Course Feature: Consumer Behaviors

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

At this busy shopping time of year, let’s step back and take a closer look at the deeper motivations and societal beliefs that shape consumerism. In BUS 225 Consumer Behaviors, students examine consumer psychology and look at how consumers’ motivations, perceptions, and attitudes can shape the choices they make and their purchase behavior.

Students learn that just as there are internal influences upon a consumer, there are also group influences that shape purchasing behavior and decisions, such as the impact of life-style choices, demographics, and family. Students also look at how, from a marketing strategy perspective, consumer behavior affects the successful development of products and services that fulfill the wants and needs of individuals in the marketplace.

“Because marketing is such an integral part of the management function, students interested in gaining an overview of the influences that shape consumer behavior will find this course relevant,” says Will Trevor, faculty program director for marketing. Trevor explains that if you’re going in the field of marketing or becoming a general manager, it’s important to have an understanding of the role of the consumer and consumer thinking.

One student reported that BUS 225 “was a fun and interesting class. I have found that I find marketing very enjoyable and would like to take additional marketing classes in the future.” Another noted how enjoyable the course was thanks to their instructor: “This was the most engaged instructor that I have experienced. Every assignment received thorough feedback with great advice. I received a midterm evaluation from him that listed everything I had performed with encouraging words for the upcoming weeks…”

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this course, explains Trevor, “is in providing a current or future manager an insight into consumer thinking and the way that this influences behavior and the implications that this has for both strategy and product development.”

If you’d like to register for BUS 225 Consumer Behaviors, speak with your academic advisor today!

Utilize your notes using Mind Maps – Attention Nursing Students!!

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Reading the title, you might be asking yourself what mind maps are.  This blog post is going to cover how to effectively take notes while studying for an exam, quiz, or preparing for a paper.  For as long as we can remember, most of us have been taking notes to capture everything which makes for very inefficient notes.  Your notes do not need to contain everything, just the most important things.  If you’re feeling overwhelmed by material or not sure where to start, mind maps will be a great method to try.

If you feel that you are more of a visual or tactile learner, mind maps will be a good fit for you as it will allow you to draw connections to your learning. Watch the short Youtube video below by Carissa, a former nursing student who used mind maps to successfully graduate from nursing school.  Please note that mind maps are not just for nursing students and can be applied to any subject.

Watch Mind Maps for Studying

Please share your thoughts below regarding Mind Maps.  We are excited to hear about your note taking methods.

Savannah White, Student Success Coach
Savannah White, Student Success Coach

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

Growth Mindset

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Do You Have a Growth Mindset?

I speak with many students each day here at Excelsior College. One thing I often hear over and over goes something like this:

“I’ve always been bad at math! I’m just no good at it, and so my next course will most likely be a struggle for me.”

I think we’ve all experienced this type of thinking from time to time regarding something in our lives. Due to past experiences or beliefs, we draw conclusions that our abilities are somehow less than, and we are powerless to change an innate trait. Unfortunately, there is no room for growth in this type of thinking, and if/when we are presented with these challenges again, our mindset is now fixed.

What Experiences Are Holding You Back?

So when encountering such a statement from a student, my first question is always this:

“Why do you feel you are bad at math?”

My goal with this question is to dig deeper, and expose those past experiences and beliefs which led to that conclusion. What I often find is that there was a cause for why the student feels this way. For example, a student might tell me “In high school, I slacked off, and didn’t put much effort in, and therefore did very poorly” or “My parents often reinforced that I wasn’t smart enough to get good grades in math,” or perhaps “When I received poor grades, I stopped trying as I didn’t believe I could do any better.”

Exposing Your Growth Mindset

When breaking down why a student feels a certain way about their abilities, it almost always comes down to the student admitting they could have put more effort in, and/or that outside circumstances played a role. My aim is to expose this fact to the student.

So what is the significance in this? Well, we often have the mistaken belief that successful people were born with natural talent, that they are naturally smarter, faster, stronger. However, the greatest common denominator among those who experience success is that they exhibit a growth mindset.

