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Corporate Trainers

For students interested in combining teaching, communication, and leadership in a professional setting, becoming a corporate trainer is an exciting career option. Corporate trainers are responsible for educating employees, improving their skills, and fostering professional development within organizations. This role involves designing, delivering, and assessing training programs that help employees enhance their performance, adapt to new technologies, and grow in their careers.

What is a Corporate Trainer?

A corporate trainer is a professional who develops and delivers training programs for employees in a company or organization. Their main goal is to ensure that employees acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their jobs effectively. Corporate trainers work in various industries, including technology, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and retail, and their responsibilities can range from teaching technical skills to soft skills like leadership, communication, and time management.

Some key responsibilities of a corporate trainer include:

Needs Assessment: Identifying the skills and knowledge gaps within an organization and determining what training is needed to address these gaps.

Curriculum Design: Developing training materials, programs, and workshops tailored to the needs of employees and the organization.

Training Delivery: Conducting training sessions, workshops, or one-on-one coaching in both in-person and virtual settings.

Evaluation: Assessing the effectiveness of training programs by gathering feedback, measuring performance improvements, and making adjustments as needed.

Continuous Learning: Staying up-to-date with industry trends, new technologies, and best practices to ensure that training programs remain relevant and effective.

So, why should you consider this as a career? Corporate training offers several benefits and opportunities for personal and professional growth:

Impactful Role: As a corporate trainer, you have the opportunity to influence the professional growth of employees, enhancing their skills and making a direct impact on organizational success.

Variety: Corporate trainers often work across different departments and interact with employees at all levels, which provides variety in daily tasks and keeps the role dynamic.

Skill Development: This career allows you to constantly improve your own skills in communication, leadership, and technology, while also helping others grow.

Career Growth: Corporate trainers often have opportunities to advance into senior training roles, talent development, or human resources (HR) leadership. Some even branch out into consulting or start their own training businesses.

High Demand: With companies focusing more on employee development and retention, the demand for skilled corporate trainers is growing across industries.

How to Prepare for a Career in Corporate Training While in College

Choose the Right Major: While there is no specific degree required to become a corporate trainer, certain fields of study can provide a strong foundation. Consider majoring in education, English, business, or psychology. These areas will give you valuable knowledge in teaching methods, organizational behavior, and employee development.

Gain Relevant Experience: Seek internships or part-time jobs in fields related to training and development, human resources, or management. You can also gain experience by working as a teaching assistant, tutoring, or volunteering to lead workshops or training sessions on campus. These experiences will help you develop your presentation, communication, and leadership skills.

Develop Strong Communication Skills: Corporate trainers must be excellent communicators. Take public speaking or communications courses, join a debate team, or participate in presentations to enhance your ability to convey complex information clearly and effectively.

Learn About Learning Styles and Educational Theories: Understanding how people learn is essential to creating effective training programs. Research learning theories, such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles, and familiarize yourself with adult learning principles. Knowing how to adapt your teaching methods to different learners is key to being a successful trainer.

Get Comfortable with Technology: Modern corporate training often involves using e-learning platforms, webinars, and other digital tools. Gain proficiency in software such as PowerPoint, Learning Management Systems (LMS), and video conferencing tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Experience with these technologies will make you more marketable in the training field.

Join Student Organizations and Take Leadership Roles: Get involved in campus organizations that focus on leadership development, business, or professional growth. Taking leadership roles in these organizations will help you develop the managerial and interpersonal skills necessary for corporate training.

Network with Professionals: Attend career fairs, workshops, or networking events. These events can provide you with valuable connections and insights into the industry. Don’t hesitate to reach out to professionals on LinkedIn to ask for advice or informational interviews.

Once you’ve graduated and are ready to pursue a career as a corporate trainer, here are steps to help you get started:

Entry-Level Jobs: Many corporate trainers start in entry-level HR, talent development, or training coordinator roles. These positions give you experience in organizing training sessions, managing training logistics, and supporting senior trainers. You can also look for roles such as training assistant, learning and development coordinator, or instructional designer.

