Dardis Academy

What Are Employers Looking For Anyway?

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Young professionals entering the job market for the first time face the daunting task of proving to employers that they have the education, skills and potential to succeed at a position without the relevant work history.

So without a loaded resume to lean on, what are hiring managers looking for from young professionals and what will get you the job?

One LinkedIn researcher partnered with the organization Circumventure and surveyed 1,400 hiring managers from Fortune 500 countries to identify which skills and personality traits are most important when hiring young professionals. The results paint a telling picture about the importance of soft skills and the right attitude and mindset when entering the business world – all important components of the Dardis Academy training experience.

Skills

Based on the LinkedIn survey, hiring managers rank problem-solving (finding solutions when faced with challenges) and being a good learner (learning new skills quickly) as the most important skills they look for in hiring young professionals.

Most-important-skills

Personality Traits

The survey results also show that hiring managers look for young professionals that are collaborative, work hard and have a positive attitude.

Most-important-personality

The job you’re applying for will also impact the kind of skills and personality traits that you should share in an interview, as the research shows that the importance of specific skills and personality traits varies by the exact role they’re hiring for. Working toward a sales role? Focus on your oral communication skills and maintain a positive attitude. Hoping to land a marketing or public relations gig? Research shows that creativity, passion for the work and strong written communication are key.

Through Dardis Academy, students have the opportunity to learn the soft skills they need to achieve in the real world and actually apply their new skills in a six-week business simulation. When applying for their first job, Dardis Academy grads can describe to employers how the elite training experience taught them important professional communication skills and other important real-world business skills like preparing for and scheduling meetings, delivering business presentations, learning from audience evaluation and feedback and summarizing presentation takeaways.

To learn more about this opportunity to set yourself apart from the rest, click here.

Photo credit: bpsusf via Flickr

Adopting a Realistic Approach to Career Planning

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Deciding on a major and a future career can lead to sleepless nights and elevated stress levels for college students. College students need to quickly match their interests with a career path that they hope will make them happy and make choices with their time and finances that will impact them through their entire careers.

While following your heart and true passions  through this process can light a fire for a successful future, best-selling author and branding executive Dan Schawbel warns Millennials against adopting the mantra of “follow your passion’ as a career plan. Instead, he recommends that college students follow these realistic tips to developing and following a career plan:

Pick a career that matches your lifestyle.
Companies hire for “cultural fit,” so instead of applying for a thousand jobs hoping to get a few interviews, do your homework and zero in on the employers with the culture and the right amount of flexibility and benefits that work for you.

Carve out your own niche.
Clearly explain on your résumé, and during interviews, what makes you special. Be specific about what the company will gain from hiring you, depending on the types of roles you’re gunning for.

Experiment with several jobs and filter down.
Schawbel had eight internships before he graduated college. He learned about the type of company he wanted to work for, the size, and the job function—all of which helped him figure out what to do upon graduation.

Be realistic based on actual job prospects.
Think about which companies are hiring in which fields, and how your skills can fill those needs, if you want to pursue a long-term career that pays well. He recommends going to PayScale’s website to identify the salaries of jobs you’re interested in and Indeed.com to see what companies are actively hiring. Then apply for the jobs that match your skills.

“Your plan should be flexible. It will change, whether you like it or not, and you’ll need to adapt when that occurs.”
– Dan Schawbel

Schawbel’s recommendations for Millennials coincides with the Dardis mission to train students in professional communication, image and sales skills in order for them to be successful in their future careers. Through a six-week business simulation, students can apply their new professional skills while also participating in a networking event with organizations that are interested in recruiting and hiring Dardis graduates.

Click here to learn more about how Dardis can play a crucial role in your career plan.

Photo credit: Flazingo Photos via Flickr

College Students: How to Live in Today and Plan for Tomorrow

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From the moment incoming college freshman step onto campus, they enter a world where the expectations are higher. The social scene and comfort zone of high school life are long forgotten, and they must now soak in more information than ever before while laying the groundwork for a successful career post-college.

A U.S. Census report determined that 71 percent of the  19.7 million college undergraduates in the U.S. were working in 2011 and of that number, one in five undergrads were working at least 35 hours a week year-round. Combined with the pressure to have a once-in-a-lifetime college experience, students must quickly learn how to balance it all.

