Education at Work Gives Back!

Education at Work has recently made its first successful attempts at giving back to the community.

By educationworkadmin

Published on March 30, 2015

Education at Work has recently made its first successful attempts at giving back to the community. It’s quite a sight to see when students and staff alike work together to make the community better and make Cincinnati a better place.

Special Olympics

Throughout the month of February, students and staff alike rallied to collect school supplies for the Special Olympics – Hamilton County. Why? Well, a silent auction and basket raffle will be occurring on April 11^thduring the Champion’s Ball. Organizations all over Cincinnati have been working to assemble themed gift baskets to auction off at the event – proceeds from the auction will go towards the Special Olympics and their athletes!

Education at Work students and staff got word of the event and started collecting immediately for a college student themed basket. So many items were donated that there had to be two baskets donated! There was over $375 worth of school supplies for the Special Olympics. A big thanks to all the students and staff who participated!

Shamrock 2015

Kappa Delta of the University of Cincinnati hosted their annual Shamrock philanthropy event in support of Prevent Child Abuse America and the Council on Child Abuse during the week of March 23 in Cincinnati. Education at Work had the pleasure of sponsoring their event and tabling with the sorority the entire week. Activities such as a “snacky hour,” 3v3 basketball, and a “boot kickin’” barbecue took place with all of UC’s Greek Life and the community involved.

Courtney Miller, Community Service Chair at Kappa Delta – University of Cincinnati, was the primary organizer of the event. Kappa Delta raised $11,000 last year and project to raise much more than that this year. They were ecstatic to have Education at Work make a $200 donation and participate with them throughout the week!

Check our Facebook page for the photo album to the event!

Check out our video and infograph as well!

Article by Michael Howard

The Five Feels Of College Seniors

It’s finally that time…college graduation.

By educationworkadmin

Published on March 26, 2015

It’s finally that time…college graduation. You’ve been through the sleepless nights studying, the crazy nights out with your best friends, the painful breakups, and the constant feeling of having no idea what you want to do with your life and now it’s finally here. You’re not quite sure how you feel about moving on from the college life and entering the real world. It’s nerve-wracking and scary and you don’t think you’re ready for it. But I promise you are. As the days leading up to graduation dwindle, you are probably experiencing a mix of emotions. Everything ranging from fear to excitement are on your mind. As a graduating senior at the University of Cincinnati, I am experiencing all of these emotions myself. I am here to tell you that you aren’t alone and your feelings of fear, sadness, regret, jealousy, and excitement are completely normal.

Fear

Graduating college may be one of the scariest milestones in a young adult’s life. After attending countless 8 AMs, sitting through three hour lectures, and preparing for midterms and final exams, it’s time to put all that hard work to the test in the real world. You’re spending your last few months as a college student handing out your resume to potential employers and praying they call you back for an interview. It’s no lie that the job search process is intense and there is no guarantee you will graduate with that full time job offer. The key is to stay confident and stay ahead of the game. Confidence matters, and if you believe you will succeed…you will. So the next time you don’t land the job you want or you don’t get that call back, don’t give up. Keep trying and eventually all your hard work will pay off.

Sadness

They say that college is the best four years of your life, so naturally when those four years come to an end you’re going to be sad. You’ve met some of the best friends you could ever ask for, made memories that will last a lifetime, and have grown as an individual. Now you’ll be entering a new chapter in your life and this one does not always include the people you made all of those memories with the last four years. You, along with many of your friends, will be starting careers and going in different directions. Your best friend and roommate you’ve lived with the last four years won’t be in the room next to you at 2 AM when you want to binge watch your favorite TV show and eat junk food. The reality of this is extremely depressing, but taking on this new chapter will also be rewarding and self-fulfilling. This is the time you get to put all your hard work to use and make your dreams come true. Make the most of it, because this is also a time to learn and grow.

