5. Marketable Skills Communication skills Interpersonal skills Problem solving skills Flexibility/adaptability/creativity Planning/organizing Team building Leadership skills Analytical/research skills
6. Test Your Professionalism Skills Asked to give a formal presentation to a very important client, I would be… A. Nervous, but confident B. Terrified, and consider quitting my job C. Not nervous at all; I can talk to anybody!
7. Test Your Professionalism Skills I do my best work… A. The day before a project is due B. The day the project is due C. The day after a project is due
8. Test Your Professionalism Skills I work best… On my own With other people With a group as long as I’m the leader All of the above
9. How Do Members Gain Competitive Edge? STEP ONE: Log in to password-protected site at my.ptk.org
10. How Do Members Gain Competitive Edge? STEP TWO: Familiarize yourself with the website
11. Components System divided into “courses”: Level Requirements Online Courseware (Videos) Electives Mahara – online or E-portfolio
12. How Do Members Gain Competitive Edge? STEP THREE: Start Level One by completing the Pre-Assessment
13. How Do Members Gain Competitive Edge? STEP FOUR: Participate in activities and complete brief questionnaire to earn points.
14. Online Courseware Examples: Good Writing in a Techno World Making Presentations Overcoming Speech Anxiety Teambuilding Critical Thinking Scholarship Application Tips
15. How Do Members Gain Competitive Edge? STEP FIVE: Write about accomplishments in online portfolio.
16. Online Portfolio Mahara offers ~ Portfolio to post writings, videos, pictures for different audiences, purposes Resume builder Blog Social networking site (think “Facebook”)
17. How Do Members Gain Competitive Edge? STEP SIX: Complete Post-Assessment. “Rinse and repeat.”
18. Let’s Review! Step One: Log in at my.ptk.org Step Two: Review the website Step Three: Complete Pre-Assessment Step Four: Complete activities Step Five: Post to your online portfolio Step Six: Complete Post-Assessment
19. Competitive Edge Timeline Work at your own pace! Use past experience for Competitive Edge activities Include other activities outside of Phi Theta Kappa
20. Five Star Member Will have… Coordinated an Honors in Action Project Completed a minimum of 6 online courseware modules A professional resume Significant leadership experience Opportunity to purchase a unique Five Star Member pin (Coming Soon!)
22. Competitive Edge Benefits ALL Competitive Edge members will have… A customized Phi Theta Kappa Experience Enhanced Letters of Recommendation Online portfolio to share with others!
23. Competitive Edge Goes Where You Go Alumni may continue to use Competitive Edge: Continue to access instructional videos Add to your online portfolio
24. Competitive Edge Questions? Email competitive_edge@ptk.org OR Jennifer Stanford Dean of Service Learning jennifer.stanford@ptk.org~ 601.984.3532
Show promo video--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBT4KP2xfPQ (Link also available on Phi Theta Kappa’ home page www.ptk.org
So why should you participate?To learn more about yourself so that you better understand your strengths and areas you need to improveTo strengthen the skills that are highly sought-after by employers and colleges alike … we’ll talk about which skills in just a moment.To build an online portfolio that you can share with others. In ONE place, you’ll be able to post your leadership and service experience, any awards or honors you’ve received, your resume, and any photos or videos that you like. You can use this online portfolio for a variety of purposes – both personal and professional. It’s also a great tool to share with those who may be writing letters of recommendation for you.
As you can see from this list, your college classes are only part of your education. Soft skills – such as oral and written communication, professional etiquette, teambuilding, critical thinking – are just as important, and can give you an edge over others. Did you know that in a survey of human resource professionals and business leaders, nearly ALL said that how professional an applicant will be on the job affects their hiring decision? Being professional means excelling in these highly sought-after skills.
BEST Answer: A) Nervous, but confident. Most of us are nervous if we have to speak in front of others. Being nervous can be a strength because you can channel that energy into doing a good job. Use that energy and fear of failure to help you prepare appropriately for the presentation so that it is concise and persuasive. Being nervous means you CARE about the outcome. And that is the first step to doing your best.
Answer: A) The day before a project is due. Hopefully this is your time to polish the final project because all necessary steps should have already been completed so you can turn in the project on time. This is NOT the time to start a project.