“When you know what you want, you realize that all there is left then is time management. You’ll manage your time to achieve your goals because you clearly know what you’re trying to achieve in your life.”
– Patch Adams

Here are five ways college students can strike a healthy balance between studying, friends and career planning:

  1. Prioritize: You will quickly learn that you can’t do it all, so list in order of importance the items that you need to complete on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Tackle the most important items first to ensure you produce your best quality work.
  2. Manage your calendar: If you didn’t learn this skill in high school, now is the time. Whether it’s a smartphone or a paper calendar, tracking your group meetings, sports practices and internship hours is crucial to staying organized now and in your future career.
  3. Take care of yourself: You’ll likely need to pull an all-nighter at least once, but overall, ensure you’re getting a full night of sleep and eating more than just take-out. When you feel your best, you’ll do your best at work and at school.
  4. Set goals: See your college experience as an opportunity to prepare for the real world in a controlled setting. Set specific and measurable short- and long-term goals, like completing Dardis’ professional training program.
  5. Indulge (within reason): All work and no play will lead to regrets after graduation. Take breaks from studying to cheer at the football game and get a few hours of extra sleep on the weekends, but always keep your focus on your goals for college and beyond.

Living in the present while planning for the future can be a daunting task for any student, but by balancing each aspect of the college experience, young business professionals will enter the real world with the tools they need to succeed.

Photo credit: CollegeDegrees360 via Flickr. 

Interns Reflect on Summer Success

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The 2014 Dardis Classroom to Career summer internship program came to a close earlier this month, but the impact of this real-world business experience will carry our interns through their entire careers. Many participants completed sales early on in the process and stretched that momentum through the summer. For others, they faced and overcame challenges to learn lessons they can apply in their first job and beyond.

Kendall Hendrix, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, attributes her offer for a full-time position with a financial services company after graduation to the Dardis Academy.

“Dardis was the sole reason this door was opened to me and is the reason I was able to further refine my interests and ambitions as a professional and narrow down what I want to do in my career,” she said.

She attributes her success to understanding that she’s not only selling clothing – ultimately, she was selling herself as an accomplished professional.  Kendall encourages other college students to seriously consider the Classroom to Career internship program regardless of their college major.

 “Aim high and don’t underestimate the doors this internship will open for you,” she said. “If you are putting your 100 percent best effort in every single day, you will see the results without fail.”

University of Northern Iowa junior Morgan Maiers considers her most successful sales experience with Dardis on a day that she actually made zero sales. While she had meetings set up, none ended in a sale, leaving her initially discouraged before she decided to search for other prospects on foot.

“I label this as a success because I could have easily given up at that point, but instead I pressed on and gained future prospects that I made sales to in the future,” Morgan said.

Brian Thompson, a senior at the University of Chicago, began his Dardis internship worried that he wouldn’t make any corporate or personal sales. But only a few weeks later, Brian was able to secure a meeting with a high-level executive at a software company. He had low expectations on his potential return, but to Brian’s surprise, the orders kept coming in, reaching 50 items for a total corporate sale worth $5,000.

“Sales is hard work, and I heard “no” a lot through the summer,” Brian said. “But I learned that every now and then, I will hear a “yes,” and that makes it all worthwhile.  Dardis helped teach me that I should never quit before the miracle.”

Congratulations to all of our 2014 Classroom to Career interns!
We are proud to have you a part of the Dardis family.

We would like to especially congratulation our top three overall sellers based on total sales. Together, they sold more than $35,000!

Cameron James, University of Iowa, Sophomore, Team Iowa: $15,655
Fran Campbell, University of Kansas, Graduate Student, Team Kansas: $10,940
Trevor Morlock, College of St. Scholastica, Junior, Team Minnesota: $8,603

2014 Top Sellers

“Leading By Example” – Buena Vista Today Article

By | Career Advice, Classroom to Career, Dardis News, Leadership, The Dardis difference | No Comments

Greg Dardis, Class of 1998, came to BVU from the small farming town of Farley for three reasons. “I fell in love with the campus… and the idea of going to classes year-round in shorts, thanks to the underground walkways,” Greg jokes. “The second reason is that I wanted to continue playing football, and the third reason was that I knew a small school was a better fit. Having a personal connection with instructors and faculty is beneficial, and I knew I would get that kind of attention and guidance at BV.”

He set his foundation for lifelong success while at BVU by immersing himself in a variety of transformational college experiences. During his time as a Beaver, Greg had five internships and was also very involved on campus as a DJ, a resident assistant, an academic assistant, and playing football. “Even when I was at BVU, I knew that your future is about experience. I knew I needed a degree, but that was just one piece of the puzzle. The other was getting real- world experience. And BV provided both,” says Greg.
When Greg graduated from BVU with a degree in marketing and corporate communications, he joined the BVU Office of Alumni and Development as a special gifts officer. That job led him to a BV alum in Chicago who took an interest in his experience and sales potential, offering Greg a job in professional training and development.