Certification: While not always required, certifications can boost your credibility and job prospects. Consider pursuing certifications such as:

-Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) from the Association for Talent Development (ATD).

-SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) from the Society for Human Resource Management.

-Certified Corporate Trainer (CCT) through various professional training organizations.

Build a Portfolio: Keep track of any training materials, presentations, or programs you’ve developed, even as a student or intern. This portfolio can demonstrate your skills to potential employers and showcase your ability to design effective learning experiences.

Stay Updated on Industry Trends: Corporate training is a field that evolves with technology and learning methodologies. Stay informed about new trends in e-learning, gamification, remote training, and instructional design. Regularly attending workshops, webinars, or reading industry publications can help you stay ahead.

Consider Graduate Education: While not always required, some corporate trainers pursue graduate degrees in instructional design, organizational development, or human resources management to deepen their knowledge and increase their career prospects.

To excel as a corporate trainer, you need to develop a diverse skill set. Some key skills include:

-Communication: The ability to clearly explain concepts and engage with diverse learners.

-Public Speaking: Confidence in delivering presentations and leading group discussions.

-Empathy: Understanding the challenges learners face and providing them with the support they need to succeed.

-Adaptability: The ability to adjust training methods and materials to suit different learning styles and changing workplace needs.

-Organization: Strong project management skills to design, implement, and evaluate training programs effectively.

-Creativity: Finding innovative ways to engage learners and make training sessions more interactive and enjoyable.

A career as a corporate trainer offers the perfect blend of education, leadership, and professional development. By starting early and preparing during your college years, you can develop the skills and experience needed to thrive in this field. Whether you enjoy working with people, have a passion for teaching, or want to help businesses grow, becoming a corporate trainer could be the ideal career path for you.

Mastering the Art of Interviewing Newsmakers: A Guide for Journalists

As objective journalism becomes harder and harder to find, journalists with the skill and desire to conduct fair interviews with newsmakers are in high demand. These interviews can provide valuable insights, uncover hidden stories, and bring important issues to light. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how journalists can effectively interview newsmakers.

Preparation: The Foundation of a Successful Interview

Research Thoroughly: Before the interview, gather as much information as possible about the newsmaker. Understand their background, recent activities, and the context of their involvement in the news. This preparation allows you to ask informed and relevant questions.

Set Clear Objectives: Define what you hope to achieve with the interview. Are you looking to clarify facts, get a personal perspective, or uncover new information? Clear objectives help structure your questions and keep the interview focused.

Develop a Question Flow: Organize your questions in a logical sequence. Start with broader questions to ease into the conversation, then move to more specific and probing questions. This approach helps the interviewee feel comfortable and opens up more detailed responses.

Crafting Effective Questions

Open-Ended Questions: These questions encourage detailed responses and provide deeper insights. For example, instead of asking, “Did you support the policy?” ask, “What are your thoughts on the policy and its impact?”

Closed-Ended Questions: Use these sparingly to confirm specific facts. They are useful for getting clear, concise answers but can limit the depth of the conversation.

Behavioral Questions: These questions focus on past actions and experiences, revealing how the newsmaker has handled situations before. For example, “Can you describe a time when you faced significant opposition to one of your policies and how you managed that situation?”

Situational Questions: Present hypothetical scenarios to understand how the newsmaker might respond to future events. For example, “If you were elected, how would you address the current economic challenges facing the nation?”

Why and What Questions: Use “Why” questions to explore motivations and “What” questions to delve into specifics. For example, “Why did you decide to take this approach?” and “What were the key factors in your decision?”

Active Listening and Follow-Up

Listen Actively: Pay close attention to the interviewee’s responses. Active listening helps you pick up on nuances and follow up on interesting points.

Ask Follow-Up Questions: If the interviewee mentions something intriguing, ask them to elaborate. For example, “You mentioned facing resistance—can you tell me more about that?”

