Improving Career Advising: Responding to Alumni Surveys.

In previous alumni surveys our department received lower comparative ratings on items related to career advising. Questionnaires for the most recent departmental survey were mailed in mid-July. 1997 to 138 of our most recent alumni; 41% responded. Alumni rated our department in several areas, including planning for the future, in overall career advising, and in the frequency of use and helpfulness often possible sources of career advising. Although averages were slightly higher than in previous years, the department was again rated below a four (on a five-point scale) on several items related to career advising. The departmental faculty, an office booklet, departmental chair, and departmental advisor were career advising sources used most often: these sources were also all rated above a two on a three-point scale on helpfulness. In response to these lower relative ratings on career advising, our department has begun several initiatives to enhance career advising.

The Department of Psychology at Southwest Texas State University has now conducted alumni surveys for five consecutive years. Ogletree (1998) reported results of the four previous surveys as well as the department's efforts to be responsive to the feedback from our alumni.

In previous surveys the area identified as most needing attention was career advising. On each of the previous four surveys we received lower relative ratings on the objective item "How helpful was the psychology department in planning your future?" compared to items assessing how accessible faculty were, how interested they were in the courses they taught, and how well they enhanced students' learning motivation. On the fourth survey we added an additional objective item, "How would you rate the career advising you received from the psychology department?" and received similar low ratings compared to other items.

Other psychology departments have also been concerned with career advising for undergraduate psychology majors. Ware (1986), examining career needs at Creighton University, asked undergraduates to rate 10 sources of career-related information as well as 14 types of career-related information. Lunneborg (1986), using a similar survey, explored career needs of undergraduates at the University of Washington. Using items similar to those of Ware (1986) and Lunneborg (1986), we asked our alumni to evaluate 10 sources of career advising as part of our most recent alumni survey.

Method

We mailed questionnaires in mid-July to 138 August/December 1996 and May 1997 psychology graduates. Mailed with the surveys were a stamped, self-addressed envelope and a letter from the department chair emphasizing the importance of the survey. Three envelopes were "returned to sender", and fifty-six replies were received for a 41% response level (56/135). However, one of these responses was received on December 11, 1997 after the data were analyzed so was not included in the results.

Participants were 39 women and 16 men. Thirty-two individuals indicated a Euro-American ethnicity, five an African-American ethnicity, five a Hispanic American ethnicity, one an American Indian ethnicity, one an Asian American ethnicity, nine indicated other, and two individuals did not respond to this item.

Twenty-five items were included in this questionnaire. Some of the items, though, contained multiple parts. For example, item # 11, a new item, asked respondents to check each source of career advising information that was used and for each item used to indicate how helpful that source was on a three-point scale. Ten possible sources (and "other") were listed.

For current purposes I am focusing on item 11 as well as items 1 and 5 which asked participants to rate on a five-point scale from poor to excellent the helpfulness of the psychology department in planning their future (item 1) and the career advising received from the department (item 5). In addition responses from several open-ended questions are included.

Results

As in the previous surveys, the mean rating was below a 4.0 (mean of 3.44) on the item assessing helpfulness in planning students' future; means on this item across the previous four years ranged from 2.84 to 3.36, the latter average reflecting ratings from the 1996 survey. In the fourth survey we added an item specifically focusing on the career advising received from the department. The average on this item in the fourth survey was 2.84, slightly lower than the average of 3.17 in the current survey.

Regarding the frequency of use and helpfulness of the 10 sources of career information (see Table 1), the departmental faculty, office booklet, departmental chair, departmental advisor, and Career Services were the most frequently used sources. Averages on helpfulness were above a two on a three-point scale (little help to great help) for the sources just mentioned, with the exception of Career Services, a campus, rather than departmental, office.

Table 1. Frequency of Use and Helpfulness of Ten Sources of Career Information

                                     Number using     Helpfulness
Information source                   this source(a)      mean

Psychology department                   12 (22%)         2.28
advisor                                 25 (45%)

Psychology department                   14 (25%)         2.44
chair                                   27 (49%)

Psychology department                   16 (29%)         2.26
faculty                                 31 (56%)

"Guide for Psychology Majors"           14 (25%)         2.14
(office booklet)                        29 (53%)

Books/other materials in                10 (18%)         2.23
Psy 208 (main office)                   22 (40%)

Programs by Psi                          7 (13%)         2.06
Chi/Psychology Association              16 (29%)

Careers in Psychology-                   7 (13%)         2.13
Alumni Speaker Series                   15 (27%)

Career advising sessions                 7 (13%)         1.75
scheduled during registration           16 (29%)

Psychology Career Advising               2 (4%)          1.89
Center (Psi Chi/Psych Assoc. Room)       9 (16%)

Career Services                         11 (20%)         1.71
(above the bookstore)                   24 (44%)

                                     Standard
Information source                   deviation

Psychology department                   .68
advisor

Psychology department                   .80
chair

Psychology department                   .68
faculty

"Guide for Psychology Majors"           .69
(office booklet)

Books/other materials in                .69
Psy 208 (main office)

Programs by Psi                         .77
Chi/Psychology Association

Careers in Psychology-                  .92
Alumni Speaker Series

Career advising sessions                .68
scheduled during registration

Psychology Career Advising              .78
Center (Psi Chi/Psych Assoc. Room)

Career Services                         .69
(above the bookstore)

Note. Each item was rated on a 3-point scale ranging from 1 (little help) to 3 (great help).

