Wooing Employers with an Experiential Learning Program: Six Steps to Human Resource Management Career Opportunities for Your Students

Abstract

I present in this paper a teaching methodology for introducing students to the workplace through collaboration between a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) Human Resource Management (HRM) program and an organization with needs appropriate for entry level employment assignments. My intention is for this article to ask as a blueprint for professors, as well as organizational sponsors, in undertaking an experiential learning partnership. In order to provide the reader such a guide, I highlight rubrics necessary for a successful collaboration, including anecdotal results from nine semesters, project topics, career placements, frequent challenges, and ongoing collaborations. I focus solely on pedagogy appropriate for undergraduate business programs, which adapt well to basic operational and topical research projects. In addition, to provide context and validation, I note applicable academic research on experiential learning.