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Mentoring: Increasing Professional Competitiveness

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Mentor: A person with more experience and knowledge who shares their wisdom with a person with less experience and knowledge. Research has shown that mentored relationships can encourage professional and personal success.  Regardless of your age, gender, socioeconomic status, or professional interests, seeking and receiving effective guidance and advice from a mentor can encourage faster development and increase professional competitiveness.  Yes, mentorships require time and effort but the outcome can often be more effective than most training or preparation programs.

For example, the University of Nevada hosts a college preparation program called Dean's Future Scholars which uses a relational approach to mentor students into college.  Since its foundation in 2000, DFS has established a homegrown, sustainable educational model resulting in a 90% high school graduation rate for first generation, low-income high school students.  This is significant especially because Nevada’s high school graduation rate is only 54%.  

The program traditionally recruits students during their sixth grade year and mentors them through high school and college.  DFS college student mentors meet with their high school students every week to review grades, establish goals, fulfill high school graduation requirements, and plan for college opportunities.    

DFS also hosts a six-week summer program at the University of Nevada to provide high school math credit courses, improve high school grade-point averages, and introduces students to college life while building sustainable academic networking skills.  Free tutoring, examination preparation, internship opportunities, student job opportunities, and an array of student resources such as computers, printers, and a writing stations are available through the program.  This long-term commitment allows first-generation, low-income students a greater chance for graduating from high school and entering college.

Dean’s Future Scholars, Big Brothers Big Sisters, National Mentoring Month, and Mentor are just some ways to enhance your personal and professional development.  Ask a respected professional within your industry who has more knowledge and/or experience than you do, to be your mentor today.  Just make sure that you are committed to work hard, listen to, and consider following your mentor’s suggestions.  Having a trusted ally in your corner whose goal is for you to succeed is an effective strategy to improve your professional competitiveness.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4baD1n6-qwA]

Interview with Dr. Marc Johnson, President of the University of Nevada

Increasing Professional Competitiveness: An Interview with Dr. Marc Johnson, the President of University of Nevada.  Discussion centers on increasing professional competitiveness for faculty and students. 1.      Question (Tara):

What are some key ways that college students, college graduates, and young professionals can better prepare themselves to stand out from the large applicant pool of professional competitors?

Response (Marc):

The first way for students to stand out is to be at the top of their classes.  By working hard from day one in their subject area, a student will gain the knowledge to be a leader in that field.  Internships, service learning, and building practical experience will also help develop a strong resume.  Building academic and professional relationships with faculty and administration will provide strong references.

2.      Question/Response Video:    

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CSGqQSUnbM]

 Question:

As higher education’s capitalistic transformation continues to create challenges for economically struggling institutions to attract top faculty, how can Higher Education entice and retain nationally recognized faculty and administrators in times of limited resources?

Response:

It is important for any businesses to focus on their best product lines.  Keeping the size and quality of strong departments while strengthening specialized units or discipline areas that consistently attract student enrollment and produce research will keep universities competitive in a budget short environment.  The national reputation of institutional units or specific academic disciplines will attract top faculty.  They will want to build their professional success at your university.  Maintaining a national reputation in at least a few fields of study will draw in nationally recognized faculty to the institution.

 3.       Question:

What are the most helpful experiences, skills, strategies, degrees, or qualifications that helped you get to where you are today, that other professionals can practice for themselves?

Response:

After earning the necessary degrees, a variety of professional experiences can be very helpful to build leadership qualities.  I am a researcher, scholar, teacher, and administrator and that all took time, patience, commitment, and hard work.  It is good to pace yourself and work upwards through the ranks.  It is also important to be contributing and helping others.  By giving and helping, you improving your industry while you build professional skills.  Soon, others will begin to ask you to lead in positions of your specialty because of your commitment and service.

