The CMC is charged with ensuring that students are prepared for their interviews, and that includes making sure that they have all of the right materials with them. One object that helps students look more prepared and professional is a portfolio. If a student does not own one – or forgets it at home – he can borrow one from Karen Weist. Although Karen has portfolios in her office for student use, checking them out requires that she be in her office and available. The CMC has had difficulty making students aware that the school has them available for use and figuring out a way to make them more accessible.
#1 CMC Front Desk
When interviewing on campus, students are supposed to check in at the front desk of the CMC. The portfolios could be kept behind the front desk to be handed out upon request. The student would have to return the portfolio after his/her interview.
#2 Library Checkout
Give portfolios to the Walker Library to rent out, similar to class books. Each portfolio will have a tracking number, or barcode, that the librarian can scan when the student checks it out. The student then has 2 hours to use and return the portfolios, or receive an overdue fine. The library will have 5 to 10 portfolios to rent out at any given time.
#3 Library Waiting Area
Put a stack of portfolios in the first floor of Walker Library, near the couches that normally serve as a “waiting area” for students prior to going in to interviews. Students can take one as needed, and return after use. The portfolios will be near the “CMC Section” of the library, where past student resumes are kept.
The Nati Challenge,
ReplyDeleteAll are good ideas but if I had to choose I would go for 1. These are career related items and it makes more sense that the CMC handles them. It is also convenient as you have to check with them prior to the interview. Idea 2 is good but it is a lot of work to put bar codes and all that. That's unnecessary work! The CMC should have a list that keeps track of who has taken a portfolio along with their phone numbers. If somebody forgets to return it the CMC could call them or e-mail. With idea 3 you might lose some portfolios!
I like idea number one. Thinking from just a practical standpoint, the less I have to worry about before an interview the better. If I can just show up and get everything I need in the same place I will be much more likely to use the product/innovation. The other ideas may work as well however I see them as less convenient alternatives.
ReplyDeleteVery practical idea. I like the overall idea because it is easy to envision how someone would use this and take advantage of such a service.
ReplyDeleteIdeas 1 and 3 are very similar to each other. The both involve keeping a stack of portfolios in a particular location that students can access easily. They also both have access immediately before an interview. However, idea 3, as mentioned in another response, bears the potential of having portfolios walk away. At the CMC front desk, however, "checking out" a portfolio adds another steps in the check in process. However, this portfolio check out process can be incorporated into the interview check-in process, so it is always known who has a portfolio. Thus, I think idea 1 is better and could really work well.
Idea 2 involves the library staff, which will deter some people from using the service. People are more attuned to the CMC front desk staff.
I like idea 1. This makes the most logical sense and it prevents the likelihood of them disappearing. Idea 3 does not ensure that the portfolios will be returned, plus if interviewers notice that there is a stack of portfolios sitting in the waiting area it no longer looks professional.
ReplyDeleteIdea 2 is not a bad idea if the librarians agree to adding this to their roles. This may cause problems with the amount of time it may take if students are running close to their interview time.
I like #1 and #2 the most. As for #3 - while none of us are thieves - it would only be a matter of time before someone forgot to drop it back off after using it, or borrowed it for another reason. Holding people accountable at either the CMC or library would be a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of a rental portfolio is easy to maintain, will not be costly, and would solve a problem that Owen students face when entering meetings. One way to expand on this would be to have a sign in sheet, a 24 hour maximum cap, or even have the portfolio put together by the CMC with the interview return question list. I would use this innovation and I truly think it would create a greater CMC process.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea! I had no clue they offered this. In fact, I had asked about this type of thing earlier in the year after I couldn't find my portfolio. I really like all three of your ideas. I think you could combine ideas 1 and 2. Only reason I wouldn't jump on 3 is because it doesn't provide for a safeguard for actually being there - its very possible someone could forget to return it or put it in the wrong spot. But 1 and 2 are similar enough that we could do either or both and have the same effect.
