Career & Professional Aspirations Benchmarking Study

(1)

Career & Professional Aspirations Benchmarking Study

Spring 2013

(2)

2 The NASPA Assessment & Knowledge Consortium is a collection of assessment instruments powered by Campus Labs focused on key areas within Student Affairs. Participating campuses can select up to four assessments to administer during an academic year. Consortium studies are designed to provide colleges and universities with actionable campus-specific and benchmarking data to shape and enhance programming inside and outside the classroom. Consortium members have access to a secure assessment portal to view, analyze, and share study results.

Asessment Areas Include

Profile of the College Student Experience Orientation

Campus Activities Recreation & Wellness

Career & Professional Aspirations Residence Life Fraternity & Sorority Life Student Conduct

Mental Health Counseling Student Union Programming

(3)

3

The National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) advances campus activities in higher education through a business and learning partnership.

Members of the Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA) administer conduct standards for students at institutions of higher education and recognize that a personal sense of honor sustains both

individuals and their communities.

Association of College and University Housing Officers - International (ACUHO-I) members believe in developing exceptional residential experiences at colleges, universities, and other post-secondary institutions around the world.

The mission of the National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) is to provide education, leadership and professional development in the fields of college student orientation, transition and retention.

The Association of College Unions International (ACUI) enriches its members through education, advocacy, and the delivery of services. It is comprised of students and administrators whose mission is to build campus community.

The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) is the leading resource for professional and student development, education, and research in collegiate recreational sports.

The Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) enhances its members' ability to create fraternity and sorority experiences that positively affect students, host institutions, and communities.

The Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) is a multi-disciplinary, member-driven, research center focused on providing accurate and up-to-date information about the mental health of today's college students in order to serve the needs of mental health providers, administrators, researchers, and the public.

NASPA is the leading voice for student affairs administration, policy, and practice, and affirms the

commitment of the student affairs profession to educating the whole student and integrating student life and learning.

Campus Labs (formerly StudentVoice) provides the necessary tools to create a comprehensive, coordinated, and centralized assessment approach across an institution.

(4)

4

Career & Professional Aspirations Benchmarking Study

What is the Career & Professional Aspirations Benchmarking Study?

The Career & Professional Aspirations survey instrument was designed to provide an accurate portrait of today’s college students’ awareness of and experiences with career services as they work toward achieving professional aspirations. The Career &

Professional Aspirations Benchmark is an online assessment that is administered during the spring semester to a sample of undergraduate students. The assessment provides actionable data on: utilization of career services' offerings; outcomes of utilizing career services and other career-related information/advice; and, sources of career advice and mentoring and the perceived helpfulness of that information. In addition to institution- specific data, institutions administering this survey have access to national and peer comparison benchmarking data.

Survey Methodology

The survey sample was a random sample of 3750 currently enrolled UNCG undergraduate students. The survey was sent via email on February 3, 2013. Students received two reminders to respond and the survey was closed on February 26, 2013.

Minimal incentives for filling out the survey were provided. The response rate was approximately 21% (N=802). Typically, response rates at UNCG average between 10%- 12% on surveys administered electronically.

Fall 2012 resident headcount enrollment was 16,926 (15,683.25 FTE), including 14,015 (13,409.75 FTE) undergraduates and 2,911 (2,273.5 FTE) graduate students.

Ninety percent (12,682) of resident undergraduate and 42% (1,216) of resident graduate

students were enrolled on a full-time basis. Sixty-five percent of resident

(5)

5 undergraduate students were female. Twenty-five percent of resident undergraduate students and 14% of resident graduate students were African-American. Thirty-two percent of resident undergraduate students lived in residence halls. In fall 2012 the extension headcount was 1,246 (an additional 343 resident students took extension courses), making the total university student headcount 18,172. (Institutional Research, 2012-2013 Campus Profile).

How Can the Career & Professional Aspirations Study be used?

The results of the Career & Professional Aspirations study can be used in a variety of ways. Information from the study can be used to justify and inform campus

educational outreach efforts, demonstrate the impact of career services and programs’

impact on learning outcomes, and justify the continued existence of staff and other support for the career services center. The project provides a better understanding of the characteristics, perceptions, and attitudes of today’s college students as they relate to future career and professional aspirations.

For assistance in using and interpreting results or for any other questions relating to the survey, please contact:

Dr.Cherry Callahan

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

[email protected]

(6)

6

Career & Professional Aspirations Benchmarking Study

Spring 2013 SELECT HIGHLIGHTS



The distribution of the nearly 800 UNCG students who completed this survey includes:

20% first year students, 20% sophomores, 29% juniors, and 27% seniors (p. 7).



