Many universities do not have an engineering-specific career services center. This study defines the importance of discipline-specific career services centers and determines the best practices of an engineering career services center. A literature review was conducted in conjunction with a Kano-modeled survey distributed to career services staff. A total of 23 career services staff participated in the study. The results were tabulated according to the customer satisfaction coefficient. Programs/features were then divided into must-be, one-dimensional, attractive, and indifferent qualities. From these results, a list of best practices was created that current and future engineering career services centers may utilize in order to improve customer satisfaction.
16. Conclusion
0 Summary
0 Research Questions & Hypothesis
0 Best Practices
0 Implications
0 Limitations
0 Questions for Future Research
17. Research Questions &
Hypothesis
0 Research Questions
1. What are the most important services or programs for
engineering career services center to provide to students
and alumni?
2. What services or programs do the top engineering schools
provide to students and alumni?
3. What are the best practices of an engineering career
services center in higher education?
0 Hypothesis
1. Student focused programs or services are offered more
frequently than employer and alumni services.
18. Best Practices: Must Be
0 One-on-one student meetings with an advisor
0 Employer hosted information sessions
0 Mock interviews
0 Resume reviews
0 Career fairs
0 An internship program
0 Group workshops of profession development topics
0 Placement assistance
0 An online student resume database or job board*
accessible to employers
*Over 50% of study participants reported that this service is not offered.
19. Best Practices: One
Dimensional
0 Walk-in advising*
0 Student organization advising
0 Alumni career services
0 Employer hosted technical talks
0 A peer mentoring program*
*Among the services listed as not offered within career services.
20. Best Practices: Attractive
0 A professional development course within the engineering
curriculum
0 Employer hosted professional development talks.
These 2 features will provide
the most influence on higher
customer satisfaction.
21. Implications
0 Obvious gaps in services desired and actually offered
0 Example: online student resume database
0 Indifferent qualities can be ignored
0 Leadership certificate within engineering
0 Online chatting with advisors
0 Beginning framework for an engineering career
services center model
22. Limitations & Questions for
Future Research
0 Time constraint
0 Kano model confusing for some participants
0 Including more participants to increase external
validity
0 Surveying students and employers
0 Exploration of attractive features
23. Author Information
0 Erica Kosa
0 Lewis University
0 MA in Organizational Leadership Candidate
0 University of California San Diego
0 Manager,Team Internship Program
0 Contact
0 Email: ericakosa@gmail.com
0 Website: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ericakosa
0 Phone: 858-822-6772
Notas do Editor
What are the best practices of engineering career services centers in higher education? Two research questions are presented in this paper: 1) what are the most important services or programs for engineering career services center to provide to students and alumni; and, 2) what services or programs do the top engineering schools provide to students and alumni. The hypothesis is that student focused programs or services are offered more frequently than employer and alumni services. Approach: Literature Review, Kano Survey and Analysis
Most Common Services-Student services -Alumni services -Employer services Career Services Issues -Diversity of population needs-Measurement of productivity-Reaching studentsDiscipline-Specific Career Services-Overview-Engineering-specific
Kano Model-Kano model introduction-Kano model methodology-Benefits and disadvantages of using the Kano model
Kano Model-Kano model introduction-Kano model methodology-Benefits and disadvantages of using the Kano model
Kano Model-Kano model introduction-Kano model methodology-Benefits and disadvantages of using the Kano model
Kano Model-Kano model introduction-Kano model methodology-Benefits and disadvantages of using the Kano model
Participants: 23 Career Services Professionals Setting: Online Survey via Google Forms
SurveyFunctional & Dysfunctional QuestionsScale: 1) I like it; 2) I expect it; 3) I’m neutral; 4) I can tolerate it; 5) I dislike it. Self-stated importance rankingActually offered?
The most important features included: online student resume database or job board accessible to employers, resume, reviews, one-on-one student meetings with an advisor or counselor on career related topics, and career fairs. All of these variables were also in the must-be category. The least important features were also the same features in the indifferent category, a certificate program and online chatting with an advisor or counselor.
The majority of services offered within engineering career services centers—those offered by at least 60% of centers according to participants—included: resume reviews, workshops, one-on-ones with students, mock interviews, internship programs, walk-in advising, employer information sessions, career fairs, and student organization advising.
Online chatting with an advisor and an online student resume database were the most frequent items not offered by the university. Online chatting and a certificate program were considered indifferent qualities. Two of the features not offered were considered one-dimensional such as walk-in advising, and peer mentoring. A student resume database and placement assistance are must-be qualities. A course within the engineering curriculum is frequently not offered even though it is an attractive quality.
Nearly all offered one-on-one counseling or resume reviews, professional development workshops, career fairs, employer information sessions, on-campus interviews, and co-ops or internship programs to help place students. The moderately popular services which most schools offered, but not all, included a resume database or resume book accessible to employers and alumni services. The hypothesis—student focused programs or services are offered more frequently than employer and alumni services—was also confirmed during the literature review.
After the must-be qualities are fulfilled, one-dimensional qualities should be addressed
In order to be a truly unique center with a strong competitive edge, the center should also focus on offering attractive qualities