Course Feature: ACC 211 Financial Accounting

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

Develop or deepen your financial accounting skills with the ACC 211 Financial Accounting course from Excelsior. Will Trevor, faculty program director for business and technology, says this course is beneficial to anybody who manages budgets, takes care of financial statements, or makes business decisions. “You will not only learn and understand accounting principles and processes, but also examine how these can be applied in typical real-world contexts,” he says.

In ACC 211, students cover a variety of topics, including: identifying the fundamental concepts and principles in accounting; recording common business transactions for both service and merchandising proprietorships; preparing basic journal entries for transactions that affect the balance sheet; describing the fundamentals of an effective accounting system, including the necessary internal control features for cash and accounts/notes receivables transactions; and using ratio analysis for evaluating business performance. Trevor says when students finish this course, they should have a broad understanding of accounting and how financing translates into understanding the business world.

Trevor adds that Financial Accounting “is an excellent foundation for developing accounting knowledge, whether you are already an accounting professional at the beginning of your career, someone who aspires to an accounting career, or a non-financial manager who needs some accounting knowledge in their current management role.”

Students have certainly benefited from this course so far and had high praise for their instructors, mentioning they gave out their personal phone numbers in case of any issues. Trevor comments on the importance of accounting, saying, “Accounting is a profession that is needed in so many industries! …If you aspire to a future career in accountancy, then [this] course will give you a head start. Building on the fundamental concepts and principles of accounting, this course then takes you on a journey through the key financial statements and the role of an effective accounting system. This course is an invaluable primer in accounting for the future accountant, but also for the non-financial manager who wants to learn about accounting fundamentals.”

If you’d like to expand your financial accounting knowledge, consider registering for ACC 211 for next semester.

Your Advisor: A Crucial Resource on Your Excelsior Journey

Posted on by Nicole Greco

When you become an admitted student at Excelsior College, there may be a moment where you say to yourself: “Now what?!” Trust me, if it doesn’t happen at that point, it will most certainly happen once you graduate. Aside from familiarizing yourself with College policies and online resources via MyExcelsior, the very first thing you should be anticipating after you receive your official evaluation is outreach from your assigned academic advisor in the Student Success Center.

Excelsior College advisors specialize in specific areas of study at both the undergraduate and graduate level: business, health sciences, liberal arts, nursing, public service, and technology. Advisors are subject matter experts in the requirements for your program. Advisors are your primary resource for ensuring you select sources of credit toward your degree plan and your academic and career goals, as well as for ensuring you select coursework that completes your degree efficiently. Without your advisor, you run the risk of making your path to degree completion a bit treacherous; our job is to keep it well paved.
So, what does the advising relationship look like from start to finish?

Excelsior’s Student Success Center assigns each academic advisor an individual caseload of students. What that means: Your email and Message Center messages, as well as your course approvals generated though the MAPlanner degree planning tool, go directly to your advisor. When you call the Student Success Center, your call routes directly to your advisor. If they’re away from their desk or on the other line, our student support specialists will take a message and your advisor will return your call by the end of the following business day (often the same day, depending on your call time).

Within the first 48 hours of your official evaluation being completed, you will receive a phone call from your primary academic advisor for your first advising session. This is arguably the most important call you’ll have with your advisor. If you miss the call, don’t fret! Your advisor will leave you a voicemail and send you an email, and you have the option of either calling them back at your convenience, corresponding via email, or setting up a specific appointment time.

What you and your advisor accomplish in that first advising session is up to you. Your advisor will frame out the important tasks to address and leave you with actionable items; the goal ultimately being to give you confidence with your future course planning and comfort as you go into your first set of online courses. The most important piece of that first call, however, is establishing the student/advisor relationship.

I struggle to come up with a way to describe this relationship without using anecdotes and idioms, or equating the duality to Marvel’s Avengers, Game of Thrones, or really any number of popular culture references. This one should be universally well-received: your advisor is “your person.” Whatever you need during your academic tenure, “they’ll be there for you.” If there is a matter concerning your academics that lands outside their scope, they will ensure you get the help you need from the appropriate department. Let your advisor be your advocate, your liaison.

