Design Your Search: Job Search Support Every Step of the Way
By Amanda Harrell, Career Educator, Student Engagement & Career Development
Most of us have been through a job search – some of us multiple times. To address the needs of students and the many points where one can get stuck in a job search, the Office of Student Engagement and Career Development rolled out Design Your Search - a program to support students in a job or internship search - in the fall of 2018. Now, one year later, having enrolled over 1900 students in Design Your Search, the Career Development team has gained unique insights and developed a greater understanding of ways the program provides support to students.
Design Your Search is self-paced, interactive, and provides students with resources on topics such as resume writing, salary negotiation, and interviewing best practices. By providing these resources through online modules in D2L (familiar to students as this is the software used for courses), students can access resources on-demand, when they need the information without having to make an appointment to get assistance. While the program was created to allow students to work at their own pace, it also includes personalized coaching with a designated Career Educator who partners with students throughout their search. Upon securing a job and completing the program, students participate in a survey to provide feedback on the most useful modules, how much time they spent in their search, and how likely they are to recommend the program to others. Specific themes emerged from the feedback received from students. Of the students who answered the question “What part of the program did you find most helpful in completing your search?” the majority responded it was meeting with someone (usually their assigned Career Educator) who provided them with guidance. In the expansion of this response, a common theme became apparent that interacting with this individual helped them build confidence. While the program’s in-depth information on 14 different topics is critical in a job search, it’s telling to discover these topics were not the common callouts students identified as most helpful to them.
We know from experience how difficult a job search is. Excitement about opportunities can dwindle when waiting for responses from employers, and confidence can quickly fade. It can be unnerving to read job descriptions and second guess your qualifications. This information and feedback coming from students is a reminder of one of the greatest challenges of the job search – tapping into resiliency.
As the Career Development team continues to create materials around the job search, it’s important to reflect on this key information and recognize the value of simple actions - check-ins, messages, and one-on-one time - that can provide encouragement throughout the process.
What can help students (and anyone in a job search)
Utilize Resources - The Design Your Search program provides interactive resources and personalized support. The program received a net promoter score of 82 in response to the question “How likely would you be to recommend Design Your Search to others?” indicating students are very likely to recommend the program.
Break through myths – There are many misconceptions about the job search that impact job seekers of all ages, and questions arise for all of us. Avoid myths by working with vetted information - whether on hiring trends or what to keep on or off a resume – utilizing trusted resources is key to a successful search.
Encourage resiliency – Tapping into our own job search experience and remembering the time, commitment, and energy it takes can help us encourage others on how to find and practice their own resiliency. Receiving clear direction and guidance throughout a job search can make a considerable difference. Along with this, it’s important to recognize the value of simply understanding the process, and providing encouragement that can make a difference in supporting an individual’s confidence in their success.