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Interview with Dr. Christine Cheney

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYAOY7qCE6I]Interview with Dr. Christine Cheney: Encouraging aspiring faculty, administrators, and teachers to increase their professional competitiveness through education.

The following video discusses the relationship between professional competitiveness and a college degree in education.  The video blog is an interview with Dr. Christine Cheney, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Nevada.  She discusses what ways a College of Education degree can help aspiring educators become more professionally competitive.  She mentions top leadership qualities that Human Resources, hiring committees, and employers look for in an applicant within the educational industry. Dr. Cheney mentions some helpful professional experiences, skills, strategies, and qualifications for other educational professionals.

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2012 State of the Union address: Educational Discussion/ Activity

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgfi7wnGZlE] What educational issues were addressed in the 2012 State of the Union? Did you learn anything new from the speech? If so, share with us about the educational issue(s).

Suggestion: quickly research your specific issue online and then support your response with your researched findings. Make sure to reference the online resource and give credit to the author (include the web address where the reference is found). This strategy builds a larger reference about a topic in our blog discussion; allowing readers to learn more about what you know.

Also, include any concerns about the educational issues discussed in the address. What issues are you glad President Obama covered or what educational issues do you wish he had covered?

Do you have a suggestion to improve current or future educational issues that were talked about in the 2012 State of the Union address? We will learn more about the educational issues discussed in last night’s speech from each other’s opinions, experiences, research, and resources. Thank you for participating in the blog discussion/ activity.

Nevadans can increase their competitiveness through education

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll4NMezgSbI] This Screenr presentation discusses how Nevadans can increase their professional competitiveness with education.  A look at Nevada’s national ranking suggests that those with a high school and college degree will likely live healthier and more professionally successful lives. There is national concern to improve Nevada’s economic sustainability, educational standards, and diversity.  Opportunity will find those who commit to increasing their competitiveness through a college degree.

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USAC Increases Student Competitiveness

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9DDAAzdIWI] Interview with Monica Robertson about how USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium) can help college and university student be more competitive in today's international market.

Monica is the Manager of USAC Publications and Marketing, based at University of Nevada.   Some benefits & skills that  USAC provides students with during a USAC college experience include, but are not limited to:

• Academic Credit

• International travel

• Cross-Cultural Communication skills

• Leadership skills

• Real world experience

• International internships and volunteering opportunities

• Problem Solving Skills

• Language proficiencies

Connecting the dots: Increasing competitiveness and leadership

Increasing competitiveness in today’s international market often depends on a professional’s ability to stand out from the crowd.  Being noteworthy and memorable, goes hand-in-hand with being different from other people in your line of work.  How does one become different?  A professional can become impressively different by connecting cultural dots, predicting future trends, and leading new trends.

Connecting cultural dots

Connecting cultural dots means to know the history and progression of your industry.  Can you see a pattern or evolution in your industry? How did it begin? What does the pattern look like now? What will the pattern look like in the next year, five years, or ten years? If we connect the cultural dots, we can predict what new trend, product, or concept will be introduced in the future. Then you can master and lead the change.

Predicting future trends

“I told you so”, “I knew it”, “You see, I was right”, “Hey, I thought of that a long time ago”, “Only if I had acted on my idea, that could have been me”. A little imagination goes a long way in today’s market; so follow through with your innovative ideas.  We live in a global culture where Creative Destruction allows us to discover and reinvent new products or concepts every day.  

For example, let's look at how you can professionally benefit from the effects of new legislation. If local, regional, or national legislation is going to change or impact your industry, what are all the cause and effect relationships that will eventually result?  Imagine as many possible outcomes and then prepare for them. Can you develop a new product or create a new business that will help others comply with the new legislative mandate?  If you are flexible, creative, and act promptly, you can increase your competitive edge and become a leader in an industry that doesn’t even exist yet.