I can’t overstate the importance of interacting directly with your primary academic advisor during your time with Excelsior. The relationship you establish with them will get you through the mountains and valleys that make up the higher ed terrain. There’s also nothing better than an advisor than meeting a student face-to-face, meeting their family, and hearing first hand, without veil of internet or telephone, just what a degree means to them. Don’t miss the opportunity to forge this bond.

Your advisor has a direct phone number and email address; be sure to take note of it, and if you can’t locate the information, don’t hesitate to ask. Your advising sessions will be more efficient when you don’t find yourself attempting to bring another advisor up to speed on what you and your primary have already discussed. The Student Success Center wants to ensure you’re receiving the individual care and attention you deserve, and we collectively wish you all the best in your academic journey.

Course Feature: BUS 501 Business Communications

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

BUS 501 Business Communications focuses on the development of clear written communication and oral presentation skills. Students examine a variety of communication techniques, formats, and processes for sharing organizational information, and they explore the use of audiovisual and electronic media to enhance the quality of presentation and communication.

According to eztalks, an online video conferencing provider, effective business communication is important in a business organization because it promotes good relationships between employers and staff members, which increases productivity and a company’s bottom line. Increased productivity can lead to a larger customer base, improved business partnerships, and new business innovations.

These kinds of ideas are discussed in BUS 501, which is a beneficial course to any student seeking to improve their business communication skills. The course looks at the communication process as a whole and how people can improve it. Faculty instructor Jan Tucker says the course is important since new technologies are constantly being introduced, we need to be updated and involved in whatever can make the communication process better. “By the end of the course, students should understand the principles of business communication, what makes for effective communication in the workplace, and how to improve the business communication process,” she says.

A group project in the course requires students to create a business presentation using one of the technology tools introduced. Tucker says, “Students enjoy applying the technology tools and often comment on how this exercise has helped them when preparing presentations in their place of work.” She adds that the course is applicable to almost everyone and that, “I always learn something new when I teach this class as students share their communication tips and tools.”

If you are interested in learning about effective business communication, consider signing up for BUS 501 for next semester.

Excelsior College Named a Gold School of Distinction for Online Academic Excellence

Posted on by Alicia Jacobs

Excelsior College was recognized as a Gold-Level School of Distinction by BestColleges.com, a leading provider of college planning resources and higher education research. This distinction recognizes colleges and universities that have dedicated themselves to developing quality online higher education programs. Of the over 3,500 eligible universities in the United States, more than 2,000 offer online degree programs, and of these schools, only 15 schools qualified for the Schools of Distinction gold medal.

Recipients of the Schools of Distinction represent the top 10 percent of all online colleges nationwide. To be considered, colleges and universities must be a two- or four-year accredited,
not-for-profit institution that offers online degree programs ranked on BestColleges.com’s program rankings. While all the schools that earned a Schools of Distinction award offer a
diverse selection of online programs, those that earned a gold standing consistently finish in the top three places on their respective rankings. Rankings developed by BestColleges.com are
grounded in statistical information gathered from a variety of sources, including the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Navigator, both of which are hosted
by the National Center for Education Statistics. “As online education continues to rise in popularity and more schools offer online programs in the United States, the Schools of Distinction list offers an in-depth look at the institutions that provide some of the best online academic programs for students in the country,” says Stephanie Snider, director of BestColleges.com. “One of these top schools includes Excelsior  College, who has been featured 35 times on BestColleges.com’s online program rankings. Of
these 35 online rankings, Excelsior has earned a position among the top three spots an impressive 10 times.”

The BestColleges.com distinction is the latest for Excelsior College. Excelsior ranked No. 3 on the Best for Vets: Colleges 2019 list of Online and Nontraditional Schools, as published by
Military Times. “This is quite an honor. Excelsior was founded nearly 50 years ago to help adults, many of them underserved by traditional education, earn a degree, and advance in their career. Through abstudent-first approach focused on providing working adults with the flexibility and support they need to juggle their family and career obligations with their academic study, Excelsior has provided a pathway for more than 172,000 graduates to achieve their educational dreams. We are proud of our work and will continue to keep student service at the core of everything we do,”
stated James N. Baldwin, president of Excelsior College.