ReplyDeleteI think these are all good ideas that solve the problem distinctly. However, I like idea #1 the best. You need to be sure, however, that you have someone in the CMC tracking the portfolio's in use. Deliberately or not, there is bound to be some portfolios that don't make there way back the CMC, and having someone that keeps a list of the checked out/checked in books could shoot a quick e-mail to the individual(s) listed under "checked out". Friendly reminders always help keep me in line, and I often remember the relief of tension after coming out of a good interview and totally forgetting all the agenda items I had scheduled for the rest of the day. Remembering to deliver the borrowed portfolio could easily slip through the cracks.
ReplyDeleteI think these are all good ideas, but #1 seems to be the best of the bunch. Students already have to go to the CMC to check in for the interview so it seems like a natural fit to house the portfolios there. #2 would also work, but its just one extra stop for students on their way to the interview. #3 seems the least effective because I can picture portfolios getting worn out/beat up quickly as well as a possibility of them just "walking away."
ReplyDeleteI think both #1 and #2 are viable solutions. I personally was not even aware that Karen Weist had extra portfolios to borrow, so I’d recommend doing some sort of marketing campaign (ODN postings, e-mails from OGSA, etc.) to communicate to students the availability of the portfolios. I don’t trust #3 – I think the portfolios would gradually get lost…
ReplyDeleteI also did not know that Owen had extra portfolios for students to use if they forget theirs. I think that #2 is the best option because otherwise I am not sure that portfolios would be returned, either because students would forget or would intentionally keep them. #2 would solve this problem by requiring students to return the portfolios. If this idea is implemented their should be an announcement in the Owen Daily News or elsewhere to inform students that portfolios are now available to be checked out.
ReplyDeleteI think all of the solutions are great and would solve the current portfolio problem, but if I had to choose, I would pick #2. Providing the library with their own supply of portfolios and requiring students check them out ensures that they will be returned, like the umbrellas that are available to check out on rainy days. This is something the other two solutions do not provide. To make students aware of this new benefit, posts on ODN and additional marketing tactics would be great.
ReplyDeleteNumbers one and three seem like reasonable solutions to this problem. My initial reaction to them, however, is that the school may push back by saying that there is too much of a risk that the portfolios will not be returned (thereby costing some amount of money to replace). In the event that this happens, consider pointing out that the 8:10 Cafe operates on an honor system. Stress to them that if people can be trusted to respect the process of exchanging money for a soda or candy bar in the absence of supervision, they should be trusted to return a portfolio. Sell this honesty and trust factor as the identity of the school and that a portfolio "grab-n-go" service is a way to extend the brand.
ReplyDeleteBecause all on-campus interviews happen in our Owen Walker Management Library, idea #2 seems the most appropriate. If kept at the CMC, many things can occur during a walk after an interview from the library and back to the CMC. Students will forget to go back to the CMC and unintentionally bring home their portfolio, effectively forgetting to ever return it. I am guilty of forgetting to check back with the CMC after an interview. #3 wouldn't be feasible because the librarian is not holding students accountable for the portfolio use. Therefore, I like #2.
ReplyDeleteI vote for the CMC or the Library check out.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the CMC idea is that a lot of students forget to stop over to sign at the CMC. However, since most interviews are at the library rooms, i think this would work better.
I definitely think you'd get more people using the portfolios if you did #1. I think ppl wouldn't want to look unprepared for their interviews, so grabbing a portfolio in the waiting area probably wouldn't work.
ReplyDeleteIdea # 2 is definitely the best option as it allows the portfolios to be tracked while 1 & 2 are basically entrusting students to return them which may not happen. Idea 2 also works because the library already has an electronic check-out system for books which could be used for this purpose.
ReplyDeleteAll great ideas, #1 would work really well by integrating the portfolio requirement into activities that already take place.
ReplyDeleteI like all of the ideas. One concern: how does the library/ cmc keep the books looking nice? With so much usage there is potential for them to look worn. Also, how does the library/cmc prevent students from forgetting to return? Maybe the student can use their owen ID card to check it out, so if they forget to return they do not have id card
ReplyDelete