We are all working toward creating collaborative and beneficial relationships.  At the Trends in Recruiting Conference in November, Dr. Phil Gardner addressed some of the issues surrounding the ever-present corporate partnerships between college and university career services centers and our employing organizations.  This has been a big topic of discussion within our field with regard to the rules and standards and ethics and expectations.

As we think about partnerships I wanted to share with you our partnership with Hire Big 10+.

Midwest ACE is pleased to have a solid partnership with Hire Big 10 Plus.  As a constituency committee, this group offers opportunities for our college members who are also a part of the Hire Big 10 Plus, but also for our employer members as they strive to meet their hiring needs.  We invite our employer members to take advantage of the Midwest ACE Employer Member discounted registration for the upcoming virtual fair.

Hire Big 10 Plus Virtual Career Fair

Tuesday, March 27-Thursday, March 29, 2012
Chat sessions and live interaction times vary by company
Cost for employers: $350 (with Midwest ACE Employer Discount)
Cost for students and alumni  of Hire Big 10 Plus Schools: free
Registration Deadline: March 21, 2012 (early bird deadline); March 26, 2012 (official deadline)
To register: http://www.hirebig10.careereco.net/

Description:
Recruit students from 15 of the nation’s top universities virtually!

• Capture resumes from every registered participant
• Conduct interviews from your desk via your own chat room which includes a video interviewing option
• Choose your own chat hours and interact live with students at your convenience
• Reach students who are unable to attend live fairs due to geographical constraints

For questions, please contact: Gayle Oliver-Plath, gayleo@careereco.com

Hire Big10 Plus Committee Chair, Jamie Marsh Finco, jmarsh@bus.wisc.edu

Happy Partnering!  Laura

As we look ahead to 2012 I am so please to share all of the programs Midwest ACE is offering.  Thanks to our AWESOME committees you can take part in these programs as part of your membership with Midwest ACE!

January

Wednesday, January 18, 8:30-10 a.m. CST
Midwest Recruiting Trends webinar

• Presenter: Dr Phil Gardner
• Facilitator(s): Tamera Garret, Tamera.Garrett@Navistar.com and Lindsay Adolphs, Lindsay.Adolphs@ashford.edu
• Cost: $59 for Midwest ACE and $99 for non-members
• Register here

Description: The webinar will specifically focus on data collected from Midwest ACE members and contrast conditions in the Midwest to the rest of the country. Dr. Gardner will focus specifically on the Midwest region and share emerging data not available at the November Trends Conference. Join us 8:30am CST, January 18th. Questions about individual majors and geographic markets are most welcome.

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Thursday, January 19, 2012
Using Twitter for your own Professional Development

• Presenter: Chris Ritzo, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, critz1@illinois.edu
• Facilitator: Heather Trulock, Loyola University Chicago, htrulock@indiana.edu
• Complimentary for Midwest ACE Members
• Register here

Description: What’s the buzz about Twitter? Why should you care? Learn how some are using the medium for more than you expect- from facilitated “chat” sessions to topic trending or custom news feeds.

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Thursday, January 26, 2 p.m. CST
Developing and Retaining Employer Partners: Small to Medium Size School Perspective

• Presenter: Kelly Harris, Bradley University
• Facilitator:
• Cost: $59 for Midwest ACE and other regional ACEs and $99 for non-members
• Register here

Description: Small to medium-sized colleges and universities certainly understand that employers are both vital partners in the educational process and primary customers for career services. With a U.S. job market that continues to be challenging and competitive, career centers continue to search for ways to maintain the employer relationships they currently have and develop new marketing strategies to target and connect with employers in cultivating new relationships.

This session will discuss how Bradley University’s Smith Career Center developed a targeted “Employer Relations/Development Plan” that resulted in almost 200 individual employer connections in the 2010-2011 academic year, new internship and full-time opportunities and new career center partners.

Processes demonstrated and discussed will include:
* Realistic strategies and employer development activities targeting new and nontraditional organizations
* Methods to enhance customer service and obtain feedback on performance
* Research, data collection and creation of reports to effectively manage relationships
* Targeted communication plans and collaboration activities with on and off campus groups, organizations, and other colleges and universities.

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Tuesday, January 31, 2012 – 2-2:45PM CST
How to Facilitate a Webinar

• Presenter: Thy Nguyen, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University
• Facilitator: Chris Ritzo
• Complimentary for Midwest ACE Members
• Register here

Description: Learn the nuts & bolts of how to run GoToWebinar sessions, a key role in delivering professional development content! This hands on session will help you stretch yourself and your skill sets by learning how to enable others to present webinar content!