To learn more about the Schools of Distinction designation, visit: http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/top-online-schools/schools-of-distinction/
# # #

Media Contact: Alicia Jacobs
ajacobs@excelsior.edu (518) 464-8531

ABOUT EXCELSIOR COLLEGE
Excelsior College (excelsior.edu) is a regionally accredited, nonprofit online college focused on helping adults complete their degrees and advance their careers. The college contributes to the development of a diverse, educated, and career-ready society by valuing lifelong learning with an emphasis on serving individuals historically underrepresented in higher education. Founded in 1971, Excelsior meets students where they are – academically and geographically – removing obstacles to the educational goals of adults pursuing continuing education and degree completion. Our pillars include innovation, flexibility, academic excellence, and integrity. Learn more at excelsior.edu.

Course Feature: NUC 323 Material Science

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

According to the science news website Science Daily, materials science is “an interdisciplinary field involving the properties of matter and its applications to various areas of science and engineering, including elements of applied physics and chemistry, as well as chemical, mechanical, civil and electrical engineering.”

The course NUC 323 covers how materials are used in nuclear engineering applications. Topics include overview of nuclear plant operations, atomic bonding, crystalline and non-crystalline structures, crystal defects and imperfections, diffusion, phase diagrams, mechanical and thermal behavior, stresses, fracture, failure analysis and prevention, structural materials, ceramics, corrosion, radiation effects on materials, materials commonly used in reactor core and nuclear plant design, and material problems associated with reactor core operation.

Shambhu Shashtry, the faculty program director for engineering technology, says NUC 323 is an important course for students because “Materials are the building blocks of any technology, particularly nuclear engineering technology. Mastering the materials is the only way to master the technology that uses those materials.”

According to the American Chemical Society, materials science spans so many disciplines and applications that people who work in this field have various educational backgrounds. Most people have chemistry, physics, or engineering backgrounds. Technical skills like math, computer, and science skills are required, but so are soft skills like critical thinking and good oral and written communication.

Shashtry says students in the bachelor’s in nuclear engineering technology program would be most interested in taking this course, though the course is also available as a technical elective to students in the other technology degree programs. Students should be aware, however, that the prerequisites to NUC 323 are physics and calculus. Students should check with their advisors for details.

Students have found the course beneficial and informative, and have shared comments like: “This course was the most challenging I have taken yet. However, the pace is perfect and the layout is intuitive.”

Faculty have also enjoyed teaching the course. Shashtry explains that on a score of 1–7, faculty have graded the course as 5 or above for its structure, learning activities, and graded assignments. Some noted the discussion posts in this course were the best student learning activities. Based on teaching this course, Shashtry says, faculty expressed interest in teaching additional courses because they enjoyed teaching the course to such engaged students.

Refine Your Resume

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Writing an effective resume is one of the most important tasks in the job search process

Your resume is a self-marketing tool that outlines your unique value to an employer and can ultimately secure a coveted job interview. Most employers will spend only 20 to 30 seconds when reviewing a resume. To get your resume noticed at first glance, you want to ensure it is concise, well organized, error free, and visually appealing. A successful resume should highlight your relevant knowledge, skills, and accomplishments.

Here are a few tips to remember when designing your resume:

  • Include relevant contact information.

Include an e-mail and phone number where you can be reached. If it helps to show where you live, include your full address. If you have a home phone, office phone, and cell phone, you may not want to include all those numbers. Pick the numbers that will make it the easiest for a potential employer to reach you. Include a professional website, but only if it provides additional, helpful information, such as if you have an online portfolio.

  • Document your achievements.

Highlight your past accomplishments, not just your previous job responsibilities. Accomplishments that are results-oriented will attract the prospective employer’s interest and are much more meaningful than just listing job duties.

  • Be sure your resume has a targeted focus.

Customize your resume to portray a clear match between your qualifications and the job requirements.

  • Emphasize your transferable skills.

These are the general skills that you have acquired over time that apply to a wide variety of employment settings. Examples include communication, leadership, interpersonal, and organizational skills. Most employers seek these types of skills.