A person with a true growth mindset accepts failure as part of the learning process, believes in their own ability to persevere, and that the biggest thing holding them back is themselves. Overall, they see ability as something that can be developed, instead of a fixed trait. They believe that through sheer determination, will, effort and practice, that they, too, can achieve!

I challenge anyone reading this struggling to overcome a particular obstacle, goal or challenge to take a moment to reflect. Do you experience a fixed mindset in regard to any of your abilities? If so, why do you think you feel this way? Is it really lack of ability, or maybe a fixed mindset?

Author: Chris Faulkner
Student Success Coach
Student Success Center

Photo Source: https://medium.com/@fabiosinibaldi/the-two-mindsets-that-determine-our-destinies-a3f87e6c7da7#.hh670jgai

There’s an app for that: Coffitivity

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

There’s an app for that: Coffitivity

Hello! It’s Kelli and Hannah your Student Success Coaches again with another monthly app! With the Spring I term halfway gone we wanted to share an app that can offer some helpful background noise. The app we are featuring this month is Coffitivity, a simple app that recreates the sounds and feel of being in your local café. We know it’s not always possible to get to the café, but this app can drown out any distracting noises in your home (for instance your neighbor’s dog howling all day).

This isn’t your typical white noise machine. It will literally sound like you are sitting in a café at any point in the day. Some of the featured sounds include Morning Murmurs, Lunchtime Lounge, University Undertones (for that college feel at an online school!). As Success Coaches we speak to lots of students who always tell us they like to study in cafes, so we brought the café to you.

Coach tip: use this app in conjunction with your phone’s timer to give yourself ample breaks!

https://coffitivity.com/

From your Student Success Coaches,

Kelli & Hannah

 

Five Minutes with Savannah White, MSM

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

“The lesson is to think about where you see yourself in the future and how this degree impacts that path.  If you see there are many barriers to getting where you want, a bulletproof plan will mitigate and even remove some of these barriers.  So, remember that anything is possible, should it be your priority.” -Savannah White, MSM

In my interview with Savannah White she gets real about her experience as a student at Excelsior College. Masters degree in hand, Savannah is on the fast track and is not looking back. She will be starting her new position as an Academic Advisor with a concentration in nursing and health sciences in our Student Success Center very shortly and is excited to utilize her skills as a Success Coach in this role. Read more to learn more about Savannah as you may find that you relate to her as a student yourself at Excelsior College.

Hannah Lynch: What challenges did you face while getting your Masters of Science in Management at Excelsior College?  

Savannah White: My overall challenge is motivation.  It was hard for me to see the importance of it towards the end of the degree.  I had a lot of motivation in the beginning.  Courses go by fast for eight weeks and that three week break over the holidays helped me recoup.  As I reached the end of my program I was really struggling with energy, positivity, and effort to produce quality work.

How did you push forward?

For me it was reminding myself of the benefits that a Masters degree would provide for me and what sort of doors would open up upon its completion.  Also, just know there is a means to an end, so I knew at some point in time I would never have to do this again.

A very big one is support.  I think a lot of people don’t think it is a big deal to tell others they are in school or what they are working on, or even if it is relevant.  Because I think for some it could seem random to have a conversation about being in school, or it is just expected.  But the more people I told and the more I spoke about it with them they asked me about it.  Whether it is coworkers, my superiors, they hold me accountable because they are expecting me to finish this.  It can help give you some motivation if you know others are counting on you.

What did you do to stay motivated?

This is a hard question.  Sheer determination and willpower were helpful, but I do not have a good answer for this.  I would say, referring back to support is the accountability piece.  The accountability from others is what sustained my motivation.  If I didn’t have that I don’t know if I would have finished this course.

What was the hardest part about getting your degree?

I would say maintaining my momentum.  I went straight through with no breaks and doubled up one term, taking two eight week classes.  Would I recommend this approach to others?  I’m not sure.  Because I know for some it is not feasible.  However, should you take a break there must be a plan in place for you to start again.  In terms of my motivation problem, I think that since I motored through the degree I felt burnt out a little.  Maybe if I had some scheduled breaks this last course would not have been as much of a struggle.

