Today Was a Good Day

Today was a good day ... I got one of our students placed ... and I am thrilled. As I've posted before, my job is helping our students find employment. Doing that is not really as easy as it sounds. I basically have to work with a lot of students - help them write resumes, facilitate interview preparation workshops for them, teach them networking techniques and even assist them with picking their wardrobe when they go for their interviews. At the same time, I am also networking with local businesses - making presentations, sending emails, making phone calls, finding job opportunities, making sure they think of our school when they have vacancies.

Then, when the day comes and one of those companies does have a job opening, they send me a job order which basically lists all the job requirements. I then go through the database of all our graduates to see who is ready and who fits the requirements. I pick maybe 4 or 5 and send their information to the employer. Once the employer decides who they want to interview, I notify the students and work on coordinating everyone's schedules so they can meet. Before and after each interview, I meet with each and every student to make sure they are ready and to get feedback. I also speak regularly with the employer to make sure we are meeting their needs and to get their comments regarding the students they have met. There are a lot of hits and misses but sometimes, when all the i's are dotted and all the t's are crossed (and when the stars align and the heavens smile down on us), one of our students gets hired.

Believe me, it is a LOOOONG process and there is so much work done in between. There are countless forms to fill out, countless games of phone tag, and numerous emails going back and forth. I have to keep track of so many things - I have to-do lists within my to-do lists and I have both electronic and paper organizers! The thing is I have several groups of students, several employers, several job orders and several positions I am working on all at the same time. Many times, I have to listen to complaints or gripes and I have to soothe egos and tempers. Job searching and recruiting is not easy and both sides get frustrated. On top of that, well, as with any job, I also have goals (number of students employed, number of employers added to the career bank, number of job leads, number of classes taught or workshops given, etc., etc.). It is definitely busy and definitely challenging to say the least. But most of all, it is definitely rewarding especially when you are able to make a match between a good company and a good student.

My placing a student today was the result of a lot of work. But her smiling face, her note of thanks and her excitement at finding a job that will help her pay off her student loans, help her get off welfare and help her support her family - well that is reward enough to keep doing what I'm doing =)