Revisioning career services

WHITE PAPER
w w w . i a o . o r g
RE-VISIONING
CAREER
SERVICES FOR
STUDENTS SUCCESS
INTERNA
TIONAL ACCRE
D
ITATION
O
RGANIZATION

Table of Contents
1
2
3
14
15
Executive Summary
Introduction
Career Services for Students Success
Industry Overview
Career Preparation on Campus – An Outdated Model
Industry Challenges
Reinventing Career Services – Industry Opportunities
Framework for New Career Services
The Future of Career Services
Conclusion
About IAO

Executive Summary
Executive Summary1
Owing to the globalization, education and technology
have been transformed over the past several years.
Educational programs, policies and career services
function within colleges and universities have also
been significantly impacted. In the past, 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 –
that's not enough anymore. Students who have spent
the last three, four, five or even more years preparing
themselves for the workplace are strained by a tremen-
dous amount of pressure only to find their dream jobs
are not waiting for them because of recession.
The economic downturn require career services teams to elevate their support to a higher level by helping
students navigate the process, connect with employers, and secure a well paying job in their field of study.
Due to the recent shift, colleges and universities need to take a closer look at the level of career services
support they are delivering to students beyond the learning experience. They need to advance career
services to truly support students, graduates and alumni across the education lifecycle. They need to have
the systems and processes in place to connect students and employers so they can drive higher placement
rates and track the career services outcomes to meet new regulations. Institutions need to look for new
ways to help graduates succeed on a professional level, develop a more strategic approach so they can
produce better student placement rates, which in turn can also support stronger student recruitment and
higher student retention rates.
This white paper from IAO is aimed to highlight the career service trends that colleges and universities must
consider in order to deliver a higher level of support to students beyond the learning experience. It outlines
the steps colleges and universities can and should take to advance career services, achieve higher place-
ment rates and better support students and graduates. IAO has discussed that colleges and universities
should address the following factors within their career services organizations:
• Stronger relationships between employers and institutions
• Automated communications between students and the school's career services team
• Dedicated career guidance services staﬃng
• More student self-service functionality
• Increased tracking and measurement

Introduction
Introduction2
It is that time of the year when students graduate
from their educational universities or institutes.
However, the economic uncertainty has
dampened the celebratory mood and spirits of
the graduating classes. Universities and
institutes will face tough questions from parents
who will want to know how the school is helping
their child to find a job and succeed
professionally. The desire to see an immediate
return on the investment (ROI) of a college
degree has never been stronger.
Students and their parents focus on the choice of which school to attend, and then expect the strength of
that choice to lead to professional success four years later. The challenge for university and college leaders
is to ensure that students have a variety of learning opportunities to prepare them to succeed professionally.
From day one, students should be able to connect what they are learning both in and outside of the
classroom to their long-term goals. However, with the traditional career services model, universities and
colleges will be unlikely to meet the twenty-first century needs of their students and alumni.
Colleges and universities are now required to take a closer look at the level of career services support they
are delivering to students beyond the learning experience. The need of which arose after the current
economical changes. The institutions need to find new and better ways to support students, graduates and
alumni by advancing career services alumni across the education lifecycle. They need to have the systems
and processes in place to connect students and employers so they can drive higher placement rates and
track the career services outcomes.
This paper describes the mounting importance of connecting a college education to professional success. It
suggests a few factors that the university leaders should ask about their career programs and offer examples
of projects that can help to strengthen career development on campus amidst these times of deep
economic uncertainty.

Over the past several years, the career services function within colleges and universities has been
significantly impacted. Owing to the economic downturn career services teams are required to elevate their
support to a higher level than in the past years.
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. 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 placement and launch a
career in the student’s field of study.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education,
many alumni are either unemployed,
underemployed, or in positions that do not match
their qualifications or professional interests. Phil
Gardner, Director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University told the
Chronicle of Higher Education, “We’re going to have three, probably four classes that are really not engaged
or aligned in the labor market at all. They're working in jobs that they don't have aspirations for, working
multiple part-time jobs, or they're underutilized in their positions.”
Career Services for Students Success3

Industry Overview
Market Decrease
Between March 2011 and March 2012, the unemployment rate more than doubled for college
graduates—from 2.1% to 4.3%—as over one million college graduates lost their jobs. To compound the
problem, about 1.5 million new college graduates are expected in 2013. It is likely that liberal arts students
will be hit hardest; in a recent survey by the Collegiate Employment Research Institute, only six percent of
employers report that they want to hire humanities or liberal arts majors, and only five percent are looking
to hire social science majors.
Demand Increase
Now more than ever, current and prospective college students are making enrollment and retention
decisions based on the quality of professional preparation at colleges. In fact, according to Eduventures
Research Company, professional preparation is often a more important factor in decision making than
affordability, and is on par with academic quality.

