Thursday, October 25, 2012

Guest Article: How College Professors Can Prep Students for Our Crappy Job Market


How College Professors Can Prepare Students for the Bleak Job Market
Some estimates indicate that around half of graduates struggle to find a job after graduation. Unfortunately, many graduates are simply unprepared for how tough it is in the "real world" these days. Their part-time job, internship, and academic experiences oftentimes simply don't prepare them for a successful transition to a post-college career. Professors have the unique opportunity to help influence students and aid them as they prepare to become jobseekers.
If you're a professor who feels a little out of touch with the world outside of academia, you may be wondering what you can do to make the future lives of your students a little easier once they graduate. Here are a few things you can do to help prepare your students for the bleak job market:
Extend your office hours
Let your students know you're available to not only discuss the material you're covering in class but to also discuss their life goals and professional aspirations. Your office probably won't be flooded with students who are looking for career advice, but a few students in need of advice may trickle in. Simply letting them know that your door is open will mean a lot. And you may be able to point a few students in the right direction in terms of solidifying their career goals and exploring potential career opportunities while they're still in school.
Assess your curriculum
Take a look at your lesson plans. Ask yourself if everything you teach will ultimately help your students either get into graduate school or get a job. If you realize that some of what you lecture about won't be of much use to your students once they graduate, re-evaluate and change up your lectures accordingly. There's no need to overthink things as you assess your curriculum. Just weed out some of what you're doing which may not be incredibly useful to your students in the long run. And remember that the best educators constantly assess what they can improve.
Help your students network
Even if you've been in academia for most of your career, you probably have quite a few professional connections out there that you've met over the years. Keep your eyes and ears open for people who hire recent college graduates and entry-level job candidates. You may be able to help introduce your students to professional connections outside of their networks, which could make finding a job easier for them. As a college professor, it's a part of your job to prepare your students to contribute their unique talents to the world after graduate. So, lend a helping hand to your best and brightest students as they embark on the difficult journey of being recent college graduates.
Caroline Ross is a professional freelancer and blogger who frequently contributes to accreditedonlineuniversities.com and other education and technology sites. If you have any comments or questions, please write to Caroline.





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