I think the school fail miserably to prepare students for adult life. Parents are just as bad.

The thing that bothers me the most is the stupid text speak in business communications. The fact that people think this is okay means that their teachers didn’t beat them with a stick whenever they did it.

That’s my next platform: A stick for every teacher!!!!

(And for those of you with no sense of humor, I am joking. Not advocating violence.)

I totally agree that MBA students are the easiest to help. They’ve already proven themselves in the real world, in many programs.

I wish all schools would put an emphasis on finding a job. I realize that sullies the purity of the education process,but the reality is, people do need jobs.

And, I also agree that resume guidance is necessary, but not sufficient.

You know, I actually say that the typing classes I took in high school were my most valuable courses ever. Got me temp jobs and I could write papers really fast.

I still benefit from it today!

Second, it’s not just MBA programs that are dealing with increasing pressure to justify the educational program/cost with clear outcomes and who are looking to provide specific training. I agree with Dalton’s remarks about training students to conduct their job search beyond on-campus interviewing. However, MBA students are likely the easiest population to do this with. They came to graduate school to increase/improve their employment outcomes in a very specific way. As a group, they’re probably the most vocationally motivated population I’ve encountered in 25 years of working in higher education. Undergraduates in general, particularly liberal arts students, non-traditional students, working students, etc. often are focused on different priorities (finishing a particular class, paper, project; working to make the rent money, take care of family) than training to be a better job seeker. Which is a shame, but that’s the reality.

Finally, at most colleges and universities, accessing career development/job search training is a completely voluntary endeavor. Students can generally get as much of it as they want (assuming the office is resourced appropriately), or as little. In other words, it’s the equivalent of spinach on the student activities buffet. It’s good for you, but it’s hard to compete with other more immediately desirable options like, say, double chocolate brownies (e.g. intramural sports, greek life, various student clubs). So, the colleges and universities that incorporate some form of career/professional training through internships, community-based learning and required reflection and integration will probably see better outcomes across a broader spectrum of their graduates.

Geoff

My placement office was the opposite. The question I got when I went to them for help (I, too, was an English major) was, “How fast can you type?”

I know. When I found out about it, I wanted to know the details because schools do not teach this and they should.