  • Quantify information on your resume whenever possible.

For example, relay to the employer the number of staff you supervised, the total budget amount you managed, the percentage of sales you achieved.

  • Be clear and concise.

Keep your information brief and to the point. Depending on the extent of your experience, a one- to two-page resume is the norm.

  • Maintain a business-like tone throughout your resume.

Refrain from using personal pronouns such as “I” or “me” or any type of abbreviations.

  • Ensure that all the information reflected on your resume is honest and accurate—don’t embellish. Once you secure a job interview, you must be able to substantiate the skills and credentials you originally touted on your resume.
  • List your experience in reverse chronological order.

The only exception to using the reverse chronological format is if you are changing careers or your past experience is more relevant to your career goals than your current experience.

  • Consider adding a section at the beginning of your resume titled “Profile” or “Summary of Qualifications,” which summarizes approximately three to six relevant experiences, achievements, and/or strengths in brief, bulleted phrases. This serves to showcase your best-selling attributes and can immediately capture the employer’s attention.
  • There is no need to list names of references on your resume.

This can be done on a separate sheet and provided upon an employer’s request.

  • Proofread!

Before you submit your resume to an employer, be sure to catch any spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors. These types of errors will cause a prospective employer to dismiss you regardless of any winning qualifications you may have. Ask friends or relatives to review your resume as a second pair of eyes. Try to get several opinions.

A well-designed resume can secure an interview and elicit entry to your next job or career. Use the above tips as guidelines, and check out the Career Center for more related resources—like how to get your resume and cover letter critiqued (link: http://career.excelsior.edu/job-search-tools-and-techniques/resume-and-cover-letter-critique/)—and take the time to create a resume that reflects the exceptional and strong candidate that you are!

Editor’s note: Text adapted from Maribeth Gunner Pulliam’s article, “Quick Tips to Refine Your Resume” from Live & Learn, Fall 2006.

CPNE and Me: Rhonda Adams

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

Rhonda Adams says she sleeps, eats, and breaths nursing. Her mother says it’s the only thing she knows. Adams lives her profession every day and it is why she was determined to pass her Clinical Performance in Nursing Exam (CPNE) after more than 16 years of being an LPN.

A divorced single parent of four from Tylertown, Mississippi, Adams wanted to show her children that no matter what roadblocks you come across in life, or how much you may stumble, you can still achieve your dreams. The LPN decided to attend Excelsior College to achieve her educational goals because the flexibility of classes allowed her, as she puts it, to “work full-time, take care of my kids, manage my household, and seek the higher learning I desired.”

Adams’s path to passing the CPNE was not easy. She originally enrolled with Excelsior in fall 2013 and after completing the necessary courses, she took and passed the Focused Clinical Competencies Assessment, and then went on to take the CPNE. “I went on to take my CPNE thinking, ‘oh I’m an LPN I’ve done all sorts of things, I got this,’ and I didn’t,” she says. She adds there was no one to blame but herself and since she did not want to let down her kids, her mom, or herself again, she was determined to try her hardest to pass the next time around.

Adams’s greatest asset when studying for the CPNE was the videos posted in the study guide. “I imitated those [Excelsior] staff members who were doing demonstrations for the med stations, and the IV lab, and the wound, and the different stations of care, to a science…it came naturally to know what to do and when to do it,” she says. She adds Excelsior’s instructors—or “facilitators of learning,” as she likes to refer to them—always encouraged her and she became friends with many other students. She says she found strength in her family and those friends to keep going because with distance learning, it was challenging.

“I had to apply myself, I lost friends, failed relationships because I had to give it my all, and I refuse to be a loser,” says Adams referring to the demands of balancing her studying with her personal life. She also says that even though she made friends with fellow students, she took the reins when it came to her studying. She explains, “I started taking advantage of the phone conferences, scheduling them every week, and I started practicing the care plans. I took control of my own destiny; I didn’t wait for someone else…and because of that, it made me that strong independent confident nurse.”

