In the modern job market, effective career readiness and planning resources play a pivotal role in preparing students for their future careers. This case study examines the critical importance of marketing and promoting such resources on college campuses. By exploring strategies to enhance visibility and engagement among students, this study underscores how targeted marketing efforts can significantly impact student awareness, utilization, and ultimately, their preparedness for the professional world. Effectively promoting resources not only increases accessibility to essential career tools but also empowers students to make informed decisions about their career paths, thereby fostering a more confident and proactive student body poised for success in the evolving employment landscape.
At the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the career services team has been working to effectively and actively promote Steppingblocks' Digital Career Counselor on their campus since the summer of 2023. Jaime Owens, Career Coordinator at UAH, articulated that the team quickly saw the benefits that the tool would have for their students, especially their first-year students. Owens said, “We wanted to get them using it from day one so they could benefit from it all through college.” After gaining access to the platform, UAH Career Services launched their promotion strategy which began with in-person and virtual presentations about Digital Career Counselor in all First Year Experience classes to be ensure they were targeting their first-year student population. In addition to their presentations, they included sessions during orientation to ensure incoming students and parents would see and understand Digital Career Counselor and the available resources.
This was only the beginning of their efforts. The UAH Career Services team continued to promote the platform to students across campus by curating monthly events that were tailored to different student groups. Owens shared, “This approach ensures we effectively engage the diverse UAH student community and make sure everyone gets a chance to benefit from the platform.” Ongoing outreach became a crucial strategy has been an effective way to encourage students to login and utilize the platform. Owens shared, “By being proactive with these regular events, we maintain a steady level of engagement and encourage students to consistently utilize the platform. This approach enables us to curate content and experiences that resonate with various groups, enhancing the relevance and impact of each event. Consequently, our students remain actively involved with Steppingblocks, benefiting from its resources throughout their college journey.”
Events facilitated by UAH Career Services include smaller more targeted events and larger more general events. These include:
Tabling events outside of the cafeteria at lunch
In person and video presentations to classes
Orientation Presentations
Career Bootcamp
In addition to events for students, the career services team at UAH has also facilitated professional development sessions on Steppingblocks for faculty and staff to ensure they understand the tool and how it can be used to supplement their advising sessions with students. Owens said, “By integrating Steppingblocks into their guidance practices, faculty and staff can provide more informed support and enhance students’ academic and career planning.”
To date, the efforts undergone by University of Alabama in Huntsville Career Services has led to multiple positive outcomes on their campus for students, staff, and faculty.
Monthly events keeping students engaged and active participants in their career planning.
Academic advisors, faculty and staff are equipped with a resource to enhance advising sessions with students.
Sessions have built awareness and showcasing the importance of career planning to students.
Students are more motivated to be active participants in their career planning and their career goals.
Increased student confidence regarding career and academic paths through having access to a user friendly resources that is personalized to their own career goals and aspirations.
The sustained promotion of Steppingblocks at the University of Alabama in Huntsville has proven indispensable in empowering students to navigate their professional journey effectively. Through targeted campaigns and monthly engagement events, students have been empowered to utilize Steppingblocks and have gained the confidence to be key players in their career planning. As campuses plan their own rollout and promotion strategies on campus, consider this continuous promotion and outreach, as this will support campuses in maintaining student engagement, as well as creating a more robust career readiness experience for students.
Questions? Please contact the Steppingblocks team or learn more about how to promote Steppingblocks to your students.
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Photo provided by the University of Alabama in Huntsville.