show that just 41 percent of U.S. college students say they are ready to enter the workforce upon graduation. Many employers agree with that assessment.
But we hear just the opposite from employers who hire Cleary grads!
What is the Cleary difference, exactly? In this week blog, we spoke to recent graduates and Southeast Michigan employers to gain a sense of what we檙e doing right at 天美麻豆 in preparing our students to get right to work once they finish their degrees.
Good move #1: We help students find work while they檙e in school. Cleary students learn to juggle coursework and part-time jobs, building a strong work ethic.
During her senior year, Heather Henman dove into a full-time job as a mortgage underwriter at � a position she found through Cleary Career Services department. It was Cleary relationships that helped her find the opportunity and prepare to apply.
淚t doesn檛 matter if it an academic advisor or career services � they know you and you don檛 get lost in the shuffle,� says Henman, a Waterford resident and summer 2020 graduate. 淎t Cleary, everyone knows you and what you檙e looking for.�
Alexis Whatcott, a 2017 graduate with a bachelor in business administration who majored in marketing and new media, paved the way for her eventual career with the by starting a part-time job coaching. A former Cleary soccer player, Whatcott, a Howell resident who came from Lapeer originally, began coaching at a high school, a position she got through a teammate mother. That job led her to the Jags, where she is now the marketing coordinator. 淧laying soccer at Cleary really opened that door,� she says.
Good move #2: Cleary classes feature case studies about real-world companies.
With deep relationships in the community, often give students exposure to entrepreneurs, business leaders, and companies doing innovative things in Southeast Michigan.聽
Henman likes how Cleary courses 渂ring in real life experience, looking into currently operating businesses, what worked for them, what are some pitfalls, you檙e studying those and analyzing that. I feel like I know more about real businesses and what they檝e done than some of my coworkers who recently graduated,� she says.
Good move #3: Cleary customizes programs to meet student needs.
Angela MacDonald had the unique opportunity to obtain her MBA at Cleary thanks to a partnership between her employer, , and Cleary. The customized leadership development MBA program featured a cohort of 15, where Lake Trust paid 80 percent of participants� schooling fees, says MacDonald, who is now the talent, growth, and performance manager for Lake Trust HR team.
淟ake Trust was one of the first groups that Cleary tailored a curriculum to what we needed,� MacDonald says. Courses that are part of a normal MBA were tweaked to meet the needs of those working at a financial institution. Cleary 渆ntrepreneurial mindset� helps to make a first-rate education focus directly on the needs of its students, she notes.
MacDonald graduated in 2016, and Lake Trust continues to send employees through this unique program. Programs like this one abound at Cleary, where partnering with industry to provide professional development and education to employees as a benefit of employment is part of the way we create mutual benefit.
Good move #4: Cleary instructors � and many students � are also working professionals, bringing real workplace experience into the classroom.
A 2011 graduate, Danielle Boote attended Cleary as a working adult who went back to school to complete her degree. She was already employed as a brand manager and loan officer with .
Now, the Brighton resident daughter is a traditional undergraduate at Cleary, so Boote can see the strengths Cleary offers to both populations of students.
淢any traditional college students today didn檛 have part-time jobs in high school and some don檛 in college,� Boote says. 淭hese early jobs build confidence and marketable skills. They learn how to work with the public and with coworkers.�
At Cleary, students 渁re using tools that I use in my business world today,� she says. 淭hey檙e not just talking about them; they檙e doing real world things, which helps them prepare for the work world. All the degrees in the world don檛 mean much if you can檛 have a conversation with another adult in a business or work setting.�
Good move #5: We teach about culture and emotional awareness.
淚 don檛 think I檝e ever met a Cleary student that I didn檛 love,� says Tara Houle, Executive Talent Specialist at United Shore. 淭hey檙e always down to earth, pleasant, professional. They seem prepared, they seem like they care, and they檙e excited.�
Houle appreciates the Cleary coursework around culture and emotional awareness, which she believes builds perspective and a sense of realism. 渄on檛 have an I-deserve-this attitude; they檙e not fearful,� she says. They know what it means to get to work, and they檙e not expecting any shortcuts or special favors. 淭hey檙e hungry; they want it, without being overly cocky.澛�
Boote adds that Cleary encourages students to discover their passion and then align that with jobs that will be needed in the future. 淚t not just about what feels good. Let study the trends in our country and where we think the jobs are going to be,� she says. 淪tudents need to say, 榃hat are my interests, what are my talents, and where are the jobs going in 5-10 years.櫇