Regret

Whether it’s that night out before your big exam or the spring break trip you didn’t take with all your friends, every college senior looks back on those four years and has regrets. Everyone says your college years fly by, but you never actually believe them till you experience it yourself. One day it’s the first day of freshman year and you think you have all the time in the world, and then BAM…you’re about to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree. You’re wondering whether you made the most of your time and if you accomplished everything you wanted to accomplish. The truth is, though, there’s nothing you can do about it now. Don’t stress over the past, look forward to the future. Set goals for yourself and reach them. It’s cliché, but you only have one life to live and worrying to much about things you did or didn’t do is a waste. Live in the now and embrace the upcoming changes in your life.

Jealousy

Some of your friends already have job offers and some of them have another year left before they graduate…and you’re just sitting here in limbo wishing you could have both. Let’s face it, you’re jealous. You wish you had the security of having a job lined up after graduation, but at the same time you wish you could spend another year living out your college experience. This is a scary time and you probably have no idea what exactly you want in this next chapter of your life. But, honestly, it’s okay to not know. It may be frustrating to see your friends receiving offer letters and other friends relaxing because they still have another year, but don’t stress your time will come.

Excitement

Amongst all the stress of applying for jobs, attending interviews and career fairs, and finishing up those last few class projects, you’re probably also feeling excited about this upcoming milestone. You’ve put forth hard work and tremendous effort into the last four years and now it’s finally paying off. There will be no more all-nighters and dreadful group projects. You will get to put all your knowledge to use in the real world…and the best part is someone will pay you to do it! Be proud of your achievements because you deserve it!

Article by Kaity Norcross

Student Success: Crista Brown

“I feel like I’m ready for anything.”

By educationworkadmin

Published on March 24, 2015

“I feel like I’m ready for anything.”

Crista Brown

Communication

University of Cincinnati

Crista graduated from the University of Cincinnati in December of 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and a Public Relations Certificate. Throughout her college career she was able to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and has successfully continued a family legacy of graduating from Walnut Hills High School and the University of Cincinnati.

Crista will continue her career journey at Paycor as a Distribution Specialist where she will process payroll for clients. Prior to working at Paycor, Crista was employed at Education at Work. Crista heard about Education at Work through a fellow church member and she applied in March of 2013. She explains that through her experience with the company she learned how to handle upset customers. Before working at EAW, she was not confident in talking to difficult customers; however, now she feels she is able to handle people with all different personality types.

She credits her supervisor for providing her with a smooth work experience and the support she needed to be successful at Education at Work. Her supervisor’s support helped her gain leadership experience and gave Crista insight on applying her studies to real life situations. Crista believes that Education at Work motivated her to do her best in school. She states that her greatest joy of working at Education at Work was being able to help an upset customer without seeking assistance from her supervisor.

She advises other student employees at Education at Work to never take customer situations personally, be friendly, and go beyond measures to make the most of their career. After graduation, Crista had earned $1,500 in tuition assistance, which has helped her mother and father, who supported both Crista and her older brother through school. Crista is a great example of a successful student employee who lived out the Education at Work mission!

Article by Kaity Norcross

5 Things HR Professionals Should Understand About Millennials

So you’re working with millennials. How exciting!

By educationworkadmin

Published on March 19, 2015

So you’re working with millennials. How exciting!

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts by next year, millennials will account for 36% of the U.S. workforce and by 2025, they will account for 75% of the global workplace. A millennial workforce can bring new technology, innovation, and creativity. As a Human Resources Generalist and a millennial myself, I observe a few things that human resource professionals should consider as they build culture and develop a millennial workforce. I currently work for Education at Work, which has more than 80% of millennial employees. As a two-and-a-half year old company, our Human Resource team encounters a lot of scenarios that has shown us how to work with this budding generation.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Millennials are sensitive about relationships with their coworkers.

Relationships with co-workers can make or break a millennial employee’s experience. On multiple occasions, our Human Resources team has helped accommodate students who want to work near peers who share similar interests or are part of a car pool to and from work. In extreme situations, we’ve also had students who want to switch programs because conflicts with schedules or peers. HR professionals should be conscious of how millennials view relationships and be prepared to help make necessary accommodations to maintain a peaceful (and professional) culture for its workforce. Additionally, they should also create a development program to help millennials strategically operate with peers they do not like,

2. Understand social media is a playground of expression for millennials.

As social media usage continues to grow, companies should prepare to deal with opportunities and risks that come from its’ millennial employees. A Leader’s West contributor notes that 73% of companies do not have a social media plan to help employees understand what they can and cannot say or do online. I believe millennial employees can be brand advocates or brand killers if Human Resource Departments do not implement clear and consistent policies. HR professionals should closely monitor social media – particularly in industries where consumer or client information can be at risk in order to intervene to dissolve compromising situations. Employees should also have an opportunity to participate positively in social media. It is up to HR to help resolve internal issues and provide support for millennial employee concerns because social media can (and will) be a place of refuge to be heard and place a spotlight on any unsolved internal business.

