Proposal to Implement a Career Development Plan

PROPOSAL TO IMPLEMENT A CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN

FOR LUNDQUIST COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Presented by:

The Honeybadgers

Victoria Baker, Collin Jewell, Karly Morris

Colby Schlechter and Anthony Troja

To:

Educational Enrichment Task Force, Lundquist College of Business

May 21st, 2014

______

Introduction

The number of Americans graduating from college in the past two decades has increased. Since 1995, the percent of Americans with at least a bachelor’s degree has risen from 24.7% to 33.5% (Appendix A). With increasing competition it is becoming essential for students to differentiate themselves from others while preparing to start a career. As students in the Lundquist College of Business, we have discovered that all students need a way to differentiate themselves by translating experiences into value. Students are getting involved in clubs, going to events, and taking specific business classes to gain experience and create their own stories, but they have difficulty telling these stories. Below, we propose the creation of a portfolio to help students successfully communicate their value to employers as they enter the job market.

Situation Analysis

According to a Fortune 500 Human Resources VP interviewed by Forbes, the biggest problem “is that the students are fighting tooth and nail to be indistinguishable from one another” (Appendix B). Although students are putting in hard work to get a business degree, employers still have trouble distinguishing applicants. Students are not differentiating themselves despite the school’s current efforts; if students cannot differentiate themselves it will be very difficult to have a successful career.

We have interviewed LCB students and the problem that surfaced was a lack of knowledge in communicating their value to a potential employer. This refers to how they can demonstrate skills acquired from past experiences to a future employer. Students expressed that the LCB has prepared them academically through class curriculum, clubs, and events. Students are confident in creating a story using their academic knowledge, work experience, and other extra-curricular activities. The problem is the disconnect for students with what they see as important ideas and how to communicate these ideas as assets to employers.

Employers have identified the same issue. For example, Vince Matarrese, Software Engineering Manager for Tektronix, Inc., says that “candidates who show enthusiasm for learning, an ability to be flexible, and openness to new ‘outside the box’ experiences always seem to do better.” He also claims that getting experiences that do not directly relate to the job “demonstrates that the candidate is willing to look ‘outside the box’ and challenge himself in areas that he/she may not be well-suited for.” Matarrese emphasizes that reflecting on unique experiences helps the “candidate demonstrate his broader value to an employer” (Appendix C). Employers agree that if a student cannot demonstrate why they are worth hiring, they will have difficulties launching a successful career in today’s incredibly competitive job market.

The LCB has made a reputation for itself among business schools by fulfilling their vision of being “internationally renowned for excellence in business education” (Appendix D). The school has been successful in educating business students, but only 64% of the 2013 graduates were employed three months after graduation. LCB undergraduate students need guidance in transforming this knowledge into valuable work skills. If more students are getting jobs in their desired field of study it positively affects the LCB’s reputation.

According to an article by Eliot Grossman in BizEd magazine, Xavier University’s Williams College of Business faced a similar problem. To amend the situation, they implemented a career development plan which included the creation of a formative portfolio. They launched a program in 2000 to eliminate students’ misconceptions that “a job will be waiting for them when they graduate”. The program brought about impressive results. Grossman states that “in 2008, 95% of Williams students had found jobs within three months of graduation.” Williams College of Business attributes this success to their portfolio program. Due to the program’s success, other schools, such as the School of Business at the University of San Diego in California, have adopted similar portfolio programs (Appendix E).

LCB students need a career development plan that helps to differentiate them from other applicants by effectively communicating their value to employers. In today's job market students set themselves apart by translating their stories to highlight a skillset.

Objectives

Give students a career development plan to help guide them through the LCB

Many students go through the LCB without a career plan in mind. Students do not have a way to gauge their career development progress. We want students to begin thinking about their careers from the moment they enter the business school. Our career development plan will help keep students on track and prepare them to start a career after they graduate.

Have students recognize value in their stories/experiences

The problem that we are finding is that students involve themselves in many extracurricular activities, but do not know how to translate them into value. Our career development plan will teach students how to analyze a past situation and highlight the key skills from that experience. We will ensure that students are effectively finding value in their stories by having advisors evaluate portfolios.

