Connecting employers with our students

The CORE Commitment Our commitment to students’ career success begins with the foundation of an Augustana liberal arts education.

Our commitment continues through extraordinary learning experiences and each student’s network of mentors and advisors—from professors to professional career coaches in CORE.

CONNECTING EMPLOYERS WITH OUR STUDENTS

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

www.augustana.edu/academics/core

Welcome Employers!

The Office of Career Development is excited to assist you with your hiring needs. The Employer Relations Team works closely with employers looking to hire students and recent graduates of Augustana College for career-related jobs or internships, in addition to part-time positions.

Through our partnerships, we are able to make viable connections between students and employers, and help our students go from college- to career-ready.

WHY HIRE AN AUGUSTANA STUDENT Our students have what employers want ccording to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers seek these qualities and A skills (percentages reflect recent graduates who say they learned/gained these skills while at Augustana): ABILITY TO WORK IN A TEAM

PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

96%

90%

98%

INTERACT AND RELATE WELL WITH PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.

SOLVE CHALLENGING PROBLEMS IN CREATIVE OR INNOVATIVE WAYS.

COMMUNICATE WELL VERBALLY AND IN WRITING.

STRONG WORK ETHIC

LEADERSHIP

94%

98%

TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO LEARN NEW IDEAS AND TRY NEW THINGS.

COLLABORATE WELL WITH OTHERS IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE.

(Top 5 skills: National Association of Colleges and Employers; Augustana graduate statistics: Augustana Office of Institutional Research)

WHY HIRE AN AUGUSTANA STUDENT

47

%

of declared students have more than one major

35

%

of declared students have at least one major in business or accounting

Top five

majors • Business • Biology • Psychology • Education • Accounting

For a list of all majors and minors, visit www.Augustana.edu/majors.

BEST PRACTICES FOR RECRUITMENT Best Practices for Employer Recruitment hen it comes to campus recruitment channels, traditional “high-touch” strategies are deemed most W productive among employers satisfied with their campus results.

1.

Build, develop, manage and maintain campus relationships.

The successful university relations and recruiting program (URR) looks at the long haul, not just short-term results, and is built on strong relationships.

2.

Set realistic recruiting goals.

Base your goals on supply, demand and related factors. How large is the potential pool? Where are the candidates? Who are your competitors? What are they offering? Do this work upfront, and you’ll set more reachable goals.

3.

Choose your target schools carefully.

Most URR professionals say they build their target school list around available majors, quality of programs, experience recruiting at the school and school location. This requires research and careful tracking, so you can see which schools are working best for your organization.

4.

Send the right people to campus.

Would you approach a career fair booth if the booth staff looked bored? Would you be impressed by a representative who told you to check the company website to get answers to your questions? How comfortable would you feel in an interview if the recruiter asked you for a date? Unfortunately, this is how some company reps have conducted themselves on campus.

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BEST PRACTICES FOR RECRUITMENT Best Practices, continued 5.

Communicate with students about the process.

Let students know the steps in the selection and hiring process. Keep them apprised of what’s happening, what they can expect and when they can expect it. Follow up with students you have talked to at a career fair. Keep in touch with interns after they have returned to campus. Let student applicants know promptly about their status.

6.

Measure and analyze your results—and adjust accordingly.

Track how many hires you make, yes, but also track your interviews to offer, offer to acceptance and retention rates. These can help you identify where you’re having the most success and the most trouble, so you can adjust.

7.

Feed your full-time hiring with an internship program.

An internship program is one of the most effective recruiting techniques, helping you build a relationship with potential hires early in their college career (before they are “on the job market”) and gauge their fit for your organization. An internship program also can help you achieve better retention: Research shows new college hires who have served an internship are more likely to stay with the employer.

8.

Use social media to supplement your effort.

Social media is not a replacement for a well-developed campus effort, but it can be a helpful supplement—if used properly—not only in reaching and connecting with students at your target schools but also in surfacing talented student who don’t attend those schools.

This article is based on insights provided in The Employer’s Guide to University Recruiting and Hiring, published by NACE.

ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES Employer Engagement Opportunities at Augustana College mployers are a valuable and informative resource for our students. We offer several ways for your E organization to get involved and connect with students. Please contact the CORE Career Development team to learn more about the following activities: • Publicity tables: Employers can host a table in CORE Commons during peak hours for student traffic (11 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday). Students are invited to meet with you and share their résumés. This is a high-traffic area so it’s also a way to publicize your company!

•

Mock interviews: Help students enhance their interviewing skills by participating in mock interviews.

In this program, you come to campus to “mock interview” students to help them prepare for real-world interviews. We provide you with an interview evaluation form to give feedback on a student’s interview skills. After the interview, a career coach will meet with the student to discuss the feedback. This also is an opportunity to interview potential candidates for your positions. These will be held during Mock Interview Week.

•

Job shadowing: Help students gain valuable insight by hosting them at your place of employment.

•

ite visit/career trek: Site visits allow students to gain a deeper understanding of your organization S and the scope of your work. We are expanding this idea and offering career treks, which give students a chance to visit multiple workplaces in a day to explore different career paths.

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ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES Employer Engagement, continued •

ost a career-related job or internship: Employers may connect with Augustana students through P postings via Handshake. Handshake is an online career platform used for recruiting college students at more than 450 colleges and universities.

• Career fairs:

ProFair is a twice-yearly career event. The fair rotates locations between Augustana College and St. Ambrose University each year.

– Fall ProFair: typically held in September.

– Spring ProFair: typically in February.

Please check Handshake for more information on fair location.

I-74 Graduate and Professional School Fair is an annual event hosted each fall in Central Illinois by Augustana College, Bradley University, Knox College, Millikin University and Monmouth College. Each host school is located close to I-74, and the fair offers participants the chance to meet students from five schools in just one week.

Fall Interview Day is an annual recruitment/interviewing event sponsored by the College of Career Consortium of Illinois, which is made up of 17 colleges and universities across Illinois. Employers are invited by the Consortium of Illinois to interview students for positions in the fields of business (accounting, administration, finance, auditing, economics, systems analysis, human resources or other business-related positions). Employers attend this full day of 30-minute interviews to fill internships or full-time, degree-requiring vacancies for the current/upcoming year.

CareerFest is an annual event hosted by the College Career Consortium of Illinois (CCCIllinois). This fair is a valuable recruiting option for employers hiring for degree-required internships and full-time career opportunities. Attendees comes from a range of majors: accounting to neuroscience, political science to engineering, criminal justice to aviation technology, religious studies to sport management, plus 250 other majors. Attendees are either pursuing or hold bachelor, master’s and/or doctorate degrees.

•

n-campus interviews: Employers interested in scheduling on-campus interviews with students can O request an interview through their Handshake account.

INTERNSHIPS Posting and Recruiting for Internships Internship best practices indicate that employers should begin recruiting for internships 6-8 months in advance of the start of the internship. This allows students to best plan for the internship in their academic scheduling. Application deadlines are recommended; however, it may be to the employer’s advantage to keep postings open on a rolling or continual basis.

Augustana’s Career Development Staff can provide assistance with: • Determining if your position qualifies as an internship • Position description reviews • Posting and distributing your internship position to students • Education on internship best practices • Resources for intern supervision and evaluation Suggested Timeline for Posting Internships • Recruiting for fall semester should begin anytime between December and April.

– Students will begin registering for fall courses, including internship credits, the first week of April.

• Recruiting for spring semester should begin anytime between April and September.

– Students will begin registering for spring courses, including internship credits, the first week of November.

– Keep in mind that many students leave the Quad-Cities area during the summer and may not see internship postings. It is highly recommended that employers recruit during the academic year.

• Recruiting for summer 2020 should begin anytime between September 2019 and February 2020.

– Students will begin registering for summer 2020 courses, including internship credits, the first week of April 2020.

