Questions to Explore the Environment
What are some of your favorite questions to ask to find out more about your prospective students? How do they work for you?
I usually ask a similar question because it gives me a good idea of the type of school the student is looking for and if we are a good fit for each other.
Chad,
Great question! It's a great opportunity for you to begin to understand where the student is coming from in order to help them begin to formulate a decision that's right for them. I'm curious...is there a way you can tweak the question a bit to eliminate the negative connotation of "getting out of" their current job?
Elizabeth Wheeler
Great, Sandra! It sounds like you're a fan of the Past, Present, Future conversation! Excellent!
Elizabeth Wheeler
I always like to ask a prospect "how long have they considered getting out of their current job?" It usually gets them to tell me honestly what they do not like. That uncovers the motivation for them to get trained with us and start a new career.
I like to ask what motivated them to express an interest @ this time to learn what they are currently experiencing that caused them to want to make a change, what specific changes they want to make & what their plan is to reaching those goals. This helps me to know where they are, where they've been & where they want to go. We together can then work as a team building, modifying & backing up their plan to best ensure necessary action steps are taken to reaching their desired goals.
I always like to ask about the support system that the student has. It helps them to get excited and allows me to provide them with potential to make friends at the campus to increase that positive reinforcement on making the right decision.
I personally like to ask what are the future goals of the prospective student, how do they made the decision of coming back to school and which are the obstacles or challenges they made face before making such an important decision.
I like to ask the students What interests them about the program and that way I get a little more insight about why they like the specific program.
Alejandra,
These are all key items for the prospective student to explore. Using open questions during exploration will allow the student to expand and provide more information. What open ended questions do you like to use when exploring the student's environment?
Dr. Jean Norris
I love to get to know my prospect, I like to ask them
how serious they are about a career change , do they have a supportive family are they willing to make their goals come true and etc..
Giovanna,
Great question! If you already know what program interests prospective students, this question allows you to learn more about them and what is important to them. Thank you for your post!
Elizabeth Wheeler
What is it about this program that interests you the most?
Diana,
Excellent insights. Asking open ended questions such as these is a great way to show your genuine interest in the student, gather important information, and begin to establish trust.
Elizabeth Wheeler
I always like to ask open ended questions that must be answered in detail instead of questions that can be answered by ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ I consider the questions in reference to their future goals is one of the most important, this way I have a better idea of their expectations. After reviewing the goals and towards the end of the interview process I like to ask "Is there anything that would hold you back from completing your program and working in your field of study?â€
I usually ask the prospect: What do they know about the profession they have in mind to pursue? & for those that are doing a major change for example from BA in Engineering to Medical Billing & Coding I ask: What brings you to this change. With that answer I can see if MB&C is probably a better "fit" for them than PTA.
Exploring the student is beneficial because it allows you to gain knowledge of the student. Who type of environment in, identify student if they have the proper tools to begin their program (computer ect,) Asking why they have decided to return to school. Do they have a good support system? Is there any challenges preventing from them starting (chilcare) and to lay out a framework to get them started.
Diana
What going on in your life and How can I help you
What happened recently which made you realize how important it is to acquire skills in the medical field? This question is so broad that it allows individuals to open up and give me the core reason why they seeked our services. I continue to work off after this point.
Toni Ann, Great! What, specifically, are you asking?
Elizabeth Wheeler
