Running Head: NORTHERN ILLIOINS UNIVERSITY CAREER SERVICES

Northern Illinois University Career Services Career Fair Preparation Workshop and Internship

and Job Fair Assessment

Nia Harris, Rachel Emmert, Imani Henry, & Jessica Hamilton

Northern Illinois University

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Northern Illinois University Career Services Career Fair Preparation Workshop and Internship

and Job Fair Assessment

Executive Summary

  This report is the result of an assessment commissioned to examine Northern Illinois

University Career Services Fall 2019 Career Fair Prep Workshops, a program designed to

improve students’ behaviors and skills in preparation for the on-campus Fall 2019 Internship and

Job Fair. The research draws attention to the notion that career centers should offer as many

interventions as possible. Underlining individual advising, workshops, and computerized

assessments which are the general services provided on most campuses. Individual advising

presents a more inclusive and committed type of advising. However, workshops may be the most

effective form of intervention in a university setting, as they are beneficial to a more extensive

number of individuals in a more efficient manner. Group activities also provide students an

opportunity to interact with their peers in comparable situations and share mutual anxieties and

concerns (Orndoroff & Herr, 2016). 

Further investigation reveals that previous literature and research overall highlight the

benefits of career counseling programs. The literature also indicates that students who participate

in career counseling programs are significantly more prepared for interviews. Students had

higher levels of confidence regarding their choice of major and career selection after engaging in

career development programs than the students who did not participate. Literature provides the

support that career intervention strategies improved interview performance. Moreover, research

shows that students had higher levels of confidence regarding their choice of major and career

selection after engaging in career development programs than the students who did not

participate.  (Austin & Grant, 1981).

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Data were collected from October 16, 2019, to October 28, 2019 suing an online survey.

Fourteen students who attended the Northern Illinois University Career Fair Preparation

Workshop participated in the survey. The survey results indicate that 47.06% of the participants

responded that they learn about the workshop form their instructors. 42.86% of the participants

stated they felt confident that they would receive an interview with an employer from the

internship and job fair after attending the workshop. Almost all of the participants identify the

elevator pitch as the most useful topic at the workshop, and when asked if they would

recommend the workshop to another student? If so, to whom? The majority of the participants

responded, yes.

It is recommended that to gain a better understanding of the impact of the internship and

job fair preparation workshop that different forms of data collections be implemented. To attract

more students, a campus-wide promotion campaign should be initiated. If surveys are used to

collect data, they should contain less open-ended questions. The surveys should be administered

to students as they are leaving the workshop to ensure that the students who attend the workshop

are participating in the data collection. Perhaps, students can be rewarded for completing the

survey.  It highly recommended that the Fall and Spring Internship and Job Fair be assessed to

gain a better understanding of the full impact of the Northern Illinois University career fair

preparation workshop.

The report concludes that career development programs such as the NIU career fair

preparation workshop in this assessment aspire to provide the skills and resources students may

need to facilitate their success in endeavors after they graduate through career development

opportunities. Although the reasons may seem right, it is essential to frequently assess the
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effectiveness of career development programs to improve the service provided to the student

population using multiple levels of evaluation.  

Introduction and Literature Review

One of the core reasons students enroll in college is to prepare for their future careers.

College work allows students to grasp theories and appropriate practices before they enter the

workforce. Therefore, institutions of higher education have an assigned student affairs center

focused on offering career counseling and development services to their students. These service

areas might include but are not restricted to resume building, career exploration, interviewing

skills, and networking activities (Orndorff & Herr, 1996). Primarily, the services provided in

career centers on university/college campuses are geared toward developing a student’s complete

career portfolio as they search for and acquire a successful career. The idea of career service

centers is sensible and realistic; however sometimes these services might not be very efficient.

This effects student’s career development and ultimately wasting the institution’s career service

center funds (Orndorff & Herr, 1996). This project explores the history of career services in

higher education and practices involved helping students become career ready.