Provide students with a formative portfolio

Students have difficulty transitioning from college to a career. They have trouble effectively communicating their value to employers when applying and interviewing for a job. Our career development plan has students develop a portfolio, with reflection and self-assessment along the way. A portfolio will teach students to draw value from their stories that can be presented to potential employers.

Increase the LCB’s employment rates

Our goal is to help students start careers after graduation and ultimately raise the LCB’s employment rates. Higher job placement rates yield a better reputation for the school.

Have students begin a career in their desired concentration after graduation

Based on interests, students select a concentration within the LCB. It is not beneficial for students to spend resources mastering a concentration only to get a job in a different field. In the next four to six years, our goal is to increase the number of LCB graduates hired in their respective concentrations.

Establish useful connections/networks for students

The required workshops and events will give students multiple opportunities to build relationships with potential employers. Students can make connections at these events that will be beneficial when entering the job market. They can use these networks as references or links to other job opportunities. The portfolios will include a section for students to keep track of their connections and networks.

Proposed Solution

Creation of a Career Development Plan

We propose that the LCB Educational Enrichment Task Force implement a career development plan required for graduation. This program will begin in Fall 2015 for incoming pre-business undergraduate students. It will consist of a portfolio that provides undergraduate students with the necessary skills that will help effectively communicate their value to future employers.

Portfoli-

The time sensitive career development portfolio will include required seminars, practice interviews, and networking events. Each student will be required to produce a document/reflection that relates to each seminar. A strong emphasis will be placed on personal gains and insights.

Required Seminars

Students will attend seminars to help them develop qualities that future employers value during their time at the University of Oregon. The following seminars will be hosted by the Lundquist College of Business:

· Resume/Cover Letter Workshops

· Interview Preparation

· Social Media Etiquette

· Time Management

· Networking Skills/How To Network

· Job Offer Negotiation Strategies

Mock Interviews

To immerse students into the world of interviewing, the career development plan will require students to use their knowledge gained from interview preparation to participate in mock interviews.

Mock interviews will be held with volunteer employers that come to the University of Oregon. Each student will be required to participate, which will provide them with an opportunity to use the skills that they learned in the Interview Preparation seminar. Students will receive feedback and gain practical experience that will benefit them during future interviews.

Students must apply for a job within their career field during their senior year. Access to workshops specifically geared toward each concentration will be offered. This will be the final product and the last stage of their portfolio building process.

Networking Events

Career fairs, including the ones that the LCB already offers, will also be mandatory. To create an incentive for students and make the career fairs more appealing, additional concentration-specific events will be held. Specific events are meant to foster professional relationships with businesses and give students the opportunity to use the skills learned during the Networking Skills seminar. These networking events will nurture long-term connections with recruiters and future employers.

Checkpoint Program

In student stakeholder interviews, we noticed that students often put these career development programs off until the last minute. To solve this problem and encourage effective and meaningful learning, the portfolio will have a time-sensitive checkpoint program. During each academic year, students will be required to participate in certain activities held by the LCB. Each student will be required to submit their progress upon entering the business program.

Technical Plan

We have considered elements from the prototype (Appendix F) and stakeholder interviews to create a year-by-year plan for students to follow.

Freshmen Year

· Meet Your Advisor: Session #1(Career Development Self-Reflection #1)

· LinkedIn Workshop(Create LinkedIn Account)

· Resume Workshop #1(Resume #1)

· Cover Letter Workshop #1(Cover Letter #1)

· Time Management Seminar(Management Reflection #1)

Sophomore Year

· Business Club Selection(Club Selection Self-Reflection)

· Internship Preparation Seminar(Potential Employer List)

· Focus Networking Event(Event Reflection/Employer Follow Up)

· Apply for Internship(Trial #1)

· LCB Application: Portfolio Submission #1

Junior Year

· Meet Your Advisor: Session #2(Career Development Self-Reflection #2)

· Mock Interview #1(Mock Interview Reflection #1)

· Focus Networking Event(Event Reflection/Employer Follow Up)

· Social Media Seminar(Social Media Session)

· Apply for Internship(Trial #2)

Senior Year

· Mock Interview #2(Final Evaluation)

· Business Club(Club Experience Evaluation Reflection)

· Job Offer Negotiation Seminar(Negotiation Notes Page)

· Apply for Job/Internship(Final Trial)

· Complete Portfolio Submission

Costs

The following funds are estimated for a program of thirty students.