Benefits for Employers When Hosting an Intern Recruitment and training cost savings • Proven, cost-effective way to recruit and evaluate potential employees • Opportunity to assess students’ work and fit within the organization • Enhanced recruitment and retention outcomes • Reduced turnover and training time for entry-level employees Meet organization needs while developing professionals • Quality candidates for temporary or seasonal positions and projects • Year-round source of highly motivated pre-professionals ready to learn • Additional people to pursue more creative projects • Developmental experience for staff by supervising and managing talent • Opportunity to foster the next generation of professionals in your field Interns bring fresh perspective • New perspectives, concepts, ideas and the latest technologies for your organization • Innovative solutions utilizing the knowledge students bring from their academic course work Expanded pool of qualified candidates • Greater chance of hiring the top students in your field through showcasing your organization to potential employees • Increased visibility of your organization on campus and as a potential employer, internship site or volunteer site • Enhanced community image by contributing your expertise to the educational enterprise

Best Practices for Internship Programs Provide students with real work experience Hold orientations for all involved • Provide students with a handbook or website with information • Provide housing and relocation assistance • Offer scholarships • Offer flex-time and/or other unusual work arrangements • Have an intern manager • Encourage team involvement; invite Career Center staff and faculty to visit interns on site • Hold new-hire panel • Bring in speakers from your company’s executive ranks • Offer training/encourage outside classes • Conduct focus groups/surveys • Showcase intern work through presentations/expo • Conduct exit interviews • •

HANDSHAKE RESOURCES Handshake To create a Handshake account 1. Go to the Handshake registration page: app.joinhandshake.com 2. Complete the form by providing basic information; check inbox for confirmation email from Handshake.

3. After confirming your email address, complete your employer profile (if your company already has a profile created by another employee in the organization, he/she may need to approve your connection to that existing account).

Posting your career-related job, internship, part-time job or volunteer opportunity You can post a job or internship that is targeted to Augustana students for free. To post and have your position approved, it must meet our Employer Policy: Handshake Employer and Position Approval Guidelines.

Steps to post your position 1. Log into Handshake (augustana.joinhandshake.com) using the email address and password you previously created.

2. Select the “post a job” button on the main dashboard or click on the left “jobs” menu and click the “create job” button on the top right of the page.

3. Complete the form, including the basics, position details, screening preferences and schools to which you want to post the position (be sure to select Augustana College).

Scheduling on-campus or virtual interviews To request an on-campus interview schedule, you will need to have a Handshake account and meet our Employer Policy guidelines.

How to post an interview schedule: 1. Log into Handshake (augustana.joinhandshake.com) using the email address and password you previously created.

2. Click on “Interviews” on the left navigation bar.

3. Click the “Request Interview Schedule” tab in the upper righthand corner.

4. Fill out each section. Once you have selected your interview date, interview timeline and interview slot template, you can move to the next step, which is “Jobs.”

5. Choose the job you would like to attach to the interview schedule (you will see options for creating a new job, copying a job but not bringing over the applicants or using an existing job and bringing the applicants).

6. If you are not ready to post a position, you can click “Remind Me Later.”

7. Select “Review” from the bottom tabs.

8. Select “Request.”

9. Your interview schedule will be sent to the CORE Career Development team. You will be notified when your schedule has been approved or declined.

HANDSHAKE RESOURCES How to stay competitive To stay a competitive destination for young talent, companies need to design and implement an external marketing program to improve the awareness of the company’s unique attributes. Here are some suggestions: 1. C onvey your values in a smart and engaging way.

Leverage employees to humanize your employer brand and its values. Video storytelling can be a smart and cost-effective method for creating authentic, effective content.

2.

Showcase creative working spaces, innovative thinking and a fun working environment.

3. Highlight unique company benefits.

These could include affordable housing, livable wage, vacation, paid parental leave, work from home.

4.

Empower your employees to be brand ambassadors.

Employees should share why they feel passionate about the company. They can use social media or video testimonials.

5. Today’s professionals want to know how they will fit into your organization.

They want to better understand the impact they could make. Offer transparent content that anticipates job seekers’ questions. Provide clear, accessible information about the company’s goals, vision and values.

6.

Help candidates imagine what it will be like to work for you.