Career Preparation on Campus – An Outdated Model
No right processes to communicate with employers and students and also no systems to connect them
and monitor their interaction
Absence of data management practices and so the students could not reach out to employers to market
themselves
Absence of data management practices leads to the lack of a comprehensive database of qualified candi-
dates
Lack of a proper data management system also shows that the institution is incapable of allowing employ-
ers to access student applications and post open positions
No track of career services outcomes in terms of student and placement data
Ease of availability of data to pull the reports and analytics to prove placement and compliance
Existence of systems to follow up with alumni and track career results
Career Services Reporting
Career Services Management
Currently the universities and institutions did not have proper resources to offer proper student career
services and support. The following management and reporting practices are being sued in their systems and
processes.
5

Until recently, schools haven’t dedicated a lot of resources to career services because stronger market condi-
tions 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 institu-
tion, 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:
Industry Challenges
Students Placement Rates – institutions that can prove their placement rates will be entitled for
student funding
Career Services Department – institutions need to dedicate more resources so that graduates can
connect with employers
Job Placement – institutions need to place more students into jobs to see an increase in students
enrolment and retention
More Graduates, Less Jobs – Higher education is now in a situation where colleges are produc-
ing 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.
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 shoul-
der some, if not a lot, of this responsibility. To support students through the career placement process, the
government has taken the following initiatives and the institutions now need to take care of:

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 profes-
sions, 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.
Reinventing Career Services – Industry Opportunities

8
Framework
Questions About Your Institution
Before doing anything, of course, you must assess your current situation and needs. Start by asking simple
questions about your institution and your career services operation to identify top priorities.
To what extent is our institution’s leadership team committed to student and alumni professional
success?
Are we communicating this commitment to prospective and current students and their families?
Should our faculty members play a more active role in promoting the professional success of their
students?
Have we adequately connected academic advising and career advising?
Have we built in opportunities for applied learning through co-ops, internships, research with faculty, or
service learning?
Could we make more effective use of work-study funds to help students build relevant work experience?
Are we leveraging our assets in our alumni, parent, and local communities to support students in their
professional pursuits?
Are there opportunities for my institution to differentiate itself from peers around professional prepara-
tion?
Questions About Career Services
Do career services staff members have the background, experience, and knowledge to connect students
to a broad range of resources and opportunities?
Are career services staff members well versed in the use of social networking and technology to find job
opportunities?
Is our career services office proactively reaching out to employers and driving demand for our students?
Are the alumni affairs and career services divisions effectively collaborating?
Is our career services office adequately funded and appropriately staffed given institutional expectations
for results?
Are our career services goals contributing to our institutional goals?
Colleges and universities need to implement the systems and processes that will allow them to increase
placement rates and track data. Bringing software into the mix can make it easier to connect students and
employers, creating greater efficiencies and stronger results. It can also facilitate reporting capabilities so
institutions can stay competitive and compliant. There are specific actions that students, employers and
institutions need to take, and information they need to access in order to strengthen placement results.
There are specific actions that students, employers and schools need to do in order to strengthen placement
results.

9 Career Services for Students Success9
Student Needs
Build an Online Profile
Students need to be able to showcase their academic, personal and professional accomplishments in
order to attract employers
Attach a Cover Letter and Resume
Students need to be able to upload and update attachments in order to communicate their career
goals, experience and qualifications; they also need to be able to provide viewing access to potential
employers.
Search Employer Profiles
Students need access to the various employers who are hiring in their field so they can align their skill
sets and goals with organizations for which they would like to work
Search Job/Internship Postings
Students need access to as much real world experience as possible in order to get their foot in the
door with employers.
The solution: A student portal is critical to enabling self service capabilities so students can promote their skills and
achievements, find job opportunities and connect with employers.
It isn’t enough anymore to simply gain the skills necessary for job success, rather students need to be able to
market themselves to employers. Colleges and universities need to provide a place and a process for
students to do this.

Employer Needs
The shift in the job market has meant that employers have been able to be more selective in the hiring
process. As we embark on an economic recovery, that may or may not continue. Regardless, employers also
need to be able to market themselves, as well as search for and easily connect with qualified candidates.
Create Company Profile
Employers need to be able to communicate their value proposition to future employees in terms of their
business model, markets served, mission, culture and goals.
Post Job Openings Online
Employers need an eﬃcient way to spread the word about job opportunities to a
network of students and graduates who will most likely meet prerequisites.
View Student Background and Resume
Employers need to be able to quickly and easily learn about and qualify prospective applicants.
Generate Resume Books
Employers need to be able to compile resumes from qualified applicants in order to compare skill sets
and achievements, and seek out the most appropriate candidate.
The solution: an employer portal can enable a company to strengthen its ties with a college or university.
This increases the likelihood that the organization will look to that institutions as a reputable source of job
seekers, connect with those candidates, and expand their employee base.

