SXSW EDU: Professionals + Professors = Career Readiness

Professionals + Professors
= Career Readiness

#jobready

4 out of 10 recent college graduates
say they are underemployed.
They are working in a job that doesn’t require a degree.

#jobready
Source: Accenture 2013 College Graduate Employment Survey

College degree: necessary but not
sufficient ?

#jobready
Source: Accenture 2013 College Graduate Employment Survey

Dr. Steve Kelly
DePaul University
Associate Professor of Marketing &
Co-Director of Kellstandt Marketing
Center

#jobready

Kate Stevenson
Chicago Association of Direct
Marketing Educational
Foundation
Executive Director

Molly Garris
Leo Burnett / Arc Worldwide
Digital Strategy Director & Mobile
Practice Lead

Problem: Academicians are too
academic

#jobready

How is DePaul approaching career
readiness?
What’s working / not working at
DePaul?
#jobready

Our Research

79
596 Practitioners
Students
129
Faculty

#jobready
Source: DePaul University / Arc Worldwide “Career Readiness” Survey January 2014

Questions for Faculty Members
How many times have you invited a practitioner into
your classroom in the past year? If not, are you
interested in doing so?

Have you done any class projects that partner
with practitioners? If not, would you?

Have you collaborated with practitioners for your own research
or publications?

If you’ve brought in practitioners,
what worked and what would you
change?
#jobready

Questions for Practitioners
In the past year, have you been invited to speak
in a college course?

Would you find value in connecting
with local universities and
students? (to present, mentor or
partner on projects)?
If you haven't been invited to
collaborate on a course project,
would you be willing to?
#jobready

Questions for Students
Would you find it valuable to hear from industry
professionals in the classroom? Why?
How did courses with projects compare to courses without?

If you want more information
about a career path, where do
you go?
How of your classes included business
professionals as speakers?

How did courses with professional speakers
compare to those that did not?

#jobready

3

Things we Learned

✔ Faculty Buy-In
✔ Practitioner Buy-In

✔ Student Buy-in
Professors + Professionals = Career
Readiness? Disconnects?
#jobready

How many times have
you invited practitioners
to speak in past year?

How many times have
you done projects with
practitioners in past
year?

18%
54%

22%

31%

32%
48%

O times

1-2 times

3 or more

#jobready

O times

1 to 2 times

3 or more times

Things Faculty Members Liked
+ Bringing in former students
+ Shaping practitioner presentations around course work or class
project(s)
+ Practitioners who would ask students to solve a real-life
problem or facilitate interactive exercises

+ Leaving time for Q&A -- less lecture, more interaction
+ Using Skype to access professors outside of smaller campuses

#jobready

Things Faculty Members Didn’t Like
+ Unprepared speakers
- No content
- Irrelevant content
- Those who expect to “wing it”
+ Last minute cancellations
+ Busy and changing schedules
+ Speakers who just talked about themselves or their expertise –
as opposed to including job hunt tips, how to apply the
knowledge or interactive exercises

#jobready

Could faculty members be doing
more?

#jobready

Practitioner Feedback

#jobready

In the past year, how many times have you
been invited to speak in a college course?
74% said NONE

When asked if these practitioners would be
willing to speak if invited ..
65% said Probably or Definitely Yes

#jobready

Of those practitioners who were invited to
speak one or more times,
+ 65% had 8+ years of experience in their
industry
+ 85% of their firms offer internships
+ 35% said they mentor students

#jobready

In the past year, how many times have you
been invited to collaborate with a college
course where students work on a project?
80% said NONE

When asked if these practitioners would be
willing to collaborate on a project..
72% said Probably or Definitely Yes

#jobready

91% of practitioners said they would find
value in connecting with local universities
and students (to present, mentor or partner
on projects)

#jobready

Things Practitioners Liked
+ Working closely with the professor to understand:
- what level the students are at,
- what content was recently covered / will be covered,
- brands / companies being discussed – overall integration,
- logistics (materials, set up)
+ Having direct interaction with the students and the flexibility to
customize content based on students’ needs
+ Students and professors who had sent questions to them in
advance, giving the practitioners the time to prepare answers

#jobready

“It’s personally been fulfilling to be
able to share expertise and guidance
in a way that’s been meaningful” Practitioner


Things Practitioners Didn’t Like
+ One-off projects that don’t produce results
+ Hands off professors and looking unprepared – collaboration is
key!
+ Number of students reaching out afterwards for a job versus
asking for feedback on a resume, cover letter or specifics
“As a way to get my class participating, make my content be
part of the curriculum so that students really pay attention.
Often when outside speakers come in, students "tune out"
knowing that they won't be responsible for that class’ content
for their finals or papers.” - Practitioner

#jobready

How do we engage more
practitioners?

#jobready

In the past year, how many times did your classes include
business professionals as speakers?
25% said four or more
16% said NONE

How did courses featuring outside speakers compare to
those that didn't?

75% said Better
to Much Better

#jobready

In the past year, how many times did you work on course
projects in collaboration with an outside business?
12% said three or more
35% said NONE
How did courses featuring outside projects compare to
those that didn't?

76% said Better
to Much Better

#jobready

How many internships have you had?

31% said two or more
34% said NONE

50% of students who had no project participation also had
not had an internship
Where do you go to find more info on careers?
73% said Professors & Online Sources

67% said Family/Friends
45% said Career Center

#jobready

Things Students Liked
+ Real world examples / first hand experience
+ Access to professionals in the field for inspiration, advice
understanding of hiring trends and tips
+ Keeping current, getting insights you cannot find online or in a
textbook

+ Younger industry professionals they can relate to
+ In person lectures and projects versus online interactions

#jobready

Things Students Didn’t Like
+ Speakers over-selling their company
+ Speakers who did not offer any information that would be
applicable to the context of undergrad students who are about to
enter the industry
+ Presentations that lacked job connections. E.g. when learning
about email campaigns:
- what is a job title of someone working on these?
- what are their day-to-day responsibilities?

#jobready

How can this feedback better prepare
professionals coming into the
classroom?

#jobready

What’s DePaul doing outside of the
classroom?

#jobready

#jobready
Source: CADMEF Okner Symposium February 2014

Okner Symposium Student Feedback

#jobready
Source: CADMEF Okner Symposium February 2014

Why connect students with
practitioners?
+ Builds network…students and faculty

+ Students like/expect faculty to connect them
+ Helps students land internships, jobs,
resources and more
+ Never eat alone!
+ Faculty stay relevant

+ College degree is necessary BUT not
sufficient!!

Best Practices
+ Speakers good, projects better
+ Prepare speakers to ensure relevancy and
value to students
+ Consider younger alumni
+ Look outside the classroom…..industry
events, mixers, association lunches,
networking events

Feedback and Questions

#jobready

SXSW EDU: Professionals + Professors = Career Readiness

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (17)

Similaire à SXSW EDU: Professionals + Professors = Career Readiness

Similaire à SXSW EDU: Professionals + Professors = Career Readiness (20)

Plus de Molly Garris

Plus de Molly Garris (9)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

SXSW EDU: Professionals + Professors = Career Readiness