As a Student Success Coach at Excelsior College you help students daily making sure they have everything they need to be successful.  Did you find yourself using some of your own advice that you give to your students?

Yes. Be kind to yourself.  There will be some weeks where you will ask if it is all worth it. And there will be times when you feel very accomplished.  Remember those times.  I think there can be a stigma around not making progress quickly and that is false.  Little progress is better than no progress.  And when you feel that you are stuck remember how far you have come.

Any lessons learned?

Being busy is a myth.  You make time for what you think your priorities are.  Are there certain obstacles and challenges that prevent progress in school? Yes.  However, bulletproof plans do exist.  The lesson is to think about where you see yourself in the future and how this degree impacts that path.  If you see there are many barriers to getting where you want, a bulletproof plan will mitigate and even remove some of these barriers.  So, remember that anything is possible, should it be your priority.

Flipping the Nursing Classroom

Posted on by Nursing Staff

Caroline K. Mosca, RN, PhD

Recently I had a manuscript published in Nursing Education Perspectives in November 2017, titled “Flipping the nursing classroom without flipping out the students.” This article was based on research implementing a flipped classroom with nursing students in a traditional, brick-and-mortar setting.

A flipped classroom is student-led, with a focus on application and discussion of content. The instructor does not stand at the front of the class and present content; rather, they turn over the classroom to the students, facilitate discussion, and encourage critical thinking. It is thought to be a more effective way of learning; in a study, student course grades improved by approximately 8 points after the flipped classroom.

You may be asking yourself “How is this research pertinent to me as an online student at Excelsior College?” That’s a very good question!  These results are quite relevant to online learning because the online classroom is by nature a “flipped” classroom. As a student, you must independently prepare for weekly “class” in the discussion board. There is no sitting in the back row passively listening to the instructor review content, or waiting until the night before the exam to read the text. As you know, your evaluation in the course is dependent on your participation in weekly discussions, which requires independent preparation, extensive course participation, and thoughtful analysis of content. Your education is already student-led, and this research, along with other studies demonstrates that student-led learning environments may lead to better student outcomes.

Meet Our Advisors: Allison Konderwich – Academic Advisor in the Office of Student Success Services

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

The advisors are the main point of encouragement and support for our students.  Many advisors develop a long relationship that helps the students with whom they work through the inevitable ups and the downs of life and study.  In this article, Excelsior met with Allison Konderwich, from the Office of Student Success Services, to find out more about one of the unsung heroes who daily help give our Excelsior students the support and guidance that they need.

Excelsior: Can you tell us a little more about yourself: interests, home, favorite teams, etc?

Konderwich: I live in Albany, NY with my husband, Mike, who works in IT.  When I’m not working, you can usually find me running.  I have been a runner for as long as I can remember, thanks to my parents!  I’ve run 16 marathons, but nothing beats the Boston Marathon.  My husband is also an endurance athlete, and there is a great community of runners and cyclists in the Capital Region, so it’s become a big part of my social life, too. I’m incredibly competitive and goal-driven, so it’s fun to see how far I can push myself in my training.  I also rely on running as an outlet for stress, so it helps to keep me balanced.  We are big New England Patriots fans, so you’ll find us cheering in front of a TV, or occasionally at Gillette Stadium during football season.  I love Celine Dion and Hamilton (the musical), and love spending time with family and friends.

Excelsior: What is your role at Excelsior College and can you describe a typical day?

Konderwich: We are in the process of transitioning into our new centralized student services unit- the Office of Student Success Services, or O3S.  Up until now, I’ve been an academic advisor for students in our technology degree programs.  That position has involved both academic evaluation and academic advising, which are both incredibly involved.  In centralizing, evaluators can focus on the evaluation piece, and advisors can focus on the advising piece, which will truly allow each person to develop in their position.  I am looking forward to moving into my academic evaluation position, where my day will be centered around the evaluation of academic credit- reviewing and classifying transfer credit, completing initial evaluations, and updating student files.   Evaluators must be especially well versed in Excelsior College policy, degree curriculums, and course classification, especially as it relates to their specialization.   Beyond that, Evaluators represent the unit on committees, take on special projects, and collaborate with many other colleagues in O3S and other units in the College.

