An Externship/Job Shadowing Program National Society for Experiential Education – October 2009...

An Externship/Job Shadowing Program

National Society for Experiential Education – October 2009Lisa Garza, UT Dallas

Snapshot of UT Dallas and Career Center Getting Started

• Research – don’t reinvent the wheel• Timelines, sponsor/student recruitment, placement

process, orientation, spotlights

Reflection and Evaluation outcomes Challenges and Successes Updates for 2009-2010 Discussion and Q&A

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

4-year, public university with 15,000 students

Founded in 1969 – celebrating 40 years!

63% undergraduate students

Largest undergraduate majors: • Business Administration – 1256• Biology - 827• Interdisciplinary Studies – 630• Accounting – 624• Electrical Engineering – 584

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Reports to Student Affairs Centralized/De-centralized model 15 professional, full-time staff members (not

including support and student staff) Internship Program

• Internship courses• Internship postings and internship development• Manage internship process for several academic departments

Internship Team (Associate Director, Internship Coordinators)proposed, developed, and managed the program last year.Added our Recruiting Coordinator this year to manage contactwith sponsors.

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Why do we need this program?

Spring 2008 – Research – what are other schools already doing?• Time of year – winter, spring, summer break• Operated by Career Center, Alumni, Academic Dept.• Process – recruit sponsors or students first?

What we decided and why• Proposal turned in/approved by late summer• Began sponsor recruitment in Oct. 2008

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

6 month process from beginning to end

Competing with Alternative Spring Break, vacations, internships, jobs, and other activities

• Oct-Nov – Sponsor Recruitment• Dec-Jan – Student Recruitment• Feb – Selection/Matching/Placement/Notification• Mar – Orientation/Externship/Reflection/Evaluation

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Oct/Nov 2008; applications due Nov. 28th • Online applications• Hard-copy applications at all employer events

Used existing employer base – emails to:• Current/former/potential internship sites• Career Expo/event attendees• On-campus interview participants

Information through Alumni Relations Personal contacts Resulted in applications from 22 organizations

listing 38 externship openingsUT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Student applications available Dec. 1, 2008• Published list of available opportunities• Wanted to reach students prior to winter break

Applications available online; hard-copies in office and at all student programs

Emails/online recruiting system/website/fliers Resulted in 39 student applications

• 5 were graduate students and not eligible• 1 did not attend orientation• 33 total student participants

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

No expectations Students’ preferences were across the board in

terms of industry, but many sites not selected• Ended up working with only 12/22 sites

Numbers were small enough = simple matching process

Went back to some sponsors and asked them to take another student or 2 (or 8!)• Everyone was SO accommodating and willing to help• Placed all students (except 1) with their first choice

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Mandatory – only 1 student did not attend• Gave them 3 dates to choose from• Lots of enthusiasm for the NEW program; giveaways

Topics: professionalism; expectations; reminders/guidelines; post-externship activities

Folder: release form; planning form; 20 questions; thank you template; self-reflection; evaluation form

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Recognition for students/sponsors and publicity for next year

Asked for student interest at orientation Completed site visit and took photos Provided guide questions to the students and

gave them time to respond via email Information was put on our website and used

in various presentationsUT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

“Required” evaluation forms for students and sponsors• Received from 26/33 students• Received from 10/12 sponsors (covering 18 students)

Suggested self-reflection for students

Focus group – optional• 4 students participated – different majors and different

externship locations• Able to really “dig down” and get great feedback

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Sponsors • 100% of respondents said they would host again• 100% said students’ level of professionalism/preparedness

for externship was excellent/good

Students• 100% - provided me with info about a career field• 100% - helped to clarify my career goals• 96% - allowed me to connect career options to my major• 88% - provided me with new networking contacts• 100% of focus group participants identified something they

learned about an industry/career and about themselvesUT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Timeframe for sponsors – 4 months between application and actual program dates

Unknown # of applicants

Selection/Matching/Placement process

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Student feedback • Learning has occurred• 100% of participants (not graduating) said they would do it

again!

Great feedback from sponsors

Information about internship/job openings

More on-campus exposure for our department, especially this year with new sophomore option

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Branding – name and logo

Sophomore Year Experience (SOYE) option with 2 components:• Externship – guaranteed placement (Yikes!)• Internship – preparation seminars and directed

assistance in locating/acquiring summer position

Brought in 4th team member to assist with sponsor communications

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Questions for me?

Current programs at other schools?

Challenges?

Successes?

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009

Lisa Garza, Associate DirectorUT Dallas Career CenterLisa.Garza@utdallas.edu

972-883-4349

UT Dallas Career Center - NSEE 2009