Category Archives: Classroom to Career

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 Interns Find Their Way

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Only a few weeks ago, our Classroom to Career interns were hitting the books in preparation for finals on their college campuses, but now, they’re managing their own schedules and making sales full time. This transition can be daunting for any student, but with the skills-based training through Dardis Academy, interns already have the tools they need to succeed.

“The Dardis Academy prepared me for this entrepreneurial experience by giving me the tools and communication practices that are used by the best salespeople in the world,” recent grad Haley Fischer said. “It gave me confidence in the method we use to reach our potential customers and allowed me to narrow my focus.”

While connecting with new people to make sales in her territory of Northern Illinois has been the biggest challenge for Fischer, she’s thankful for the support of the Recruitment Managers to guide each intern along the way.

For future Grand View University sophomore Luke Schroeder, the key to effectively managing the transition starts with his routine.

“I treat this internship as I would any other full-time job including getting up early every day, not being able to hang out with friends all day, and keeping an actual schedule so I can manage my time precisely,” he said.

Schroeder, whose territory encompasses the Dubuque area, continues to learn how to be patient through the ups and downs of the sales world.  Thankfully for him, he’s already formed a solid network that he can lean on this summer and beyond.

“I could have never imagined how many new connections I would have three weeks into this internship,” he said.

June Weekly Sales Leaders
One month into the 2014 Dardis Classroom to Career internship program, our interns have already logged an impressive amount of sales. Congratulations to our June weekly sales leaders:

Dardis June Sales Leaders

Week 1:  Dylan Vidinich, $2,730 weekly sales
Illinois State University, Junior, Team Illinois

Week 2:  Cameron James, $5,755 weekly sales
University of Iowa, Sophomore, Team Iowa

Week 3:  Ryan Gardner, $5,715 weekly sales
Creighton University, Sophomore, Team Nebraska

Week 4:  Trevor Morlock, $2182 weekly sales
College of St. Scholastica, Junior, Team Minnesota

Week 5:  Ty Flood, $1,855 weekly sales
University of Northern Iowa, Junior, Team Iowa

Photo credit: Terrapin Flyer via Flickr

Dardis Classroom to Career: Just the Beginning

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As we look forward to the May 1 application deadline for our 2014 summer internship program, our Recruitment Managers are sprinting to the finish line, spreading the Dardis mission across the Midwest and beyond to prospective interns.  At career fairs, information sessions and individual meetings, they speak about our executive-level training program, the value of business experience and even the opportunity for interns to win a trip to Mexico.

Each of these pieces adds value to our Classroom to Career program, which continues to educate and propel college students into successful careers. But our internship is just the beginning for Classroom to Career alums. The tools and skills that students gain through our program impacts not only their job search post-college, but also the opportunities they have after they’ve landed their first job.

Dardis alums can rely on the professional skills and practical experiences they gain through Dardis as they advance into management roles and take on new responsibilities. The values of hard work and a commitment to excellence will make them strong and fair leaders. Our internship program is more than just selling clothes – it’s molding a business professional that can succeed and make a difference in any field, both today and years down the road.

The connections that Dardis interns make during their summer experience help them build a network quicker than their peers, which can open doors for them at any point in the future. A thorough, well-executed presentation as a Dardis intern can lead to a job opportunity or even a recommendation in a later season of life.

The Dardis experience serves as a gateway to limitless opportunities and success for young adults in a crowded job market – something that our former interns don’t take for granted.

“Learning the skills in the Academy and then seeing success as a result is huge,” said Ben B., a 2012 Dardis Academy graduate. “Not only for a confidence booster, but also for paving the way for the rest of my career. This is the real thing. Real life. Real world. Real business experience.”

Photo credit: by tableatny via Flickr

Internship Myths Explained

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Internships, especially with Dardis Academy, can serve as a springboard for a successful career. Many celebrities trace their success to their internship experiences, including:

  • Steven Spielberg
    He began an unofficial internship with Universal Studios at age 17, quietly networking with directors. Universal later offered him a seven-year contract.
  • Jodie Foster
    Before she was an Academy Award-winning actress, she took on a summer internship at Esquire in 1982.
  • Tom Hanks
    As a college student in Cleveland, Ohio, he interned for the Great Lakes Theater Festival. The internship led to a three-year tenure that gave him the confidence and theater production experience to launch his acting career.
  • Oprah Winfrey
    Most people know that the popular TV host had humble beginnings at a CBS affiliate in Nashville. Her hard work and passion paid off when she became the first African-American female news anchor.
  • Steve Jobs
    The late computer genius started as an intern at Hewlett-Packard where he met Steve Wozniak and later built the Apple empire.

