Episode #174: Will Patch on Digital Enrollment and Marketing Trends in 2023

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Welcome to another great episode of the podcast!

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Our guest for this episode is Will Patch, Senior Enrollment Insights Leader at Niche who shares insights that empower higher ed institutions nationwide to better personalize and differentiate their student recruitment. Will also discusses the top trends he sees coming this year as well as his take on the impact the enrollment cliff will or won’t have on institutions.

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Music by pond5.com

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4 Tips to Prepare for Post-Grad Life

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Whether you’re a student on the verge of finishing an undergrad or graduate education, preparing yourself for the real world post-grad is the first step toward shaping the direction of your adult life. While leaving the comforts of college can often be unnerving and a bit intimidating, it’s a necessary leap for making the transition into the rest of your life. In this instance, setting yourself up for success means beginning to prepare well before you finish classes. As you approach the finish line for graduation, here are some tips to help you best prepare for the rest of your life post-grad.

 

Build a Network 

Whether you’re searching for a job or already in the workforce, knowing the right people is key and can open many doors for your career. Your network can consist of friends, colleagues, professors, past professional relationships, and more which serves as an invaluable source of information and opportunity for your personal and professional development. 

Building a strong network while still in college will only stand to benefit you in future endeavors. You’ll want to foster healthy relationships and keep in touch with those people along the way as you never know who may be a resource for you. In the same vein, you may be useful to others within your network who might return the favor down the road.

While still in school, joining certain clubs and student organizations can help you to grow your network aside from building relationships with your classmates and professors. As you inch closer to graduation, looking into your college’s alumni network is the next step toward expanding your network. This will allow you to reach out to those who’ve followed the same educational path as you but have since gone in many different directions in the real world. Alumni networks can be some of the strongest in the professional sphere, and people are often more than willing to assist in providing guidance for prospective graduates – even using their connections to help you in many cases.



Prepare Your Resume 

In the corporate world, one of the most foundational aspects of your professional life is your resume. While a proper resume is the first step towards securing great job opportunities, a poor resume can close just as many doors. Keeping a solid, updated resume as you juggle everything that college life throws your way is easier said than done but will go a long way towards a more polished and less stress-inducing product later on – as you may struggle to remember all your accomplishments post-graduation.

There’s no one “right” way to format a resume, but the two essential functions you will want your resume to exemplify should include being informative, while also making you stand out amongst other prospective candidates. To help you get started, a quick online search can provide many tips and insights for college students tailoring their resume. 

Basic elements to adhere to are keeping it to a single page, ensuring proper spelling and grammar and maintaining uniformity in formatting. You can take things a step further and elevate your candidacy by tailoring your resume to each different job you apply for, using your various accomplishments to highlight your fit for the role. Taking the time to prepare an excellent resume will provide you with the confidence to seek better job opportunities while differentiating yourself from the rest of the competition. A solid resume and adherence to insightful job hunting tips are great ways to prepare yourself for the employment market.



Shore Up Your Finances

Regardless of where you lie between your collegiate and adult lives, your financial health remains of utmost importance at any stage. Although each college student has a different financial standing, virtually everyone encounters stress when managing money at this pivotal point in their lives. Aspects such as debt and your credit score will continue to affect your life long past graduation. For this reason, taking charge of your financial situation sooner as opposed to after graduation is very important. Doing so makes for a much more seamless transition into life after college.


A great place to start is by conducting a self assessment of your personal finances. By doing this you’ll gain a much better understanding of your monetary situation and can make more informed decisions about your future. As many in college are plagued with student loans and other debts, this should be a major point to focus on. Set yourself a budget and stick to it, focusing on paying down your debt or in some cases, seeking outside resources for managing debt. Your credit score is also extremely important – not only for while you’re in college, but for the rest of your life. For example, there are certain credit score qualifications for buying a home, approval for loans, car leases, rentals, and more. You’ll want to keep an eye on your credit score and continually look to improve it by maintaining best practices such as keeping a strong credit history and low outstanding debts if possible.

Practice Mindfulness

While the lead up to graduation is an exciting time in every college student’s journey, it can also be a major catalyst for stress and anxiety about what comes next. Your mental health is equally important to your physical wellbeing, so taking a proactive approach toward reducing the effects of this stress is crucial to keeping a healthy mind.

In this case, practicing mindfulness means choosing to focus on all of the positive things in your life that have gotten you to where you are – rather than letting the fear of the unknown dictate your approach to the transition into post-graduate life. It’s important to celebrate your successes and the wisdom you’ve gained along the way without giving much thought to any instances of failure. 

Your graduation from college may seem like a routine part of life but it’s really the culmination of all of your educational pursuits. During this time – remember to relax, be humble and appreciate all of the people who have helped you get this far.

Fun Ways To Make Your Campus Office More Personal

Whether you have the much-coveted corner office with a window, or you’re stuck in the broom closet, personalizing your office on campus can be beneficial in many ways. Indeed, not only are you likely to feel more comfortable and motivated in your space, but it can make it easier for students and parents to approach you, and break the ice too. With that in mind, check out our five top suggestions for personalizing your office on campus. 

Art, Movie, and TV posters

One of the best ways to add a personal touch to your office without breaking the bank is to use posters. After all, they are relatively cheap, even when they come framed and you will have a massive selection to choose from. 

Popular choices include famous or favorite art pieces such as Monet’s water lilies, which can add a sense of serenity and calm to your space. Movie and TV posters are a great idea too, especially as they immediately show your office visitors the genres you like, which can be a great way to start a conversation and find common ground. 



Toys and collectibles 

If you think toys and collectibles are just for kids, then it's time to think again. Toys and collectibles are now big business, and many adults are using them as a fun way to add color and texture to their surroundings. 

