduation from Centre, approximately 60 percent to 65 percent of our students go into employment opportunities. Centre College Career Services begins working with students in their first year and continues to offer services to alumni.
Susan Rayer, director, Career Development Center, Transylvania University
It's not the career center's responsibility to find the student a job, just like it's not the library's job to raise the student's GPA. Because we are small (1,100 students) and work closely with students and alumni, we can immediately provide a candidate pool to the employer, recruiter, business owner or HR manager. We work very closely with our alumni office and development office to provide networking opportunities for students, and the key characteristics employers seek: enthusiasm, drive, communication skills, technical skills, a strong work ethic, bringing fresh new ideas to a work setting and a willingness to embrace change. We encourage our students to seek out professional growth opportunities and develop a personal network. It's up to colleges today to produce graduates who can fit immediately into an organizational culture.
Kathie Stamps posts grammar tips at www.facebook.stampscommunications.com.