The assessment of a career service center department may serve as a measure of

cultivating current programs or determining which programs may need to be eliminated and what

kind of programs are necessary to create. College graduates' career readiness is a significant

problem in higher education, the labor market and the government arena (NACE, 2019). Using a

task force of college career services and human resources/staffing specialists, the National

Association of Colleges and Employers created a definition based on comprehensive employer

studies and recognized eight skills connected with career readiness (NACE, 2019). According to

the National Association of Colleges (NACE, 2019) career preparedness is the achievement and
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demonstration of the requisite skills that broadly prepare college graduates for a successful

transition to the workplace.

NACE Staff (2019) conducted their Job Outlook 2019 survey on what eight top career

readiness competencies employers value the most for new college hires. The competencies are

rated from somewhat essential to essential. The results displayed critical thinking/ problem

solving as an essential competency (NACE Staff, 2019). It is followed by

teamwork/collaboration, professionalism/ work ethic, oral/ written communication, digital

technology, leadership, career management, and global/ multi-cultural fluency (NACE Staff,

2019). Identifying these core competencies that employers are looking for offers an opportunity

for career centers to develop strategies and tactics that will close the gap between institutions of

higher education and the world of work (NACE Staff, 2019).

The History of Career Services in Higher Education

In the United States, there has been a total of six socioeconomic paradigm shifts related

to career services which are known as vocational guidance, teacher guidance, job placement,

career counseling, professional networking, and connected community (Cruzvergara & Dey,

2014). Many events in U.S. history have shaped how institutions provided career development

to students. For example, “The economic downturn of 2008 and its aftermath changed the

landscape for higher education once again, raising questions about the value of a college degree

and engaging all stakeholder communities, including alumni and parents” (Cruzvergara & Dey,

2014, p. 5). The early 1900s birthed the beginning of vocational training; initially vocational

training or career services were created to accommodate individuals who migrated to the United

States. A few of these services were “Frank Parson’s first career center, the Vocations Bureau, in

the Civic Service House in Boston, MA, a public service entity that helped new immigrants
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transition to life in America” (Vinson, Reardon, & Bertoch, 2011; Cruzvergara & Dey, 2014, p.

7). During the vocational and teacher’s guidance paradigm, faculty assumed the responsibility of

preparing a student for the workforce (Herr, Rayman, & Garis, 1993). Although vocational and

teacher’s guidance was becoming commonly adopted, many institutions did not provide any of

these services to students. Career development began to change and advance within higher

education institutions after the end of World War II and the passing of the GI Bill. More

veterans returned to college and graduated which called for institutions to further develop their

career services to accommodate these students (Casella, 1990; Cruzvergara & Dey, 2014).

Additionally, the country’s robust economy and flourishing job market played an

essential role in changes with higher education in terms of career development (Casella, 1990;

Cruzvergara & Dey, 2014). To further understand career services by “using Parson’s trait-and-

factor theory as a theoretical foundation, placement centers were responsible for matching

graduates’ abilities and interests with job criteria” (Kretovicks, Honaker, & Kraning, 1999;

Cruzvergara & Dey, 2014, p. 7). The financial system created a new shift in the 1970s and

1980s, as the economy and job market began to dwindle higher education institutions adopted

the development model. The Development model transferred the responsibility of career

readiness from the faculty to the students. During this paradigm students were put in charge of

their fate and had to take the initiative. This transfer of responsibility to students allowed

institutions to develop career services programs further and provide students developmental

activities such as resume preparation and interview workshops. A Professional within this

department role shifted from “placement manager to counseling supervisor” (Cruzvergara &

Dey, 2014, p. 8).

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Becoming Career Ready

Oliver and Spokane (1988) refer to career meditations as activities intended to develop an

individual’s knowledge concerning best practices and career choices. These activities guided by

best practices could be provided in an assortment of ways, including presentations, seminars, and

workshops. Workshops permit a moderate to large group of participants, depending on the room

size and the number of resources available to the participants in a session created to improve

students’ skills and knowledge regarding a specific topic. Workshops vary in the way they are

presented; for instance, they can vary in the amount of engagement required of the participants

such as discussions and other interactive activities. Another model in career center programs is

coaching in preparation for an interview. Interview coaching is defined by Maurer et al (2001),

an intervention intended to enhance an individual’s interview performance and comprises of

several techniques such as role-playing, modeling, discussions, lectures, workshops and

constructive criticism from a coach. Intervention activities provided at university career centers

differ in the way they are implemented. They are generally presented in one or more of the

following ways: individual counseling, workshops for groups, surveys, and inventories (Whiston

