Using a dashboard that shows where students within the College of Business and Communication find jobs, Matt Maroon, BYU-Idaho's department chair for the Department of Marketing, can help students know where to look for employment.
The dashboard, created by a former student, shows the geographic location of where BYU-I alumni are employed with higher-volume areas indicated by a larger bubble.
The department goes on expeditions to visit different corporations where students can see options for different career paths. Using data from the dashboard, the organizers can know which locations have the highest alumni placement and consequently plan visits to areas with greater employment opportunities related to the discipline.
The dashboard can help students know where to look for jobs and determine which companies faculty will invite to certain career fairs. This provides more seamless job placement for graduates looking for career opportunities.
This information allows faculty members to analyze employment trends which helps faculty members know how to create an educational experience tailored to the needs of their students.
For example, knowing that most students pursue marketing allows educators to provide more opportunities to teach about marketing and find contacts within the marketing community.
“When we think of disciple leaders," Maroon said, "‘disciples leaders’ isn't just during your time in a classroom or your time in Rexburg. It's about building the kingdom of God. And part of that is going on and having careers that are going to be able to sustain the kingdom of God, that are going to be able to sustain families and that are going to be able to help bless the lives of other families.”