E xperiences of College Students with ... - Worksupport.com

More documents

Recommendations

Info

a folder with samples of press releases as well as professionalmagazines that provided guidelines for this style of writing.Student participants expressed the impact that the careercounseling activities had on their career decision making.One student stated that her mentor “is very open and honestabout her job and has really taught me many importantlessons about teaching.” Another student commented: “I putmy school work in a real life application.” Yet another studentstated, “I learned about an interesting job that I was unawareexisted.” Finally, one student with a disability had a mentoringrelationship that had an impact on her concerning the workenvironment and her own disability. She stated: “I value her[mentor] opinion on disclosure of a disability and she has beeninspirational in showing that all obstacles can be overcome oraccommodated in a good work environment.”Job Shadowing ExperiencesJob shadowing opportunities are defined as activities conductedin an employment setting that last from several hoursup to a week enabling students to gain a better understandingof typical work tasks, obtain an idea of the work pace, experienceworkplace culture, and to provide materials to assesstheir own interest and abilities in completing these tasks. Inthese experiences, student participants primarily observedthe mentor at the work site completing various tasks or jointhe mentor in specific work site activities. For example, onestudent was able to watch an illustrator draw a cartoon forthe newspaper, another participated in a conference call relatedto quality assurance, a student participant was able toride with police officers on duty and listen to dispatch callscoming into the station, and a participant was able to observecameramen at a television shoot. Other students directly participatedin their job shadowing experiences including interactingwith students in a classroom and using printing pressesand printers. One student commented about his job shadowingexperience, “It gives me a chance to see what a real lifeprofessional does in the field.” Another stated, “I value theexposure I have gotten to the state police and advice on howbest to pursue my career interests.”Job Placement AssistanceJob placement assistance was one of the primary areas ofmost mentoring experiences for student participants. Activitiesassociated with job placement assistance enable studentsto enter a professional position with direct assistance fromtheir mentors, either through student connections with professionalorganizations, meeting and developing relationshipswith other employers or in their own business (networking), includingsupports mentors provide to assist students to obtainsubsequent jobs. There are three areas that most studentsexperienced in their mentoring relationship concerning jobplacement assistance. They included building a professionalnetwork with individuals in the field through initial contactsprovided by their mentor, tailoring resumes for the field, andstrengthening interview skills. One student expressed whatshe learned from her mentor, “We talked about the steps Ishould take to get a full time job and interview skills.” Networkingwith individuals in their field was a benefit expressedby a number of the student participants. Two student participantshad mentors that arranged meetings with a differentstaff person each week to learn about various departments inthe company. As one student described her experience, “Mymentor set up meetings with different individuals in the departmentand let me shadow them for a day.” Another studentwas able to meet with human resource professionals as partof her networking experiences.Assistance with resume writing and job interviewing skillswere two areas that mentors played a key role with studentparticipants. One student’s mentor assisted her in “overcomingmy shyness to participate in an informational interview.”Student participants described receiving tips on writing resumesand giving mentors their resumes to provide feedbackand ideas of how to tailor it to specific jobs they were seeking.One student was able to discuss interviewing skills with hermentor and practiced a mock interview. Another student witha disability received a resume resource guide that associatesin the mentor’s company receive. And one student stated, “Mymentor introduced me to their company’s recruiter who willreview my resume and provide me with feedback.”Conflict Resolution / Problem SolvingThe final study area is conflict resolution/problem solvingwhich is defined as the type of support mentors provide toassist students with disabilities to identify and handle problemsat a work site, enabling them to remain in their job. Itwas anticipated that most student participants would providefeedback on conflict resolution/problem solving once theygraduated and entered the workforce. Data from this phaseof the study are not yet available due to student participants’graduation schedule and securing employment. However,after analyzing the data obtained from student participantsand their experiences with mentors, information and skills toface current and potential difficulties in the work environmentwere part of their mentoring relationship while in college. Onestudent participating in a work cooperative program reported“my mentor gave me advice about handling stress and gettingmy productivity up, and being able to approach people ina professional way.” Another student described learning agreat deal from her mentor with a disability about accommodationsand her rights and responsibilities in the work place.Comments from one student described her mentor as beingvery honest about the problems she could potentially face asa professional in the field. As one student summed it up, “Youfind out about problems before you get a job in that field.”162
