Technology

Professional Development - Technology KG

4 Simple Reasons to Register for the SoACE Technology Boot Camp

May 31, 2019 by 0 Comments

by Danielle Golinski, Elon University & SoACE Technology Boot Camp Chair

The third annual SoACE Technology Boot Camp is quickly approaching! On Wednesday July 24 and Thursday July 25, SoACE members will connect virtually to learn how colleagues are exploring marketing techniques and utilizing technology trends in their respective spaces. We have so much to learn from each other! So, put on your comfiest of clothes, grab a cup of joe, your techiest way to take notes, and learn something new from your colleagues!

Now, why should you register for sessions of interest? Read on:

  1. It’s free! Yes, really! SoACE provides so many fantastic, fun and free opportunities to continue the learning for everyone at every stage in their professional development. This is just another great option to spice up your month.
  2. It’s convenient! Attend every 1-hour session (8 total) to fill up your afternoons or pick and choose a topic that catches your attention. And, if the dates don’t work for you, the sessions will be recorded so you can watch them on your own time. At the airport, on the beach, or at home the opportunities to watch are literally endless. Yay!
  3. Learn something new! If you have “Learner” in your Top 5 Strengths like I do, then you know how I feel about learning something new. I’m a total geek when it comes to the process of learning something new. I get excited and I get energized. Don’t you? Even if you don’t have Learner in your Top 5 you are still encouraged to stretch outside of your initial learning bubble and consider the “what if” option. If you can’t benefit directly from the content, maybe on of your colleagues at your institution or across your state would benefit. Here’s your line: “Hey Sam! I just learned some really unique program ideas at a virtual technology boot camp offered through SoACE. It was so helpful! I know that you’ve got a lot going on this summer, so let me treat to you a cup of coffee next week so that I can share with you everything I learned as I think the project that you’re working on with Joseph would greatly benefit from this new information.” You’re welcome!
  4. Support your fellow colleagues! Show your colleagues (whether you’ve met them or not) some virtual love. Let’s show up in the masses, and interact with them. Send them questions through the platform and follow up with them after to continue the conversation offline. The community of SoACE is strong and mighty, let’s continue this incredible trend! No pressure!

I’ve thought of at least 4. If you could add one more, what would it be? Technology Boot Camp registration coming soon! Keep an eye out in your email!

Questions about the boot camp? Contact Danielle Golinski (dgolinski@elon.edu). Can’t wait to “see” you there!

Technology KG

Introducing Technology Spotlight!

January 25, 2019 by 0 Comments
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Technology vendors. Just hearing that phrase can invoke concern, stress, anxiety, or even fear. Yet we know that many of them provide our offices with a wide variety of solutions and services which we can use to better serve our students and meet their career needs.

But how can we learn about all of these different tools without triggering a seemingly endless stream of phone calls and emails?  And how do we acknowledge the important contributions that vendors are making to our profession and make them feel welcome in our Association?

At the 2018 Annual Conference in Atlanta, the Technology Knowledge Group (Tech KG) hosted several sessions with our membership to better understand their needs when it comes to evaluating, demo-ing, and purchasing new software and services. One of the messages we heard loud and clear was the need for a way for our members to be able to hear from and interact with vendors, without having to get onto the sales track.

The leadership of the Tech KG considered these questions and feedback at our December and January leadership planning meetings and we are pleased to announce a new, year-long webinar series: TECHNOLOGY SPOTLIGHT.

Each 75-minute Technology Spotlight will focus on a specific type of technology, problem, or service area. The first 30 minutes of the session will be a moderated panel-style conversation where we invite the participating vendors to answer some of your most pressing questions related to the Spotlight’s topic. We will then provide another 30 minutes for up to three different vendors to do a high-level demo of their products. Finally, the last 15 minutes of each Spotlight will allow participants to ask questions about the products to the vendors.

Each Technology Spotlight will be recorded and archived to the SoACE MemberClicks website, so that you can view them anytime.

We are excited to share that for the Spring, we have the following Technology Spotlights planned:

  • March 19, 2019 at 2 p.m. (ET) / 1 p.m. (CT), we will be looking at interview technologies.
  • May 21, 2019 at 2 p.m. (ET) / 1 p.m. (CT), we will be looking at resume technologies.

