Providing a national careers advice via email service Lucy Madahar Graduate Prospects

1. Providing a national careers advice via email serviceLucy MadaharGraduate Prospects

2. Overview • Graduate Questiontime • Aims & rationale • Staffing • Technical design • Marketing the service • Types of careers queries • Key results • Issues for graduates

3. Graduate Questiontime • Free careers advice via email/internet service for graduates available on prospects.ac.uk • Services for Graduates project (CSU/AGCAS) • Harris review • 24/7 access to careers support • Decline of the formal Mutual Aid system • Web-based database with integrated monitoring, admin and client feedback systems • Meet Guidance Council quality standards/Matrix • “Highly commended” national career award from ICG

4. Counselling Medical Adviser is in control of progress Open-ended & process oriented Focus on what is wrong: defining the problem and fixing what’s broken One-on-one in-person interactions: the 50-minute hour Good model for psychological issues and crisis situations Coaching Proactive Client is in control of progress Goal-setting focus Outcome-oriented Structured Assignments Shorter interactions Phone, e-mail interactions OK Choosing a model

5. Traditional role CAS’s seen as a rescue operation Graduates are the passive recipients of therapeutic advice and a “job” Pragmatic role CAS’s seen as a vehicle for career self-management Graduates can actively learn to build on the strengths of their education and experience, and use their inner capacities for creating their own futures CAS’s seen as the bridge between where graduates are and where they want to be Role of the careers advice provider

6. Target audience • Available to EEA graduates (including HND Diplomates and new 2 year degree graduates) • Graduated from university within the last 5 years • Seeking work and/or study within the UK • Questions in English language • Referrals given to non-eligible users

7. Staffing • Who is the E-Guidance team? • Working hours & remote working • Team communication • Professional development & support • Information resources

8. Technical issues • Relationship with system not with adviser • Machine capability of clients • IT capability of clients and advisers • Not just an email system • Integrated monitoring and client feedback routines • Client and adviser security • Secure web-enabled database

9. Graduate Questiontime system • Registration required • One query, one answer is normal • 10% submit more than 1 query • One enquirer, interchangeable advisers • Anonymous advisers • No specialisation : generic advisers • Advisers also deal with first level enquiries • All can see each others’ responses • Quick response times

10. Dealing with a transient population Manipulating demand Marketing activities Prospects.ac.uk home page My Prospects email messages E-Prospects Graduate Prospects publications HE Careers Services Posters Graduate Fairs Marketing issues • Results of Marketing

11. Key results • Number of users/queries • Peak times • Types of queries • Subject of queries • Time management • Matrix quality standards

12. Issues for graduates • Accessing careers advice at a time/place to suit them • Keep it simple • Qualified careers advisers • Confidentiality • Response times • Contacting the same adviser

13. What have I learnt • IAG at a distance: quantity & quality • Managing a remote team • Predicting demand & promoting the services • Email/Internet as one of several guidance mediums is here to stay • Successfully provided quality IAG available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week via the Internet from anywhere