& Brecheisen, 2001). Though various career centers provide different career interventions and

activities, others might emphasize one or two. Whether one method is superior to the next, has

not been proven, and ultimately the decision is left up to the person receiving career counseling

as well as the career advisor (Fretz, 1967). Fretz indicated that career centers should offer as

many interventions as possible; referring to traditional service provided on most campuses such

as workshops and individual advising, and computerized assessments. While individual advising

offers a more comprehensive and committed type of advising, workshops may be the most

efficient form of intervention in a university setting as they are beneficial to a more substantial
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number of individuals in a more effective manner. Group activities also provide students an

opportunity to interact with their peers in comparable situations and share mutual anxieties and

concerns (Fretz, 1967).

Additionally, statistics show that resume assistance was the most popular service

provided (Orndorff & Herr, 1996). Previous literature and research overall highlight the benefits

of career counseling programs and indicate that students who participate in career counseling

programs are significantly more prepared for interviews. Orndorff and Herr (1996) found that

students had higher levels of confidence regarding their choice of major and career selection

after engaging in career development programs than the students who did not participate. Oliver

and Spokane (1988) found that students who participated in a career planning course scored

higher in levels of decidedness regarding career-related decisions. Other literature provides the

support that career intervention strategies improved interview performance and assist in landing

a job (Austin & Grant, 1981).

Career services centers are said to be one of the most important office on a college

campus (Gabel, 2014). This is where students can plan for their future, explore career

opportunities and learn more about career readiness. Several research projects have highlighted

the positive impact of career services centers on college campus and the work done in these

centers. However, it is essential to note that students, institutions of higher education,

community, and parents all play how ready an individual might be for the work world. In a

reciprocal system, the state hold schools, educators, and students responsible for meaningful

teaching and learning, however, parents and communities can also hold the state responsible for

the fair and equitable allocation of funds and for investing in ways intended to achieve career and

college objectives. We might all agree that in order to become prepared for your career, there
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needs to be resources accountability (Darling-Hammond, Wilhoit and Pittenger, 2014). As new

college- and career-ready learning standards are being adopted by nearly every state across the

nation, it has become apparent that there is a need for many countries and communities to move

towards a more aligned evaluation and accountability system that truly promotes more

exceptional and deeper learning levels for all learners. This includes more flexible designs for

schools to satisfy the difficulties of a world where knowledge and teaching instruments are

quickly changing (Darling-Hammond, Wilhoit and Pittenger, 2014). This means that if the

systems that are being created to help career readiness are to promote better learning for students

than, as long as the same systems are being used students graduating out of college should be

prepared despite the challenges they may face.

Historically, career placement was the primary function of career services, and, in

industry-specific career centers, it still is. The discarding of job placement as a career service is a

result of changing times. Most career services center provides students with the tools needed to

be successful in their career search. As the function and services offered on many college

campuses changes. Career centers on college campuses must meet the growing needs of a

diverse and ever-changing college demographic while battling the financial challenges of a

dwindling budget and shrinking auxiliary funds. Furthermore, career centers must be able to

substantiate their existence by underlining how their services support a student’s career

development.

Assessment Design

The research approach was qualitative and quantitative using survey design as the data-

collection method. The Huskies Get Hired system was used to collect students’ names, student

ID, email address, major, if they were an athlete, if they were attending the workshop for extra
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credit, and year in school. Additionally, The Huskies Get Hired system provided information

regarding the students who received interviews at the fair. There were two surveys created to

gather information. One survey was sent out to the participants who attended the Fall 2019

Career Fair Prep Workshop (Appendix A). Another survey was sent to the participants who

attended the Fall 2019 Internship and Job Fair (Appendix B). Both surveys asked questions that

were designed as agreement scales, open-ended questions and choosing a response.

