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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