Faculty Hours / $6,000.00
Events/Seminars / $4,500.00
Materials / $1,500.00

Conclusion

The success of a college is measured by the success of its students. It should be a core value to increase student achievement after graduation. The LCB has been able to successfully provide students with a valuable educational experience. However, given the competitive job market, our students may struggle if the college does not adjust to the increasing competition. The LCB must offer a program that gives its students a competitive edge. It is important that the LCB places an emphasis on improving our current career development program. A successful plan will allow students to effectively market themselves through education and experiences. By implementing the Portfoli-O, the LCB can increase the employment of our students upon graduation. The Portfoli-O provides students with the ability to effectively point out their strengths, weaknesses, and values to employers. This program’s success will create students that are prepared for opportunities upon graduation. Investing in this program will improve our school’s current standings and benefit those who really matter – the students.

Appendices

Appendix A

The New York Times

Appendix B

ForbesMagazine

Excerpt (emphasis added)

Can You Be Yourself On A Job Interview?

I was silent. Could it really be the case that the best advice grey-haired veterans can give young leaders is to not be themselves, in order to get hired? Are we sending young people out of school with the message “Businesses don’t want the real you – make sure and keep it under wraps”?

The story might have stuck in my mind unexamined but for a call I got from a Fortune 500 HR vice president this spring. “You should write a story about a problem with on-campus MBA hiring,” he said. “My recruiters tell me that the biggest problem they run into on B-school campuses is that the students are fighting tooth and nail to be indistinguishable from one another”.

This article is available online at:

2014 Forbes.com LLC™ All Rights Reserved

Appendix C

Employer Interview

In your opinion, do you feel like students fresh out of college are able to effectively communicate their value to employers in interviews?

Certainly their technical expertise, in whatever state it might be, is easily communicated by discussing classes they have taken, projects, and related extra-curricular activities. The breadth and depth of these experiences can also communicate the student’s abilities in the so-called soft-skill areas – work ethic, ability to work in a team, learning ability, overall attitude, and so forth.

Are they able to effectively draw value from their "stories" (experience, activities, things they've been involved in) and translate them into skills that employers are looking for?

Students with previous work experience do better in this area than those without it. It does not matter whether the experience is related to the job being interviewed for at that moment or not. Working at McDonald’s can prepare a prospective candidate as well as working on a job directly related to the current position. Is the candidate a good learner? How does the candidate deal with adverse circumstances? Does the candidate have a good work ethic? A savvy employer will assess the candidate for these attributes as well as for knowledge and skills directly related to the job itself.

Are there any things that you think students could do to better show what value they have to offer employers?

Presenting their value in the soft-skill area is a little tougher. As mentioned above, getting job experience of any kind is worthwhile. There is significant value in getting experiences that do not relate precisely to the job at hand. This demonstrates that the candidate is willing to look “outside the box” and challenge himself in areas that he/she may not be well-suited for. If a student has a difficult experience with a particular job or with working with difficult people, reflecting on this experience and sharing what you learned from those experiences can help the candidate demonstrate his broader value to an employer.

Vince Matarrese

Software Engineering Manager

Tektronix, Inc.

Appendix D

LCB Vision Statement

The Lundquist College of Business will be internationally renowned for excellence in business education and research drawing strength from its links to Pacific Rim neighbors and distinctive qualities of Oregon culture: innovation, sustainability, active lifestyles, financial stewardship, and respect for individuality and diversity within an increasingly global community.

Appendix E

BizED Magazine

Xavier University’s Williams College of Business, “Passport to Success” by Eliot Grossman, BizED Magazine March/April 2010 issue

“The program was launched in 2000 at the instigation of former dean Michael Webb, who wanted to address undergraduates ‘deadly career sins’...they believe a job will be waiting for them when they graduate.”

“...the program has measurable results. In 2008, 95% of Williams students had found jobs within three months of graduation. The school attributes that rate, in part, to the Business Profession Program.”

“The Business Profession Program has proved so successful that its basic format has been adapted by other schools, including the School of Business at the University of San Diego in California. Launched in 2009, USD’s program has become an effective tool for recruiting students”

Appendix F

Prototype

Each sticky note has an activity to be accomplished in the LCB. Every note was placed in the appropriate section as to where the student thought the activities should be completed.

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