Excelsior: What excites you most about your role at Excelsior?

Konderwich: I really enjoy the problem-solving piece of my job!  Each student presents a unique case, and as an evaluator, I can review any transfer credit, consider the program of choice, take academic policies and procedures into account, and produce the best possible academic evaluation.  Every day I see something different, so it keeps my job very exciting!

Excelsior: What is the best piece of advice that you would give a student to make a success of their studies?

Konderwich: Take some time thinking about how much time you have, and what you can realistically take on in each term.   Excelsior students are driven and committed, and sometimes we focus on the end goal and don’t other obligations or life stressors into account, which can make for some challenging terms.  The main objective should be to be successful in each class, and if that means sometimes only take one course per term, then it is important to consider that.

I also recommend becoming familiar with the different resources that Excelsior College offers, and making the most of them!  If you haven’t yet, check out the Library and Career Center.  We have excellent Student Success Coaches to provide additional support if needed.  Our Faculty Program Directors across the different schools offer webinars and other ways to connect with and support students in their areas.  This just scratches the surface!  At Excelsior College, are all committed to the student, and we have the same resources and tools that most traditional brick and mortar schools offer- just ask and we’ll lead you to them!

Excelsior: Who is the one person, whether in business or from history, who most inspires you and why?

Konderwich: I’m inspired by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the first woman to earn a major party’s nomination for president of the United States.  She is brilliant, she is strong, and she stands up for what she believes in.  As a young woman, I am inspired by her tenacity.

Excelsior: What is the most memorable thing that you have ever done? And what made it so memorable?

Konderwich: I would have to say the most memorable day of my life thus far is my wedding day!  Marrying my husband, and sharing the day with so many of my friends and family was incredibly special.  In the busy world that we live in, it’s hard to get everyone together in one place, so I will always treasure that day.  Beyond that, breaking 3 hours in the Boston Marathon was special.  I will never forget running down Boylston Street to my first sub 3-hour marathon!

Course Feature: Study Great Military Leaders

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

“I would definitely recommend this course to others. Military personnel and civilians can learn a lot about leadership from this course…”

This is one student’s comment after taking the eight-week course MIL 301 Great Military Leaders. In this course, students examine the qualities of military leaders throughout history and analyze specific traits that contributed to their excellence in leadership. By so doing, students isolate leadership traits and qualities that make a great leader and then apply them to new situations. Brenda Roth, faculty program director in the School of Public Service, explains that examples of the leaders studied are from ancient history, like Sun Tzu; from more recent history, like Rommel and Montgomery; and include U.S. military leaders like Washington and Patton.

Many Excelsior students are in the military and so they would especially benefit from the course topics. Roth explains students are encouraged to write essays based a series of posed questions and to hone their research skills through a final paper on a contemporary leader of their choice.

The course is required in the Military Leadership major, but can also be considered a social science elective for “any student interested in history or military history as part of their program of study,” says Roth. “The course focuses largely on comparing past leaders to contemporary ones, and students define for themselves which leadership traits stand out over time.”

So far, students have had high praise for the course saying, “Hands down one of the best classes I have taken at Excelsior,” “I cannot think of a single thing to make this course better. It was honestly a really great experience that has forever changed my thoughts about online classes favorably,” and “I found this course to be both challenging and interesting.”

Roth reports that “this is the favorite course out of the military leadership courses for faculty to teach.” In fact, she never has any challenges finding volunteers to teach the course. “Faculty have told me that they love the students and wouldn’t want to teach anywhere else. I have faculty who are retired or still active duty and can identify with the students,” says Roth.

So, what are you waiting for? Speak with your academic advisor and sign up for MIL 301 Great Military Leaders for next term!

