BGSU increased their rate of new employer connections by 360% in one year (during a pandemic)!
When the pandemic hit, Danielle Dimoff, Director of the Career Center at Bowling Green State University, knew her team had to be more proactive in connecting with new employers.
Using an alumni heatmap, the BGSU team determined the top destinations of their graduates. In Handshake, staff would search for employers within their target city and company size. Each person would cover 2-3 search result pages per day, identifying reliable employers and sending outreach. The team keeps track of their progress using a template like this one. Danielle’s pro tip is to connect with campus partners who may be interested in supporting this initiative and provide training for all staff and volunteers to ensure a consistent process.
This proactive strategy led to BGSU's most successful year ever in growing their employer database, bringing in more diverse employers for their career fairs and reaching their highest number of new experiential learning and full-time employment opportunities for students.
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