Seek Clarification: If a response is vague or unclear, ask for clarification. For example, “You mentioned you would improve the economy by creating opportunities. Can you tell me what that means? What does that look like? How will you do so?”

Creating a Comfortable Environment

Build Rapport: Start with light, casual conversation to ease any tension. Establishing a connection early on makes the interviewee feel more at ease and open.

Maintain Neutrality: Avoid inserting your own opinions, especially in sensitive discussions. Neutral body language and tone help the interviewee feel comfortable sharing openly.

Set Expectations: Outline how long the interview will take and what you plan to cover. If recording, ensure the interviewee is comfortable with it.

Avoiding Leading and Loaded Questions

Leading Questions: Avoid suggesting the answer you’re hoping for. For example, ask “What are your thoughts on how the new policy affects small businesses?” instead of “Don’t you think the new policy is unfair to small businesses?”

Loaded Questions: Avoid assumptions. For example, ask “How has your administration responded to the concerns about rising crime rates in the city?” instead of “Why did your administration fail to address the rising crime rates in the city?”

Ending the Interview

Reflection: Ask if there’s anything else the interviewee would like to add. This can bring up valuable points you might have missed.

Next Steps: Outline any follow-up actions and timelines. This leaves the interviewee with a clear sense of direction.

By following these steps, journalists can conduct effective and engaging interviews with newsmakers, uncovering valuable insights and crafting compelling stories.

Sources:

12 dos and don’ts of journalistic interviews | International Journalists’ Network (ijnet.org)

An illustrated guide to the basics of interviewing – Poynter

Interviewing Techniques | Journalism Study Guide by HyperWrite (hyperwriteai.com)

Translators and Interpreters: How to Get Involved

Two world leaders meet each other on the world stage. Tensions are high, the public is riding on this conversation to put their fears at ease. They stare each other down, but have no way of understanding one another! They can only be saved by one person: the translator! 

If you are well versed in another language and want to put that to use, working as a translator may be very well up your alley. The preceding paragraph is a tad misleading, as technically, when someone is speaking a language, that’s called being an interpreter, while applying this to written works is considered translating.

Translators and interpreters work in pretty much any field. Government, science, mathematics, art, business, etc. Translators and Interpreters must also be well-versed in the culture of the language/place they’re interpreting and keep the same intention in mind (maybe a language has an incredibly slight distinction between the terms “friendship” and “detestation”, they need someone to tell the difference). They must also know how to keep tone and context intact, so that the message is as well conveyed as possible.

So how do you get involved, as the title suggests? In college, studying a particular language or languages is essential to gain expert proficiency in the language(s). Programs like linguistics are also helpful. To become a true expert, a graduate degree is often required. Several schools have well regarded translation and interpretation programs. The Middlebury Institute of International Studies has a well respected Master of Arts in Translation; Translation and Interpretation program.

Many people who work in this field are freelance and get hired for odd jobs, while some sign onto agencies. A portfolio of works written in the other language (translating and transcribing speeches or videos is important.) Search job sites such as LinkedIn and Handshake, as there are plenty of requests for translation and interpretation jobs. Many of these positions are remote. NGO’s, the federal government (specifically, the State department), international business and even the film industry often are major employers of translators and interpreters.

In an increasingly globalized world, there is a need, more than ever, for folks that can translate and interpret, and there are many jobs– private and public– that are in need of people who know how to get others to understand what is being said. And if that interests you, the job of translator may just be for you!

https://www.state.gov/translation-linguists

https://www.state.gov/freelance-linguists-ols

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-become-a-translator

Spencer R. Brown is a senior in their second year at Lawrence University, with a major in Government. They work as the Career Peer Educator for students in both Communication, Journalism & Written Arts (#CJW) and Government, Law & International Relations (#GLI) career communities in the Career Center. A writer and animator by trade, they are fascinated in finding ways to make digesting information entertaining. Feel free to connect with them on LinkedIn here!

