A High Impact Experience At
The University of Iowa
UI STEP—11 Week, 1 Credit Hour Certificate Course
To inspire, challenge and educate students to find careers that reflect their personal
values through self-discovery. To teach and equip students to navigate the path
from college student to career professional with clarity, competence and
confidence.
UI STEP—Workforce Development Sessions
To develop our student workforce by enhancing professionalism skills and targeting
professional development opportunities within their student job now and into the
future.
UI STEP Student Organization
We strive to provide lifelong learning tips that assist in academic and employment
excellence, personal and career development, and creation of a professional
mindset for our fellow students. Our vision will be fulfilled through personal
mentoring, career instruction, and through supporting the importance of
proactive and engaging behaviors.
Supervising Today’s Students Series
To educate and collaborate with student supervisors on getting the most out of
their student workers while providing departmental tips to increase the overall
value of student jobs for our student employees.
Course Overview
Topics
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Student Employment Education/Impact
In-School Career Preparation Steps
Job Searching & Outlook (Recruiter Panel)
Networking & Social Media Branding
Resume/Cover Letter Workshop (Career Center Presenter)
Interview Skills/Mock Interviews
Student to Employed Professional Transition
Class Readings
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Online link and Discussion Board Forum related to weekly subject matter
Ex- 16 job search errors you're probably making
Discussion Board: Name the 4 job search errors from the reading that stand out most to you and why? Be
ready to discuss the mistakes you chose with a small group during class next week.
Class Assignments
Transferable Skills Survey
SWOT Analysis
Class Activities
Recruiter question and answer
Resume/Cover letter workshop
Mock Interview Day
173 Students
100% Recommendation Rate
How confident do you feel with the direction of your current career
preparation and planning?
1—Not at all confident
2—A little confident
3—Somewhat confident
confident
5—Extremely confident
Confidence Comparison-Before/After
5
4
3
2
1
0
4.03
2.82
Before
After
Confidence Rating
4—Very
To what extent have you applied what you have learned from UI STEP into
your everyday life?
1—Not at all
2—Not very much
3—A little
Very much
4—A moderate amount
5—
Applying
Education
5
4
3
2
1
0
4.22
STEP
Rate of Application
“UI STEP provided valuable insight to the changing
working world. Most students are clueless about
how to sell themselves to employers in a manner
that reflects their skills and experiences. UI STEP
provides guidance to students about how to selfevaluate their own skills and experiences.”
UI Junior
How much has UI STEP prepared you for life as a career professional?
1—Not at all
2—Not very much
3—A little
Very much
4—A moderate amount
5—
Career
Preparation
5
4.54
4
3
STEP
2
1
0
Preparation Rating
“Everything UI STEP teaches are things that either you
will figure out the easy way or the hard way
eventually – I would love to have been taught this kind
of stuff long ago rather than figuring it out over time.
Overall, as a senior about to graduate and move on I
think this is a fabulous program. This is the type of
practical, real world things that students need to know
and understand in order to transition successfully to the
work world.”
UI Senior
Campus Employer:
“Congratulations on the great program— so many of my former student employees have returned with stories about how their work at
the information desk helped prepare them for professional jobs. I am delighted you are putting research in place to demonstrate the
value of student employment. Excellent program — informative, concise, and inspiring.”
UI STEP & Iowa Alumni:
“I just wanted to personally thank you for all your help this semester. I was just offered and accepted my dream job as a pediatric
hematology oncology nurse at the American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. I know for a fact this class helped set me
apart from other candidates and made me more confident throughout the whole process!
Thank you again!”
Katherine Ciminelli
“I wanted to reach out to you about how helpful that taking the Iowa STEP class was for me. A lot of what you covered in class has been
very helpful for beginning my new job and has put me a step ahead of some of the other first-year consultants. Specifically, email
etiquette and interviewing are two things that have helped me because I work with a group of volunteers who are sometimes high-level
university administrators, or in one case a federal judge, and being able to be comfortable in interacting with them despite being an
entry-level employee is something that those skills have helped me with.” Colin Pinkston-Nelson
WHAT IS IT?
UI STEP—Workforce Development is a 2 hour, engaging and interactive Workforce Development Program for
student employees.
Outcomes
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Development and understanding of transferable skills, leadership on the job, networking abilities, and
fostering a sense of professionalism with your peers and supervisors
Provide workplace behavior best practices and development of a professional mindset
Promote career development through employment tips and further student developmental opportunities
Development of positive peer-to-peer and supervisor interaction techniques
Understand the value that student involvement has on your future.
