Senior Year Professional Development

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Senior Year Professional Development

• Heather Maietta
• Director of Career Services/AD of PDSCRMA
• June 4, 2009

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• Why Seniors?

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Transitioning
Historically, the senior year is a important, but
neglected period of transition on college
campuses. Incoming Millennial generation
employees are said to be entering the labor
force underprepared, and with expectations that
are misaligned with their superiors (Ritter,
2008). Others believe it is not that
Millennials lack creativity or technical
know-how, but rather they lack the ability to
deal with responsibility, accountability and
setbacks Hollen (2008).
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Transitioning
Astin (1993) explains that the primary purpose of
attending college is to prepare for a
career. The ability to examine aspirations
closely to ensure ones career goals are aligned
with his or her personal values, skills, and
abilities, as well as to obtain a balance of
academics and marketable transferrable skills
could be argued as an essential outcome of an
undergraduate education.
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Career Decision-Making
Five mechanisms for good career decision making
-- 1. Accurate Self-Appraisal 2. Gathering
Occupational Information 3. Goal Selection 4.
Making Future Plans 5. Problem-Solving Crites
(1978)
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Nichols PDS program

• - 4-year series of 1-credit courses
• - Mandatory
• Textbooks supplemental materials
• Faculty and staff as instructors
• Built into the culture of the campus
• - Each course builds on the next

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Questions Driving the Course
In planning for the senior year course, the
following Questions serve as a curriculum
base - Are graduates adequately prepared to
face the complex demands of the current job
market? - Are they prepared to enter or reenter
the world of work or the world of graduate
school? - Are graduates prepared for leadership
roles and networking demands of the workforce?
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Why Seniors?
Seniors - are a captive audience - have high
expectations - have unique transitional
needs - face mounting workforce challenges
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Nichols Senior PDS

• Assist in beginning the job search process
• Provide the opportunity to solidify interview
  skills
• Further develop an individual presentation
• through the portfolio
• Effectively transitioning out of college
• Build professional presence
• Understand planned happenstance

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Nichols Senior PDS

• Financial planning
• Post-graduate options
• Networking
• MBTI/Strong
• October Programs
• Resources associated with the job search

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Course Evaluation Results
Gender Male 56.4 64.7 Female
43.6 34.3 Majors 2007 2008 General
Business 22.3 7.8 Accounting 8.5 13.7
Sport Management 9.6 24.5 Marketing 6.4
16.7 Finance 4.3 2.0 Psychology 7.4 4.9
English 1.1 1 History 2.1 1 Business
Management 1.1 2 Management 16 13.7 MIS
2.1 1 Economics 3.2 1 Criminal
Justice 13.8 8.8 Mathematics ------- 1 Bu
siness Communications 2 -------
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Overall Course Content Feedback
This course helped me to gain a better
understanding of my goals and how college helped
achieve them 2007 2008 Strongly
Agree 27.7 27.5 Agree 53.2 55.9 Neutr
al / No Opinion 11.7 9.8 Disagree 0.0 3.9
Strongly Disagree 7.4 2.0
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Overall Course Content Feedback
This course helped me to understand how I am
responsible for my college experience and making
plans to guarantee my college success 2007
2008 Strongly Agree 30.9 31.4 Agree 50
52.9 Neutral /No Opinion 10.6 10.2 Disagree
2.1 3.9 Strongly Disagree 6.4 0.0
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Individual Course Assignments Feedback
How do you rate the value of Recruiting
Options 2007 2008 Strongly
Agree 33 19.6 Agree 37.2 39.2 Neutra
l /No Opinion 27.7 29.4 Disagree 2.1 5.9
Strongly Disagree ------- 4.9
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Individual Course Assignments Feedback
How do you rate the value of Portfolio in
Interview 2007 2008 Strongly
Agree 31.9 13.7 Agree 37.2 32.4 Neut
ral /No Opinion 24.5 28.4 Disagree 5.3 19
.6 Strongly Disagree 1.1 4.9
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Individual Course Assignments Feedback
How do you rate the value of Financial
Matters 2007 2008 Strongly
Agree 26.6 16.7 Agree 35.1
46.1 Neutral /No Opinion 29.8 26.5 Disagre
e 7.4 5.9 Strongly Disagree ------- 3.9