Some of the most popular options include Pops which are large-headed vinyl figures that come in characters from just about every franchise imaginable from Parks and Recreation, To Aliens, To Harry Potter, and even the British Royal Family! 

Then there are lego mini figures which similarly come in a wide range of options including many of the most beloved Marvel characters such as Spiderman, Thor, Vision, and Ant-Man among others. 

You can even get Custom Lego Minifigures for characters where there is not yet an official option. So no matter who you want on your shelves in your office you will be able to find the perfect figure. 



Art done by your kids 

Another great option that can help personalize your office is artwork done by your children, or nieces and nephews. Indeed, the children that made them will be delighted to know that their work has pride of place in your office. While seeing such pictures can help remind you of your motivation for working, as well as give you some perspective when you are having a bad day. 

Also, as students and parents come to visit you and see your kids' artwork displayed it can help to remind them that you are a rounded individual too, one that is approachable and that has a life outside of work, and with feelings. 



Cards from previous students 

Last, of all, it's always nice to display thank you cards from previous students. Not only do they help brighten the place up a bit, but they will also remind you that the work you do in higher education is both worthwhile and appreciated. 

Indeed, when faced with a particularly challenging student or situation being reminded of your previous successes can be invaluable, and help encourage you not to give up when things get tough.

What Do You Need To Do Before You Start A Business

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Even though no two businesses are the same, there are some steps that all entrepreneurs and would-be business owners must take before they can open their doors. Read on to find out what some of these steps are. 

Photo by Christina Morillo

 

Write A Business Plan 

A business plan is an important document that helps turn a business idea into a real one. It walks you through each step of setting up and running your business by telling you what steps you need to take to start and grow your business.

A business plan can also help you get money for your business. Before investing, investors and banks usually want to see a well-researched, detailed business plan. It lets them know how you run your business and your cash flow projections, so they can figure out if their money will be worth it.

A lot of business owners think that you write a business plan once and never look at it again. But it's a living document that needs to be looked over and changed often. As your business grows, you may want to add a new way to make money or change your goals. Your business plan should take this into account.

When writing a business plan, you need to include things like an executive summary, a description of your business and any products or services you offer, a market analysis, and financial projections.

 

Get A Degree

Degree programs can help you get better at what you do, learn more about your field, and advance your career. Degrees can be especially helpful for people who want to start their own business because the right degree can teach them important lessons, help them learn more about business, and give them good advice, as William Montgomery Cerf can attest to. By looking into the degrees and other educational options available, you can make a decision that helps you reach your business goals.

 

Define Your Target Market 

Trying to please everyone doesn't please anyone. You need to think about the people you want to reach and build your website and marketing campaigns around them. Making one or two customer personas can be very helpful.

Do market research to make sure you are going after the right people. Send out online surveys, talk to your customers through social media, and hold focus groups.

The only way to give people what they really want is to figure out what they want. Include your ideal customer in the development of your business, and keep testing, testing, testing.

Once your business is up and running, talking to your customers will make them feel like they have a say, build loyalty, and, if you're lucky, make them more likely to tell their friends about you.

 

Estimate Your Startup Costs

Many people who want to start their own business guess wrong about how much money they need. If you spend more than you planned and don't make money right away, you may not be able to pay for things like rent or supplies that your business needs. If you don't spend enough, you might lose the chance to succeed. It's a great skill to be able to save money. But sometimes, you have to put in more money to give your business a chance and get a return on that money.

 

Once you have a business plan, you'll know how much money you need to start and run your business before you start making money. Then you can start thinking about how you will pay for your business. Think about whether you can pay for it yourself or if you need a startup loan or investors.

How To Succeed When Opening Your Own Business

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Starting your own business can transform your life dramatically. However, it can take years of hard work and dedication to develop a name for yourself in your chosen industry, and it’s not easy to turn people into valued customers that can support your efforts by spending their hard earned cash. 

You risk losing time, money and energy if your plans do not come to fruition, so it's vital that you can increase your chances of achieving success. Fortunately, there are several simple steps that you can follow to help put your new business on the map, and it couldn’t be easier to get started today. 

So, what are you waiting for? If you would like to find out more, then simply read on to uncover some of the best suggestions that will help you to master the art of starting your own business! 

Image Source - Pexels   


Come Up With An Original Idea

Failing to come up with a new, innovative and original idea could put an end to your business dreams before they've even had a chance to begin, as you simply won't be able to make a healthy profit on an idea that is already circulating around the world. As long as your brand is able to maintain a quality unique selling point (or USP), then your chances of success will be far higher. Your business idea must answer a question or fulfill a need in order to sustain long term profit, as this way it's always going to be 'in demand'. 



Master The Art Of Marketing

Once you've been able to create a quality product or service to offer your customers, now is the time to indulge in a variety of marketing techniques to get your name on the map. You could manufacture the most unique and in-demand product and yet still not receive a single order because you didn't take part in sufficient marketing and advertising, so don’t skip over this step. Marketing your new products or services can be a little tricky, as there are just so many different platforms and pathways that you can look into - for example, what is OTT when it’s at home? However, contacting an expert to help you with your advertising goals can often be the best solution.



Hire A Talented Team

It's vital that you can take the opportunity to hire a talented team to support you in your quest for profitability and success, as you need to be surrounded by skilled staff who have experience.  Finding the right candidates for your company needn't be hard, as you can approach a dedicated employment agency with your role and they will help to match you up with a few potential candidates that you can interview to make a final decision. Always take the time to add a minimum qualification level to your available job role when seeking a new employee, as this will help to avoid attracting candidates who simply don't have the level of expertise that you need to thrive.