job experience

Dardis Classroom to Career: Just the Beginning

By | Classroom to Career | No Comments

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

Show You’re Ready With Your Resume

By | Career Advice | No Comments

Resumes serve as a foundational tool for all professionals to advance in their careers, but for recent grads, resumes are more than foundational – they’re crucial to landing the first job out of college. Fine-tuned interview skills and real life work experience (through valuable internships like Dardis’ Classroom to Career program) can lead to a job offer, but your resume first needs to get you through the front door.

As a current student or recent grad, you’re likely wondering how to fill that important sheet of paper when you don’t have years of work experience to highlight. While seasoned professionals need to concisely summarize numerous positions, your goal is to build upon the experience you do have – both paid and unpaid – to show you have what it takes to succeed.

“Craft a strong resume that says you’re ready for the workforce.”
Amanda Augustine, Job Search Expert, TheLadders

Many experts have strong opinions on what makes a resume stand out, but there is no blanket how-to guide for crafting the perfect resume. Stick to these basic guidelines to begin, and let your resume evolve as you grow in your career.

Keep it clean
Rely on simple fonts and a clean format to keep your resume professional. Use bullet points, when possible, for an easy read.

Tell your story
Organize your resume so that the information not only flows, but tells your unique story. Prioritize what content you list first and let your personality shine through.

Be specific
Employers want to pinpoint your actual work responsibilities, so make it easy for recruiters by using action verbs and highlighting specific projects and accomplishments.

Tailor the resume for the company
While it’s easy to push your resume to dozens of prospective employers at once, it pays to customize your information for each position. Use a strong objective paragraph or cover letter to show that you’re right for that specific position.

Proofread, proofread, proofread
Don’t let a resume typo prevent you from getting the job. Reread your resume multiple times to catch any grammar errors, and look to your school’s career center for a second opinion.

Accomplished leaders don’t rely on the first version of the resume they created post-college. Continually improve the formatting and refresh the text to maintain a stellar resume that will propel you through your career.

Photo credit: michaeln3 via Flickr 

Classroom to Career Internship Parent Guide

By | Classroom to Career | No Comments

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

A Successful Summer for Patrick Gibbs

By | Someone you should know | No Comments

Our top sales leader for the 2013 Classroom to Career summer internship program, Patrick Gibbs, took a break from selling to share his perspective on his Dardis experience.  With sales totaling nearly $16,000 and priceless hours of on-the-job experience, it’s clear that Patrick had a successful summer.

How would you describe your Dardis Classroom to Career internship program experience in one word?
I think my summer is actually best described in two words – challenging and rewarding.  The summer was not easy, as every day was a new challenge, whether it was unexpected rejection or just finding the motivation to keep calling and stopping in places.

Overcoming these challenges was, by far, the most rewarding feeling that I’ve had.  Seeing that I was able to address obstacles and overcome them for both personal and financial reward left me feeling accomplished at the end of every day.

What was your most memorable sale of the summer?
For my last sale in June, I had to drive an hour and a half to Iowa City.  Two appointments had cancelled, and I was making the trip for one potential client.  The week had been long, and my sales were far lower than I wanted for that week.  I thought about rescheduling, but decided the morning of that I had made a commitment and would follow through.  The client asked if I would mind if his business partner also sat in, which I was more than happy to accommodate.  After the consultation, I determined that their needs together added up to the Elite Package.

I proposed that they take advantage of that package pricing and split it with just a few modifications.  They accepted, and I was the first person in the history of the company to sell our largest package option.  Needless to say, selling $4,257 worth of merchandise in one sitting was more than worth that trip!  This meant more to me than just a big sale because it reminded me to keep my head up when times got challenging and that hard work will always pay off in the end!

Would you recommend this internship program to your peers?
I would recommend this program to any of my peers.  No matter what your major is or where you want to end up in life, this internship will make you better prepared.  I had always considered myself a salesman by nature and very personable, and I was amazed at how much my interpersonal communication ability grew from the Dardis Academy and then practicing Greg Dardis’ training in the field.  The skills that you learn in the Dardis Classroom to Career internship program will prove to be what sets you apart from the rest of the pack in any career or lifestyle!

Regarding the Academy,  I was not looking forward to 40 hours of training, and I had not been a fan of any professional training that I had gotten before.  I expected to be bored and learn redundant information, but Greg and his entire team captivated me the entire time.  I can easily say that I learned more applicable skills in the Academy than three years of college.  This was an amazing opportunity, and I am so thankful that I gave this program a try.  I know that I learned skills that I will use for my entire life!

Congratulations, Patrick, on your successful summer!

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