Show Of Hands Showcase: Who Owns Your Institutional Alumni Career Services?

By Heather Junod (UCF)

UCF Alumni recently requested a Show of Hands to solicit feedback on alumni career services programs. At UCF, alumni career services is currently located within the alumni office and career services for students is housed in the division of Student Development and Enrollment Services. During a recent conversation with university leadership, we were asked to consider if there is an efficiency to be gained by strengthening one career services program rather than two.

For UCF, this program is more than just a career services program. It's a component of a much larger strategy to increase engagement and participation. Prior to launching the program, alumni career services was UCF Alumni’s single biggest unmet need. The student career center at UCF only had the capacity to assist alumni for 60 days post-graduation, which created a significant barrier for alumni who found themselves in search of a job, in need of a resume review, career assessment or interview practice. 

Forty institutions responded to the Show of Hands request. Eighteen institutions indicated that they house a career services program within their alumni office. Four of the eighteen provided additional context and shared that theirs is a hybrid and/or a partnership with the campus career services program. Twenty-two institutions indicated that career services is managed outside of their alumni office. Of the twenty-two, two institutions shared that they partner with other entities on campus to facilitate career services, but they do not lead the effort.