When asked about their plans immediately after graduation from college, 65% plan to go

into the workforce and 46% plan to go to graduate/professional school (multiple responses were permitted) (p. 7).



The vast majority (80%) of students planning to go to work immediately after graduation expect to remain in their first job for five years or less (p. 8).



In terms of their expectation regarding employer and career stability, 82% of student respondents expect to change employers between two and five times throughout their lifetime. 23% expect to remain in the same career while 76% expect to change careers between one and five times (p. 8).



In terms of how often they have visited the Career Services Office, 26% of UNCG

respondents had visited at least once in the past semester (p. 10). The most popular uses of Career Services among respondents are on-campus job fairs (22%) and resume writing assistance (20%) (p. 10).



The most popular explanations for not seeking Career Services assistance include: I’m not ready yet/it’s too early (43%), and I’m too busy (39%) (p. 11).



UNCG respondents reported that, outside of career services staff, the most common

means of obtaining career information/advice/mentoring are friends/peers, family members, and academic advisors (pp. 17-18).



As a result of the career advice/counseling/information received since enrolling at

UNCG, 52% of respondents report gaining skills/abilities they’ll use after college and

58% report being more likely to complete their degree at UNCG (pp. 26-27).

(7)

7

Please indicate your current class standing:

Nat'l Avg UNCG First year/Freshman 21.83% 19.92%

Sophomore 22.50% 20.43%

Junior 24.89% 29.07%

Senior 25.71% 26.82%

Graduate student 4.12% 0.25%

Non-degree seeking 0.31% 1.75%

Other 0.63% 1.75%

Total Respondents 13702 798

What do you think you will do immediately after graduation?

Nat'l Avg UNCG Begin my own business 4.71% 6.88%

Work for the government 13.24% 15.52%

Work for a non-profit organization

11.98% 10.39%

Work for a private sector company or organization

39.37% 31.54%

Go to graduate or professional school

44.23% 45.81%

Military service 1.90% 2.50%

Take time off 6.86% 8.51%

Other (please specify) 9.21% 10.89%

To how many graduate schools have you applied in the past twelve months?

Nat'l Avg UNCG 0 50.27% 73.33%

1 17.91% 10.67%

2 5.55% 4.00%

3 6.55% 5.33%

4 5.18% 5.33%

5 4.18% 1.33%

6 2.73% 0.00%

7 1.91% 0.00%

8 1.45% 0.00%

9 1.27% 0.00%

10 or more 3.00% 0.00%

Total Respondents 1100 75

How many graduate schools have accepted you in the past twelve months?

Nat'l Avg UNCG 0 63.49% 93.15%

1 18.39% 5.48%

2 6.82% 0.00%

3 5.23% 1.37%

4 1.87% 0.00%

5 1.87% 0.00%

6 0.93% 0.00%

7 0.65% 0.00%

8 0.37% 0.00%

9 0.00% 0.00%

10 or more 0.37% 0.00%

Respondents to the next two questions are seniors with plans for graduate school (N=75)

(8)

8

Please tell us more about your graduate school plans:

Nat'l Avg UNCG What graduate school will you

attend (or do you hope to attend)?

97.33% 98.59%

In what graduate academic program are you enrolling (or do you hope to enroll in)?

98.62% 98.59%

If you had to guess, how long do you think you will stay with your first employer after graduation?

Nat'l Avg UNCG Less than 2 years 23.60% 22.42%

About 2 - 5 years 60.64% 58.69%

About 6 - 10 years 8.17% 10.33%

More than 10 years 7.59% 8.56%

If you had to guess, how many times do you think you will change employers during your lifetime?

Nat'l Avg UNCG 0 times 2.15% 1.27%

1 time 4.74% 4.56%

2 times 14.85% 15.70%

3 times 33.05% 37.72%

4 times 18.00% 16.20%

5 times 14.86% 14.43%

6 times 4.67% 3.80%

7 times 2.41% 2.28%

8 times 1.59% 1.27%

9 times 0.28% 0.00%

10 or more times 3.39% 2.78%

If you had to guess, how many times do you think you will change careers during your lifetime?

Nat'l Avg UNCG 0 times 24.56% 22.67%

1 time 27.49% 29.47%

2 times 26.93% 29.22%

3 times 14.30% 12.59%

4 times 3.21% 2.27%

5 times 1.80% 2.02%

6 times 0.64% 1.01%

7 times 0.33% 0.00%

8 times 0.22% 0.50%

9 times 0.05% 0.00%

10 or more times 0.49% 0.25%

Respondents to this and the next few questions are students planning to go directly to work after graduation (N=398)

(9)

9

How do you perceive the current job market?