Leading new trends

A forward thinking professional who provides a new service or product will be a memorable leader. To increase your competitiveness, try to be different from your competition by introducing a new product or trend that others will follow.  In today’s globalized market, it is essential to lead and be an industry expert.  But avoid doing something that’s already well-established and popular among your competitors.  Connect the cultural dots and predict what will be happening in the next few years. Then begin an appropriate short or longer-term plan including your vision, goals, methods, and project deadlines to accomplish specific objectives.

What if you found out about a new product to be released next year?  Image the ripple effect of introducing that product into the market.  That ability to identify macro and micro economic and social effects provides you with the time and vision needed to prepare for the product’s release.  This process allows you to capitalize by increasing your expertise within that industry before the majority of others catch on.  The product will most likely need accessories, marketing, and sales professionals.  Can you already predict future ways to improve that product? How could you use that product differently?  Lead the way and be branded an expert in the trend.

Example

Let’s take a look into the performing arts industry; in particular, at major icons described as American “Bomb Shells” (attractive blonde female music artists who revolutionized their industry).  First in the 1950s and early 1960s, Marilyn Monroe presented a new signature style of sexual expression considered to be culturally risqué within her entertainment industry. Yes, the social shock did present some resistance but the extensive number of her followers made Marilyn a leader and top competitor of her trade.  Then in the 1980s and 1990s Madonna broke through Marilyn’s self-expressive boundaries and led the masses into even newer and more culturally progressive trends.  Next, in the early to mid-2000s, Britney Spears had expanded culturally tolerated sexual and musical ideologies and became a global leading performer with countless fans.  And currently, the envelope is being pushed by Lady Gaga, a musician who redefines new international phenomena.  My point is that these musical artists are not famous because they blended in with their competition.  They succeeded because they recognized the progression pattern of their industry, predicted new trends, and became leaders of those trends.  

A leader is a frontrunner and expert of a new concept or a new product (whatever that may be). To be a top competitor and leader, connect the dots of cultural or industry patterns, predict new trends, products, or concepts, and lead the trend with preparation and innovation in your respective field.

Image Source

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Sticky Campus

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-en_prcq9k&w=560&h=315] Sticky Campus does not describe a college or university covered in gum or taffy.  It is a concept that college students and Student Affairs personnel should be aware of because it encourages student success. Sticky campus is a term referencing a college or university’s ability to engage and involve its students in curricular and extracurricular activities. Research suggests that students who are involved with campus study groups, clubs, sports, organizations, internships, part-time jobs, volunteering, etc have greater success in college.  If students get involved on campus they will meet other students, become familiar with campus resources, and practice leadership skills; thus developing into a more competitive professional.

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Course Curriculum + Social Media = Social Curriculum

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Some of the most interesting and beneficial college courses that I have instructed or have taken, included some form of interactive discussion using social media.  If fact, many colleges and universities host a campus web service providing classroom discussion forums and student chat rooms.  I believe this is an effective instructional tool but it is also limited. If classroom discussion was available on social media platforms, curriculum topics could include global perspectives and experiences.  Yes, some course material is more sensitive and should be held within the course web service, but other topics could simply contribute greater social benefit and a more robust learning experience. For example, I often invite guest speakers to visit my course and interact with my students.  Not only do my students gain from the guest speaker’s contributions, but through their interaction and discussion, the guest speaker benefits as well. Many times I have been told that the college student perspective has led to a change or update in the guest speaker’s profession.  For instance, during one of my law and ethics courses, our guest speaker who is a State Senator said that their engagement with my students was a good opportunity to interact with their local constituents and had gained from my student’s opinions, experiences, and perspectives about legislative issues.  In fact, the Senator was also inspired to try a new direction with a campaign strategy.

