BUFFALO, NY--(Marketwire - September 27, 2010) - Bryant & Stratton College Online announced today that the handouts and archived webinar presentations from its recent, free three-part series on career-advancement are now available online at http://online.bryantstratton.edu/webinar/. The handouts, which were originally only available to webinar participants, feature specific tips on how to get ahead in one's career and offer actionable strategies as a complement to the webinar presentations. The webinar series, which concluded on September 16, included sessions on how to jumpstart one's career, build a professional brand and build a resilient career. Kim Dority, a seasoned career specialist and author who has been writing about and teaching courses on career development for more than a decade, led the series.
"With the economy in flux, it's critical for people to think about how to 'bullet-proof' their career," said Kim Dority. "Everyone who is searching for work, or for a way to advance in their current job, faces a similar challenge: how can I make myself marketable and showcase my value to employers?"
Each of the webinars touched on this challenge. The first webinar focused on students and offered participants ways to position themselves with potential employers and job opportunities, while still in school. Some of the advice included:
- Set your personal career agenda early on. Although your goal in college is to master a specific body of knowledge (and get good grades!), you'll also want to focus on personal and professional growth. Take control of your learning path, and make sure that as you work your way through your degree courses, you're focusing as much on what will happen after you graduate as you are on acing your assignments.
- Multipurpose your course assignments. Whenever possible, use your assignments to connect with potential employers, clients and/or colleagues. Generally, people are amazingly accessible to and supportive of students doing research for a class assignment.
The second webinar provided insight into how to build a professional brand, which includes all the ways that people showcase their professional strengths, attributes, interests and experiences to the world. The webinar taught participants how to build their professional reputations and convey their value to potential employers. Some approaches, which were discussed during the presentation, are:
- Language -- Is it hesitant or confident, cold or friendly, arrogant or supportive, careless or professional?
- Clothes -- Do they reinforce the way you want a potential employer, co-worker, customer or client to think of you? Or do they tell them not to take you seriously as a professional?
- Contribution -- What projects or volunteer work have you done that demonstrates the professional characteristics you want to be known for? (These characteristics could be a commitment to community service, innovative thinking, leadership, artistic ability, etc.)
The third webinar explored how to build a resilient career. This webinar talked with participants about how to make smart choices, take responsibility for outcomes and be able to figure out the best options when things don't turn out as planned. Ms. Dority also discussed attitudes that will help build a resilient career, including:
- Expect change. Change is an ongoing part of your career (and life); don't waste energy trying to resist it.
- Become more of a risk-taker. Focus on those risks that are smart in terms of your career, and risks that have results you can manage, if things don't turn out as hoped for.
- Understand that it's okay to fail. Failure is an indicator that you're trying to grow and accomplish new things, rather than something you should be ashamed of.
"We received such positive feedback from the webinar participants that we wanted to make the handouts and presentations available to anyone interested in career development," said Scott Traylor, Associate Campus Director for Online Education at Bryant & Stratton College. "With many people searching for work, these career-smart strategies will hopefully propel people onto the career path they have longed for."
To view the webinars, read handouts from each of the sessions and to learn more about the webinar series, visit http://online.bryantstratton.edu/webinar.
About Bryant & Stratton College Online
Bryant & Stratton College is one of the nation's pioneers in career education and is the premier provider of online associate's degrees. Bryant & Stratton College offers accredited education that upgrades student capabilities and maximizes their marketability. For more than 150 years, Bryant & Stratton College has helped students gain the career skills they need to succeed in the workplace. Currently, Bryant & Stratton College Online offers four online bachelor's degree programs, eleven online associate's degree programs and ten online certificate programs in a variety of fields including business, criminal justice, financial services, healthcare, human resources and information technology. Some online programs are not yet available in all states. Bryant & Stratton College is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Bryant & Stratton College also offers flexible scheduling at its 17 campuses located in four states: New York, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. For more information about Bryant & Stratton College and its online degrees, visit http://online.bryantstratton.edu.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Jenny Foust
Communications Strategy Group
(303) 433-7020 or (720) 244-4268