Results

Both questionnaires were analyzed by sorting through survey responses in search for data

patterns. Each questionnaire was distributed to NIU students who attended either the post Fall

Career Fair Prep Workshop or the Fall Internship and Job Fair. In total, 82 NIU students attended

the Career Fair Prep Workshop. Only 50 NIU students attended both the Career Fair Prep

Workshop or the Fall Internship and Job Fair. The 50 participants who attended both events only

received the Career Fair Prep Workshop questionnaire to improve the likelihood of responding to

that questionnaire by decreasing survey fatigue and confusion as to which one to complete. 14 of

the 82 Career Fair Prep Workshop attendees responded to the Career Fair Prep Workshop, which

is a 17% response rate. There was a total of 1,341 NIU students who attended the Internship and

Job Fair. 132 students responded to the survey out of the 1,341 students attended the Internship

and Job Fair.

Post Career Fair Prep Workshop Questionnaire results revealed that students reported

they learned of the Career Fair Prep Workshop from their instructors (47.06%), email (23.53%),

and posters (23.53%). For questionnaire item number two, “I feel confident that I will receive an

interview with an employer from the career fair after attending this workshop. Please select in

the box that best describes your confidence level (1= Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neutral,
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4=Agree, 5= Strongly Agree)”, 42 % of participants reported strongly agree with this statement.

For the open-ended questionnaire item number three, “Identify one topic in the workshop you

found to be most useful and why?”, participants reported interview skills, elevator pitches, and

how to prepare for the career fair to be most useful topics at the Career Fair Prep Workshop. On

the other hand, participants reported their recommendations to improve the workshop with open

ended questionnaire item number five, “Identity at least one improvement you would make to

this workshop?”. Participants reported needing more time dedicated to resume revisions, more

personalized information related to their field, and tips for how to follow up with employers.  

Post Internship and Job Fair Questionnaire results revealed that 73% of students who

attended the fair reported they did not receive interviews from the fair. 24% percent reported

receiving one to three positions. Although students who did attend the October 8th Internship

and Career Fair Prep Workshop, 8% participants reported attending a Career Fair Prep

Workshop. For Questionnaire item 18, participants reported, Based on my attendance at the

Preparation Workshop: I felt confident in how I presented myself at the career fair, I used parts

of the ‘elevator speech’ at the career fair(s) that I practice…, and I applied what I learned at the

workshop directly to the career Fair(s)(1= Strongly Disagree 2, =Disagree, 3=Neutral, 4=Agree,

5= Strongly Agree)”, 83% of participants agreed that they felt confident in how I presented

myself at the career fair , 100 % reported  agreeing with I used parts of the ‘elevator speech’ at

the career fair(s) that I practice…, and 83 % reported agreeing with I applied what I learned at

the workshop directly to the Career Fair. Overall data shows students who are prepared for the

Career Fair Prep Workshop feel confident in their performing ability at the Internship and Job

Fair.
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Limitations

There were several limitations within this assessment. One limitation was the time frame

that the assessment projected needed to be done by. All of the components in the assessment

design had to be done within a month. Each component had to be verified by HESA 572

professor and client before sending out our surveys to the participants. This caused the project to

be rushed and not thoroughly analyzed for errors. In relation to the short timeframe to complete

the project, coordinating in-person group meetings with five people was very difficult. It was

also difficult when trying to coordinate meetings with our client. In addition, members of the

group are not residents of Dekalb and are only on campus a few days of the week which added

an additional level of complexity when scheduling meetings. Often times, only two group

members were available to meet with the client. The relay of information from meetings often

led to misinterpretations or lost information.

Another limitation was insufficiency of information as a whole about the outcomes of

career service events. There was a lack of prior research on other colleges career services events

outcomes. This caused us to create a literature review based off of mainly information about

career readiness. Additionally, we were also not able to attend the workshop to fully understand

the issue we are assessing. With better understanding of the outcomes of other career service

events and being able to attend the workshop, this would have allowed us the knowledge when

creating our surveys.  

Lastly, there were several limitations when collecting data. First, the survey that we

created that was intended to be sent to the same participants who attended the workshop and the

fair was not sent to them. The client sent his survey to all of the participants to attend the fair.
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This caused a barrier in our results since we were supposed to analyze the data on only the

participants to attend the workshop and fair. Since we only have the data from the participants

who attended the workshop and all participants who attended the fair, we cannot fully analyze

and understand if the career fair workshop is a helpful tool for students in order to receive an

interview at the fair and become career ready. 

