Newsletter #182: What alumni relations should look like; How to counter the effects of AI on graduate hiring; Why T-levels will change employability
📝 From the Education Marketer desk
What alumni relations should look like. Read
How to counter the effects of AI on graduate hiring. Read
A new way to engage primary school children. Look
📰 HE news
Early T-level results are in, and while the pass rate is impressive (93%), the nearly 12,000 extra students completing a skilled industry placement should give higher ed pause. While we’re used to young people placing emphasis on employability, we’re not used to them having a first-hand and intimate understanding of the topic. Over time, that will change expectations for the way universities frame employability and how it's integrated with the study experience. Boilerplate grad employability rates and token testimonials won’t be enough to inspire trust. In particular, students will expect more work experience and connections as employers increasingly turn to their existing networks to hire. To attract T-level students, you can afford to dial down “day in the life” employability content in favour of experts sharing paths to a job. Position yourself as the authority. Students will trust you with their career. Read
📊 Marketing and media news
Here’s something I never expected to write: Press releases are more important than ever. According to Muck Rack’s “What is AI Reading?” report, press release citations in AI answers have increased 5x since July. But that’s where the good news for onsite optimisation mostly ends. A staggering 82% of links cited in AI answers come from earned media - journalism, third-party blogs, academic research (yay!) - with 94% of them being non-paid placements. This isn’t the marketing landscape we grew up in. Before you take on any GEO strategy, you should also consider the most common LLM your audience uses. Different models cite different sources. For example, Claude favours journals like Nature, whereas ChatGPT hangs out with The Verge. The most common LLM used by UG students tends to be My AI by Snap, which is powered by both Gemini and GPT models, so get to know those first. Read
Do you know someone who is “alternatively influential”? I almost dismissed WSJ’s exposé on “influencers without social media” as PR firm Figures’ amateur attempt at category design, but there is some substance here. It’s always been the case that public figures who rarely speak out have weighty words. However, it’s more interesting when you think about this principle in niche areas, especially as the power derived from social media followings and legacy influence is weaker than ever. Today, if you have a compelling take, you don’t need years of pounding the social media pavement to have it heard - the algorithm takes care of it. For higher ed, my mind goes to people like Professor Damien Page, Vice Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University. Page is known not because he leverages a legacy LinkedIn following, but because he’s a VC who’s willing to share his thinking (and regularly debate it) in a public forum. Page is a rare case, but the model is sound. It can work for high-profile people at your institution too. Read
🏫 What unis are doing
University of Leeds partnered with employers at its careers fair to deliver interview skills sessions. Students got the chance to role-play, but also ask the panels questions and build connections. It’s a good fit for the institution, considering its success with its “Interview Wardrobe” initiative. Look
University of Essex ran its SU leadership election, announcing the victors by painting yellow rings around their headshots on a giant billboard. Sure, this is an SU campaign, but it’s worth considering physicality when it comes to current student comms as well. It makes an impression. Look
Like other universities, Trinity Business School offers “lifelong careers support” - only it seems more comprehensive. The School offers careers advice, but also guidance for entrepreneurs and a through line to alumni who have experienced similar challenges. Read
🧑🎓 What students are saying
“[Payments to my student loan could be better spent elsewhere], especially now that I've got a daughter and a young family. I wasn't naïve to the fact that I would be coming away with a lot of debt, but I think it was more the way they portrayed it to you, rather than the amount." Plan 2 student loan students, now with young families, consider whether they were mis-sold on student finance. Indeed, some remember loans being sold to them as the equivalent of a “£30 phone contract.” Read
👾 Culture shock
Skittles enters the gaming space with a flute controller. Look
Creators fear algorithm changes more than burnout. Read
