Ross Meloan from Murray State Explains the Importance of Experiential Education
By Jill Randolph
December 8, 2010
The following is an interview transcript with Dr. Ross Meloan, Director of Career Services of Murray State University. Dr. Meloan is an alumnus of Murray State University with experience in Student Affairs, the Registrars Office, and Counseling and Testing since 1977. Meloan was also Director of Franklin College from 1975-77. He is an 18-year veteran of the Career Services Office.
Murray State University is a four-year public university located in the town of Murray, Kentucky. The university offers more than 10 associate, 60 bachelors, and 40 masters and specialist programs. Most students concentrate their studies in media, engineering, agricultural science, management, music, education, and teaching.
Jill Randolph: How has searching for a job has changed from the past and how has it stayed the same?
Ross Meloan: Students who have not found employment due to the weak economy have elected to do other things such as volunteer, join the military, or go to graduate schools. Those who have been successful, meaning receiving offers, are starting their search sooner.
The tactics at the senior level have not changed as much as they have for students earlier in matriculation who are participating in internships and cooperative education opportunities early on in their career. Making the extra effort as a freshmen or sophomore makes it much easier as a senior applying for positions.
This is something we strive for at Murray State University. We are unique among colleges and universities because the career services office has contact with entering freshmen through an orientation focused on internships and cooperative education opportunities. Many students are seeing how these activities bolster employability in the future. Our outreach is having an impact, which is evidenced by the increasing number of students seeking these opportunities much earlier. We still have students come in who are graduating in a few weeks without any internships or work experience. Students without work or internship experience are going to be a tougher sell to potential employers.
Jill Randolph: What about students who are economically disadvantaged and have to work their way through school and can not afford to complete unpaid internships?
Ross Meloan: That is a good point. If a student spends the summer working in construction, at a veterinarian clinic, or at a theme park and it dovetails with the student’s career pursuits, then we work with him or her and the employer to provide academic credit. Those students gain life experiences that will benefit them financially as well as experientially. They can put that job on their resume whether they worked for the Illinois Central Railroad or United Airlines of St. Louis Lambert Airport. It works and we encourage it.
Jill Randolph: Do you recommend that students seek out volunteer positions in addition to internships?
Ross Meloan: We encourage students to pursue their dreams and interests through service learning or voluntarism in our community. Those activities go on their resume; they may not have the same emphasis as an internship or a cooperative education experience, but volunteerism is a talking point, which is essential in the interview. If an employer asks an interviewee to discuss his or her talents and background, volunteerism is experience to be mentioned.
Jill Randolph: What do you think are the most common mistakes students make in their job search?
Ross Meloan: The most prevalent issue is not starting a job search early enough. It could take from six to nine months to find a job, and students need to devote more time to their search in order to meet that projection. Some students spend an enormous amount of time on less productive activities such as researching the newest smart-phones, yet they won't put in five to ten hours a week toward finding a job.
The job search process is more than reading the classifieds, developing a resume, writing a cover letter, and submitting qualifications. Students have to research what they are applying for, know who they are contacting, and follow-up. This is exceptionally important.
Jill Randolph: Considering the economy and competition students face in today’s job market, do you think it will take longer than six to nine months to find employment or is it dependent on the strength of their job search?
Ross Meloan: Even today, there are students employed prior to graduation. They are the ones who have completed internships, were involved in cooperative education opportunities, or studied abroad. If students are willing to relocate and try different things, they are likely to find full-time or multiple part-time positions of employment in about a six-month period following graduation.
Jill Randolph: What advice do you give students regarding traditional networking versus social networking when seeking employment?
Ross Meloan: Traditional networking comes into play when students are engaged in internships, cooperative education opportunities, and volunteering. It is the people they know and where they are located. If those places are attractive, then the student should maintain a positive and open line of communication.
With regards to social networking, we caution students because it is so pervasive. There are many good social networking sites, but students gravitate towards Twitter and Facebook to network as they are looking for positions of employment. If they are using these venues, they need to be mindful of what they are posting, because everyone is watching including prospective employers.