Throughout it all, Adams says her mother was the biggest source of support. She says, “I was not the happiest person while studying and I would be stressed out and overwhelmed and I would snap, and no matter what she would be there.” She also credits a fellow student in another state as being a source of emotional and educational support. Adams says they leaned on each other and encouraged each other to keep at it.

Adams passed her CPNE on May 4th, 2018 in Wisconsin. She says, “nothing is impossible for me to learn or accomplish, that’s how I feel now that I have this degree…I can do anything, the sky is the limit.” She says a “brain break” is in order, but then she is going on to pursue her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. “My end result is to become a nurse practitioner…and possibly be an examiner for the CPNE and an Excelsior employee!”

More CPNE Study Tips from Rhonda Adams

“Know your study guide; it is your bible; it’s your tool; it’s your guide. I would fall asleep with the videos playing; I’d wake up to them playing; sometimes in my car, I’d play the audio over and over again until it was repetitious, until…it’s automatic. I took my study guide and I made flash cards.”

“Take a time out. Don’t get overloaded; allow yourself to reboot. Take a day, take an hour, take a few weeks if you need to, and then go back at it because it’s not impossible and you can do it.”

Faculty Focus: Sandra Adams

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

Sandra Adams has been studying molecular biology for more than 20 years, specifically directing laboratory operations at the University of Wisconsin where they research the symbioses between leaf-cutter ants, fungi, and bacteria. The biologist has been with Excelsior College since 2011, teaching BIO 110 Biology (Non-Lab), BIO 212 Microbiology, and BIO 360 Developmental Biology. She is dedicated to her students’ success and encourages them to get hands-on experience in their field of study.

Adams earned a Bachelor of Science in entomology from Washington State University and a Master of Science in microbiology from the University of Montana. Her primary research area is in molecular biology, focusing on how microbes facilitate insect and plant interactions. She explains, “For example, I have found that bacteria associated with bark beetles help breakdown the tree chemical defenses that would normally be toxic for survival. The association with these bacteria allow the beetle to live inside the tree and reproduce.” Interestingly, Adams also studies fermentation and yeast strains in the process of brewing beer and wine.

Adams enjoys that Excelsior’s students are a diverse population, coming from across the world. She knows first-hand how that can make learning hard, though, as she was raised in the military and moved often. “I use that experience and I try to let my students know that even though we are not in a traditional classroom and our time together will be short, I really do want to help them reach their goals,” she says. She notes that faculty like her love to share their experiences with students who have a thirst for knowledge.

Since most of her students are enrolled in the natural science program and planning to obtain jobs in a biology-related field, Adams encourages her students to gain hands-on experience, like volunteering at local nature centers. She also encourages them to read publications from professional associations in the fields they’re interested in and to participate in citizen science projects (projects where volunteers collect data to help scientists answer real-world questions). “Given Excelsior is an online platform, it is important for students to gain such experience in order to build relationships and gain such expertise to excel in their fields of study,” says Adams.

Adams wants her students to know that it’s okay to make mistakes and when the answers aren’t clear, to be patient. She has a variety of management tips for her students: “Study effectively, focus on tips, notes, and outlines that their instructor provides. I also encourage them to make a weekly spreadsheet to help them track what assignments are due and to ‘check’ them off when they are submitted.”

Her students have learned many tips from her, but Adams has also learned from her students to create an environment that helps everyone achieve their goals. When she first started teaching, Adams had a student in her class that was serving in a war zone. She recalls, “I was worried about his ability to complete his work on time, given his situation. When I expressed my concern, he replied. ‘Ma’am, with all due respect, taking this class with you reminds me that I will not always be in this place. Please hold me to the same standard as everyone else.’”

When she isn’t teaching or in the lab, you can find Adams sitting by the Clark Fork River in Montana with a book in her hand while her husband and son fish. You might also find her in the locations of a forest fire a year later; many ecosystems are not only dependent on fires but also prime habitats for fungi. “The year following a local fire, you will find me there [at the post-fire site], as they provide perfect habitat for morel mushrooms, and they are delicious!”