Nat'l Avg UNCG I already have a job in my chosen field. 10.51% 11.31%

I will find a job before I graduate. 26.29% 20.35%

I will find a job soon after I graduate. 30.86% 28.89%

It will take me a few months to find a job. 24.46% 32.91%

It will take me more than a few months to find a job. 7.88% 6.53%

How much do you expect to earn during your first year of employment?

Nat'l Avg UNCG Less than $20,000 6.86% 6.80%

$20,000 - $25,000 10.55% 13.60%

$25,001 - $30,000 12.17% 19.40%

$30,001 - $35,000 12.61% 13.60%

$35,001 - $40,000 12.50% 15.87%

$40,001 - $45,000 10.28% 9.07%

$45,001 - $50,000 8.31% 8.31%

$50,001 - $55,000 7.71% 4.28%

$55,001 - $60,000 5.58% 2.77%

$60,001 - $65,000 4.92% 2.27%

$65,001 - $70,000 3.13% 2.27%

$70,001 - $75,000 1.65% 0.25%

$75,001 - $80,000 1.09% 0.25%

More than $80,000 2.65% 1.26%

How many job interviews have you had in the past six months?

Nat'l Avg UNCG 0 46.85% 67.42%

1 20.68% 18.18%

2 13.98% 10.61%

3 6.97% 1.52%

4 4.78% 0.76%

5 2.28% 0.76%

6 1.30% 0.76%

7 0.49% 0.00%

8 0.54% 0.00%

9 0.27% 0.00%

10 or more 1.88% 0.00%

Respondents to this and the next few questions are seniors planning to get jobs rather than going to graduate school (N=133)

(10)

10

How many job offers have you had in the past six months?

Nat'l Avg UNCG 0 54.79% 66.41%

1 25.90% 19.08%

2 12.48% 11.45%

3 4.39% 2.29%

4 1.40% 0.00%

5 0.59% 0.76%

6 0.09% 0.00%

7 0.14% 0.00%

8 0.00% 0.00%

9 0.14% 0.00%

10 or more 0.09% 0.00%

Which best describes you?

Nat'l Avg UNCG I am actively seeking employment. 44.77% 22.56%

I have accepted an offer of employment. (Please specify your title and employer)

15.40% 4.51%

I am continuing in a position in which I was already employed.

19.05% 35.34%

I am NOT actively seeking employment at this time. 20.77% 37.59%

During your time at this college/university, how often have you visited the Career Services Office?

Nat'l Avg UNCG Several times a semester/quarter (4 or more times) 2.93% 2.43%

A few times a semester/quarter (2 - 3 times) 11.27% 10.61%

Once a semester/quarter 11.71% 12.92%

Once a year 11.41% 9.72%

Less than once a year 14.27% 15.22%

Never 48.41% 49.10%

In which of the following Career Services programs and services have you participated? (Check all that apply)

Nat'l Avg UNCG Individual career counseling 13.28% 10.05%

Resume writing/reviewing assistance 27.16% 19.84%

Career skills testing and career assessments 5.77% 6.79%

Job search assistance 8.75% 11.49%

On-campus job fairs 22.44% 21.54%

Internship/co-op search assistance 8.75% 3.92%

Graduate school information assistance 4.11% 3.00%

Practice interview sessions 5.24% 1.17%

Career or employment workshops 5.53% 5.09%

Career Services online resume and job listing delivery system

1.91% 0.00%

None of the above 46.66% 45.56%

(11)

11

Which of the following experiences have you had since enrolling at this college/university?

(Check all that apply)

Nat'l Avg UNCG Full-time employment in my field of interest 6.91% 7.08%

Part-time employment in my field of interest 19.42% 18.28%

Internship in my field of interest 22.67% 15.70%

Co-op in my field of interest 1.55% 0.00%

I have not had any of the above experiences in my field of interest.

