How Howard Students Fare after Graduation:
John H. Johnson School of Communications Graduates
No matter what a student's preferred field of interest is, graduation is the main goal and upon graduation follows other objectives.
Every school and/or college has different strategies to follow up on graduating students and various activities to make sure that their students are prepared for graduation and are ready for the competition after graduation.
In the School of Communications, Carol Dudley is the Coordinator of Career Development and is in charge of such activities like working with graduating seniors and following up with alumni. Dudley explained that all graduating seniors have to complete an information form that is placed in a database. This form is called the Senior Exit Survey, and after completing this form students are added to the School of Communications Alumni Listserve.
"The Alumni Listserve is probably one of the greatest initiatives that the School provides for its graduates," Dudley said. The Alumni Listserve is a list of alumni that receive listings of job opportunities on a daily basis via email. "It's a life-long commitment. We stay in touch with graduates on a daily basis via email."
The Alumni Listserve is one of the strategies that School of Communications uses in order follow up with students who have graduated. There are many concentrations in the School of Communications and some students who major in various concentrations fare better than others after graduation.
Dudley continued to discuss how Communications students are in a very competitive industry so their successful placements in jobs depends on their fields. News/Editorial graduates fare better than broadcast and radio, tv and film production graduates because the newspaper industry is labor intensive.
Broadcasting jobs are fewer and far more competitive than most industries, however, according to Dudley, Howard's record for placing broadcast graduates in highly visible markets is greatly considering the dearth of vacant anchor and reporting positions. Legal communications and communication disorders graduates have a high acceptance rate at graduate and law schools across the country. In addition, public relations and advertising graduates do fairly well with finding employment since Howard attracts a high number of recruiters from those industries.
"Regardless of how well we place our graduates, the communications industries could do a much better job of building a diverse work force," Dudley said.
Dominique Rouzan, a Howard graduate of the School of Communications who majored in journalism with a concentration in public relations and human development psychology, said she utilizes the listserv.
"The alumni list allows you access to all types of fields all over the country...I'm still receiving them," Rouzan said.
She is now attending graduate school at Howard University studying organizational/intercultural communications.
"I know a lot f people who did really well after they graduated," Rouzan said.
She also said that students should get to know Ms. Dudley.
"It is important for students to build a genuine relationship with the advisors in the Career Development office not just for their benefit but for the school's also," Rouzan said. "It's all about the internships, if you have internship experience then you're good." Broadcast journalism student, Maya Russell is a senior preparing for graduation.
"Some journalism professors don't recommend graduate school, they say field experience is the best," Russell said. She said her professors help her prepare for post graduation by helping her get her resume' together. Russell said the best way to prepare is to get your resume' together and network.
Senior advertising major, Monet King said the School of Communication does many things to make sure students do well after graduation but they aim more for broadcast and print journalism majors than advertising majors.
"I am doing my own career search so I can get in some how," King said. King suggested one key factor to other students who are approaching graduation and are looking for post graduation opportunities also, "Start Early" she said.
For those students who want to "start early" and learn more about the opportunities post graduation in the School of Communications contact Carol Y. Dudley in the office of Career Development in the School of Communications or via email at cdudley@howard.edu
Posted By:
Tuesday, November 1st 2005 at 10:53AM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...