Additional Comments From Student ParticipantsCollege students participating in the study expressed appreciationfor the opportunity to build a relationship with theirmentors. They were provided a wealth of information aboutspecific jobs and given opportunities to explore positions inother departments. One student wrote, “He [mentor] is veryinformative on his area of work and allows me the opportunityto specifically learn about his career.” Another student commented,“I value her [mentor] willingness to seek out opportunitiesfor me to discuss my career interests with those in thefinance/auditing fields.” And one student stated,” I appreciatethe time that my mentor took out of his busy schedule to sitand talk with me. I believe he genuinely wanted to give me anyand all guidance that he could… my course of action is becomingclearer.”When asked how the mentoring relationship could be improved,finding more time to meet with their mentors was the mostfrequent response. Other students commented that additionalopportunities for hands on experiences were needed. Ingeneral, student participants were eager to meet more oftenwith their mentors, experience more learning opportunities,and to obtain more advice from their mentors. One studentwrote, “I am really enjoying spending time with my mentor.”Another commented “I learned a lot through my mentor andfound her to be a good role model. She clarified a lot of thethings I learned in class and gave me excellent advice.” Itwas suggested by one student that the mentoring programbe coordinated with the dean of her school and the universitycareer center for partial credit or as an internship program.Another student expressed, “I have found this experience tobe an excellent source to network with others in my field ofchoice.” And for one student it was a real life lesson aboutchoosing and entering a career, “I enjoy the fact that my mentorhas succeeded in a field she did not think she would beworking in after she graduated. It lets me know that you canfind a career in many different ways, and still be very satisfiedand happy with the way it all turns out.”Case StudyThe development of a mentoring relationship and the impact ofthis relationship on a college student with a disability can bestbe illustrated through a case study. The following case studyprovides an example of how the business mentoring modelwas implemented.Jack, a student majoring in history was uncertain about hiscareer options and which direction he should take after graduation.He has always been interested in history, but it was acollege history professor that helped him realize it was oneof his passions. Initially Jack thought he would like to teachmiddle school children, while continuing his education in graduateschool. Through the VCU Mentoring Matters program,Jack was matched with a mentor with significant experienceteaching 7th and 8th grade history in an urban setting. Hewanted see first hand what it was like teaching in a classroom.Jack requested assistance from a VCU project staff memberto participate in the first meeting with the mentor due to hispanic disorder since he has learned he can manage his disorderby receiving support in new situations until he has aclear idea of what to expect in the respective environment.The VCU staff member, Jack, and his mentor met together forintroductions and goal setting.Jack participated four hours a week in mentoring activities. The“hands on” instructional style of the mentor was an advantagefor him. The mentor enlisted the help of Jack to participate inmany class activities and accommodating the learning styleof all students. Jack was able to interact with the students,assist with teaching, and provide support with assignmentsand lessons. He learned valuable information related to theteaching profession such as “to use specific examples withthe kids, use demonstrations to get a point across, and I alsogot a good idea of the work teachers have everyday, especiallywhen it comes to grading papers.”Jack and his mentor also discussed and reviewed materialsconcerning the requirements to become a licensed teacher.Being able to initially observe in a classroom in a relaxedmanner without any pressure to perform relieved his anxiety,giving him time to understand that he could manage his panicdisorder in the teaching profession. However, Jack was concernedwith the additional requirements to become a teacherand wanted to still explore other options.A second mentoring experience was identified for Jack locatedat a small private museum that conducted a number of educationaltours for various schools in the community. Jack waspaired with a guest relations director who also had a historydegree. He was able to gain a better understanding of museumwork by assisting at the front desk, conducting research formarketing, and observing educational tours. Jack was able tomeet several history school teachers in addition to the educationdirector at the museum to learn about professional organizationsin the state. Although Jack was approached with anopportunity to complete an internship at the museum duringthe school year, he declined in order to better manage his collegework load and still be an active participant in the mentoringprogram. Jack is preparing to graduate and plans to usethe connections through his mentoring experience to secureemployment in a museum.VI. DiscussionThe results of this study provide insights into the effect of abusiness mentoring program on the career decision makingprocess of 25 college students with disabilities. The findingsExperiences of College Students with Disabilities and the Importance of a Business Mentoring Program -- 163
Page 2 and 3: through face-to-face meetings, by e
Page 4 and 5: ParticipantCharacteristicsDisabilit
Page 8 and 9: are a beginning step towards better
Page 10: Powers, L.E., Sowers, J., & Stevens

E xperiences of College Students with ... - Worksupport.com

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?