3. Be open to alternative ways to communicate with millennials for faster response times.

Voicemails are a thing of the past. Emails can be viewed as spam or be checked by a recipient weeks after being sent. When I was tasked with ensuring students completed forms to receive tuition assistance, I faced the challenge of communication. All traditional modes of communications delayed the process, as students were actively involved in school, at work, or in other organizations and often missed or forgot to respond to my email or call. After experimenting with text messaging, I found a faster response time and was able to process paperwork more efficiently to help disperse tuition assistance to universities and lenders on time. HR professionals should always review trends in order determine the best mode of communication for millennials employees.

4. Don’t cry if millennials speaks their mind without a filter.

Millennials are not shy about expressing their feelings in a work environment. I’ve often been taken back by my peers through interactions, because transparency and acknowledgement of emotions are important to millennials. Sometimes, conversations are not always comfortable, but I’ve learned that certain types of feedback and ideas can help an organization flourish. It is important to distinguish when millennial employees are just complaining and when millennials are seeking a change – for the better. However, if a millennial employee speaks with arrogance or without a filter, be firm and set guidelines for expectations so that conversations are easier to approach.

5. Peer mentorship is another form of validation for millennials.

I’ve seen a growing number of my peers and employees seek peer mentorship. Millennials often look for others in their generation who may be at a different level of their life to help them gain direction and provide validation for the things they are currently doing. Human Resource leaders should identify millennials who need guidance and pair them with other millennials who may have overcome similar barriers or can help empower them in the workplace.

Article by Shannon Lee – for original link, click here

Quarter Life Crisis

As I finish my last semester as an undergraduate student, I take another step closer towards my goal.

By educationworkadmin

Published on March 17, 2015

As I finish my last semester as an undergraduate student, I take another step closer towards my goal: graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Communications. The classes I’ve taken have provided me with tools to use in my future career, but classes didn’t prepare me for the anxiety and fear that plagues my mind as graduation day looms closer.

When my friends and family questioned what plans I had for the future, I was left feeling scared, anxious, and unsure. I began to question and reflect on my decisions and compare myself to other people. As I watched other students discuss their future dreams and goals, I couldn’t help but feel as if I was being left behind. I was a woman about to graduate from college, and I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until I began to do a bit of research on my problem that I later discovered there were others struggling with the same problem: quarter life crisis.

My anxiety, questions, and fear about my future were symptoms of a quarter life crisis. Unlike a mid-life crisis, a quarter-life crisis usually occurs during your late teens to early thirties. Some symptoms of a quarter life crisis can include feeling anxious or scared during the transition into adulthood.

Despite the fears and confusion about my future, I felt reassured knowing other college students struggled and were asking themselves the same questions: What do I want to do with my life? What kind of impact do I want to leave on my community? What do I want to be remembered for?

I had come to learn and accept that it’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do after graduation, or if you don’t have everything in your life planned out. As long as you have goals and dreams the rest will follow.

Article by Patrice Thompson

Motivate Millennials: 3 Recruiting Tactics That Grab Attention

It was a frigid day in January. Braving the cold, I bundled up and headed down North Capital in Washington D.C.

By educationworkadmin

Published on March 12, 2015

It was a frigid day in January. Braving the cold, I bundled up and headed down North Capital in Washington D.C. to grab milk – my breakfast was lonely without it. As I headed into the store, my phone rang. It was a familiar number from an old boss. After I greeted him and exchanged hellos, he asked, “How would you feel about changing the student debt crisis?” The $100,000 student debt I owed from George Mason University immediately flashed through my mind as I made the decision to move halfway across the country to embark on an opportunity to make a difference – an impact on student debt.

