Joining the Illinois Leadership Center as a paraprofessional has provided me with tons of opportunities to work with alumni, professional staff and college students and environments to practice my leadership skills and other life skills. Through the one year working experience, I served as a student facilitator of Imprint program and the marketing specialist of 2014-2015 marketing team. Two important skills I gained and improved from the Illinois Leadership Center are: communication and professional marketing.
Working on the Imprint team provided me with opportunities to practice my communication skills. First of all, I was able to connect with different alumni about the conference. I learned how to communicate appropriately with alumni by using professional business writing. I mentioned in my Personal Development Portfolio that I want to improve my communication skill by learning how to listen to others- show respect when other people are talking. While facilitating Imprint, I exercised my listening skills by paying attention to alumni while they shared their experiences. Instead of interrupting them, I learned to wait until they finished sharing and then express my feelings about their experience.
Working on the marketing team provided me opportunities to practice my professional marketing skill. By organizing different outreach events like “Hot cocoa on the quad,” I learned how to attract public attention by using free food with our commercial printed on the cup holders. Moreover, I particularly took charge of contacting different student housing representatives for holding outreach booths in an effort to reach more students inside the residence halls. With their help, I was able to pick the best locations in the residence halls and set up our outreach booths. After implementing the “4P” strategies of marketing (product, price, promotion and place), we, as the marketing team, successfully helped the Illinois Leadership Center increase its visibility and as a result, program attendance increased.
Working on the Imprint team provided me with opportunities to practice my communication skills. First of all, I was able to connect with different alumni about the conference. I learned how to communicate appropriately with alumni by using professional business writing. I mentioned in my Personal Development Portfolio that I want to improve my communication skill by learning how to listen to others- show respect when other people are talking. While facilitating Imprint, I exercised my listening skills by paying attention to alumni while they shared their experiences. Instead of interrupting them, I learned to wait until they finished sharing and then express my feelings about their experience.
Working on the marketing team provided me opportunities to practice my professional marketing skill. By organizing different outreach events like “Hot cocoa on the quad,” I learned how to attract public attention by using free food with our commercial printed on the cup holders. Moreover, I particularly took charge of contacting different student housing representatives for holding outreach booths in an effort to reach more students inside the residence halls. With their help, I was able to pick the best locations in the residence halls and set up our outreach booths. After implementing the “4P” strategies of marketing (product, price, promotion and place), we, as the marketing team, successfully helped the Illinois Leadership Center increase its visibility and as a result, program attendance increased.