Greg4Whether training corporate executives at a Fortune 500 company or delivering a workshop on a college campus, BVU alum Greg Dardis is in the business of building future leaders.

Just three years later, at the age of 24, Greg launched Dardis Communications, offering professional image coaching, presentation skills, and sales training. “The company I worked for went through some changes, so it was time for me to move on in my career,” says Greg. “I knew what I liked doing, what I was good at doing, and that was selling. I knew I liked training and development, and that is how Dardis Communications began.”
The company started with just one employee – Greg – but quickly grew to include his mother and sister, and eventually more employees. Today, Dardis Communications is part of Dardis, Inc., a family of companies focused on building future leaders. Greg and his Dardis team of 20 full-time employees and eight independent contractors have trained over 100,000 executives, coached over 500 C-suite executives, and developed more than 5,000 students.
Greg credits the company’s success to maintaining a specific focus for starting and building the business. “The main focus when I started the business, and even to this day, is that we focus on four areas: presentation skills training, professional image or leadership presence, sales training, and business writing. That is our wheelhouse,” says Greg. “I think that is what has made us successful and allowed us to withstand the struggling economy and the ups and downs of business. Just focusing on our core competencies and not wavering from that or trying to get into other components of training and development such as customer service or media training.”

BUILDING THE BUSINESS
In the beginning stages of Dardis Communications, Greg found it challenging to go in to companies and sell to someone who was potentially a lot older. “Selling to someone who had a lot more experience was not easy,” Greg recalls. “I even remember wanting to color my hair grey at one point just to look older.”
What he discovered was that if he was honest with them, and himself, and kept the focus on their needs, the prospective client really became aware of what Greg and Dardis Communications could do for them. “I would focus on the things we teach, such as how to present, how to sell, and how to speak as well as you think. Be clear, complete, and concise. Look the part and pay attention to the little details. And most important, practice what you preach,” says Greg.
He found that the most important element to earning a customer base was to just listen. “From a sales standpoint, I was a really good listener. My parents taught me early on to have an appreciation for listening,” says Greg.
Now that Dardis Communications has grown, its challenges rest with growing the business, meeting customer expectations, and making sure the team is fully trained. Greg holds the role of CEO and president of the company, and his main responsibility is communicating the vision of the company and making sure his team is well positioned for future growth. “Every successful business is focused on the customer and should always be asking, ‘What can we be doing better for the customer?’” says Greg. “We focus a lot of energy on exceeding customer expectations, which means companies continue to use us. We do what we say we’re going to do; we’re consistent.”

TYPICALLY NON-TYPICAL CLIENTS
The clients that Greg and Dardis Communications have worked with are extremely diverse. The company’s client list includes Fortune 500 companies like Pepsi, Wrigley Gum, and John Deere; professional and Olympic athletes; members of the cruise line industry; consumer goods companies; engineers; and more. “Our customer base is really diverse, which makes it fun,” says Greg. “No matter what you do, no matter what your field of study or job is, you have to communicate well and be persuasive with your ideas.”
Many of their clients have found Dardis Communications through word of mouth. The training programs can range from one-on-one personal coaching sessions, to small group workshops or large keynote presentations. “People know they are going to get the best when they sign up for a Dardis program. Our training is extremely hands-on and fun! And for this reason, it’s not uncommon for companies to have a waiting list of people wanting to get into our programs,” says Greg.
The most common training is a two-day Leadership Communication and Image Skills program, which is the company’s flagship program and Greg says, “it’s the best of the best when it comes to executive communication and image skills.”

TRAINING FUTURE LEADERS
The Dardis client list also includes universities and colleges. “Over the years, we have worked with many colleges and universities, but mostly at the MBA (Master in Business Administration) level,” says Greg.
Working with MBA students re-ignited Greg’s passion for working with college students, and he had the desire to do more. “While our program is great for MBA students, we didn’t really have a platform to reach students at the undergraduate level,” says Greg.
Greg continues, “In research that has been done by the Hult International Business School and other groups, one of the biggest gaps among the skills of graduating college students is oral communication skills. College graduates don’t speak as well as they think, and often times can’t sell themselves or an idea in a meeting. In addition, they don’t look the part; they don’t show up looking polished and presentable. We decided we needed to find a way to close those gaps and fulfill that need.”
Just as BVU helped prepare Greg for lifelong success and learning, he wanted to pass that along to students through a program that would help them develop those missing workplace readiness skills such as communication and presentation techniques, improving their professional image, and business skills such as accounting, bookkeeping, and territory and time management.