This got me thinking, if interaction between my guest speakers and my students was so beneficial for all involved, how could I promote these benefits on a larger scale?  How could I encourage a more effective partnership between my students and other resources outside of academia? What I have begun to practice and what I recommend other faculty to investigate is the use of Social Curriculum.  Social Curriculum is a web-based interactive learning environment used for course assignments. Twitter and blogging are two specific Social Curriculum tools that stimulate interactive discussion, build professional networks, and prepare our students as responsible digital citizens. One instructional tool that faculty can use includes a Twitter hashtab for a Tweetchat.  This application is free and provides a forum for real-time conversation that can connect guest speaker(s) to students.  It provides a forum for interactive, current, and ongoing discussions.

Another example of Social Curriculum includes the use of Blogging.  This social forum provides students an outlet to creatively express their responses to course topics either on their own blog website or on a course blog website.  This helps to engage student interest while making connections between course content and practical application. It also allows students to gain from other professionals and scholars in their discipline. In the very least, regardless of the course subject, faculty will be encouraging responsible social business skills.  As we develop Social Curriculum, faculty are preparing students to be responsible digital citizens in a social media culture.

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The Social Network Equation

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[tweetmeme source="drtaramdent"] In Higher Education, researchers like to measure everything. Quantitative or qualitative, we are interested in what works, why it works, how it works, and how it could work better.  As an educator, regardless of academic position, social business presents opportunity to promote accessible, quality education. There are almost infinite ways to use social business to achieve social benefit education.  Many of these ways will be discussed in proceeding blogs and video blogs.  But before we dive in, this discussion introduces the fundamental relationship of the what, why, and how of social business and Higher Education.

SP = I (R/V)

The Social Network Equation states, “Social Power is the amount of influence created by one’s reach and visibility” Tara Madden-Dent.

SP: (Social Power) the measurable influence an individual has within social business.

I: (Influence) the intended or unintended impact of an individual’s social business actions on others

R: (Reach) the sum of all social networking connections linked to an individual

V: (Visibility) the level of social media exposure and search engine rank of a social object.   [A social object is the searchable and sharable product or value in the form of a document, audio, video, pictures, presentations or link. (Simmons, 2011)]

I believe that a positive correlation is found between Social Power and social responsibility.  As Social Power increases, so does social responsibility.  As social business continues to redefine the world as we know it, we will see greater emphasis on social media regulation and accountability to structure social responsibility.  Measurement and analytics will be able to describe and infer relationships we never knew existed (probably because they didn’t) and predict how social media will be structured.  Social business analytics and measurement tools can quantifiably discern each variable within the Social Network Equation.  The breakdown of one’s Social Power (SP) will suggest how and what is effective (or not effective) in the reach (R) or visibility (V).

Student Affairs, Residential Life, Recreation, Faculty, Administration, and other campus networks can increase their impact to provide accessible quality education.  Remember, social business in Higher Education is for social benefit.  Identify what is working, why it’s working, and how to make it better by understanding that your Social Power presupposes high influence from network reach and content visibility.

Please use your Social Power responsibly.

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Social Business in Higher Education: Increasing Faculty Competitiveness

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[tweetmeme source="drtaramdent"]

A PhD is one thing, publications and grants are another, but what more can faculty do to increase their competitiveness in today’s international Higher Education market?  One effective strategy includes virtual marketing, networking, and publication known as Social Business. Social Business is a cyber market which provides an international platform to promote a product or business for social benefit (Simmons, 2011; Yunus, 2007).  Faculty can use Social Business practices to establish their value by marketing themselves as a personal brand while contributing new research (Evans, McKee, & Bratton, 2010).  An effective personal brand can be established through blogging, tweeting, a Google+ profile, a personal website, a professional Facebook profile, and other social media for business (Simmons, 2011). Social Business also allows faculty to publish and disseminate research faster, reach larger audiences, engage in worldwide educational dialog, and reinvent virtual delivery methods of classroom instruction while promoting their professional skills and achievements.

