Hello, Reader,
What data should we track?
That was the big question that came up in a recent coaching conversation with a career center director.
We talked about the usual numbers—workshop attendance, one-on-one appointments, career fair turnout.
But I asked: “How are you tracking the students who never engage?”
🎯 Because here’s the problem: If we’re only measuring who shows up, we’re ignoring the students who might need career services the most.
Cue the crickets.
And according to the latest Student Voice survey, that’s a big chunk of students.
Why does this metric matter?
Nationally, 33% of college students have never interacted with career services.
Which raises some critical questions:
- Are students even aware we exist, or are we running the Chamber of Career Services—a mysterious, hidden entity only accessible to those who speak Parseltongue?
- If we rebranded career coaching as "networking therapy" and put it in a bubble tea shop, would engagement skyrocket overnight?
Ok. Ok. But really, why is this number so stubbornly high?
What do we know about disengaged students?
🚨 Plot twist: It’s not who you think.
36% of white students report never engaging with their career center.
Compare that to Black students (20%), Asian students (25%), and Hispanic students (29%).
We often assume first-gen and BIPOC students are the least engaged.
But the data suggests white students may actually be the most disengaged group—making career services not just an equity issue, but a universal engagement challenge.
And then there’s the real engagement problem…
Students don’t hate career services—they just don’t see it as a game-changer.
Let’s be honest—no one’s protesting outside career services with signs saying, “Down with Resume Reviews!” or “Where’s My Career? I Checked Handshake!”
But they are overwhelmingly lukewarm about their experience:
- Only 30% of students think their career center is effective.
- Half of students who used career services describe it as “welcoming”… but not necessarily useful.
- Even fewer believe staff are knowledgeable about the job market or that their career center provides enough online resources.
So, no—it’s not that students dislike career services. They just don’t see it as a must-have experience.
Which is a huge problem for career-related student success efforts.
And what’s more? Career center usage doesn’t seem to lower career stress.
Apparently, career services is like a weighted blanket—nice to have, but won’t resolve all your anxiety.
- 47% of students who used career services are still somewhat stressed about life after graduation.
- Another 20% are extremely stressed.
And here’s the kicker: The more students engage, the more they actually benefit.
- 26% of students who visited their career center just once are satisfied.
- That jumps to 47% for students who engaged six or more times.
So, repeat visits matter—but the students who never engage? They’re missing out entirely.
How to reach disengaged students
Once you understand engagement patterns, the next step is self-evaluation:
- Are you actively communicating with these populations?
- Are you partnering with campus offices that serve these students?
- What messaging, events, or formats might make career services feel more relevant to them?
Then, go straight to the source:
- Talk to these students. What are the barriers to engagement? What would make them more likely to participate?
- Engage faculty and campus partners. What are they hearing from students? Where are career conversations already happening?
This isn’t about guessing. It’s about data-driven outreach.
Rethinking engagement: It starts with listening
Engagement doesn’t happen because we push harder—it happens when we respond better.
Students aren't ignoring career services because they don’t care about their future. They’re tuning out because they don’t see how career services fits into their reality.
So instead of asking, How do we get more students in the door? Let’s ask:
- What do students actually need? Are we offering relevant, well-timed support, or just what we think they should care about?
- Where are students already engaging? Instead of expecting them to come to us, how do we meet them where they are?
- How do we make career services feel indispensable? Are we presenting career support as a one-time transaction—or an ongoing, essential part of their college experience?
The best way to improve engagement, Reader? Make career services so valuable, so integrated into student life, that avoiding it feels like a bad idea.
A really bad idea. Like trying to curse your enemy with a slug-vomiting charm and having it backfire. (We see you, Ron Weasley.)
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