 

Meet Our Advisors: Dan Palladino – Academic Advisor for the Technology Degree Programs

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Academic advisors are a point of encouragement and support for our students. Many advisors develop a long relationship that helps the students work through the inevitable ups and the downs of life and study. Excelsior Life met up with Dan Palladino, from the Office of Student Success Services to find out more about one of the unsung heroes who gives students the support and guidance they need.

 Excelsior: Can you tell us about your interests, home, favorite teams, etc?

Palladino: When I am not advising, I enjoy spending time with my wife (we have been married for two years). We take walks, watch a little TV, and travel. We have also been in the process of moving into our new house. This has been a very long process; we bought the house over a year ago but it was abandoned at that point. It was built 200 years ago so we have carefully been fixing it up while not destroying its original charms. We finally moved in at the beginning of October, and it is fantastic!

When I do not have a house project, I enjoy reading, or fixing or building something in the garage. I also have a classic car that I have done almost everything to (mechanicals, welded in new floor pans, installed new convertible top, repaired the body, and prepped for paint, etc.), so I enjoy driving that in the summer months. I feel that my garage and home improvement interests pair well with advising technology students. I truly enjoy being an advisor. I originally started my advising career as a liberal arts advisor, and found it to be very fulfilling; when a position opened up to be a technology advisor, I applied. It has been a great experience to work with students in the various technical disciplines. I can honestly say that I am learning a lot about the different technology fields, from both the students and the faculty. Everyone seems friendly and happy to share their knowledge.

Excelsior: What is your role at Excelsior College and can you describe a typical day?

Palladino:  My main responsibility is to communicate with students enrolled in technology degree programs about college policy, procedure, and academic planning. These communications are typically done via phone, email, or via the My Excelsior portal. As an academic advisor, I talk to students about what is an ideal course workload given a student’s situation, how a student is paying for courses, which courses or exams a student should take each term (to ensure prerequisites are met), how long it will take to complete a degree program, or what other degree program might be a better fit. On a typical day, I take calls and respond to messages from students to discuss these topics and a variety of other items that can arise. I also do outreach for students if there is an issue with their academic status or something that needs to be adjusted in their course plan, or sometimes if I have not had contact with a student for a while. I also update student academic plans as more coursework is completed, and I work with faculty program directors as necessary to find solutions when a contingency arises.

Excelsior: What excites you most about your role?

Palladino: The exciting part for me is watching students progress through their degree program. I really like talking to a student and by talking through a problem, such as how to finish their degree in a timely manner, we hit upon a solution that both of us are excited about…In those moments, it truly feels like a connection has been made and a problem has been overcome!

Excelsior: When do you feel that you went the extra mile to help a student?

Palladino: I try to do my best to do whatever I can to advocate for a student. I had a student who was overseas. She would call to get advisement on what courses to take next before each term, and often the call would disconnect in the middle of the conversation. I would follow up via email and we would go back and forth on email for a few days to finish the planning for the next term. It took a lot of time, but she did graduate. She came to Commencement and we met! Another time I had a student who needed a second degree. He already had a degree from an institution in Puerto Rico, but he needed a technology degree for his job, and needed it quickly. The course descriptions from his other institution were in Spanish, so I worked with an advisor in another unit to translate them, then worked with my director to determine which ones could be used toward his technology degree. Then he asked if we could apply more of his credit. He provided more information on some of his courses, and I worked with the faculty program director. It took quite a bit of time and effort, but it got the student a little bit closer to his goal.

Excelsior: What piece of advice would give to a student?

Palladino: Stay in touch with your advisor to ensure that you are taking the best courses in the best order, and make sure you have time to successfully complete the course load you have planned for a given term.

Excelsior: Who is the one person either in business or in history, who inspires you the most and why?

Palladino: I don’t think I am able to narrow this down to one person. I am inspired by people who have the courage and grit to achieve success. There are many people in history and in business who I could name. Conversely there are people that I know and meet during a day that inspire me. I often get inspired and then re-inspired as I talk to students and hear the different challenges each has faced during the pursuit of their degree.