February

Thursday, February 16, 2012 , 10-10:15 AM CST
Social Media Strategy Case Study

• Presenter: Katie Flint, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
• Facilitator: Chris Ritzo
• Complimentary for Midwest ACE Members
• Register here

March

Thursday, March 15, 2012 Time TBA
Creating/managing student blogger program and/or blogging strategy for your office

Though we won’t be getting together as a big group, there are opportunities for us to connect online and over the phone.  I look forward to connecting with many of you in the next few months!

Happy New Year!

Laura Kestner

What great information Dr. Phil Gardner shared with us at the Trends in Recruiting Conference last week. I took copious notes to bring back to my campus.  I’ll be working on my summary report for faculty and staff next week so share the outlook for the class of 2012.

As I reflect on the data I value these three key take-aways:

• Animal analogy
  Remembering that our employers are different and are at various stages of hiring and recruiting is helpful as we talk to current students, prospective students, and parents.  Just because some companies are in another wave of lay-offs doesn’t mean every employer is getting ready to do the same thing.  Taking a look at the tortoises or keeping in contact with the arctic hares can keep our talented students in the forefront when hiring needs open up.
• Corporate Partnership Data
  The Marquette University Career Services Center recently jumped into the corporate partnership pool.   Hearing the wants and needs on behalf of employers in the partnerships game was invaluable to me not only as it relates to my office’s fundraising but also as being able to offer valuable partnerships for the employer and college members of Midwest ACE.
• Job Search is Like Dating
  This is an analogy I have used for most of my adult (single) life!  Students relate to this as do most job seekers.  Here is a presentation I did a few years back on this exact topic: Getting a job is like dating.  Students relate to this analogy and it works incredibly well!

Special T-H-A-N-K   Y-O-U to our Trends in Recruiting Conference Co-Chairs, Niki Perkins and Dana Case; two hard-working volunteers!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Wishing you all a warm and restful holiday surrounded by those you love!

Laura Kestner

Attending this annual late fall event not only signifies that we have made it through another fall recruiting season and a busy fall semester, but that a break is right around the corner.  Spending time with colleagues learning best practices, new programming and technology ideas, and, most of all what is ahead for the class of 2012.

The Class of 2012.  Can you believe it?

Each year after I attend Trends, I head back to the office renewed and armed with great data.  I share this data through a campus-wide summary; one emailed to all faculty and staff on campus and another, student version, emailed to all students are part of our monthly Career FYI.  For faculty, I highlight the skills employers are seeking and focus on the HOT industries and regions.  I also spend some time promoting the desire for liberal arts majors (you know how faculty love that!).  For students I also focus on the skills but include Marquette-specific ways in which they can gain those skills.

Throughout the year I get requests for interviews from local news stations regarding the latest news release on jobs and the job outlook.  Without exception I pull out my Trends report and use the data to shape my comments.  In other words, I would sound like a fool without it.

So the bottom line is this: I heart Trends in Recruiting!  Let me if you do too!

See you next week!

Laura

I know that each year we try our hardest  showcase committees in a way that makes you want to jump out of your seat and sign right up.  I don’t know that we ever meet that goal but we have had a lot of interest in helping out.  On the other hand, we have a lot of members who, for a lot of reasons, are not active committee members.

On last year’s membership survey you shared that the main obstacles for you being more involved in committees… well, I’ll just show you what you said!

obstacles for involvement

Time!  It is an obstacle, believe me, I know.

Did you know…

• Most of our committees meet in person only twice a year at the annual and trends conferences?  Since you most likely attend those anyway there is no extra trip required.
• Most of our committees schedule regular conference calls throughout the year to brainstorm, plan, and execute programming and projects?
• All of our committees are run by volunteers but supported by our executive director and executive board member liaisons?
• Committees may give you a chance to develop a skill or have an experience complementary to your current position that could help you reach your next career goal?  Just like college students who need leadership and involvement (am I right employers?), so do we as professionals.

In a nutshell, we want YOU, yes YOU, to be a more active member of Midwest ACE.  Our dedicated committee chairs are looking for new ideas and perspectives to deliver innovative programming to members.

Contact a committee chair today to get involved!  Learn more about committees; what they do and who is in charge!

Thanks! Laura

In a word, the first 97 days have been productive.  Based on feedback and personal experience, the Annual Conference in Lombard, IL in August was a huge success.  Not only were the programs informative, the keynotes inspiring, the networking fruitful, but it seemed like eveyrone was having a great time!

As a board and leadership team we have accomplished a lot.  We still have a lot to do.  Over the next few weeks I’ll be outlining or accomplishments and status with regard to this year’s leadership agenda.

I hope you will join me as we move through a great year with Midwest ACE!

Laura Kestner