(a) The top line in the column gives the number of individuals who checked that they had used this source; the bottom line gives the numbers of individuals who rated the helpfulness of a particular source. Also, 8 participants did not complete any items on the back side of the first page where this information was located; they may have inadvertently missed the entire page.

One of the open-ended questions asked how the department's program might have better prepared these alumni for employment. Three persons listed internships or practical experience, seven mentioned more career counseling or more information about graduate school and/or employment, and two mentioned classes with a specific job focus, such as interviewing. One honest soul said that"I could have prepared me better by studying more."

Another open-ended question asked participants for changes to the psychology program that would be helpful to future students. Answers related to career/graduate school/job advisement were most frequently given, by six people. Two individuals mentioned more practical experience, such as requiring practicum.

Discussion

Responses given to several open-ended questions as well as the ratings on the two relevant objective questions support the continued need, at least as perceived by some alumni, to provide more career advising. Ratings on other objective questions, such as how accessible faculty were, were again above a four on the five-point scale. By comparison, then, planning for the future and career advising seem to be areas deserving further attention from the department.

Although psychology departments certainly do not purport to be trade schools and graduate preparation is necessary for many careers in psychology, career advising issues are becoming increasingly relevant. Finney, Snell, & Sebby (1989), based on a survey of alumni from Southeast Missouri State University, recommended that departments give greater consideration to the needs of students seeking careers at a bachelor's level. For alumni at Marquette University, the department's perceived contribution to the alumni achieving their career goals was the single most important factor affecting the overall valuation of the department (Quereshi, 1988). Lawson, Jordan-Fleming, and Upton (1997) described the development of a career brochure for informing students, parents, admissions personnel, and faculty.

Over the past several years the Department of Psychology at Southwest Texas has made a concerted effort to add career advising opportunities for our students. A Career Advising Committee schedules several sessions during our advance registration process. We held our Second Annual Alumni Speakers Series on Careers in Psychology in April, 1998; over a period of several days we brought back alumni to give talks about their careers. We have improved the availability of career advising materials in our main departmental office as well as begun a Psychology Career Advising Center in conjunction with our two student organizations, Psi Chi and the Psychology Association.

However, providing opportunities for career information does not guarantee that students will take advantage of available resources. Analyzing career advising data at the University of Washington, Lunneborg (1986) found that the primary problem encountered was low usage by students of services and materials already provided. Low usage of many of our sources of career information also seems to be reflected in the results of our survey, and we are continuing to explore ways to enhance students' use of current resources. Greater publicity and faculty support of some of our career-related programs may increase the numbers of current majors attending such events.

The Psychology Career Advising Center was rated as the least utilized of our 10 sources, and we are planning various ways to promote and enhance the Center, with requests for funding from the university tied to our Strategic Plan. We hope to add several on-line computers, a printer, and additional career advising materials. By encouraging students in Psi Chi and the Psychology Association to help us provide "person" power to keep this room open, this Center could become a "hub" of student activity while also promoting involvement in our student organizations. Such creative efforts may enhance our career advising and increase the satisfaction of our majors and alumni with our program.

References

Finney, P., Snell, W, Jr., & Sebby, R. (1989). Assessment of academic, personal, and career development of alumni from Southeast Missouri State University. Teaching of Psychology, 16, 173-177.

Lawson, T. J., Jordan-Fleming, M. K., & Upton. R. M. (1997). Developing a brochure on positions held by psychology alumni. Teaching of Psychology, 24, 201-203.

Lunneborg, P. W. (1986). Assessing students' career needs at a large state university. Teaching of Psychology, 13, 189-192.

Ogletree, S. M. (1998). Using alumni surveys to evaluate and improve the psychology major. College Student Journal, 32, 215-221..

Quereshi, M. Y. (1988). Evaluation of an undergraduate psychology program: Occupational and personal benefits. Teaching of Psychology, 15, 119-123,

Ware, M. E. (1986). Assessing students' career needs at a small private university. Teaching of Psychology, 13, 185-188.

Note

An earlier version of this study was presented at the annual meeting of the Southwestern Psychological Association in New Orleans, April, 1998.

Shirley Matile Ogletree, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology, Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Shirley M. Ogletree, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Southwest Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, Texas 78666-4616.