Excelsior: What is the most memorable thing that you have ever done?

Palladino: The most memorable thing I have done was when I traveled to Europe for the first time when I was 18. I went as part of a collegiate wind ensemble made up of young people from all over the U.S. I played the French horn. We traveled to several different countries and performed once or twice each day. It was memorable because it was my first time abroad and we did so many different things. It was an exciting experience!

Turkey and Career Development with a Side of Stuffing, Please!

Posted on by Maribeth Gunner

Good gravy! Why are we connecting Thanksgiving and Career Development? Well, they are both special occasions celebrated in November. In fact, all of November is National Career Development Month. Another important similarity regarding these celebrations is the perfect opportunity each offers to reflect on all you may be thankful for: supportive people in your life, good health, steady work, educational achievements, comfortable lifestyle and more.

Yet despite the mutual commonalities, there’s also a few differences between these celebrations. Thanksgiving occurs once per year, while Career Development Month highlights an evolving lifelong process. A more notable difference is the awareness of each event. Most Americans are well-versed regarding all aspects of the Thanksgiving holiday and its reverence, history, and customs. In contrast, career development does not claim the same notoriety or universal understanding of its value. Not everyone invests significant attention in the concept, and few mark the occasion on their calendars. Some people experience career development by chance, engage in it partially, or maybe not at all. Others pursue it proactively but often without a clear direction.

How would do you describe your career development? Does it deserve a bigger spotlight? Learning more about the career development process is a beneficial and empowering way to steer your career onto a path of satisfaction and success.

 

The Career Development Process

 Career development is an integral part of your lifelong journey. It includes the process of exploring, evaluating, choosing, and acting on educational and occupational roles and options as you move through various life stages. It is interwoven with your personal development and holistic; it draws upon biological, psychological, sociological, and cultural factors across your lifespan.

Although complex in many ways, there are a few basic concepts that help define the career development process and break it down into manageable steps. Here’s the four main steps in the process:

  1. Self-Assessment – identifying your skills, abilities, values, and interests to make informed education and career decisions.
  2. Career Exploration – researching key occupational areas and market trends based on self-assessment results; gaining experience in your desired field to make meaningful career decisions.
  3. Decision Making – using critical thinking and reasoning to evaluate and choose options that will establish a path/direction of your desired career outcomes.
  4. Developing and Executing an Action Plan – planning and following a series of short-term and long-term goals you have identified to target and attain your career aspirations; creating a flexible action plan to follow

The career development process is ongoing and sequential. Yet, it is also fluid, meaning you can move back and forth between steps at any time. It is important to note that because everyone has different life circumstances, everyone experiences the career development process in their own unique way. If you’re pursuing your first job, or re-entering the workforce, it might best to first conduct some self-assessment to clarify and/or confirm your direction. If deciding on a career change or job search, you may repeat all or part of the process. Or, you can begin with career exploration to discern the next best opportunity.

By taking the time to conduct a self-assessment, and explore what opportunities are available, you can determine if additional education or training is needed and target your preparation and planning. Your educational choices will influence your career trajectory. Exploring options and requirements for your field of interest will help link your academic and career goals.

In addition to self-assessment and career exploration, setting goals, making decisions, and creating an action plan are also essential elements of the career development process. Some people tend to overlook or bypass the decision making and planning aspects of the process. This is comparable to embarking on a sailing adventure in a boat without a rudder, aimlessly floating without direction. The rudder helps control the direction of the sailboat and balance the wind in the sails. Likewise, planning is an essential component of the process, and strengthens your navigating abilities. It’s worth the time and energy to consider your routes and map your course. The quality of your career development plans impacts your entire lifestyle, your self-concept, your educational and occupational choices, your social circle, and where you reside.

Be Ready for the Future

In today’s workplace changes are a constant. Chances are you will most likely refine your career direction several times during your life. You may need to re-examine your goals, and revise your career plan to take advantage new opportunities. Globalization, changing industries, and increased technology can have a disruptive impact on careers. Many jobs that exist today may be reconfigured or become obsolete in the future. For some occupational fields, there are jobs that do not even exist yet, and new jobs are created every year. You can best prepare for, and embrace, these changes by using the career development process as a guidepost when needed.

