One hundred percent placement is an elusive idea, akin to 100% employment, but for the 4 month period from June through September, 2010, we achieved it at New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Greater Philadelphia! And what makes it even more astonishing is the fact that most of it came from self-directed job search efforts. This is what my career services program attempts to achieve, and at least for this 4 month period, we have been successful.
My program is based on an ancient Taoist principle: “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”
Providing students the opportunity to learn self-directed job search skills is absolutely essential is this era where a job search has become an asset building personal marketing campaign, not just an annoying and unfortunate part of a person’s work life.
We have got to show people how to rely on their personal power; the power to take action and employ “right action” methods, and coach them to this end. Otherwise, they will eventually be left behind to pick up the scraps of those who have learned how to integrate enthusiastic pro-action with right action, no matter how successful we are in getting agencies and employers to recruit our graduates.
This is the era where most smart employers seek only those who can bring added value to their company, not to “just do their job.” This requires personal marketing skills to convey, and it is our responsibility to rise above teaching passive traditional methods, and launch ourselves, and our students, into a new era of positive, enthusiastic, asset-building pro-action.
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