Each of these famous professionals started with the job title of “intern” and embraced the opportunity to work and learn, a key component of the Dardis mission. Despite these highly-visible internship success stories, many people still struggle to see the value of internships and fall for unproven myths, such as:

Myth: You don’t get paid.
While many internships require students to work unpaid, Dardis interns can achieve financial success through the Classroom to Career program and even win a trip to Mexico!

Myth: You’re just wasting your time.
If you’re making copies from 9 to 5, then yes, you’re wasting your time, but if you’re gaining real-world experience and honing important skills that you’ll use throughout your career, then you’re investing in a meaningful experience that will set you apart after graduation. Dardis’ program is specifically structured to make the most out of your time and give you the skills and experience to succeed.

Myth: I’ll learn what I need to know in college.
The book work, group projects and other skills that you gain during your four years of undergraduate education will always be important, but to jumpstart your career, you need more than a college diploma. Dardis interns learn valuable work and life lessons because they have hands-on experience in the business world, and that’s something no college class can teach you.

Still not convinced of the importance of internships? Read through powerful testimonials from former interns, parents and business professionals and then apply for the 2014 Classroom to Career internship program to disprove the myths yourself. You won’t regret it.

Photo credit:  M.Ryan Photography via Flickr

What You Really Need To Know Post-College

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As a college student, there will come a time when you have to close the textbooks, pack up your off-campus apartment and set up shop at a job where your boss will expect you to work hard for your paycheck – everyday. The real world transcends the security of any college campus, challenging you to think differently and apply the skills and concepts you studied for four years. A graduation date will no longer loom in the distance. This is real life, and you have to be ready.

Thousands of young people enter the workforce every year, but research shows that most new college grads do not possess the skills that companies look for in candidates. One survey by the Workforce Solutions Group at St. Louis Community College finds that more than 60 percent of employers say applicants lack “communication and interpersonal skills” — an increase of 10 percentage points in just two years. Many of those managers also say today’s applicants can’t think critically and creatively, solve problems or write well.

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 set you apart from the rest, not only in the interview process but into your career.

While students inherently learn some soft skills as they work through group projects and power through assignments, they need real world experience to complement their diplomas. Valuable internship programs like the Dardis Classroom to Career program teach college students how to succeed in the business world through structured training programs focused on soft skills like communication and presentation skills.  They then give students the opportunity to hone their skills in a true work environment.

Wondering if an internship makes a difference post-college? According to a survey of more than 2,000 college students and 1,000 hiring manages, more than 80 percent of employers want new grads they hire to have completed a formal internship.  Those employers know that internships provide students with the skills they need to succeed and reward those students with career opportunities.

If you’re a current student, continue to study hard but remember that in addition to your book smarts, you’ll need real world skills and experience to succeed. That’s where we come in. Apply today.

Photo credit: mer chau via Flickr

Classroom to Career Internship Parent Guide

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Parents have a vested interest in their children’s future.  They want them to have positive experiences, obtain a quality education, surround themselves with good people and ultimately, find a fulfilling career.

In the past, students who went to college and finished with a diploma in hand were likely to land a job post-college.  In today’s world, the stakes are higher, with increased competition and lower job availability.  Students need something extra to shine above the rest, which can come in the form of an internship.

According to a 2012 Internships.com poll, 63 percent of the students in the college class of 2012 completed at least one internship.  28 percent of students completed two!  Our Classroom to Career internship program has never been more important.  As a parent, here’s what you need to know:

  • The Classroom to Career internship program begins with a weeklong, skills-based training program that will give your son or daughter formal professional training that he or she will use for his or her entire career!  Examples include selling techniques, presentations skills, overcoming obstacles and more.
  • After the Academy, students will work independently for the summer to sell quality, Dardis professional clothing to pre-identified leads in their communities.  Dardis provides sales and marketing material, product catalogs and order forms for students to use in presentations to best represent themselves and Dardis.
  • Students are responsible for hotel accommodations and meals for the Academy, as well as the intern uniform.
  • Safety is a top priority for our interns, so Dardis has a three-pronged approach to safety, which includes training, awareness and prevention.
  • Parents are asked to sign a document showing their support for their student in the form of a “Parent Support Letter,” which serves as an information tool for the parents to know what the student wants to do over the summer and to be part of the decision process.
  • For students to have a successful summer, we ask that they be coachable, work hard and study hard!

Internships lay the crucial groundwork for a successful career, especially those like the Classroom to Career program where students gain professional communication skills, as well as invaluable sales and marketing experience.  Dardis is building future leaders, and helping students bridge the gap between their college course and the business world.

Not yet convinced?  Check out our parent testimonials to hear firsthand from parents of former interns.

To get more information for a young person in your life, call 1-800-720-6329, and we will be happy to answer your questions or set up an in-person meeting with a Recruitment Manager.

 

Photo credit: Nic McPhee, Flickr

Contact Dardis today to learn more. Contact Us