Enjoy and Give Thanks!

Whether you are in the beginning, middle, or later stages of your career, actively engaging in your career development will increase your ability to live a fulfilling lifestyle with meaningful work.

So, this November, while relishing your turkey and cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, remember to reflect on all the personal and professional accomplishments you have amassed — and those you aspire to achieve. You have the steps you need to create your own destiny. Now that is something to be thankful for.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy Thanksgiving, and a wonderful Career Development Month!

 

Maribeth Gunner Pulliam, MS Ed

Director of Career Services

 Visit the Excelsior College Career Center to access the many resources and services that can assist in every step in the career development process.

 

 

Tomorrow’s World: Challenge, Change, and Career Readiness in Logistics

Posted on by John Coy

In this series of articles titled “Tomorrow’s World,” members of the Excelsior College faculty reflect on the changes taking place in their field and consider how those changes might impact someone planning a career in that discipline.

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not represent the views or opinions of my employer.

Transportation, logistics, and operations management are at the core of the global supply chain, encompassing manufacturing, distribution, retailing, recreation, and national security industries. There is a growing demand for professionals capable of executing and overseeing the procurement, warehousing, and transporting of goods in an increasingly global market and business environment. Logistics management is the process of planning, preparing, implementing, and evaluating all logistics functions that support an operation or activity.

career readiness in logistics

Logistics Future Challenges: The Growth of Global Demand

One of the largest challenges in logistics is the current growth rate of jobs. According to the U.S Department of Labor, 270,000+ logistics-related job openings will need to be filled every year from now until 2024. These openings will keep pace with projected industry growth and equate to 2.16 million job positions nationwide. These positions fall into six separate categories, including logistics operations; industrial engineering; warehousing and distribution; trucking; freight rail; and air cargo supervisor.

The Skills of the Logistician

Maintaining the proper skill set is challenging, and for logisticians, those skills need to be able to transfer into multiple areas like air, rail, road, and sea movement. In addition, logistics professionals require skills in supply chain management, including addressing global supply chain challenges. Logistics skill sets include transportation and inventory management; transportation sector requirements (road, air, rail, water, and pipeline) and challenges; reverse and lean logistics; warehousing; distribution; logistics technology, economics, and globalization; and intermodal or multimodal movement.

 Career Readiness in Logistics

In this dynamic, ever-changing business-technological environment, there is a need for organizations to integrate business, process management, and technical skills to solve challenging logistics problems. “U.S. businesses spent $1.3 trillion on logistics-related costs to make all this commerce flow” (U.S. DoL, 2015). Moreover, the average salary for supply chain and logistics professionals has been steadily increasing and reached $115k annually in 2015 (Logistics Management 30th Annual Salary Survey, 2015). Finally, our nation’s 7,600+ educational institutions currently generate more than 75,000+ formally trained, degreed, or certified logistics workers each year. These trained workers are expected to fill only approximately 28 percent of the logistics-related job openings that are projected to be available every year (Logistics Management Annual Salary Survey, 2015).

 Certifications and Credentials of Competence

Learners who enter the workforce with industry certifications bolster their resume and present a willingness to learn more about a specific subject matter. Most industry certifications target a specific job role or skill set. Potential partnerships with notable industry associations and certifications include:

  • Institute of Supply Management (ISM®).
    • Certified Professional in Supply Management® (CPSM®)
    • Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity® (CPSD™)
  • American Society of Transportation and Logistics
    • Global Logistics Associate (GLA)
    • Distinguished Logistics Professional (DLP)
    • Transportation & Logistics (CTL)
    • Professional Designation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management Professional Certification (PLS)