As colleges and universities take on greater accountability in job placement, they need to look for new ways
to help students and graduates succeed beyond the classroom on a professional level. They can accom-
plish this by delivering a higher level of student support throughout the education process. They also need
to work closely with employers to make sure job candidates are meeting employer expectations, as well as
connect these job seekers with their potential future employers. When it comes to supporting students,
institutions need to do the following:
Track Student Information for Advising
Career services advisors need a comprehensive tool set that enables them to track the student through
the job search, assessing qualification and activities, as well as conducting follow ups.
Integrated Academic and Demographic Information - Advisors need a centralized place to access the
student’s information, from grades to career goals so they can make sure the student is confident and
capable in his or her chosen field, as well as on track to meet employer requirements.
Contact Management and Communication Tools - Advisors need to be able to regularly reach out to
students regarding such things as resume suggestions, new job postings and more.
Profile Background, Skill Sets and Preferences - Advisors need to be able to easily compile a student’s
information in order to identify career opportunities that would be a fit for the student
Track Opportunities and Career Services Outcomes
Career services advisors need an eﬃcient way to stay on top of all postings so they can better match
qualified students with job opportunities; they also need to manage and measure which postings secure
hires.
Track Placement Information, Salary and Employment History
colleges need an easy way to analyze how many students are being placed, what they are earning, the
success rate of each student once placed, and the career path each student follows out of institutions.
The solution: an employer portal can enable a company to strengthen its ties with a college or university.
This increases the likelihood that the organization will look to that institutions as a reputable source of job
seekers, connect with those candidates, and expand their employee base.
College and University Needs
a.
b.
c.

The solution: an employer CRM will enable the college to establish and grow relationships with a network of
employers, providing them with greater insight into what employers are looking for so they can produce
qualified graduates.
12
When it comes to engaging with employers, institutions need to do the following:
Communicate with and Manage Potential Employers
Colleges need a tool set that will enable them to build stronger employer relationships in order to better
match students with jobs, as well as to secure the institution’s reputation as a credible source of qualified
graduates.
Track Multiple Locations and Contacts per Employer – Institutions need to make sure they always
have a current database of employers with which they can connect students.
Track Multiple Opportunity Types - Advisors need to be able to analyze job details, such as full time,
part time, hourly, internship, externship and more.
Contact Management - Advisors need to be able to track current and past outreach with employers to
see which relationships are in good standings and where additional outreach is necessary.
Communication Tools - Advisors need to be able to proactively reach out to employers to reinforce
the relationship and stay top of mind
a.
b.
c.
d.
Track and Manage Job Requisitions
Career services advisors need an easy way to follow existing and new job postings so they can match
qualified applicants with those employers and opportunities.
Manage Alumni Network at the Employer
The career services team needs to be able to track and report on the number of students working
with a specific organization so they can assess the success rates of graduates by employer, as well as
determine organizations where their students’ skill sets are the best fit.

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 trends:
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 oppor-
tunities 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.
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.
We’ll see shift in career services organizations to include more staﬃng and resources dedicated to place-
ment 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.”
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 perfor-
mance 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 employ-
ment.
.
The Future of Career Services
Stronger Employer Relationships
Automated Communications
More Student Self-Service Functionality
Increased Tracking and Measurement

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 interven-
tion. Institutions must evolve their career
services and placement strategies, as well as
reallocate money and staff given the regulatory
landscape.
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 of enrollments and the departure of programs.
The argument of this white paper is that campus career centers and student employers must work together to
improve retention and success by providing specific types of employment opportunities, such as internships
and part-time jobs. This type of collaboration must be based on a sound understanding of the ways that
employment affects retention and success. A strong professional preparation program is a long-term invest-
ment that will have an immediate impact. The summer is an ideal time to conduct an assessment, design a
strategy, and begin to implement changes.
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
Conclusion
Conclusion14

About IAO15
About IAO
Accreditation and educational quality assurance are essential factors that complete the educational
ecosystem. While regional accreditation bodies have dutifully evaluated education providers on a regional
scale; a body to recognize and accredit education providers on an international scale was needed in the
wake of growing globalization. With more students studying at Educational Institutions or working for
companies outside their home country, it was imperative to create standards that are both regionally and
internationally recognized and accepted.
To accomplish the challenge, IAO created a unique Points Profile System by organizing the best global
practices in education in one place. IAO gathered educational quality assurance standards from around in
world in collaboration with various regional accreditation bodies and created evaluation criteria, that
works as a general basis of evaluation for any education provider, regardless of its regional location. The
core focus of the Points Profile System is to work as an additional international accreditation for education
providers that will supplement their regional accreditation.
The Points Profile System is a dynamic and evolving system that is continually updated in order to cater
new developments in the academic world. In relation to this, IAO is also working upon a Points Profile
System for students on an individual level that will increase individual acceptability and recognition of
students in both educational sector and the employer market.
IAO owes its success to its strong network and team of accreditation professionals spread in over 25
countries around the world. IAO has also collaborated with regional accreditation bodies to supplement
their strict accreditation methods with its expertise of standardizing the educational environment interna-
tionally. IAO’s expertise and services are also recognized by different global accreditation associations.

Contact IAO
Contact Office:
IAO, 10685-B
Hazelhurst Dr. #11524
Houston, TX 77043, USA
Phone: 1-866-2768-IAO (426)
Email: contact@iao.org
Website: http://iao.org
INTERNA
TIONAL ACCRE
D
ITATIONO
RGANIZATIO
N

Revisioning career services

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