Although COVID-19 had impacted the workforce, employers continued to offer internships and jobs for students. To help students land a job faster, we offered a full week of workshops that prepared them for success at the spring virtual career fair. Workshops were from March 15 to 22, and the fair was on March 24.
How did this program connect to the social justice domain?
Students will develop skills to navigate institutional organizations and societal structures related to the employment search.
Preparation Workshops
Learning Outcomes
Students were asked to complete surveys before and after Career Week workshops. Survey results show increases in students' familiarity and understanding of the three areas of career development:
- Action Steps: Steps needed to succeed in the job search, including timelines, self-exploration and networking.
- Relevant Questions: Understanding of relevant questions to ask in interviews, at the career fair, and when networking.
- Professional Identity: Professional identity in the employment search using action verbs, task, and results formula.
Description: Percentages show an increase in familiarity with career development topics.
| Type of Survey | Action Steps | Questions | Professional Identity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Survey | 57% | 44% | 54% |
| Post-Survey | 75% | 46% | 75% |
Employer Validation
Twelve employers from the Career Fair completed a survey, responding to three questions that pertained to the three student learning outcomes.
| What steps should students take before applying to your position | What types of questions would you prefer students ask when networking? | What do you look for when students talk about their accomplishments? |
|---|---|---|
| 75% responded with: Research the company, understand job description thoroughly. | 50% responded with: responsibilities and duties of a job position; availability of open positions. | 75% responded with: relevant skills and experiences (e.g. part/full-time jobs, internships, volunteer, class projects, etc.). |
Program Outcomes
Survey data shows that the preparation workshops helped students gain more confidence, have a stronger sense of belonging, and make progress in their job search.
Disclaimer: Respondants attended at least one workshop. 97 students completed surveys, but four were removed from totals due to attending only the Résumé Review or LinkedIn workshops.
- 81% of students said they gained confidence in an employment search.
- 71% of students said they gained a stronger sense of belonging.
Career Fair
Program Outcomes
- 73% of students report that attending the fair helped them in their job search.
- Finance major testimony, “Yes, I met with different areas that I was not considering, and I am open to those jobs.”
- Civil Engineering major testimony, “Yes it did, it gave me an insight how to pursue a job search.”
- Public Health major testimony, “Yes because I was able to get information from the hiring manager and be able to network. Then with that, I can put my foot in the door and mention that I know many people.”
- Finance major testimony, “The career fair gave me a more broad idea of the types of jobs available out there with my degree that I didn’t think were possible.”
- Natural Science major testimony, “Yes definitely, I do have options now and I can always contact the employers that I talked to during the career fair.”
Attendance at Fair & Workshops
The preparation workshops were attended by 102 participants and the fair welcomed 290 attendees.
Disclaimer: 97 students completed surveys, but four were removed from totals due to attending only the Résumé Review or LinkedIn workshops.
| Colleges | (%) of majors that attended the fair (n=77) | (%) of majors that attended the workshops(n=31) | (%) of majors that attended the both |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&L | 6% | 16% | 13% |
| B&E | 36% | 29% | 40% |
| CCOE | 2% | 13% | 7% |
| ECST | 30% | 13% | 20% |
| HHS | 10% | 16% | 13% |
| NSS | 16% | 13% | 7% |
Analysis
- College of Business and Economics had the highest attendance at both workshops and the career fair.
- College of Natural and Social Sciences and Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services have the largest student population at the University, but lower engagement at the workshops.
- College of Engineering, Computer Science and Technology had one of the lowest engagement numbers at the workshops, but the second-highest number of students attending the career fair.
- College of Arts and Letters should have more opportunities at the fair.
| Year | % that attended fair (n=78) | % that attended workshops (n=31) | % that attended both |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate | 19% | 19% | 25% |
| Alumni | 4% | 4% | 0% |
| Senior | 46% | 41% | 44% |
| Junior | 24% | 29% | 31% |
| Sophomore | 4% | 7% | 0% |
| Freshman | 3% | 0% | 0% |
Analysis
- This data shows juniors and seniors were the biggest groups to attend the career fair and workshops.
- Freshmen and sophomore attendance was almost non-existent. As internships and career development often require advanced planning, it may be a priority to consider how we can increase sophomore attendance at the workshops and fair.
| Affinity | % who attended fair | % who attended workshops | % who attended both |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander/Desi | 21% | 19% | 13% |
| Latinx/Hispanic | 63% | 56% | 68% |
| Southwest Asian/North African | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| White | 11% | 16% | 13% |
| Pan African/Black | 3% | 0% | 0% |
| Choose not to answer | 1% | 6% | 6% |
| Other | 0% | 3% | 0% |
Analysis
Southwest Asian/North African and Black students had little to no involvement in career week, which may reflect a more general disconnect with Career Center services on our campus. More information may be needed as to why these groups did not attend career week, therefore increased communication with these groups may be necessary.
| Workshops attended | # Total students per workshop (n=31) | % who attended workshops that went to the fair |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | 100% |
| 4 | 2 | 50% |
| 3 | 4 | 75% |
| 2 | 8 | 50% |
| 1 | 16 | 25% |
Analysis
This data shows the more workshops that one attends, the more likely they are to go to the fair.
Next Steps
For the full report and follow-up actions, download the Career Week Spring 2021 Executive Summary.