Homepage
Success Feed
The
current
job
market
for
college
graduates
is
red-hot,
and
the
Baldwin
Wallace
University
Career
Center
is
evolving
to
meet
the
need.
The Center recently relocated to the lower level of the Strosacker Hall union, offering tech-enhanced virtual interview rooms, a career closet, a Union Home Mortgage Career Studio and a peer mentoring program.
We asked Patrick Keebler, director of the BW Career Center, about the latest hiring trends and resources available to BW student and alumni job seekers and employers competing for scarce college grads.
A:
There
is
a
hiring
boom
for
university
graduates,
with
many
students
receiving
multiple
offers.
BW
Career
Services
is
seeing
an
increase
of
10%
compared
to
the
pre-pandemic
level
of
recruiting
activity.
BW
receives
an
average
of
250
new
jobs
and
internships
per
day
coming
into
our
recruiting
platform,
Handshake.
We held a networking event in late October for a local employer (Union Home Mortgage), which was working to fill 130 open positions for new university graduates.
The current hiring uptick is across all industries and applies to all majors but is particularly strong in education, banking and financial services, healthcare and information technology. More organizations are also considering graduates in the humanities that they did not consider before.
A: Virtual recruiting is here to stay as organizations see the value in being able to cast a broader net for employee prospects. With virtual recruiting in mind, BW's new Career Center has two interview rooms fully equipped with cameras, microphones and lighting for students to use for virtual interviews. Students can practice using this equipment in mock interviews and book a room for actual interviews.
We also have a Career Lab capable of hosting in-person, virtual and hybrid recruiting events. Students and alumni should stay connected via our WISR-powered Yellow Jackets Career Connections network and the BW Handshake job and internship platform for all the latest opportunities to network and explore employment options.
A:
Students
in
this
generation
are
looking
for
authenticity
and
meaning
in
who
they
work
for.
Organizations
need
to
help
students
connect
to
their
values
and
mission.
College
alumni
can
play
a
role
in
making
this
happen
for
their
employers;
organizations
that
succeed
at
this
strategy
use
alumni
as
"campus
ambassadors."
Students also value personalization and direct access. Handshake has a new "Public Staff Listing" feature that empowers students to direct message recruiting contacts. This allows employers to personalize the job-seeking experience and put a human face on the organization.
Finally, organizations need to play the long game when it comes to campus recruiting and use a strategic approach to build a recognized brand with students. This may include offering experiential learning and/or professional development through University partnerships. The key is to invest in programs that enable employers to preview talent.
Keebler adds that the BW Career Center is in the process of hiring an associate director specifically for employer relations. The new administrator will work with and advise hiring organizations as well as continue to cultivate good-quality jobs and paid internships for BW students.
Students (and their families), alumni and employers can find career resources, links and contact information on the BW Career Center website.
