Sharing Expertise with your Prospective Student
How will you "share expertise" with your students? What will you do to let them know that they are the expert when it comes to their life?
By sharing with them my own life experiences as well as other success stories. There are no impossibles if you try
Helping your students to see that others have been where they are and succeeded through student success stories can be a powerful tool indeed, Ingrid. And sharing your own experiences can also be an effective way to share your expertise, as long as your student relates to your experience. I'm curious, what do you do, specifically, to let your students know that you believe they are the experts when it comes to their lives?
By giving them success stories from are College, explaining to them that it takes commitment to be successful in life.
I can usually find out a lot about my students through our coversations, they obviously as discussed in the lesson are the experts in their own lives. So by letting them share with me I can provide solutions and back them up by sharing my experiences and my past student experiences.
Sharing success stories with your students is a great approach, Tito. Not only can these stories demonstrate your expertise, but they can also help you increase professional credibility. How do your students typically respond to the success stories you share?
You're absolutely right, Jesus. Our students are the experts when it comes to their lives. I get the sense that you make sure to acknowledge this through your conversations, would that be right? It's really special when you open yourself up to your students experiences because many times you find that you have more in common than you think! Once they have shared with you, how do you work with them to generate solutions that will meet their needs?
You can learn a lot from talking to your prospective student. Since they are experts in their lives they will usually tell you what they need through the Q&A portion of the interview. This enables me to provide solutions based on their needs. You can also share personal experiences or examples of other prospective students who may have had similar challenges and/or successes.
I will "share expertise" with prospective students by listening to them. I cannot share or assist them at all until I know what there needs, wants and desires are. This process of listening may take a while and should involve asking questions which may help the student to go beyond the surface. Once I have listened and helped the student uncover their true motivation and potential challenges, I will continue to have a conversation with them to see what options are available in their lives. I would then begin to share with them information about the college or program and have them decide if it would be beneficial to them. By allowing the student to express their needs and decide if the education with be a solution to their problems or help them reach their goals, I am showing them that they are an expert in their own lives.
Thanks Jamie. This is great and what a great way to put it too! You can share with your student in a personalized and tailored way once you have built rapport with them. It sounds like you have this part nailed down. How successful has this tactic been for you?
This tatic has "made" my career in the education world. I was ranked #1 for the college I work for in fiscal year 2011. I was completely new to the education industry but I came in and learned how to deal with our students on an ethical/personal level. I find great joy in helping individuals change their lives and the legacy for their family.
Congratulations, Jamie! It sounds like you focus on maintaining a healthy attitude and feel as though you get back just as much as you give in your career. Much continued success to you in the future.
It's important to let the student know that we can only help when we know what they need to succeed. It is so critical to let the student talk freely for a few minutes ( without us controlling them through questions)so we can gain a true understanding what's important in their lives and how they will make decisions about school.
very well said! As admissions professionals, we have an arsenal of tools to help, but it is only important to target their needs and provide solutions that answer these needs.
Great insight, Lori. The tools you have your disposal will only be effective if they address your student's specific needs approapriately. Learning more about your student and what he or she wants is the first step.
Excellent awareness, Lori. Allowing your students the opportunity to open up and share what impacts them on a daily basis is key to understanding what it is that they feel they need to be successful. Asking meaningful questions that offers you the opportunity explore this with your student is a great place to start.
Allowing plenty of time for the student to ask questions, and complimenting any research they've conducted. Also, offering encouragement, guidance and resources assisting in further research of their career choice, and educational options.
Great ideas, Zachary. Allowing time sounds so easy and yet we know that it can sometimes be a challenge. I get the sense that you take your role in working with the students very seriously and are trying to provide the best experience possible for them. Keep up the good work.
After a dialogue with the studemts, in the process of admissions, I try to understand what they desire and hope to achieve. I listen, support and interrogate them. If I see that the prospective is not well desided its in that moment where I believe is the right time to talk about my personal experiences, as well as academic experiences. Also how I achieved my goals; always trying to give them the tools for achievement.
Thank you for sharing your approach, Malenie. It sounds like you work to gain an understanding of your student and their "world" by listening to what they have to say and asking questions to learn more. I also get the sense that there are times when you feel it's helpful to share your personal experiences as a way of relating to your students. I'm curious, how do your students typically respond to you sharing your experiences?