D) All of the above because today’s employee must be flexible in working with others. It is always important to show initiative and be accountable for your work. But there is more focus on ‘project teams’ in the workplace now and so working WITH others is essential. You cannot always lead these groups; but you can always demonstrate good leadership skills in any situation.
So how does a member participate in the Competitive Edge Program? The First Step is to log in with your Phi Theta Kappa username and password given to you via email when you first became a member. It’s the same info used for CollegeFish.org. The first visit requires that you agree to the “Honor Code” stating that your participation is an honest and accurate reflection of your work/accomplishments.
This website also gives members access to Online Scholarship Applications like the Hites and now Leaders of Promise. Be sure to look for these components—GO TO NEXT SLIDE>
You’ll see these components when you log in: An overview of the Level Requirements, the Online Courseware (instructional videos that are 10 minutes or less), Electives to choose from so that you can customize YOUR Competitive Edge Experience and Mahara which is the online portfolio. It’s very important to note that Competitive Edge includes activities that ANY member of Phi Theta Kappa -- no matter where they live -- can participate in EVEN IF their chapter is not very active. Progress is tracked through five levels. As members progress through each level, they develop more sophisticated skills which give them a competitive advantage.
The Pre-Assessment only takes a few minutes to fill out and simply asks you to evaluate your skill level on such things as setting goals, managing your time, writing, public speaking, etc. We ask this so that you can track your progress through Competitive Edge. So you’ll complete a Post-Assessment at the end of each level.
Then you’ll simply take one activity at a time ONE level at a time. To get “points” for activities, then you must complete a very brief questionnaire after each activity is completed. A couple examples of activities you might complete in Competitive Edge: attend a movie, play, lecture or exhibit related to the Honors Study Topic and provide a brief summary of how the event relates to the Honors Topic OR complete a scholarship application of your choosing. For the online courseware, you also must successfully complete a quiz about the video in order to get credit for it.
Examples of the instructional videos include good writing skills in a techno world, making presentations, overcoming speech anxiety, teambuilding, critical thinkingand scholarship application tips. Also, two videos on Professional Etiquette and the Convention presentations by Dr. Rachel Maddow and Dr. Sanjay Gupta have just been added!
Members build an online portfolio while reporting completion of program requirements. (Go to next slide)
This is where you’ll create your portfolio. You can choose different profiles so that you can share certain files with the audience of your choosing. Its main purpose is for you to be able to share in a tangible way what you have learned through your Phi Theta Kappa Experience. It also includes a resume builder and can be used just like other social networking sites such as Facebook. There is a User Manual you can access on the Mahara site that tells you how to post – you can choose to post your writings in a blog, a “view” or a file.
As I mentioned earlier, you’ll complete a Post-Assessment at the end of each level, indicating which skills you have enhanced or strengthened through your participation. Once you’ve completed the Post-Assessment for Level One, you will need to log out for the system to process your work. When you log back in, you should be allowed access to the next level.
Work at your own pace – but remember, it’s to your advantage to become a Five Star member as quickly as you can.You can use past experience to complete the activities. If you attended a regional meeting last year, then you can use that for one of the requirements or electives now.Your other leadership and service experience can be incorporated as well. We want this to be your ONE place to track all of your leadership and professional development experience!
If you reach the Five Star Level, you will have coordinated an Honors in Action Project which includes all four Society Hallmarks of Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Fellowship.You will have completed at least 6 online courseware modules, although you may certainly participate in more than 6.You will have created a professional resume.You will have record of your leadership experience and skills.And you’ll have an opportunity to purchase a special Five Star Member pin available through Phi Theta Kappa’s Recognitions Collection. (To be available later in 2010)
Will be available for purchase to Five Star Level members only.
But all members who reach ANY level of Competitive Edge – from One Star to Five Stars – will have gained a Customized Phi Theta Kappa Experience; access to enhanced Letters of Recommendation for potential employers or colleges; and the online portfolio to share with anyone you choose.
Phi Theta Kappa members all have a unique story. We want to help them tell their story… and to help them add those rich scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship experiences that add dimension to their stories … that make them truly outstanding. The best thing about Competitive Edge is that it goes with you after you leave the two-year college. You can continue to add to your online portfolio and strengthen your skills through new offerings posted in the online courseware.