57.96% 65.25%

Why have you not used any Career Services-related resources? (Check all that apply)

Nat'l Avg UNCG I already have a job 20.04% 23.19%

I was not aware of the services 30.11% 18.55%

I do not think that Career Services can help me 9.34% 5.51%

I rely on other sources of information 13.96% 11.01%

No need to yet (I am not ready to utilize their services) 41.81% 42.61%

Not helpful for my major 5.98% 4.64%

Not interested 9.04% 6.38%

Too busy 35.71% 39.13%

One of my friends had a bad experience with Career Services

1.26% 0.29%

Why have you not completed an internship during your time at this college/university? (Check all that apply)

Nat'l Avg UNCG Already had experience/job in my field 18.92% 21.01%

Could not afford to take an unpaid internship/co-op instead of a paid job

33.13% 33.33%

Not enough time for an internship/co-op 34.26% 36.23%

Not interested 10.03% 6.52%

Did not know that getting an internships/co-op experience would be important

7.64% 5.80%

Did not know where to go to look for an internship/co-op opportunity

18.39% 26.09%

Could not find an internship/co-op experience in my field 16.67% 13.77%

Applied, but did not get offered any internships or co-ops 11.75% 7.25%

(12)

12

How frequently have you utilized the following services or programs while enrolled at this college/university, and how helpful was the service or program for your career and professional development?

- Individual career counseling

Nat'l Avg UNCG Once a week or more 1.59% 4.29%

Once a month 7.65% 5.71%

Once a year 25.82% 24.29%

Never 7.29% 2.86%

- Individual career counseling

Mean Difference Std Dev N Top 1 Bottom 1 Rank

Nat'l Avg 3.18 0.01 0.81 1527 39.10% 4.78%

UNCG 3.19 --- 0.74 62 37.10% 1.61%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 36.01% 36.51%

Somewhat helpful 41.44% 46.03%

Not very helpful 10.25% 14.29%

Not at all helpful 4.40% 1.59%

NA/Not applicable 7.90% 1.59%

- Resume writing/reviewing assistance

Once a month 6.36% 5.76%

Once a year 30.40% 22.30%

Never 2.88% 0.72%

(13)

13

- Resume writing/reviewing assistance

Nat'l Avg 3.46 0.04 0.69 3337 55.80% 2.10%

UNCG 3.50 --- 0.66 129 58.14% 1.55%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 53.96% 56.82%

- Career skills testing and career assessments

Once a month 3.91% 4.08%

Once a year 30.47% 22.45%

Never 11.59% 16.33%

- Career skills testing and career assessments

Mean Difference Std Dev N Top 1 Bottom 1 Rank

Nat'l Avg 3.07 0.14 0.80 667 30.88% 4.35%

UNCG 3.21 --- 0.70 38 36.84% 0.00%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 27.21% 29.79%

(14)

14

- Job search assistance

Once a month 13.82% 16.46%

Once a year 20.38% 21.52%

Never 14.72% 10.13%

- Job search assistance

Nat'l Avg 3.01 0.08 0.85 927 30.20% 6.80%

UNCG 3.09 --- 0.81 67 32.84% 4.48%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 26.00% 28.95%

- On-campus job fairs

Once a month 3.75% 5.13%

Once a year 32.51% 28.85%

Never 3.38% 3.85%

(15)

15

- On-campus job fairs

Nat'l Avg 2.93 0.03 0.85 2739 26.10% 6.54%

UNCG 2.97 --- 0.78 144 24.31% 4.17%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 24.88% 23.33%

- Internship/co-op search assistance

Once a month 10.32% 7.41%

Once a year 25.18% 18.52%

Never 11.83% 18.52%

- Internship/co-op search assistance

Nat'l Avg 3.07 0.06 0.85 962 33.89% 5.93%

UNCG 3.12 --- 0.74 24 29.17% 4.17%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 29.77% 25.93%

(16)

16

- Graduate school information assistance

Once a month 5.85% 8.70%

Once a year 30.60% 21.74%

Never 8.19% 8.70%

- Graduate school information assistance

Nat'l Avg 3.17 0.14 0.75 457 34.79% 3.06%

UNCG 3.32 --- 0.82 19 47.37% 5.26%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 32.06% 40.91%

- Practice interview sessions

Once a month 5.26% 28.57%

Once a year 30.95% 14.29%

Never 4.23% 0.00%

(17)

17

- Practice interview sessions

Nat'l Avg 3.47 0.33 0.70 637 56.99% 2.04%

UNCG 3.80 --- 0.45 5 80.00% 0.00%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 54.26% 80.00%

- Career or employment workshops

Once a month 9.36% 8.82%

Once a year 25.96% 20.59%

Never 12.87% 14.71%

- Career or employment workshops

Nat'l Avg 3.10 0.53* 0.78 737 31.61% 4.61%

UNCG 3.63 --- 0.56 27 66.67% 0.00%

* Indicates statistical significance, p < .05

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 27.77% 51.43%

(18)

18

How frequently have you received career information/advice/mentoring from the following source(s), and how helpful was the source(s) for your career and professional development?