Higher Educational leaders should consider using Social Business strategies to become more competitive by increasing their rate of publication, curate data amongst other educational leaders, and build a personal brand.  Inbound marketing and blogging are metacognitive activities which contribute towards better publishing and instructional skills (Livingston, 2003). Employers, scholars, and students gain better access to faculty professionalism and academic contributions through the use of Social Business. The prevalence of Social Business will continue to demonstrate its usefulness within Higher Education’s faculty community and institutional practices (Kelm, 2011). I recommend that faculty learn responsible and professional Social Business skills in order to lead our digital citizenry within an international cyber culture.

Educational Leadership Administration has the responsibility to stay abreast to technological advances which influence our industry. We have the duty to master and lead effective educational Social Business strategies.  Higher Education’s increasingly capitalistic market suggests that faculty's effectiveness will be held more accountable and will be made more public via social media. We will continue to witness how faculty’s value will be considerably based on the impact, output, influence, and recognition of their overall personal brand.  Faculty can use Social Business to create a website portfolio showcasing their personal brand to increase their competitiveness and global recognition.

If you are faculty, Google yourself. What do you find? You have the power to construct an international image and personal brand to promote your research and professional status.  Social Business is a proactive technique enabling you to succeed in a cyber culture by competing in an international academic market.

References

Evans, D., McKee, J., & Bratton, S. (2010). Social media marketing: The next generation of business engagement. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Kelm, O. R. (2011). Social media: It's what students do. Business Communication Quarterly. 74(4), 505-520.

Livingston, J. A. (2003). Metacognition: An overview. Retrieved from http://1.usa.gov/zMT9ok

Simmons, B. L. (February, 2011). Social media for business. Retrieved at http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2011-02/social-media-for-business/

Yunas, M. (2007). Creating a world without poverty: Social business and the future of capitalism. Philadelphia, PA: Public Affairs.

Image: By cybernetikz.com retrieved from http://bit.ly/yPK8MO

Publish or Perish

Is it not the responsibility of educational leaders to foster and facilitate a prepared faculty workforce, equipped with the skills to thrive within Higher Education?  Competing for grants, promotion, and professional recognition through publication is a required skill for successful faculty.  So how can educational leaders more effectively prepare faculty to publish?  The answer is by promoting graduate student publication.  The “publish or perish” environment of Higher Education presupposes an academic’s ability to construct, submit, and defend written positions, expanding preexisting research and theory.  Significant pressure has been placed on faculty to regularly produce scholarly publication and yet, only a small percentage of academics are actively publishing.  Graduate students fluent in writing and publishing scholarly articles have the necessary skills to consistently publish as faculty.  Implementing publication workshops into Educational Leadership graduate programs will increase graduate student publication rates and thus foster a better prepared faculty workforce. Graduate Publication Workshops within Educational Leadership graduate programs are an effective strategy to increase publication rates.  I recommend including writing workshops, publication mentors, and peer co-author collaboration within the workshops to promote a culture of publication amongst all program stakeholders.  I also recommend that graduate students published online via social media.  Create a blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, or other social networking account to share research and academic content. This will promote writing and research skills while increasing student competitiveness in today’s Higher Education market.

Research and publications are directly linked to grant and funding opportunities, promotion and tenure, and faculty property interests; therefore Educational Leadership Administration has the responsibility to prioritize frequent publication amidst its graduate students.  Establishing a structured publication preparation system within Educational Leadership graduate programs will better introduce novice authors to the publication process, increase student publication output, increase graduate student competitiveness, and ultimately generate a greater publishing faculty workforce.

But I Have A College Degree....

A student of mine approached me this week seeking advice on how to increase her professional competitiveness.  I asked her what skills she possessed and her response was simply, “Well, I’ll soon have a college degree”. Her response is quite common amongst students.  Why is a job expected or entitled after graduation?  It has been said that a college degree is now considered the new high school diploma.  This means that the majority of applicants out in the market already have a college degree, thus making a college graduate more generic.  It certainly doesn’t guarantee anyone a job after graduation.  Often times, employers complain that their “educated” new hires lack basic qualifications and struggle to keep up in today’s evolving business climate.  So what does it take to stand out from the hundreds of other applicants?