ESTABLISHING THE PROGRAM
To create a program to work with undergraduate students and still make it affordable for Dardis and the students, in 2011, Greg established Dardis Academy and Dardis Clothiers, the two other components of Dardis, Inc.
Dardis Academy is a student training and development program, focused on developing students with practical skills and real world experience. Students receive five days of intensive classroom training, where they learn everything Dardis Communications teaches regarding communication, image, sales training, business writing, and how to run a business. That is followed by a marketing and sales internship in their hometown that offers nine weeks of real-world experience. “Our students work in their hometown, so they can live with family and work in an area they are familiar with. It also helps them keep their expenses low.”
During the internship, students run their own business marketing men’s apparel such as suits, blazers, polo and dress shirts, trousers, belts, and accessories, which are part of the Dardis Clothiers collection. “We had to come up with a product students could relate to after receiving our training, and professional clothing is a nice fit,” says Greg. “Students are taught about apparel during the Academy so they develop an appreciation for professional image, quality clothing, and why having a polished image is important. We chose men’s clothing, as the style doesn’t change as much, and men usually don’t like to shop.”
A 26,000 square foot center in Dyersville serves as the clothing distribution center and fulfills the student orders, which are then conveniently delivered right to the customer’s door.

 

Amanda_IowaAngie

“The Dardis program is GREAT! I found it very informational, professional, and beneficial to my career. The Dardis program helped me gain confidence for the summer internship as well as life after graduation.”

Amanda Kavan, BVU senior marketing major from Storm Lake

 

 

Dardis manufactures and designs the clothing that the academy students sell. “We design the clothing and partner with 25 factories to manufacturer our products,” says Greg. “When we design a dress shirt, we design how the shirt looks and feels, its shape, and all of its intricacies. We then make the product in bulk to cut down the cost for the end customer and still provide a margin to be able to pay the students.”

This summer, there are approximately 200 students in the Dardis Academy program from 65 universities across 9 states. The internship or “field experience” is a paid opportunity as students earn money through commission from the clothing they sell while earning college credit and building their resumes.
“Students receive roughly $5,000 worth of professional training. In addition, our top students earn over $3,000 in profit as well as win a free trip to Mexico. One of the biggest benefits to the students is our networking event where they have a chance to interact with top organizations from around the country. These organizations are specifically interested in hiring Dardis grads because they know the quality of our students,” says Greg. “Our end product might be clothing, but our true product is the student. We’re in the business of building future leaders, and the Academy provides a platform where students, parents, and organizations can be a part of something truly unique and special.”

 

Tanner_IowaTera “The best thing about the program was gaining a new outlook on sales techniques and learning to deliver more effective presentations. The training was extremely hands-on and very interactive.”

Tanner Regenwether, senior business major with
entrepreneurship concentration from Marion

 

PASSION PAYS OFF
Greg credits his parents as being the foundation for his success. “My mom told me, ‘never become a shark in a suit, no matter how successful you get’. Don’t try to be something you’re not; treat people with respect, and that will come through. And it has,” Greg says. “I’m very fortunate. I’ve been able to take what I’m passionate about, create a business around that passion, and work with multiple audiences in training and development.”
Greg lives in Coralville with his wife Tonya, and their children, son Lincoln who is eight years old, daughter Kennedy who is six years old, and Harrison who is seven months old.
Just as he did when he was a student, Greg continues to be involved with BVU. He recently served six years on the BVU alumni board, which helped him stay engaged with the university. He can also be found on campus throughout the year, speaking to students at a variety of events or cheering on the Beavers at homecoming.

Dardis Interns Make Connections To Succeed

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“The more people I know and have a relationship with, the more opportunities I have.”

Cameron James, a University of Iowa junior, has already learned the key to success through the Dardis Classroom to Career internship program and his future career. As a member of Team Iowa, Cam continues to use this summer experience and the skills he learned in the Dardis Academy to form new connections and make the most of current relationships.

As a former intern for a local financial services company, he knew that many of his colleagues would benefit from the quality Dardis professional clothing, so he made a visit to his old office.