This fall, we are exploring Technology Spotlights on online and virtual fair technologies, career development and learning technologies, and a Spotlight on hot technologies leading into the Tech KG Pre-Conference Session!

To help make the moderated panel a positive experience for our members and our participating vendors, we invite all members to submit their questions in advance, online at http://TechSpotlight.usfcs.info. 

If members have specific vendors, technologies, or services you would like to see covered in an upcoming Technology Spotlight, please feel free to reach out to either Peter Thorsett (pethorsett@usf.edu) or Ashley Graham Phipps (phippsac@wfu.edu).

If you’re a vendor and would to be considered for an upcoming Spotlight, please contact either Peter or Ashley.

We invite all SoACE members to join us for this exciting new program!

Watch your email and SoACE social media channels for the registration information for our first Spotlight on March 19th.

Ashley Graham Phipps
Emerging Technologies Coordinator, SoACE Tech KG
Assistant Director, Employer Relations
Wake Forest University

Peter Thorsett
Past Chair, SoACE Tech KG
Director, Strategic Initiatives, Communications, & Research
Division of Community Engagement & Career Readiness
University of South Florida

KG Spotlights - Technology KG

Spotlight on the Technology Knowledge Group

December 14, 2018 by 0 Comments

by Laura Kalb and Peter Thorsett, Technology KG Assistant Chair and Chair

The Technology Knowledge Group (Tech KG) is currently focused on helping SoACE members who have an interest in learning how to better use technology, marketing, and communications tools and resources. Many of our members balance technology and marketing in addition to their primary career services related functional area (such as career planning, employer relations, or experiential learning).

We typically host bi-monthly meetings via GoToMeeting so that members can get together and share ideas and explore these areas in a friendly environment. We also host webinars throughout the year on specific topics of interest to our membership. At the Annual Conference, you can find us at the KG introduction session, our annual membership meeting, and as hosts of special programming.

Over the past two years, we have offered all SoACE members the opportunity to participate in our Annual Summer Technology Boot Camp!  The Boot Camp is a free, two-day event featuring multiple, live webinars on a variety of topics. The sessions provide members with a great educational program, without all of the expenses associated with an in-person conference. (As an added bonus, they are all recorded and posted on the SoACE website in the member section, so you can watch them on-demand at any time!)

Joining the Tech KG gives you a place to explore new technologies and marketing ideas, connect with other SoACE members who share these responsibilities, and become a part of a community to share information and resources. Joining the Tech KG also gives you an opportunity to give back to SoACE by becoming a member of the leadership team. Currently, we have a team that includes an Assistant Chair, a Chair, and a Past Chair, as well as Coordinators for our Boot Camp, Emerging Technologies & Research, and Professional Development.

As Chair, and someone who has day to day responsibilities for marketing and communications functions in our office, I know that becoming a member of the Tech KG has given me a professional home within the Association and a team of colleagues I can reach out to with questions about challenges I am facing or to get ideas for approaching an issue in a new (to me!) way. It has also given me a chance to gain a better appreciation for my adopted profession of career services. While I have worked in higher education for more than 20 years, this is my first role within career services. The members of the Tech KG have not only made me feel welcome and connected, but have also been there to help me gain a deeper and richer appreciation for the work we do!

As Assistant Chair, I have been able to explore a part of the career services world that was outside of the scope of my first position in the field. I am introduced to new technologies, best practices, and challenges that allow me to provide insights to my office team and other colleagues in my local San Antonio area. The KG has given me the opportunity to constantly learn and build confidence in this profession, in addition to an incredible group of colleagues that answer my endless questions with a smile and work to make our profession great each day! My involvement in the KG ignited my passion for technology in higher education and provided me with the opportunity to serve as both a connector and leader. I leveraged the knowledge and skills I gained through the KG to serve as the assistant project manager for our transition to Handshake and add responsibilities involving technology to my promotion to an assistant director position.

We hope that you will consider joining the Tech KG and look forward to “seeing” you at one of our events in the near future! If we can answer any questions for you, please do not hesitate to contact either one of us directly.

__________

 

Laura Kalb
Assistant Chair, SoACE Tech KG
Assistant Director, Office of Career Services
Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success
Trinity University

Peter Thorsett
Chair, SoACE Tech KG
Director, Strategic Initiatives, Communications, & Research
Division of Community Engagement & Career Readiness
University of South Florida