Job search and employment-related issues in athletic training education programs

To investigate the amount of classroom instruction appropriated for employment-related issues and how career service centers were used by students in National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA)-approved/Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)-accredited undergraduate athletic training curriculums.

We developed a job placement survey and mailed it to subjects. The study was conducted through the School of Physical Education at West Virginia University.

The subjects were all undergraduate athletic training curriculum directors employed in an NATA-approved or CAAHEP-accredited program.

We developed a survey instrument based on our experiences with instructional and educational issues in athletic training. The survey instrument consisted of items that investigated the amount of classroom time and education devoted to different aspects of preparing athletic training students for the job market.

A total of 74 surveys were returned, for an 88% return rate. Eighty-six percent of the curriculum directors spent an average of 116 minutes (mean = 116 +/- 142.09; range, 5 to 780) instructing students about employment issues. Curriculum directors spent 63 minutes (mean = 63 +/- 47.86; range, 10 to 270) instructing students on how to develop a résumé. Most curriculum directors (74%) spent time with students discussing how to prepare for an interview (mean = 51 +/- 47.07 minutes; range, 1 to 270). Nearly all curriculum directors (97%) responded that students learned about recognizing allied health postgraduate career options other than athletic training. College or university career service centers were available to 96% of students, but only 53% sought instructional assistance from them. Curriculum directors spent an average of 38 +/- 49.31 minutes (range, 15 to 120) discussing programs available at career service centers.

Athletic training curriculum directors were providing basic employment preparation skills to students. However, a wide variance existed for time allotted to employment- related issues. Additional research is needed to compare employment instructional methods with program success rates for job placement within athletic training.