Letter from the Associate Director for Employer Relations
Happy Fall Everyone! The leaves are changing on campus and it's a beautiful time of year here in Harrisonburg. Time gets faster and faster each year and it's hard to believe that November is upon us.
Thank you to the employers that have been on campus this semester at our career fairs and hosting information tables or information sessions. Students have loved having employers on campus to engage and learn from. This fall feels like the most "normal" semester we have had in a few years with in-person events, after having mostly virtual as the only option for so long. We are still embracing all forms of engagement and welcome you to host virtual as well as in-person events. We understand that for some employers, virtual is the best option for your team right now.
If you haven't had a chance to make it to campus yet, we hope you'll consider coming in the future. On Tuesday, November 1st all of our career fairs for the spring semester will go live for registration in Handshake. You will also then be able to make your spring On Campus Interviews, Information Session and Information Table requests. This newsletter recaps the fall semester thus far and mentions some spring engagement options we hope you'll take advantage of.
If you have any questions about recruiting at JMU, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Employer Services Team. We are here to help you!
Take care, Laura Yu Hickerson
August 2022 Employer Drive-In Conference
Thank you to everyone that attended our Employer Drive-In Conference back in August. We had 21 companies with over 30 employers participate in our annual event. We held sessions on engaging with JMU students, marketing, as well as faculty and DEI specific panels. The day ended with optional tours of the UCC Interview Center and the Employer Table location in Hartman Hall. It was a great day of networking, making connections, learning and sharing information.
We are looking forward to hosting this event again in 2023. Stay tuned for a date announcement in our spring employer newsletter!
Fall 2022 Recruiting Season Overview
This fall semester so far has brought a great recruiting season here at James Madison University! We have successfully transitioned back to fully in person events, and we are seeing great student attendance and engagement. Our students appreciate your activity on campus and the value you place on meeting them where they are.
On-Campus Recruiting
- Employer Hosted Programs: 70 (so far)
- Employer Conducted Interviews: 415 and counting!
Fall Career Fair Attendance
- Nurse Recruitment Day: 22 companies, 222 students
- CISE Career Fair: 64 companies, 702 students
- University Career Fair, Day 1: 70 companies, 621 students
- University Career Fair, Day 2: 70 companies, 631 students
- Hart Career Fair: Happening on November 9th! Currently 70 companies are registered to attend
Introducing our UCC Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator
Our university career center is excited to officially introduce our first Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator, Derek Chen. Derek joined the team in the summer of 2022 as part of the first JMU DEI Cohort hire. In this brand-new position, Derek has hit the ground running! He explains his role as the following, "I focus primarily on historically marginalized student populations. Along with individual advising, I collaborate and strategize with staff members, employers, and campus departments to create resources & programs that meet the needs of different student identities- to ensure they are successful in their career journey here and beyond JMU."
If you are interested in connecting with Derek or have any specific questions related to JMU and diversity around recruiting, please reach out to him via email, chen8dx@jmu.edu.
JMU Career Closet
The University Career Center has partnered with The Pantry at JMU to now be the permanent home of our on-campus Career Closet. The JMU Career Closet is a clothing and accessory resource for all JMU students, with a specific focus on work and interview attire. This is a donation-based resource, and students are welcome to take one complete outfit from the closet each semester, FREE of charge. This space opened in September and has already seen close to 200 students in the first month it has been open. Donations are always welcomed and appreciated. Here is a list of donations accepted:
- Blazers
- Business Suits
- Dress shirts
- Blouses
- Slacks
- Skirts
- Shoes
- Accessories: Ties, Belts and Scarves
How Can I Donate to the Career Closet?
In Person: Students, faculty, staff and community members can drop off donations year-round in the University Career Center (3rd floor of the Student Success Center) during office hours, M-F 8a-5p. There is also drop-off box located in Hartman Hall (College of Business Building) located in the Professional Development suite on the 1st floor where donations can be collected as well.
By Mail: Mail items to JMU Off-Campus Life (Address located on website)
THANK YOU to everyone that has donated to our Career Closet!
JMU 2021 Career Outcomes Data
Our Career Outcomes Report provides data about JMU alumni's post-graduation plans: working, continuing education, volunteer work, military service, still seeking, or not seeking. This report also highlights insightful information about top employers who hire JMU students, geographic locations of graduates, top graduate school programs and so much more. The full report is linked here, check it out! You can also see more specific career data from the Class of 2021 on our Career Outcomes website.
