Given
the current state of the economy and its rapid decline, it is evident that many
jobs will be relocated, replaced, or eliminated altogether in the future, thus
forcing workers to seek a job elsewhere. Unfortunately, this does not even
include those individuals who are seeking a job for the first time including
high school and college graduates. Luckily, many services are available to
assist those in need of work with the job search. Brown (2012) outlined several
steps that are essential to executing a job search including the establishment
of career goals, identification and investigation of the job market, and
development of employability skills. When investigating the job market, I found
the “hidden job market” to be a resource that is often overlooked; however, learning
about possible job opening in this “hidden” market often requires an immense
amount of networking (Brown, 2012). In regard to the development of
employability skills, it is absolutely essential to be able to sell oneself to
potential employers (Brown, 2012). An important part of this process is the
interview. To this day, I can still recall the utter failure of my first
interview for Big Brothers Big Sisters when I was in high school. Although I
was not interviewing for a job per se, the position was still an important one.
Looking back at it now, I know the amount of preparation and practice that is
needed to have a successful interview; however, these were fundamental
employability skills that I was lacking in high school.
In regard to job placement, I believe that
secondary and postsecondary school placement services should be a requirement
of any educational system. School-based placement activities not only afford
students the opportunity for professional experience but also allows them to
develop a work ethic that will be expected of them in the real world. According
to Brown (2012), problems that are often encountered by students can be reduced
or eliminated through the use of placement services. Because most schools are
not evaluated based on the number of graduates who obtain jobs, they are not
likely to utilize job placement services. This point bring me to Chapter 16 of
Brown’s (2012) text as it focuses on the evaluation of programs and use of
evidence-based practice. According to Brown (2012), the evaluation process
addresses the needs, nature, and outcomes of the program. I do believe that
career services and job placement services within colleges should be held
accountable and evaluated regularly as many graduates have a difficult time
finding work or are without work following all of the time, money, and energy
invested in their education. This would be a benefit to career counselors,
graduates, and the campus overall.
References
Brown, D. (2012). Career
information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.). New
York: Pearson Education, Inc.
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