Additionally, there was a short turnaround time for when both surveys were sent out. This

did not allow a good response rate for our data collection. Lastly, because of this short time

frame of data collection, we had a small sample size for both surveys. Furthermore, in both

surveys, not many participants answered the open-ended questions.  

Discussion

The goal of this project is to assess whether the students believe that the career fair

preparation workshops are offering students the tools needed to be successful at the fair. How

adequate was the preparation? As well as finding out what the results of the fair disclose about

the workshops and finally how to translate the data into actionable steps.  first my team members

to set up an appointment with our client to gain firsthand information about his department

needs, find out why the assessment was requested, and the intended use of the results of the data.

As a team we will develop a plan to collect data regarding the 2019 Fall Career Fair workshops

using questions designed to gather quantitative data and qualitative data using a survey

questionnaire. I will also look at recent literature on career fairs on college campuses. Next, I

will also explore how this assessment can contribute to Northern Illinois University Career

Services’ knowledge of best practices.

According to Oliver and Spokane (1988), career meditations are activities intended to

develop an individual’s knowledge concerning best practices and career choices. These activities
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guided by best practices could be provided in a variety of ways, including presentations,

seminars, and workshops. Workshops allow a moderate to a large group of participants,

depending on the room size and the number of resources accessible to the students in a session

created to improve students’ skills and knowledge concerning a particular topic. Workshops

differ in the way they are offered; for example, they can vary in the amount of engagement

expected of the students, such as discussions and other interactive activities (Oliver & Spokane,

1988).

During a review of previous research on career services programs on college campuses,

the Kirkpatrick Model was discovered. The Kirkpatrick Model is best known for analyzing and

assessing the results of preparation and educational programs. The model takes into account

several styles of training, both informal and formal, to ascertain ability based on four levels

benchmarks. Each level represents different analyzes of a program. The first level of assessment

is known as Level 1/ Reaction. It measures how participants react to a program focusing on

participants' levels of satisfaction to different facets of a program, such as content, facilitator, and

the method used provide the training. The second level is known as Level 2/ Learning, and it

evaluates whether the information provided in the workshop improved knowledge, increased the

skills, or altered the stance of the. The third level of assessment is known as Level 3/ Behavior.

This level evaluates if the training provided in a program is used in the environment it was

designed to, such as the career fair setting. The last level is known as Level 4/ Results and assess

what were the final results after participation in a training program. Our team felt it would be

best to use Kirkpatrick’s first three levels of assessment to evaluate Northern Illinois University's

Fall 2019 Career Fair Prep workshop. In Particular, the levels of evaluation 1) Reaction, to

discover how students responded to the career fair workshop. 2) Learn, obtain how much of the
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information presented at the workshop students maintained, and 3) Transfer of behavior,

discover how often did the participants perform the desired/ learned behaviors during the fair and

in interviews

  The research process revealed that although there is a great deal of endorsement for

career development programs, there is an insufficient amount of research on the assessment of

their effectiveness. The lack of research could be because career programs are under-assessed.

Reviewing programs involves money, time, and other human resources. It is also likely that most

universities' career centers have budget restrictions; therefore, assessments would have to be

performed by staff members. Therefore, staff members may or may not have the time or the

background to conduct these types of assessments (Maurer et al. 2001).

  Eight-two students attended Career Fair Prep workshop, fourteen of the attendees

responded to the Career Fair Prep Workshop Survey. Participants were surveyed after engaging

in a training workshop targeted at improving their skills and behaviors for the Fall Career Fair.