When I arrived at Education at Work, a nonprofit outsourced contact center that helps college students pay for their tuition, I found a medley of 200 students working as customer care representatives. The hustle and bustle of the company was faster than the speed of light – the company received new business and the number of student employees were expected to double (this was my job).

What my team and I quickly learned about the workforce was although students were willing and capable to work, most were not taking advantage of the tuition assistance provided. To address this issue, we realized that we have to change our strategy by focusing on recruiting millennials from four-year accredited institutions who are fully invested in our mission and would seize the opportunity to pay for school through tuition assistance.

Here are a few of the ways we reached them:

1. Show millennials you care – every time

Millennials want to know the company they are working for cares for them. To do this we brought Education at Work to them. We engaged students in front of classes, organizations, and student unions. More importantly we held on-campus interviews, letting students know that we understand they are students. By bringing interviews to students for their convenience, it allowed us to broaden our candidate pool. Eventually, we even learned that specific student-demographics fit job profiles. For example, we found students who loved to problem solvers in university psychology clubs, which was a perfect match for one of our retail programs.

2. Socialize through channels millennials enjoy

We realized the power and reach of social media would allow us to reach millennials from a different capacity. Two strategies were created for social media: Twitter Takeover and Pandora ads. The Twitter Takeover gave new candidates a student perspective of working at Education at Work while balancing a class load. The student tweeters rotated on a monthly basis to allow different perspectives and personalities to be represented on the account. Pandora allowed us to create sassy, fun and upbeat ads that millennials could enjoy and relate to. This social channel became a top priority for us as we learned that streaming music is a pass time for students who are studying or hanging out with friends.

3. Promote transparency to millennials

Most millennials want to know about the highs and lows of a job before beginning to work. It has been proven that if millennials don’t like the work they are doing or the company culture, they will leave regardless of pay, benefits, or having another job lined up. We are transparent – we are a contact center and the nature of the work can be fun or sad some days.

Results are in

Due to our recruiting efforts, we managed to grow our student workforce from 200 employees in May 2014 to more 600 in January 2015. I feel proud about the impact we have made for students in the Greater Cincinnati area. As Education at Work grows, I hope that we continue to make a difference beyond the tri-state and solve student debt – one millennial at a time.

Article by Alicia Yannalfo – for original link:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/motivate-millennials-3-recruiting-tactic-grabs-alicia-yannalfo#notifications

Tips For Academic Success

As a sophomore at the UC, I’ve been able to find tips to succeed academically through my own experience and through others.

By educationworkadmin

Published on March 10, 2015

As a sophomore at the University of Cincinnati, I’ve been able to find tips to succeed academically both through my own experience and through others and if your GPA isn’t up to par, you’re limited on opportunities. Here are some tips and habits to keep in mind that can improve your grades:

Time Management

One thing that I’ve struggled with in the past was time management and procrastination, which had a huge effect on my grades. I found a YouTube channel: LongCityBeach, which is actually a college course that posts lectures on improving your grades (I know, “exciting,” but bear with me). One lecture went in depth about the importance of time management and making study schedules. The professor stated that on average a student should be spending about twice the amount of credit hours on studying per week; for example, if a person has 12 credit hours they should be spending 24 hours a week on their classwork/studying. That sounded a bit much to ask for when I first heard it but after applying this and creating a study schedule for each class, I found that I was way more prepared for tests. I know most people, like myself, can’t always fit this amount of study time in, but if you try your best to reach that goal, you’d be amazed at how much your grades improve.

Assignments

It’s really important to make sure you attempt and turn in all assignments. It doesn’t make sense to miss out on free
points even if you don’t quite understand all the material – some points are better than no points.

(This last tip kind of goes without saying, but still we as students can fail to do this):

GO TO CLASS!

Not only will going to all your classes keep you on track with what’s going on, you could be missing out on participation points, assignments and extra credit opportunities. Last semester I was doing so well with applying all the tips I learned and the improvement in my GPA was present. One snowy Thursday evening, I decided not to go to one of my evening classes because I figured the snow would only be worse three hours later and taking the shuttle would be annoying. After reviewing Blackboard a week later before the next class I discovered, to my dismay, that there was a big test I missed which completely killed my grade for that class and consequently hurt my GPA because I was only taking 4 classes. So, please, GO TO CLASS!