Jill Randolph: Do you think younger students are more proactive about job searching because they have seen friends and family struggling in the current economy?
Ross Meloan: Yes. The Chronicle of Higher Education has shown that more students are entering universities with preconceived ideas of what they are interested in and what they want to do after graduation. There are even a number coming in with a declared major who have decided to focus on history, biology, mathematics, accounting, economics, etc. They hone these ideas into possible career paths and follow that direction.
Jill Randolph: I have heard that some universities will not let students declare a major until their prerequisites are complete, giving them an opportunity to explore their options. Does that model still exist, where schools encourage students to do more self-searching or take assessments before they declare a major?
Ross Meloan: Absolutely, and we follow that model. We have a designation of undeclared which allows students the opportunity to explore different directions. We provide the Myers-Briggs assessment for specific classes at freshmen orientation, and we also provide the ACT Discover Program, which identifies student’s interests, abilities, and values and how those mesh with different vocational fields. These results often provide the student with a career pathway as early as their first semester.
After the assessments, students meet with counselors in career services to discuss the results and how they affect what the students will do after graduation. All counselors in the career services office have been through the National Association of Colleges and Employers Intensive Career Coaching Program where they learn best practices in career coaching and ideas on how to motivate students to plan for life after graduation.
Jill Randolph: There is a lot of competition right now with overqualified people applying for jobs. What do you recommend students highlight about themselves in order to outshine the competition?
Ross Meloan: Experiential education is crucial. Internships, cooperative education opportunities, and volunteering contribute to an experiential education base. Developing a career background over the course of four years and gaining a solid theoretical base will prepare students for the job search process and work setting.
Students also need to understand finance, not only for their own self-preservation, but so they appreciate the company’s analysis of the bottom line, and how to make a product cheaper, faster, and better. They can even learn these skills doing volunteer work at a community kitchen solving problems such as providing a larger number of recipients a particular meal with fewer ingredients.
Today, the employers run a buyer’s market. They can and do hire employees for less money. To be competitive, candidates must be well rounded and show employers they have transferable skills in a variety of areas with a track record to support their claim.
Jill Randolph: How has the job market has changed over the past year? Have you seen any signs of improvement, and if so in which areas?
Ross Meloan: During the last year, we have seen stagnant or level growth. The impact of the economic downturn will likely continue for several more months. Some of our recent graduates were already employed because they were part-time students working in the job market. However, many graduates are still looking for employment and are utilizing this office to find opportunities, not only in their hometown areas, but nationwide. Regretfully, many have been disappointed. This is not unusual. A large number of our country's job seekers are finding that jobs are just not out there.
I am fairly optimistic regarding signs of improvement. Murray State University has seen a dramatic increase in the number of employers contacting us and posting jobs on our website. Over 200 positions of employment are listed. These are filled quickly because they are viable internships and positions of employment. The downside is that salaries and benefits for recent graduates and soon to be graduates are less than they were three years ago.
The consumer confidence level has also shown a glimmer of a pulse, and people are starting to spend, which is manifested in the stock market. As people begin to invest in the market, companies will either start producing or supplying services and more people will be hired. This will be the fuel for the engine that drives the economy. It is a cloud with a thin silver lining, but it is there.
Jill Randolph: Is it advisable to students and recent graduates to have a full-time job and a freelance job on the side to offset the possibility of having all their eggs in one basket?
Ross Meloan: It is similar to diversification in the stock market for individual investors. Students should prepare themselves by acquiring skills that allow them to do a variety of things.
Jill Randolph: Do you have any specific career-related books or websites that you recommend to your students?
Ross Meloan: One book we use is "What Color is Your Parachute" by Richard Bolles. It is a good compendium of the process. There is also a program called "Going Global" that is dedicated to international opportunities. There are many students excited about working overseas, and "Going Global" is a web-based program that does a good job of providing current information.