Faculty Focus: Carl Bradshaw

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

 I’m a retired Army officer and I have been working in the military or with veterans continuously for 37 years. I retired from active duty as a U.S. Army military intelligence officer in 2005. I served with the 101st Airborne Division in the Sinai, the 1st Armored Division during operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany, and the 10th Mountain Division in Bosnia-Herzegovina. I am a lifetime member of Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars, and I am a member of the American Legion. I continue to help my fellow veterans with their VA disability claims.

I earned master’s degrees from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in military art and science and the National Intelligence University in strategic intelligence. Additionally, I have graduate certificates in distance learning and adult and organizational learning, along with a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership from Northeastern University.

I have been an adjunct instructor with Excelsior College since spring 2012. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching five courses, including Great Military Leaders, Military Leadership, and the Military Studies capstone course. I enjoy spending time with my family, travelling, comedy, learning, and New England sports. You could run into me skiing in Vermont, at the beach in Newport, on a roller coaster at Six Flags New England, at a Providence College Friars basketball game, or at Gillette Stadium on many given Sundays. (Go Patriots!)

Teaching and learning at Excelsior College has helped me with any withdrawals I would have had from my military career. There is a great mix of students who continue to serve on active duty, do so in other governmental capacities, or who are now veterans or family members from other services. Quite often, several students in a class bring many years of experience with them, adding significantly to the dialogue. The diversity and experience of our students makes the classroom an exciting place to learn.

In my over 35 years of professional service, each day has required leadership skills in some way. In homage to my favorite leadership doctrine of “Be-Know-Do,” I embrace, challenge myself, or struggle with one aspect of each category every day. I try to be a person of integrity and character; it helps me sleep better at night. My expertise in the intelligence realm, national security, leadership, and Veterans Administration claims process has helped countless students and veterans. Lastly, I work hard every day, anticipating challenges and seeking opportunities, planning for the future while enjoying the present.

I look at education in military leadership as a “combat multiplier.” It enhances one’s experience and encourages one to reflect on successes and mistakes. Because the military requires leadership skills under the most difficult of circumstances, it is somewhat unique, but is still transferable to other circumstances. Veterans will find many leadership challenges in our society, world, and life. I have to say that what I’ve learned about leadership in the classroom as a student and professor has enhanced my life’s experiences tremendously.

It’s never too early or late to start or continue your education. It may provide some immediate results such as a promotion, but also consider the long-term impact on your personal development, your family, or that opportunity that is made possible down the road by a degree you earn now. “Be all you can be” and I hope to see you in an Excelsior classroom soon.

Course Feature: BUS 552 Leadership

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

BUS 552 Leadership explores leadership from four different perspectives: the leader, the follower, the situation, and leadership skills. The main themes discussed in the course include: setting a vision, establishing culture, working through change, ethics and leadership, team building and empowering people, principles of leadership, leading a culturally diverse team of people, leading through difficulty, and performance management.

It is essential that leaders understand themselves and their teams—their strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and goals—because leadership is context-specific, says Scott Dolan, associate dean in the School of Graduate Studies. Students learn about leadership through scenario-based discussions and case studies. Dolan adds that students learn to understand their emotional intelligence and that of their teams to help individuals and organizations meet their goals.

Michele Paludi, senior faculty program for graduate business courses, notes that students in human resources, organizational behavior, and human performance would especially be interested in BUS 552. Dolan adds that it is particularly interesting for people “who are interested in becoming more productive or in helping their organizations become more productive and want to learn about setting a vision and motivating their team around strategies that help the team and the organization [toward] reaching their goals.” He adds that to be successful in this dynamic economy, leadership skills are essential to people at all levels of the organization.

Paludi says this course is important to students because they learn “how organizations function and how different leadership styles can empower employees or create employees who are disengaged.” Dolan adds that what makes an organization work comes down to its people. He says, “Ensuring that people within the organization are motivated, working towards the same future, coordinated, and acting with a great moral compass will ensure the success of teams and organizations over the long term.”

Instructors are excited to teach this course, says Paludi, who notes they enjoy talking with students about organizations and how they function while offering examples of highly functioning teams, organizations, and employees.

