Get Your Students Hired
At the school I work at we have professional skills as well as professional attitudes that we try to get them to achieve. We remind them that the way they dress, speak and respond are good ways of becoming a successful professional. We instill in them the importance of thinking positive as well as reinforce motivation in the task that they do. We remind them, each day to finish each class in a positive way, and be able to leave knowing that you have accomplished the task in a professional manner.
Pamela,
Love the 3-M strategy. This is a good system for life in general!
Shelly Crider
Kanisha,
Nothing teaches the students more than learning by the one in charge!
Shelly Crider
Robert,
Excellent point! They may not appreciate the subject matter right now, but in the future may be a whole different story!
Shelly Crider
lots of role play...and being a role model. A lot of my students are aware of how to behave or react in professional situations because they haven't spent much time in them. If I can create scenarios and guide them through how to act and react they will be more comfortable when/if they have uncomfortable situations once they are out in the workplace.
Brandi Woods, Thanks you so much for saying exactly what I was thinking! Many of my students although they are adults, lack professional skills and although we conduct mock interviews, dress for success, job development and other things to assistant in preparing the students for their employment outside of the classroom it is up to them to impletment the newly acquired skill. Thank you so much for sharing.
Great question. Within my school I am the business skills instructor and a part of the course is to teach business skills enhancement/professional skills. This includes phone skills, letter/email writing skills, presentation skills as well as computer literacy skills. In addition, I have added the three 3-M into my teaching as well mentoring, motivating, modeling. Are there any other suggestions to improving the professional skills for new adults learners?
I help my students develop professional skills by being a positive role model and constructing a professional environment daily.
I teach finance and strategy to students attending the bachelor program at a culinary institute. Often, students don't consider these two subjects as top priorities, as their main focus is learning cooking skills. In my classes, I try to engage students in understanding that running and successfully managing a restaurant goes way beyond your ability to create outstdanding dishes. Ultimately they will run a business and they need to understand how to connect their vision to the market's dynamics, understanding the environment in which they operate. In addition, most decisions in business are based on analyzing and understanding financial data: the main focus on my side is to make students understand how to read and interpret financial statements and how to translate this information into action.
I help my students define their skills but teaching them being ontime to class and meetings, being prepared with pen,paper and questioins, make sure they research information vs giving them all answers. this way show much more appreciation for the subject
LE,
I like this! Knowing how to present yourself is indeed very important in our society. You never know when you might even go international!
Shelly Crider
Helping students understand the viewpoint of an employer or other business professionals often turns a light on for many of my students. They have never really considered how they are viewed by other people. Many of the action, mannerisms and methods of communication that serve them in their personal world do not play well in business. We often talk about what you would look for in a person that you were going to loan a $1M? Most quickly recognize the importance of honesty, reliability and a track record of accomplishment.
The most important element in helping students develop their professional skills and understanding how to present themselves professionally involves having a good role model or example. When appropriate I include assignments about leaders that they admire or professionals who they believe are successful. I also try to model professional behaviors for them.
I also remind students that we are selling our skill and ability to an employer and ask them to give me a summary of what they have that is worth purchasing... some do not like the exercise.
Christine,
Offering personal experiences is always helpful with students as well. Students love to know what employers expect of them, but like true world experience and not just book smart.
Shelly Crider
Teresa,
I like it!!! Tell the students right up front, and enforce what is important throughout the course of the student's time at the school.
Shelly Crider
Brant,
Good point. A student should prepare themselves for the workforce by starting to show what they really want in the academic setting. If a student really does not want to tuck in shirt or speak without cursing, then maybe they should rething their career.
Shelly Crider
Keith,
Oh I like that! I wish this started in high school!! Maybe respect would become important again!
Shelly Crider
I help my students define their professional skills by discussing what employers expect of employees in the course of classroom interactions in all of the course I teach. Students are asked to tell of their past and present work experiences that illustrate effective and ineffective behavior. We talk about the results of ineffective and effective professional behavior on the client/customer and on the performance and advancement of the employee.
At our school, students are involved in an introductory course entitled Success Strategies. Development of professional attitudes and behaviors are explained and developed through personal reflection and discussion. Goals are set and affirmations are written to help students build confidence and develop new behavior.
In Administrative Office and Communication Skills courses, the importance of the appearance and accurate, businesslike content of communication and correspondence is illustrated, discussed, and developed through practice.
Personal professionalism is encouraged throughout the school. Attitude, cooperation, and professional development are recognized with a Future Employee of the Month award granted to one student chosen by faculty and staff.
Professionalism is first introduced to our students during their orientation. Students are shown a series of slides on professionalism and several academic staff members talk about its importance and what our campus expects from the student. Then students have a student success class in their first module. This class includes writing assignments and preparing professional documents resume,cover letter etc. Students are also graded on professionalism in all of their classes. We also have framed Code of Conduct posters in all classrooms and in the hallways. It is also expected that all staff members model professional behavior and report any unprofessional behavior by students.
By having them mirror industry expectations in the classroom: Ontime, mutual respect, no electronic devices in class. Building verbal skilss by having the student presenting an industry topic to the class.
At our technical school, the students are reqired to get to class on time have their shirt tucked in be wearing the proper foot wear and speak and act Professional or their professionalism grade if effected