“I’ve been able to be successful selling a lot of clothing solely because of the relationships I’ve built with the people there,” he said.

For Harmony Kapp, a Missouri State University sophomore, perseverance and organization is crucial to building quality business relationships.

“Successful territory management is being on top of things and sticking to a specific schedule,” she said, especially with many busy professionals not responding to emails or voicemails.

Western Illinois University senior Giuliano Rizzi follows that same mentality when approaching his territory of Illinois.

“During the internship, the one thing I learned about managing your territory is that you have to put yourself out there and talk with as many people as possible,” he said. “The more people and companies you talk to, the more you are going to succeed.”

Giuliano has had to address his fear of public speaking, and through the internship, he has been able to overcome this challenge to be successful now and later in the business world.

“With the confidence that I gained, I was able to meet and talk to people that I never would have talked to if it wasn’t for the internship,” he said.

Our Dardis interns are working hard this summer to connect with new professionals and make sales while kick-starting their careers. Stay tuned for a blog post highlighting our overall 2014 sales leaders!

Dardis Interns Learn to Manage Their Territory

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Knowing your market, identifying the key players and finding the right opportunities to explore represent key factors for any successful business professional, and our Dardis interns are learning firsthand how to effectively manage their territories.

Angelique Punt, a soon-to-be senior at Augustana College, oversees the Quad Cities area and through the Classroom to Career internship program, she has expanded her territory into spaces she never thought imaginable. She recently met with an executive at a local advertising firm that she was introduced to through a friend.

“Knowing your clients and what they do in their day-to-day life will help make a successful sale,” she said.

When learning how to manage their territories, interns have to keep an open mind about the key players in the territory, just like in the business world. Logan Masenthin, a University of Kansas senior, said that she had to stop putting her work in a box and branch out. She recently had an experience where she unexpectedly made a sale in her territory.

“I made a sale to a neighbor and local businessman on the same day that I made a sale to an important lawyer in downtown Kansas City,” Masenthin said. “I learned that different sorts of people in the city can be interested in what I am doing.”

St. Scholastica senior Trevor Morlock has already learned that a little creativity can lead to making the most out of his territory.  He recently visited his local Chamber of Commerce and used their directory to set up appointments with individuals he may not have met otherwise. Territory management still comes with its challenges like rejection, but with the skills learned in the Dardis Academy, Morlock and other interns are prepared to persevere.

You have to overcome those challenges, ignore them and keep moving on because sooner than later, if you keep pushing forward, the challenge will turn into a triumph,” he said.

Stay tuned to our blog for more success stories from our interns who continue to effectively management their territories!

July Weekly Sales Leaders
Congratulations to our July weekly sales leaders with an additional congrats to Fran Campbell of Team Kansas. She earned more than $6,000 in week nine!

Dardis_July

Week 6:  Kaelee Wittrock, $2,070
University of Iowa, Senior/Graduate, Team Iowa

Week 7:  Dylan Vidinich, $1,105
Illinois State University, Junior, Team Illinois

Week 8:  Cameron James, $2,830
University of Iowa, Sophomore, Team Iowa

Week 9:  Fran Campbell, $6,313
University of Kansas, Graduate Student, Team Kansas

Photo credit: 23am.com via Flickr

Dardis Academy: The Solid Foundation for Career Success

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As many college students turned in their final projects and exams to mark the end of the semester, another set of students hit the classroom once again even after their exams were complete. Nearly 175 students participated in the two Dardis Academy training sessions in May held in Chicago and Des Moines. Designed as an application-based, skills-drive training, this one-week intensive course prepares students for the upcoming Dardis Classroom to Career internship program and beyond.

Dardis1While thousands of young people enter the workforce every year, research shows that most college grads do not possess the skills that companies look for in candidates. A National Association of Colleges and Employers survey of more than 200 employers shows that the vast majority of employers look for candidates who are team players, problem solvers and can plan, organize and prioritize their work.  It’s the soft skills – not the textbook knowledge – that really sets candidates apart, which is what we focus on in the Academy.

We tailor the Academy based on these effective adult learning methods:

  • Interactive coaching from professional instructors
  • Strong role modeling
  • Individual practice against real-world challenges

“During the Academy, we had extensive training on presentation skills and selling techniques. I learned a lot about how I present myself, and this has already helped me outside of the internship when I’m making presentations for class, as well as talking to people in a business setting.”
– Jon S., 2012 Dardis Academy Graduate, University of Iowa

Students receive more than $6,000 worth of executive training from seasoned business professional focused on crucial topics such as:Dardis3

  • Presentation skills
  • Professional image skills
  • Selling techniques
  • Closing and negotiation skills
  • Business etiquette
  • Telephone/voicemail/email etiquette
  • Overcoming objections and handling questions
  • Product features and benefits
  • Time and territory management

Armed with these practical skills, students are prepared to succeed in our summer internship program and, most importantly, in their careers as they use their business and sales skills to first get the job and then excel in their future positions.