Careers in Logistics for Tomorrow’s World

The demand for logistics professionals is not going away in the near or distant future. On all geographic levels, projections estimate faster-than-average growth for logistics occupations. Government-affiliated organizations list logisticians and logistics managers as “bright outlook” occupations. According to Logistics Management’s 30th Annual Salary Survey, some of these professions and their average salaries (equivalent degree-level requirements) include logistics director/manager professional ($109,760 – bachelor’s to master’s-level degree), supply chain director/manager ($114,275 – bachelor’s to master’s-level degree), operations manager ($98,235 – bachelor’s to master’s-level degree), purchasing/procurement director/manager ($85,070 – bachelor’s-level degree), warehouse director/manager ($84,730 – bachelor’s-level degree), traffic manager $69,480 – associate to bachelor’s-level degree), and coordinator/analyst ($67,000 – associate to bachelor’s-level degree).

These professions are projected to grow faster than average, have 100,000+ job openings, and are new and emerging fields. Excelsior College helps learners meet the demands of the industry with its logistics management concentration in its business program. The program prepares students in supply chain management; lean logistics; project management; quality control; and transportation, warehousing, and distribution. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that logistics jobs that require these skills will grow at a faster-than-average pace, estimating 22 percent job growth between 2014 and 2024. This growth trend reveals that it is a prime time for learners to acquire crucial logistics skill sets. Click here to learn more about Excelsior College’s Business Degrees.

 

References

Bright Outlook Occupations: Logistics. O*NET Online. http://www.onetonline.org/help/bright/

Logistics Management’s 30th Annual Salary Survey. Retrieved from http://www.supplychain247.com/article/logistics_managements_30th_annual_salary_survey

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2016). Occupational Employment Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/oes/

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2016). Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/oes/ooh/About/Occupational-Information-Included-in-the-OOH.htm/

U.S. Department of Labor (2016). Employment Trends in the Logistics Industry Cluster. Retrieved from doleta.gov/performance/results/AnnualReports/docs/2016_State_Plans/Economic_Reports/

 

 

 

Course Feature: Caring For Our Nation’s Heroes

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

In honor of Veteran’s Day, we thought we’d introduce you to a course especially designed to teach health care workers of the needs of military members and their families.
NUR 340 Caring for Our Nation’s Heroes and Their Families is an 8-week, 3-credit elective course that provides critical insights and skills that are required to assess the unique healthcare needs of the military, veterans, and their families, and ensure they receive culturally sensitive and superior health care. The course takes a deep look at the military and veteran culture, the military and veteran health care systems, veteran health care resources, and the military family. It explores veteran-centric health-related topics such as post-traumatic stress disorder, transition issues, poly-trauma, homelessness, women veteran health issues, LGBT topics, and applicable theories.
“The content on the military family is important, especially for nursing students, as nurses provide holistic care,” says Patti Cannistraci, assistant dean of the School of Nursing, who oversees the RN-BS & MS nursing programs. “The nurse is providing care for an entire family unit with the focus being the patient.”

Students needn’t be a nurse, however, to take advantage of what this course offers. Anyone with an interest in understanding military and veteran culture more deeply would benefit, says Cannistraci. “Even for students who just work alongside veterans—those students would be significantly enriched by the course content,” she adds. The course is important to nursing students, though, because it allows them to expand their thinking skills to be a better care provider to veteran patients and families.

So far, course evaluations show students have “loved this class!” and thought it is “a great course.” One student said, “I found this course to be very interesting and I found myself wanting to learn more. It is surprising that others are not wanting to learn of our military. It has to be that others are not aware of this course. This is a class I would definitely recommend.”

The inclusive learning environment may be a contributing factor to students’ high approval ratings. Cannistraci points out that veteran students are encouraged to bring their own experiences to the discussion boards. She explains, “This type of sharing can facilitate the civilian student as seeing their own world as ‘other,’ and they may begin to change assumptions as they develop a better understanding of the military and veteran culture and experiences.”
With all the discussion surrounding veteran health care, it is important that our health care workers and nursing professionals be prepared to aid this population. One faculty member who recently taught NUR 340 said, “I love this course and think that every nurse, especially those in direct care, should take this course.” So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for Caring for Our Nation’s Heroes and Their Families as your next elective!