- Academic advisor

Once a month 15.62% 11.28%

Once a year 9.13% 8.39%

Never 18.05% 19.26%

- Academic advisor

Nat'l Avg 3.14 0.07 0.88 10550 40.11% 6.64%

UNCG 3.21 --- 0.84 576 42.71% 5.03%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 33.67% 35.40%

- Alumni from my college/university

Once a month 7.14% 5.30%

Once a year 9.07% 5.02%

Never 62.24% 68.20%

- Alumni from my college/university

Nat'l Avg 3.05 -0.06 0.85 5037 31.90% 6.71%

UNCG 2.99 --- 0.86 242 28.93% 7.44%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 13.10% 10.23%

(19)

19

- Career Services staff at my college/university

Once a month 4.41% 5.32%

Once a year 11.19% 9.52%

Never 56.54% 53.78%

- Career Services staff at my college/university

Nat'l Avg 2.95 0.12* 0.87 5629 27.36% 8.12%

UNCG 3.07 --- 0.78 313 29.71% 4.15%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 12.51% 13.58%

- Faculty members

Once a month 21.43% 19.83%

Once a year 9.87% 5.63%

Never 25.40% 30.94%

(20)

20

- Faculty members

Nat'l Avg 3.26 0.08* 0.75 9478 41.32% 2.94%

UNCG 3.34 --- 0.73 487 47.02% 2.26%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 31.54% 33.53%

- Friends/peers

Once a month 32.05% 28.97%

Once a year 6.18% 6.69%

Never 14.33% 13.93%

- Friends/peers

Nat'l Avg 3.08 0.00 0.73 10693 28.33% 2.86%

UNCG 3.08 --- 0.76 589 29.88% 3.23%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 24.36% 25.62%

(21)

21

- Parents/other family members

Once a month 31.92% 26.12%

Once a year 6.17% 5.20%

Never 14.69% 18.12%

- Parents/other family members

Nat'l Avg 3.18 0.02 0.79 10651 37.56% 3.81%

UNCG 3.20 --- 0.80 575 40.52% 3.30%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 32.29% 33.72%

- Professional in the field in which I am interested

Once a month 19.52% 17.20%

Once a year 12.02% 12.90%

Never 28.93% 31.07%

(22)

22

- Professional in the field in which I am interested

Nat'l Avg 3.44 0.03 0.72 8817 54.91% 2.34%

UNCG 3.47 --- 0.67 468 55.56% 1.50%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 38.92% 37.74%

- Online social networking sites

Once a month 14.06% 12.71%

Once a year 6.75% 6.98%

Never 51.00% 50.56%

- Online social networking sites

Nat'l Avg 2.71 0.05 0.88 6240 17.96% 10.67%

UNCG 2.76 --- 0.91 350 21.14% 11.14%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Very helpful 9.02% 10.76%

(23)

23

As a result of the career advice/counseling/information I have received since enrolling at my college/university . . .

- I am more aware of careers that relate to my major or area of interest.

Nat'l Avg 3.76 0.01 1.13 11982 65.42% 12.98%

UNCG 3.77 --- 1.08 670 65.82% 11.94%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

Strongly agree 29.48% 27.91%

Somewhat agree 35.95% 37.91%

Neither agree nor disagree 21.60% 22.24%

Somewhat disagree 7.00% 7.01%

Strongly disagree 5.98% 4.93%

- I feel more confident in my ability to create a resume that showcases my skills and talents.

Nat'l Avg 3.61 -0.16* 1.18 11928 57.75% 16.59%

UNCG 3.45 --- 1.21 669 50.37% 20.33%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

- I feel better prepared to interview for jobs.

Nat'l Avg 3.44 -0.08 1.16 11881 49.45% 18.95%

UNCG 3.36 --- 1.16 661 45.99% 21.33%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

(24)

24

As a result of the career advice/counseling/information I have received since enrolling at my college/university . . .

- I am better able to articulate my life goals.

Nat'l Avg 3.64 0.08 1.11 11887 58.95% 13.99%

UNCG 3.72 --- 1.08 664 62.50% 11.90%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

- I am better able to articulate my values, attitudes, and beliefs.

Nat'l Avg 3.75 0.10* 1.09 11815 62.41% 11.10%

UNCG 3.85 --- 1.07 655 65.34% 9.01%

Nat'l Avg UNCG

- I am more likely to seek career advice/counseling/information on campus, if needed, in the future.

Nat'l Avg 3.70 0.12* 1.16 11924 61.17% 14.61%

UNCG 3.81 --- 1.13 666 65.32% 12.46%

Nat'l Avg UNCG