Diversity Recruiting
The 2021 NACE Student Survey reported that 71.8% of students are seeking employers that embrace diversity and in the 2021 Recruiting Benchmarks Survey Report, 88.4% of employers reported having a formal diversity recruiting effort. Big efforts are being made by organizations to be intentional about their recruiting efforts and hiring practices. One great resource that has been created by NACE is the Diversity & Inclusion Self-Assessment. By using this resource, your organization can gauge your operation's current status related to and progress toward goals around diversity and inclusion. The tool helps you assess:
- Commitment to diversity and inclusion
- Institutional practices for hiring and employment
- Staff structure and outcomes
There are many great lists of resources for your organization to use when it comes diversity recruiting. Here are some resources that NACE has published that came from members of the NACE community that have found helpful:
- Diversity & Inclusion Practices (Videos)
- LGBTQ+ Resources
- Considerations for Starting a Neurodiverse Hiring Program
- Glossary of ADA Terms (Americans with Disabilities Act)
- Gender Pronouns
- Embracing Nontraditional Students
SAVE THE DATE!
Tuesday, November 1st at 8am (Eastern time) our Spring Recruiting season will go live in Handshake. JMU spring recruiting season will run from January 30-April 21. Registration to career fairs as well as reservations for information tables, information sessions and on-campus interview space will be available on a first-come first-serve basis. Please reach out to us with any questions at handshake@jmu.edu.
Spring Career Fair Dates:
- CISE Career Fair: February 7, 2023
- Hart School Career Fair: February 8, 2023
- University Career Fair, Day 1: February 28, 2023
- University Career Fair, Day 2: March 1, 2023
- Teacher Recruitment Day: March 2, 2023
Career Fair Representation, Why It Matters!
It's always exciting to have a day out of the office or away from the virtual space that has become the new norm. However, it is important to make sure whoever is representing your organization at a career fair is there ready to fully engage with the students. JMU career fair registration fees include 2 reps, but often companies like to bring more to help engage with students and alleviate long lines. We do have a maximum of 4 reps per company, with that being said please consider who is representing your organization wisely. These individuals are often the student's first interaction with your organization and should be open and welcoming. An alum of JMU is always beneficial in making the students feel comfortable and more at ease. You can see below that JMU students rely on meeting new people in the industry of which they are interested in and talking with current employees that are at the organization.
JOIN OUR UCC TEAM!
The University Career Center is hiring for two Assistant Director positions. Job postings will be open until midnight on November 6th and application review will begin on November 7th.
We Want To Hear From You All Things Internship & Experiential Learning!
The JMU Provost has put together an Internship Task Force that has been tasked with assessing the landscape of internships and other related, similarly named high impact practices at the university and organizations. In understanding that internship is a very broad term, we are asking for your assistance in completing this survey to help us better understand the opportunities available to JMU students across all opportunities (student/practicum teaching, clinical experience, experiential learning experience, applied learning experience, field experience, co-op, etc.). We THANK YOU in advance for the information you are able to share.
University Career Center Partner Program
Is your organization interested in receiving FREE career fair registration for a University Career Fair, marketing support for your JMU recruiting events and job postings as well as having customized promotional content? Join our UCC Partner Program to receive the marketing benefits and more! If you are interested in joining our UCC Partner Program please reach out to Laura Hickerson, hickerly@jmu.edu.
THANK YOU TO OUR CURRENT UCC PARTNERS!
Congratulations to our partner Summit Human Capital on their achievement of being ranked 20th in the state of Virginia on Inc's 5000 list. This year, 258 Virginia companies made the list of the nation's 5,000 fastest-growing privately held companies.
Our UCC staff would like to thank you all for your continued support in recruiting our Dukes! We hope you continue to have a successful fall recruiting season and we hope to see you here at JMU in the spring. GO DUKES!!!
Connect with the University Career Center on social media @jmucareer!
Credits:
Created with an image by Artur - "Handwriting text writing Career Fair. Conceptual photo an event at which job seekers can meet possible employers Colored clothespin papers empty reminder yellow floor background office"