Article by Andrea Walker

4 Ways Millennials Are Reinventing The Workforce

Millennials are moving in and taking over the workforce faster than ever before.

By educationworkadmin

Published on March 4, 2015

Millennials are moving in and taking over the workforce faster than ever before, bringing with them fresh ideas and energetic attitudes, a diverse generation, technology savvy individuals, and a passion for their jobs. They have a drive and determination that has not been present with any other generation. The documentary, Nameless, mentions “As accountability and higher school standards have risen to the top of America’s political agenda, Millennials have become a generation focused on achievement—and are on track to become the best-educated young adults in U.S. history.” This drive, determination and passion is what makes millennials some of the most intelligent and focused persons in the workforce. Here are four awesome ways Millennials are reinventing the workforce!

1. Fresh Ideas and Energetic Attitudes

More often, Millennials are joining companies and organizations, bringing with them minds and bodies that can move faster than most other people around them. Multi-tasking is a sought over skill that employers look for when choosing to hire a candidate. About Careers says, “The ability to plan, organize, and set realistic goals to get the work done in a realistic timeframe, is most important for anyone starting a new job.” Millennials can update Twitter and Facebook, respond to emails, and manage an analytics report all at the same time. They bring with them the work hard, play hard mentality and are passionate about their careers. In an article posted onInc., author Evan Burns, founder and CEO of the Odyssey (a platform democratizing news through community thought leaders), discusses how he often sees eye rolls when people hear the saying “Follow your passion no matter what.” But Millennials actually chase it, and for better or for worse, happiness is found in the search for passion and meaning. Most Millennials have a deep understanding of this concept.

2. Diverse Generation

Millennials also have an appreciation for diversity that generations before them do not. An article posted on Live Science discusses that “They are generally regarded as being more open-minded, and more supportive of gay rights and equal rights for minorities.” And not only do they appreciate the diversity, they are the most diverse generation to date. According to The U.S. Chamber Foundation, “The shifting population is evidenced with 60% of 18-29 year olds classified as non-Hispanic white, versus 70% for those 30 and older.” Employers are seeking candidates who embrace this increasingly diverse society and use it to help grow their company or organization. Google, for example, is a company actively seeking Millennials. On Google’s website they talk about their hiring process and what they look for in candidates. Google aims to hire candidates from a diversity of backgrounds, and as mentioned before this is a quality Millennials have a passion for.

3. Open and Willing to Use Technology

Whether we like it or not, technology is taking over and embracing these advancements is a great way for companies to expand and grow. An article written onLinkedIn explains that because of current technology, companies can redefine who they are, what they offer, and how they offer it. As a result, by using technology effectively and efficiently, a company can create new products, new services, and entire new markets. The millennial generation grew up with this technology and is far more familiar with it than those of previous generations. They are open and willing to learn new things and use this technology to their advantage. There is a disconnect between previous generations and the technology of the millennial generation. This disconnect is able to be seen clearly in the area of education. An article on NACADA, talks about a gap that exists between digital learners and non-digital teachers. The article then goes on to discuss how this gap will only increase if an effort is not made to educate and promote the understanding of teaching digital learners. Previous generations did not grow up learning how to use these fast-paced advancements. Millennials utilize this technology to excel in multi-tasking and managing multiple projects at a time, a skill that is top on employers lists. (See link: About Careers).

4. Job Satisfaction is Number One

With previous generations, making good money used to be more important than actually loving your job. That does not seem to be the case with Millennials though. They have to love their jobs or they will not stay with them. T. Scott Gross, author, discusses this concept in an article written for Forbes “Everybody wants to earn a good living doing work that matters, because if you show me my time doesn’t matter, I start to think that maybe I don’t matter.” Millennials want to go to work every day and bring with them enthusiasm and passion for the position they are filling. This passion, drive, and love for their jobs is what sets them apart from the rest.

Article by Kaity Norcross

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