Retention: UI Employees vs. Peers
Retention Rates for Fall Full-Time First-Time Students
Cohort
Student
Count that
Student
UI Retention
Worker returned the Employee
%
Cohort Count next Fall Retention %
Graduation Rate: UI Employees vs. Peers
Fall First-Time Full-Time Graduation Rate of Student Workers
Student
Cohort
Count
Fall 2005
2119
1206
57%
49.6%
1778
84%
71%
Fall 2006
2326
1268
55%
46.9%
1900
82%
70%
70%
Cohort
100%
Cohort
UI 100
of Time
Count
% of
Rate—
150%
time
Student
of Time
rate
Worker
Rate
UI
150% UI 150
of Time % of
Rate— time
Student rate
Worker
Grad
within
100%
of time
count
Fall 2005
2119
1993
94%
84%
Fall 2006
2326
2164
93%
84%
Fall 2007
2333
2149
92%
83%
Fall 2008
2311
2114
91%
83%
Fall 2009
2467
2286
93%
83%
Fall 2007
2333
1289
55%
47.5%
1888
81%
Fall 2010
2782
2588
93%
86%
Fall 2008
2311
1300
56%
48.2%
1870
81%
Fall 2011
2821
2601
92%
86%
Fall 2009
2467
1411
57%
51.1%
Fall 2012
2549
2348
92%
86%
1605
58%
50.9%
2137
1975
92%
86%
Fall 2010
2782
Fall 2013
Fall 2014
1469
NA
NA
NA
Fall 2011
2821
1623
58%
50.9%
Total/Average
25558
20218
93%
85%
17159
9702
57%
49.3%
7436
82%
Total
Data not officially reported yet
70.1%
Understanding Your Employer’s Expectations
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Use of Company property (Email, internet, etc.)
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Tardiness/Attendance protocol
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Dress code
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Cell phones in the workplace
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How to utilize your time when work is complete—
BE PROACTIVE!
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Consistent positive attitude
***The Stunning Truth:
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Only 15 percent of workers are fired for skills pertaining to their job
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Majority of employees are terminated due to a lack of people skills or basic professionalism
Small Group Discussions
Think about your work experience NOW!
What professional skills has your current job forced you to utilize?
What aspects of the job have you considered other than money?
What characteristics do you identify in people you view as leaders?
Workplace Case Studies
John “Comes and Goes as he Pleases” Smith
“The Chatterboxes”
Videos
Professional Etiquette—Jeff Havens; Becoming A More Annoying You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC4rzDnUsCU
430 Participants
37 sessions
Employer Benefits:
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More professional, prepared, and motivated student employees
Employees who understand the value of their jobs (beyond their paycheck)
Employees who are more aware of opportunities for personal growth (i.e. career
center workshops, etc.)
Higher commitment to learning and going above and beyond the job description
“The STEP Workforce Development session was a
game changer. After attending, our student
employees now think about their student
employment position in a different light. They
understand they’re an important part of the big
picture, and want to make a difference.”
Kathryn Sidwell—Financial Analyst, Billing Account
Services & ID Card Programs
UI STEP Organization Functions:
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Mentoring opportunities and services for Freshman & Sophomore UI students
Career research and understanding employer recruiting trends
Setting up public speaking engagements/employer panels
Marketing Career Center and developmental courses on campus
UI student education on future career expectations, professional mindset, and the college to career
transition
Supporting engagement and the importance of lifelong learning on the UI campus
Leadership Development: Professional leadership potential through participation (i.e. President, VP of
Marketing, etc.)
6 Executive Leaders, 18 Members
STS is a certificate program for UI faculty and staff which supports the UI strategic goal of undergraduate
student success. The Supervising Today's Students Series (STS) focuses on developing skills for individuals
who supervise and/or represent undergraduate students, while providing insights on how to best lead and
support student employees.
All faculty and staff are invited to take part in the series, or select courses which are most pertinent to their
individual needs. Participants who complete all STS series requirements will be eligible for a certificate. To
be awarded a certificate, participants may complete any six courses of their choice within one-year of
completion of their first course.
STS Details
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9 courses offered per semester
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Max attendance=32
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1.5 hours
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Pre-Employment Process Coaching
Successfully Training Student Employees
Student Employment: Nuts & Bolts
Effectively Leading Students
Effectively Supervising International Students
Empowering Students Through Motivation
Generational Engagement—How Can Supervisors Succeed?
Conflict Management for Student Supervisors
Creating an Effective and Positive Workplace Culture
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27 workshops complete
159 unique supervisors have attended
653 total attendance (24.19 average/workshop)
36 supervisors have completed certificate requirements (22 more set to
receive certificate following spring semester)
• 14 unique workshops
• 14 different campus instructors
UI Professional Development Training in ALL Areas
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Student Training
• UI STEP Certificate Course
• UI STEP—Workforce Development Sessions
• UI STEP—Student Organization
Staff Training
• Supervising Today’s Students Series
• Departmental Specific Development/Consultation