University of Florida: College of Journalism and Communication

Office of Career and Corporate Partnership

The ask:

The Office of Careers and Corporate Partnerships (OCCP) is centered towards career-building for students in the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications (CJC). This research was aimed to identify the most effective strategies for reaching students seeking jobs or career growth opportunities, as well as the best approach for the college to share its data resources. To accomplish this, we were tasked with conducting primary research and developing a Go-To-Market Plan.

Go-To-Market Plan

As part of the Go-To-Market Plan, we began by researching they key players in the internship and job recruitment process, focusing on both recruiters and Gen Z students. From this research, we developed target personas to guide our strategies and ensure content was tailored to each audience. We also built a value matrix that compared these personas, helping us identify their specific needs and outline the product value and messaging most likely to resonate with them. To strengthen the plan further, we conducted a brand messaging analysis to determine the most effective sales strategy. In addition, we created a content strategy list, supported by research to explain our channel recommendations with potential tactics and KPIs. Finally, we proposed thought leadership opportunities to help plan for our client’s future as well as conducted a competitive analysis to better position our client in the market.

Primary Research

Through our primary research, we aimed to identify the most effective strategies for engaging students at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications who are seeking jobs or career development opportunities. To achieve this, our team distributed surveys across the college and collected responses from over 400 students. We then conducted focus groups to gain deeper insights with additional follow-up questions to better understand student needs and preferences. From this research, we extracted key takeaways that informed actionable insights, recommending additional strategies and outlining the most effective approaches recruiters can use to connect with potential candidates.