I recommend that students have an extra talent or skill before graduating to set them apart from their future competition.  There are a couple skills which do that.  The first skill is to learn a second language.  Globalization offers you great opportunity to succeed in many industries, presupposing you have the ability to communicate with different cultures.  If you want to be the most competitive and desired applicant or qualified employee, know a second language.

Another skill is customer service which should incorporate cultural competence.  As our planet blends into one big melting pot of nationalities, ethnicities, languages, religions, and beliefs, you’re ability to communicate and build relationships with people very different from yourself, will lead you to larger networks and therefore more opportunities for success.

Lastly, become technology savvy.  I know this skill can be scary and intimidating for many of you but it is necessary for most careers.  Even competence in basic computer programs will increase your worth as an employee.  In the next few years, our world will experience significant change due to technological advancements. For example, social business is a force moving at immeasurable speeds that everyone can benefit from.  Don’t fight it or avoid it, understand it and master it.  Only a small percentage of people use social media and social business in its most effective measure.

Within the next few weeks, I will invite industry leaders within Higher Education, Social Business, and Cross Cultural Education to join me via video blogs to contribute towards our conversations regarding how these skills can increase your competitive edge within our global market.

To Teach or Not to Teach

If qualified teachers are leaving the industry and college students change majors to abandon their goal of teaching, won’t the demand for qualified and experience educators significantly rise in the near future? Yes.  Schools, colleges, and universities will be searching for teachers and professors to fill future positions created by those who have left, opted out, or retired.  If the qualified applicant pool is shrinking, then aspiring teachers or experienced teachers who remain in the industry will soon be in demand.  Don’t be afraid of change. The teaching industry must evolve for it is dependent upon advances in research, technology, and the continuous changes of societal needs. The good news is, we will find that these changes will create new job positions, new programs, and new classes; thus requiring the employment of more qualified teachers and administrators. The supply and demand relationship will soon be in the favor of the professional who advanced their education and experience during this recession.

I encourage those working on becoming a public educator or higher education professor to stay the course.  This is the time to invest in yourself.  As the economy struggles to recover, pursue another academic degree or educational skill for that extra competitive edge.  I suggest becoming fluent in an educational IT application, learn a new language, enroll in Graduate School, or complete a new certificate.  With these skills, you will soon find a world desperately needing your services. 

Education has become a global industry, interconnected by a limitless and evolving curriculum, online education, study abroad programs, private and public schools, vocational institutions, and a domestic and international need for qualified educators. Be steadfast, market yourself, and we will once again embrace a thriving profession.

Welcome To My Blog

My purpose is to facilitate effective learning and preparation for you to thrive in a competitive global market. As a University instructor, researcher, published scholar, and lifelong learner I am fascinated with the most effective ways to prepare successful students, faculty, global business leaders, Expatriates, and Expatriate Families for international success. All realms of life are interconnected on the global scale.  Business, religion, environment, politics, education, and public health are industries which you have power to influence and manipulate.  My blogs are a continuous and interactive discussion on how you can be better prepared for professional success in today’s competitive global community. Let's expand my blogs to discuss how higher education, social business, cross-cultural training can synergize resources to accomplish a common goal. 

After years of experience in Higher Education, I investigate how the most effective instructional models can be applied in business to enhance the efficiency of professional development.  Regardless if you’re a college student or business professional, you will benefit greatly by expanding your capacity to learn, develop, and adapt in our evolving world market.  Break through the limitations which restrict your potential for achievement by joining me as I introduce strategies and concepts to improve your domestic and international success.  I look forward to getting to know who you are, your business strategies and ideas, and how we can work together to improve our professional standing.

"As a lifelong learner, I will be a better version of myself tomorrow than I am today.” Tara Madden-Dent