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Individual Course Assignments Feedback
How do you rate the value of October Programs
2007 2008 Strongly Agree 28.7 18.6 Ag
ree 33 41.2 Neutral /No
Opinion 31.9 24.5 Disagree 4.3 10.8 Str
ongly Disagree 1.1 3.9
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Individual Course Assignments Feedback
How do you rate the value of Networking 200
7 2008 Strongly Agree 25.5 27.6 Agree
38.3 52.0 Neutral /No Opinion 29.8 10.6
Disagree 5.3 6.9 Strongly
Disagree 1.1 2.0
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Individual Course Assignments Feedback
How do you rate the value of Transition/Options
2007 2008 Strongly Agree 18.1 18.6 Agr
ee 38.3 42.2 Neutral /No
Opinion 39.4 24.5 Disagree 2.1 8.8 Stro
ngly Disagree 2.1 4.9
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Individual Course Assignments Feedback
How do you rate the value of Group
Project 2007 2008 Strongly
Agree 28.7 11.8 Agree 33 35.3 Neutra
l /No Opinion 21.3 32.4 Disagree 14.9 8.8
Strongly Disagree 2.1 10.8
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Individual Course Assignments Feedback
How do you rate the value of Portfolio
Creation 2007 2008 Strongly
Agree 31.9 14.9 Agree 27.7 38.2 Neut
ral /No Opinion 20.2 29.4 Disagree 9.6 7.
8 Strongly Disagree 10.6 8.8
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Individual Course Assignments Feedback
How do you rate the value of Individual
Recruiting Plan 2007 2008 Strongly
Agree ------- 14.7 Agree
------- 28.4 Neutral /No Opinion ------- 33.
3 Disagree ------- 13.7 Strongly
Disagree ------- 8.8
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Individual Course Assignments Feedback
How do you rate the value of MBTI/Strong 20
07 2008 Strongly Agree ------- 21.6 Agree
------- 37.3 Neutral /No Opinion ------- 2
8.4 Disagree ------- 8.9 Strongly
Disagree ------- 3
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Individual Course Assignments Feedback
How do you rate the value of Course
Overall 2007 2008 Strongly
Agree 34 17.8 Agree 37.2 48.5 Neutra
l /No Opinion 25.5 24.8 Disagree 3.2 4.9
Strongly Disagree ------- 3.9
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Course Feedback
Most Valuable Component of the Course 2007 2
008 Preparing for Real World Job Search October
Programs Networking Job Search Resume Portfol
io October Programs Resume Preparing for
Real World
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Course Feedback
Least Valuable Component of the
Course 2007 2008 Portfolio Time
Consuming Repetitive Activities Repetitive
Activities October Programs Portfolio in
Interview Job Search Recruiting Plan Time
Consuming October Programs
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Course Feedback
Advice for Next Years Students Time Mgmt
Take It Seriously
Turn Work In
On Time
Update Portfolio
Job Search Immediately
Go To Class
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Realized Value
According to NACE (2008) students appear to be
ill- prepared for the job search and
world-of-work transition, as well as lack the
necessary transferrable skills for
employment. Most undergraduates will not realize
the benefits of participating in proactive career
development until becoming immersed in full-time
employment however, it is believed that a lack
of career planning is a roadblock to ever making
important decisions. Furthermore, students who
do not participate in career preparation
activities throughout college often find that, by
senior year, they are not able to compete for
jobs as effectively as students who had some type
of previous career development.
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Best Practices?
Share your senior year best practices for
assisting in the college-to-career transition.