Students have also enjoyed BUS 552. One commented: “[The instructor] is an excellent mentor and teacher. [The] choice of the course materials really gets to the heart of what leaders should aspire to be. These attributes are backed up with leadership theories and help grow many who may be in lower stages of leadership development. The chosen textbook was excellent. I purchased it for personal business use.” Another student commented, “Yes, I enjoyed the subject matter of this course. It was clear that the instructor cared about his students and added thought-provoking comments to our discussion assignments…Overall, this was an excellent class with an excellent instructor and I would recommend both to someone looking to better understand business leadership/management.”

If you would also like to expand your knowledge of leadership in organizational settings, consider signing up for BUS 552 Leadership.

Find the Perfect Position with This Job Search Checklist

Posted on by Maribeth Gunner

Conducting a job search can be a challenging and overwhelming process, especially in today’s tenuous job market. To land your ideal job, you’ll need to gain a competitive edge. How? Develop a game plan and take control of the process. Identify manageable steps that will move you forward and employ techniques to capture the hiring manager’s attention. Not sure where to begin? Here’s a job search checklist with 10 tried-and-true strategies to help get you started:

Clarify Your Goals

Assess your abilities, interests, and values, and then align your career goals accordingly. Begin with self-reflection: What are your strengths? What do you like to do? Solicit feedback from trusted family and friends, utilize career assessment tools, and seek career counseling if needed. Self-assessment will help you to clarify your aspirations, define your target career, and move ahead with purpose and passion.

Customize Your Resume and Cover Letter

Craft a polished resume and cover letter that are tailored to the job you are pursuing. Remember, generic is average, and will not help you to stand out. Be sure both your resume and cover letter are professional, concise, error-free, and in a reader-friendly font. Accentuate your abilities, but never misrepresent your qualifications. Honesty is highly valued by employers.

Research the Employer

Identify potential employers that interest you. Leverage the Internet. Gather as much information as possible about the organizations and the industry. Research size, mission, history, location, products/services, etc. This will increase your overall knowledge of the field and help you prepare for a job interview.

Develop Your “Marketing Pitch”

This is a succinct 30-second oral summary which illustrates who you are: your background, experience, and what you can offer to a potential employer. It should be brief, professional, and positive. This pitch is also known as an “elevator speech” as it should be short enough to be delivered in the time it would take to ride an elevator to the top floor with a prospective employer. If you had 30 seconds to compel this individual to hire you, what would you say? Perfect your pitch and practice until it is fluid. Be ready to use it when the opportunity presents itself.

Join a Professional Organization

Almost all occupations have corresponding professional associations that offer many benefits. They feature the latest news in the industry, publications, network contacts, job leads, conferences, and more. Membership in a career-related professional organization will afford you information to enhance your knowledge and maintain currency in your field. Most also offer reasonable student memberships. Find a professional association and join!

Network

Networking is one of the most powerful job-hunting tools available. Develop and maintain an ongoing list of contacts. Brainstorm! Family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, former classmates, and professors are all potential leads to your next job. Tell them what type of job/career you are seeking and brief them on your qualifications. Remember that networking is a reciprocal relationship. Stay in touch with your contacts. Let them know your progress and be ready to help members of your network if they need your assistance as well.

Use Social Media

If you have not yet done so, it’s time to establish a professional online presence. Social networking has fast become another vital strategy for the job search. A few of the most popular options include LinkedIn, Twitter, and blogging. Facebook is another popular option, albeit primarily social. Still, it’s a good idea to update your education and work sections on Facebook periodically. All these venues are great places to highlight qualifications, market your brand, and network with contacts.

However, make sure that the information listed in each of your profiles is consistent, and that all content reinforces your resume and cover letter. Employers are increasingly researching the online presence of potential candidates, so be mindful of what you post. You also can use social networking to investigate employers’ profiles, increase your awareness of their products and services, or catch the latest posts or Tweets on current job opportunities. As powerful as social media can be, remember it is a supplement, not a substitute, for other traditional job hunting methods. Keep a well-rounded approach.