Share day-to-day tasks, discuss professional growth and highlight an employee’s career path.

Consider using a variety of formats as you create your recruitment content.

HIRING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Benefits of Hiring an International Student International students • Bring cross-cultural competencies and multiple language skills to your organization.

• Bring diversity and introduce new perspectives for problem-solving and approaches to business.

• Demonstrate maturity, flexibility, dedication and can share business practices for other cultures, helping your organization adapt to new global challenges.

• Demonstrate outstanding characteristics that are appealing to top employers, such as knowledge of other cultures, multiple language capabilities and the ability to contribute in a team-centered environment.

• Exhibit high-quality skills such as leadership, independence and ability to adapt to change.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT): Hiring International Students as Interns Curricular Practical Training, known as CPT, is work authorization that allows international students to accept employment that is directly related to their academic program.

Employer role: Provide the student with a Letter of Employment that verifies the following points– • Job title • Beginning and ending dates of employment • Wage/salary being paid • Number of hours per week to be worked • Place of employment • Brief description of work Student role: After the student has been offered an internship, he/she must schedule an appointment with the Career Development Office to complete the CPT work authorization paperwork. According to U.S. immigration regulations, students engaging in a part-time (during the academic year) or a full-time (during the summer) internship must register the internship for credit. To meet CPT eligibility requirements, international students must: • Have completed one year (academic year) as a full-time student at Augustana.

• Be in good academic standing with the college.

• Not be on social probation.

• Register the experience for credit (1-9) and obtain a Letter of Employment from the organization.

Duration: Employment dates must correspond with the college’s academic calendar.

Cost and processing time: There is no cost to the student or employer. Processing and approval time for CPT is 10 business days.

Proof of authorization: The employer and dates for which the student is authorized to work will appear on the student’s form I-20 (certificate of eligibility). Students cannot begin work before the start date on the form I-20, or continue working after the end date. That said, CPT authorization may be renewable if the student continues to be eligible.

HIRING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Optional Practical Training (OPT): Hiring International Graduates Optional Practical Training, known as OPT, allows students to gain practical experience and training in a field directly related to their major area of study after graduating from Augustana.

Employer role: Applying for OPT is solely the responsibility of the student and requires no action on the part of the hiring organization. OPT can be granted to the student with or without an offer of employment.

Student role: Obtaining OPT work authorization is a two-step process. The student first needs to receive an endorsement from the Career Development staff for OPT authorization. Upon receiving this endorsement, the student is then required to submit his/her application, required fee ($410) and the updated I-20 issued

by Career Development to USCIS (U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services) for approval.

Duration: Students are eligible for up to 12 months of employment under OPT. Those whose majors are given the STEM designation may be eligible for an extension of their employment authorization for an additional two years if the employer is e-verified.

Cost and processing time: There is no cost to the employer. Once an application has been submitted to USCIS, the processing time for approval takes an average of 60-90 days; therefore students are encouraged to apply as early as 90 days prior to graduation.

Proof of authorization: Students on OPT will receive an employment authorization document or EAD (Employment Authorization Document) card. USCIS issues the EAD, which specifies the dates of authorized employment. Students may not begin working until they have received their EAD and the start date listed on the card has been reached.

Proof of Work Authorization (Form I-9) As you already know, IRCA (Immigration Reform and Control Act) requires that anyone hired by a U.S. employer after November 6, 1986, complete an I-9 form and present proof of U.S. citizenship, permanent residence status or a valid passport along with a USCIS document showing that employment has been authorized.

Students who have been authorized to engage in CPT will present USCIS form I-20 with a notation indicating the dates during which CPT has been authorized. Those students who have been authorized for OPT will have an EAD card issued by USCIS. This laminated card will include the individual’s photograph and provide additional proof of work authorization.

The CORE Commitment Our commitment to students’ career success begins with the foundation of an Augustana liberal arts education.

Our commitment continues through extraordinary learning experiences and each student’s network of mentors and advisors—from professors to professional career coaches in CORE.

CONNECTING EMPLOYERS WITH OUR STUDENTS

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

www.augustana.edu/academics/core