Find Your Leaders of Tomorrow with the Dardis Career Partner Program

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Thousands of college seniors toss their graduation caps each spring ready to hit the job market, forcing employers to sift through a saturated pool of prospective entry-level employees without knowing if the recent grads have the real-life skills to back up their degrees.

Successful companies invest in the next generation of professionals, and through the Dardis Career Partner Program, we can connect you with young employees in our Classroom to Career internship program that are poised to advance your organization into the future.

Students in the Classroom to Career internship program complete formal, skills-based training through the Dardis Academy where they learn important presentation skills, professional image skills, business etiquette, selling techniques and more. Once complete, they spend a summer putting their skills into action selling quality, professional clothing in their communities. The program serves as a crucial opportunity for students to gain real-life, professional experience that will bridge the gap from the college classroom to the business world.

“A partnership with Dardis is an innovative way to reach some of the most driven, achievement oriented and brightest students in the country.”
– Greg Dardis, CEO & President

As a participant in the Dardis Career Partner Program, companies can send a representative to attend the full Dardis Academy training session, allowing them to interact with the students, track their progress throughout the summer and reconnect with them to offer a future position at their company.

Career Partners have full access to Classroom to Career program graduates through an alumni database of resumes, and Dardis also maintains a job posting section on our website exclusively for Career Partners. We communicate with Career Partners throughout the year to connect you with quality candidates that we believe would be a good match for your organization.

Other benefits include:

  • Marketing of your brand
  • Access to student assessments
  • Log-in to our alumni database
  • Invitation to networking events
  • Weekly newsletter
  • Placement assistance and recommendations

Career Partners have unprecedented access to proven, motivated young professionals that represent the best of the best. Dardis’ first partners include Cottingham & Butler and GreatAmerica Financial Services. We continue to seek new partners ready to work with the business leaders of tomorrow at the upcoming Dardis Academy that begins May 13 in Chicago.

To learn more about the Dardis Career Partner program and to register, visit www.dardisacademy.com/career-partner-program.

Photo credit: Maryland GovPics via Flickr

5 Ways to Make Your Spring Break Count

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It’s the middle of the semester. You’re cramming for mid-terms, while balancing an on-campus job and extracurricular activities. Spring break is just around the corner, and you’re ready to unwind on a sandy beach or at home with a Netflix marathon.

It may be tempting to use that welcomed break from the daily grind to completely step away from your long-term goals, but with a few extra days, you can take deliberate steps to furthering your future career and even have time to spare.

Here are five ways you can make this spring break count:

Apply for the Classroom to Career summer internship
If you haven’t already, visit the Dardis Academy website and learn all about our summer 2014 internship program, which combines executive-level training with real world experience to give you a competitive edge in the job market. Check out the first-hand testimonials and be sure to contact any of our Recruitment Managers with questions. Ensure you apply by our priority deadline of May 1!

Revamp your resume
The rest of your semester is sure to keep you busy, so spend your down time fine-tuning your resume. Add in your latest work and volunteer experience and review each section carefully, ensuring the formatting best displays your information and no typos distract from your accomplishments.

Volunteer your time
In addition to the inherent importance of donating your time to a worthwhile non-profit organization, many employers like to see that you’re actually using your skills and committing to something bigger than yourself. Good with numbers? Tutor at a local elementary school. Handy with tools? Spend a day with Habitat for Humanity. You won’t regret it.

Look ahead to the future
Take this opportunity to sit back and evaluate your short- and long-term goals and identify companies that interest you. Write down a list of key words such as skills and job titles to use when starting your job search, and complete a self-assessment like StrengthsFinder to get in-tune with your individual strengths.

Expand your network
Reach out to family friends, relatives or even professors to schedule lunches or coffee breaks to express your career goals and make valuable connections that will surely benefit you in the years to come. Think outside the box and research business leaders that may be looking for an opportunity to volunteer their time with an aspiring employee – you!

 Photo credit: Tulane Public Relations via Flickr

Contact Dardis today to learn more. Contact Us