Raising your brand awareness on campus (Part1)by Caroline Kennedy Published: 4 August 2009 This years graduates are not the only ones facing challenges – whilst they are fighting competition in a shrinking job market, employers are facing the dilemma of how to reduce or cancel graduate recruitment whilst at the same time ensuring future interest from graduates. Keeping the brand visible for first and second-year students will feed the talent pipeline and ensure that when they do start recruiting again they are not facing an uphill struggle.
Essentially smaller budgets mean that the 2009/2010 academic year will be a time when employers need to maintain an awareness on campus in a manner that is both effective and cost efficient.
There are a number of low cost and free initiatives that employers who are not currently recruiting can become involved with that will not only develop their brand but also increase their ties with the College, add value to the students and provide them with a pool of “warm” graduates when they begin recruiting once again.
Working in partnership with Careers Services
The first questions for an employer must focus on the best way to contact the relevant graduates, how to find out what it is they are interested in, when the most effective time to recruit is, how they respond to different approaches etc.
Research consistently shows that students are most exposed to employer brands in their careers office so it is crucial that employers contact the careers service in the relevant Colleges.
Every third level institution in Ireland, North and South has its own career service (www.graduatecareersireland,.com ). In the larger universities advisers are specialists in particular industry sectors. They will give employers an insight into the institution, the students, the programmes on offer and provide easy access to third and fourth level students and graduates.
They advise employers on:
· How best to recruit –on campus presentations, advertisements, vacancy bulletins, text message, emails, career fairs etc.
· Qualifications, exemptions, employment trends, graduate salaries, the timing of recruitment.
· The best times to recruit – term and examination dates.
· Raising brand awareness on campus. i.e. internship programmes, skills training events, curriculum work, work shadowing, alumni, liaising with faculty, meeting student societies, sponsorships, work shadow programmes, organisational tours, mailshots, internship programmes, recruiting non traditional students etc
What students respond to
Research conducted by the Careers Service in the University of Limerick in April 2009 indicated that theTop 6 most popular employer events for students were as follows:
1. Careers Fairs
2. Workshops on job search
3. Vacancy emails to class groups
4. Work placements
5. Specialist careers fairs on campus
6. Employer recruitment presentations
A Target National Graduate Recruitment Awards Survey (2005) which surveyed over 1,000 students found that other popular activities included:
· Free gifts/giveaways/enticing object
· ‘Sponsorship’ of charity events/sports events/university and student society events
· Posters
· Promotional events
· Games/competitions/chances to win prizes organised by employers
· Lunch/dinner/drinks events with employer
· Being able to talk to other graduates working within the company
The options in more detail
Careers Fairs
Attending Careers Fairs is an excellent way to interact with a high volume of students in a short period of time.
They enable employers to promote their organisation whether they are recruiting now or in the future. Careers fairs are always popular with students and as a result are very well attended by final and penultimate year students and graduates looking for information on full-time, summer, contract, co-op, and part-time positions. For example the gradireland Graduate Careers Fair in the RDS is typically attended by about 5,000 students and graduates.
Employers compete for student attention by bringing “giveaways” and more employers are incorporating an interactive element to their booths. Employers need to ensure they have handouts/ information available for interested students that reinforce the brand and that the representatives on the day have a clear understanding of what the different roles involve. Recent graduates can be an excellent source of information on the stand
A full list of upcoming career fairs is available here (http://gradireland.com/events/)
Presentations / Information Sessions
Delivering an information session on campus allows organisations to showcase themselves , raise on campus awareness and target specific disciplines/ years etc. The careers office in the relevant institution work with employers in selecting an appropriate date and time, booking rooms, promoting the event to students etc. In recent years student attendance at these information sessions has dropped off and employers have found that value added skills training sessions draw greater numbers of students to the presentation.
Skills Training Sessions
Employability skills are becoming increasingly important in all institutions and careers services actively seek employers to deliver skills training sessions. Student attendance at these value added events is generally much higher than at traditional milkround presentations. There is no charge to run these sessions and they provide employers with the opportunity promote their organisation whilst educating students in core employability skills and increasing their job search abilities.
Ideas for skills training sessions include:
Finding work and advice on breaking into a field
· Finding a graduate job
· Working overseas
· Securing an internship
· Networking
· Mousehunting - Job Search on the Internet
· Preparing for the Careers Fair
Successful Job Search Techniques
· CV Advice and Review.
· Insider Tips for Completing Application forms
· Selling Your Skills to Employers
· Winning cover letters
Interview skills and assessment centres
· Preparing for Interviews / Mock Interviews
· Assessment Centres
· Competency Interviews
· What Employers Look For in Graduates Internships
For students, internships complement their theoretical experience, help to ensure a well rounded education, solidify career interests etc. For employers, they provide opportunities to identify and recruit talent earlier, establish or reinforce a presence on campus, and strengthen their brand. Every year significant numbers of interns are hired back by employers upon graduation. For many employers their most effective on-campus recruiting representatives can be students who completed summer internships who they then hire as “on campus “ ambassadors.
On Campus Ambassadors
It is not possible for employers to have a continuous presence on campus all year. Whilst they visit to deliver presentations, attend careers fairs and networking events they have a limited number of days they can spend on any one campus. Some employers use on-campus ambassadors who act on the company’s behalf every day. They organise events, help promote the company within their class, year and the institution in general. These are often past interns and represent a low cost profile raising solution.
Networking Events
Networking events involve alumni or industry experts meeting students informally to share information and advice about a specific industry or career. Participants share information about their career, their progression to date, their qualifications, employer etc. They are also an excellent way for employers to promote themselves on campus. These networking events may take the form of a breakfast morning or an evening reception.
Caroline Kennedy is the Communications Officer for Graduate Careers Ireland - the representative body for Careers Services in higher education in Ireland, north and south and is the Careers and Opportunities Officer at National College of Ireland.
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