Recruiting

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This talk in one slide

• Recruit

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How do students pick your class?

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How do students pick your class?

• “Always” wanted to take ______–Culture– Parents– Previous teacher

• Word of mouth– Easy– Fun

• Requirement

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Most important

• Don’t recruit students to a boring class

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Second most important

• Don’t send the wrong message

“Girls Welcome”

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You can’t not send a message

• Décor, vocabulary, humor, dress – everything communicates something to someone

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Reach Your Audience

• Target students able to succeed–And/or their parents, friends,

counselors, etc.• Use personal contact where possible• Be visible, attention-getting• Share a message they care about

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Two-fold message

Interest

Expected positive outcome

Achievement activity choices

Expectation of success is crucial

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Appeal to Current Interests

• Belonging, with potential of status in group– They have to want to belong to the

group–Recruit groups instead of individuals

• Role fulfillment – conforming to expectations–Computing is social, helps people,

allows you to give back to the community, etc.

– These are true in general; make them true of your course as well

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Messages Culture-Dependent

• “Flexibility” a nearly-universal keyword

• Social relevance• Work with others• Time with family (set hours)• Job projections suggest little

unemployment• High salaries• Geographic flexibility

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Good jobs

• Various “best jobs in America” reports:–US News: 5 of top 15 (including #1 and #2)–CareerCast: 2 of top 10– Salary.com: 2 of top 10 (including #1)–CNN Money: 3 of top 10

• Based on job satisfaction, stability, and salary

• NSF reports high job satisfaction for computing professionals across all demographics

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Many Jobs

• BLS predictions vary, but generally between 2 and 3 times as many jobs as degrees (recently as many as 10 times).

• Never had a job shortage for more than a year

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Flexibility• Career flexibility:–With CS, you can work in any field (see, e.g.,

dotdiva.org)– Challenge: find a company with 20+

employees that does not have computing professionals

• Work/Life flexibility– So many jobs means can take years off– Some (not all) will let you move hours around

• Location flexibility– There are computing jobs in every community– Remote work possible too

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We can make you Special

• Add outreach• Add clubs• Add competitions and contests

• Make their college admissions essays look like the highlights of your course

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Fun can be enough

• Not all students are thinking of the future, jobs

• Those who are may not want to think of it all the time

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Two-fold message

Interest

Expected positive outcome

Achievement activity choices

Expectation of success is crucial

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What do you need to succeed?

• Math: count from 0; divide and find remainder

• English: know about 30 words• Computer skills: mouse use, keyboard

use (but typing at speed or without looking not required)

• Other: willingness to learn

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Anyone can succeed

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Invite

• Saying “it’s a good class” and “you can succeed” sounds hollow without “I want you”

• “You should take the next class too” can be more powerful than “you are doing well”

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Targeted messages

• Pick an audience

• Identify their motives

• Bring them that message

• Beware of alienating those who overhear…

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Reaching your audience

• Postcards, posters, ads, T-shirts, trophies, classroom visits, counselor education, parent pitches, hour of code, masters of the mainframe, working with yearbook/interior design/clubs, pitching in elevators/public places, computing/robotics clubs, running other clubs, student-run outreach programs, project demos…

(Add you recruiting vectors here)

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Non-student audiences

• Parents• Counselors• Other teachers

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Understanding Parents

• Parents are a large influence on both sons’ and daughters’ career choices

• Parents asked to rank hopes for their children– Sons: “Persevere to meet future

family responsibilities”–Daughters: “Be happy in career

choice”• Lots of cultural differences too…

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Reaching Parents

• Face-time• Things you send home–Official material– Post cards– Trophies, recognitions

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Counselors, Teachers

• So far, no sound research on how to reach them

• Anecdotally, best if you know them personally

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Plan one Recruitment Message and Delivery Strategy

• In groups of 3-4• 10 minutes to brainstorm and develop

one idea• Report

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Questions?