Sharpen Your Interview Skills

Prepare for all types of interviews. In addition to the traditional in-person interview, you may also encounter those that include a panel, phone, Skype, or web cam. Practice your responses to typical ques­tions, including possible behavioral interview questions. Conduct mock interviews or role-play with a friend. During the interview, be enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Use the information you gleaned from your research to ask intelligent questions and offer thoughtful comments. Employ all the interview basics: be on time, well groomed, use eye contact, and a strong handshake.

Know Your Market Value

Your skills and talents are valuable. Once you land the job, you’ll want a paycheck that represents a fair market value. Do your homework. Check online salary guides, research the job’s salary range, and determine typical salaries for people with similar experience and skills in your industry. Compare this by location. You’ll need this data when you enter the marketplace to determine what is reasonable and to substantiate your case for a desired salary.

Be Organized

Keep the job hunting process running smoothly. Create either an electronic or paper-based record keeping system for all your job search correspondence. This includes a listing of your network contacts, organizations contacted, research conducted, resumes submitted, responses received, emailed messages, and thank-you notes sent. Accurate and reliable records help maintain parameters for any follow-up that is needed, and allow easy retrieval of materials when you receive a call from a prospective employer.

Keep Your Chin Up!

With any job search it is important to remember the three Ps—Persistence, Patience, and Positivity.
Finding the right match may take time and energy. Don’t get discouraged. Be confident, and keep a healthy and positive outlook. Use this job search checklist to focus your energy and formalize a plan to mobilize your job hunt. With perseverance, dedication, and the right tools, you will be on your way to your next rewarding position.

For More Information

Be sure to visit the Excelsior College Career Center’s newest offering, College Central, for even more job search information and help. Build and upload your resume, listen to career advice via College Central podcasts, download career advice documents, and search more than 500,000 jobs—including jobs posted exclusively to Excelsior.

 

Police Officer Zinab Kitonyi, an Excelsior Student, Stresses the Importance of Doing Something Helpful During Active Shooter Events

Posted on by Alicia Jacobs

“We don’t get to pick and choose when bad things happen. Doing something in a situation matters,” said police officer Zinab Kitonyi, after a workplace training class on how to respond to an active shooter event.

Kitonyi, known as “Zee,” a student in the Associate in Science in Administrative and Management Studies, came to Excelsior College in September during National Preparedness Month to train employees on Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE). For the past five years, he has been a trainer for the Training and Policy Unit in the Albany (New York) Police Department. Kitonyi’s typical day is teaching other officers, from academy-level recruits to seasoned officers, about counterterrorism.

Active Shooter Event Training

For Kitonyi, active shooter response planning and training is important, and the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 drove the police industry to start training officers. After first responders where trained, there was a need to train civilians and the community wherever there were mass gatherings of people. Now the police teach everybody. The CRASE class provides strategies, guidance, and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event. The goal is to provide those attending the course with the knowledge and empowerment to act immediately and in a deliberate manner during a stressful event.

Kitonyi is passionate about teaching this training and feels he makes an impact. As a case in point, Kitonyi said people who had taken the CRASE training applied what they learned when panic broke out after gunshots were fired near the Apple store in Crossgates Mall in Albany. Just prior to this, he had held about a dozen sessions at SEFCU Credit Union in Albany, NY to teach their employees about active shooters. Some employees from the CRASE training happened to be in the mall when chaos broke out. They knew what to do and applied the training to the situation.

The takeaway he hopes anyone attending the CRASE training walks away with is the importance of taking action. “We are not helpless. What we do matters,” said Kitonyi. “Doing something in a situation matters. Doing nothing can work against us.”

Experience Equals Credit Toward Your Degree

Kitonyi spent 13 years in the U.S. Army after graduating high school and was deployed in counterterrorism operations in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. Since then, he has spent 15 years in the Albany Police Department. He explained he was motivated to go to Excelsior College since he could apply training from the military and police department as credit toward his degree.

Based on his prior experience, when he started the degree program he had about 50 percent of his credits completed from on-the-job experience. It was a huge factor for him in going to college. He also has support from his wife and family, as well as from his father who is a retired UAlbany teacher. Kitonyi is also motivated by planning for his career after this own retirement. He wants to teach in the private sector after leaving the police force. Building on his current work, he has a desire to run his own teaching and training business and continue to educate others.