Participants consisted of students at Northern Illinois University. Two surveys were constructed

survey data about the career fair prep workshop. The first survey title Post-Workshop Fair

workshop was intended for students to fill out after attending career fair workshop. The second

survey which I created title Post- Career Fair, was intended to collect data from students after the

Fall Career Fair. Two measures on the second survey were used to assess students’ reactions to

the fair. The other measures were created independently of the measure formerly used by the

career center, and it assessed both students’ reactions and learning. The participants received a

link to the survey design in Qualtrics. The Post- Workshop Prep Workshop Questionnaire

revealed that students learned of the Career Fair Prep workshops from their instructors (47.06%),

email (23.53%), and posters around campus (23.53%). When asked how confident they felt
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about receiving an interview at the Career Fair, 42 % of participants reported they felt strongly

that they will receive an interview after attending the workshop. It was reported that 83% of

participants agreed that they felt confident about how they presented themselves at the career fair

after attending the workshop, and 100 % of the participants surveyed reported using parts of their

‘elevator speech’ at the career fair.

After exploring at all of these sources of information thus far, it appears that my

teammates show through our assessment that Career Fair Prep workshops positively contribute to

students’ experiences as part of the services provided by the Northern Illinois university career

center. I have been using existing research in the area of campus career service center programs

to evaluate the effectiveness of the Northern Illinois university career center development

workshop called “Career Fair Prep Workshop” which seeks to prepare students for their

participation in Fall 2019 Career Fair. This could change how programs are structured for

students and eventually lead to students being able to understand better and retain the

information that will allow them to have a productive and positive experience at the Fall 2019

Internship and Job Fair.

Recommendations

We have several recommendations for this assessment project. First, if this project is

expected to be completed within a semester then the people conducting the assessment should

assess both workshops that are hosted before the fair. This allows the people who are conducting

the assessment to increase their sample size. However, we feel that to fully understand how

much of an effect the workshop has on students then the workshops and both fairs should be

assessed for the whole academic year.

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Second, there should be more and different ways to advertise the workshops and fair.

Flyers posted in all the academic and resource buildings. Student workers can also handout flyers

to students walking around on campus. Online advertisement sent to all students. These online

advertisement through the NIU websites page, students’ email, faculty and staff email, and social

media websites.

Third, use different forms in order to collect data. Physically handing out paper copies of

surveys to students to complete directly after the workshops and fair. Providing laptops at the

workshops and fairs for students to complete an online survey may be the fastest and easiest

means of gathering data. The use of other forms of data collection rather than surveys can also be

effective. These other forms can be through interviews or focus group sessions. Additionally,

students may be more willing to participate and fill out a survey when there is some kind of

reward attached. These rewards can be food provided during the interview and group sessions or

students receiving a huskie buck after participating.

Lastly, recreating the surveys. Surveys can be created that are geared more toward

figuring out what exactly students are learning and want to learn from the workshops. These

surveys would have less open-ended questions. More multiple choice and likert scales utilized in

order to receive more focused feedback from students.

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Appendix A.

Post Career Fair Prep Workshop Survey

Please fill out this survey to the best of your ability. The information collected from this survey

will be kept confidential and results will be reported as aggregated information.

1. How did you hear about the workshop? Check all that apply.
ꪚ Instructor ꪚ Advisor ꪚ Email

ꪚ Youtube Ads ꪚ Employment ꪚ Poster ꪚ Other ___________

2. I feel confident that I will receive an interview with an employer from the career
fair after attending this work. Please select in the box that best describes your
confidence level (1= Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neutral, 4=Agree, 5= Strongly
Agree).

1- Strongly 2-Disagree 3-Neutral 4-Agree 5-Strongly

Disagree Agree

3. Identify one topic in the workshop you found to be most useful and why?

4. Would you recommend this workshop to another student? If so, to whom?

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5. Identity at least one improvement you would make to this workshop?

Thank you for your participation!

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Appendix B.

Post Internship and Career Fair Survey

What did you enjoy most about the training?

What could have been improved?

Were the learning objectives clearly defined before the course began and throughout the length

of the course?

Did you learn everything that was laid out in the learning objectives?

Did you feel this course had value?

Did you learn something new? What did you learn?

Was the course interactive?

Were you engaged with the material?

Did you feel you had the time and resources to appropriately complete the training?

Was the training well-organized and well-run?

Did the course move at a steady pace?

Was the information actionable? How relevant is it to your job? How will you use these learned

skillsets?

How competent and prepared to you feel with regards to this knowledge?

What would you say the main purpose or point of the course was?
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Appendix C.

Kirkpatrick Model
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