REVIEWING MEDIA FOR A LIVING: THE DREAM JOB

Do you ever watch a show and say “this is great, and I can pinpoint exactly why I love it”? Do you ever play a video game and say “this is awful,” and rant to your friends about the things you dislike? Well, consider putting that on paper! If you feel you have strong opinions on media, and you can write well, becoming a media reviewer of some kind might just be the job for you. There are two main types of media reviewing: TV/Movies and video games.

For video game reviewing, there are many sites that are almost always hiring, like Polygon, GameSpot, and IGN. Most accept freelance gigs and you can get your work put up on their website, and maybe a job opportunity can come through that. Otherwise, you can be hired as an editor. Freelance work, of course, is remote, but if you get to work as an editor, you likely will have to relocate. Polygon is based in New York, and IGN is based in Los Angeles. IGN is constantly hiring and have job postings up near perpetually (in both Los Angeles and New York offices). Since Polygon is owned by Vox, there are job openings on LazyApply and others (looking them up on Google doesn’t hurt… just look up “Polygon careers Vox” and they’ll pop up). And finally, GameSpot has jobs up currently on WellFound, and you can be remote or work in San Francisco.

To review movies, there are typically not many websites dedicated to just movie reviews. The New York Times, Variety, and the aforementioned Polygon and IGN all have OpEd writers dedicated to talking about film and TV shows. However, two big, modern sites dedicated exclusively to TV and movies are Screen Rant and DiscussingFilm. It appears that positions with DiscussingFilm are entirely remote, and to apply for a job there, you have to DM them on Twitter to ask if there is anything open… and Screen Rant, while based in Canada, has offices in Canada, the United States, and even the United Kingdom, and has their job postings up on their main site.

If you’re interested in the next level, and you have some experience in video production (that’s putting it very professionally, but maybe you just like making videos), you may have a place in creating videos for their YouTube pages as a producer. Job listings are the same as mentioned before, and if you like reviewing media and creating content, and you could start a YouTube channel where you do just that!

To be a reviewer requires writing experience and working for The Lawrentian would be a great place to get that experience. You don’t need to have a specific major to get involved. Just as long as you have interest and motivation in the subject, and your work is good, you have a good shot at getting involved!

WORKS CITED:
Screen Rant Careers!
Sample GameSpot Job!
Polygon Jobs!
IGN Careers!

Spencer R. Brown is a senior in their second year at Lawrence University, with a major in Government. They work as the Career Peer Educator for students in both Communication, Journalism & Written Arts (#CJW) and Government, Law & International Relations (#GLI) career communities in the Career Center. A writer and animator by trade, they are fascinated in finding ways to make digesting information entertaining. Feel free to connect with them on LinkedIn here!

AN INTRODUCTION TO SUBSTACK

Are you a writer of some kind and think “man, I wish I had a place to publish my work, but I don’t think this fits The Lawrentian”? Maybe, a little bit down the line, you might like to be paid for your work? Then consider using Substack, a typically-subscription-based platform to upload your greatest of musings! It’s especially great for those that want to put their work out there and link to specific writings for future employment.

Instead of just giving you a rundown of what makes Substack so great, I’m going to create an account and post three separate articles about things I’m interested in, just to tell you about the process of creating an account and posting to it.

Very quickly, I want to mention payment. It’s entirely optional (most influential figures will not make you subscribe with payment), but if you create a base for your writings, you could open the opportunity to payment. I tried creating subscriptions for 10 cents a month and a dollar a year, but, apparently, they hate fun and want me to charge $5 minimum for a subscription a month and $50 minimum a year. They have to make a profit somehow, since they take 10% as a commissioning fee. So, I won’t be asking people to pay for my writings… I’m just going to write for the fun of it! Whoopee!

Posting a note and posting a post are very different things. Notes are made on the home page, while posts can be created on your Substack account. Click on “Dashboard” at the top right-hand corner, and then tap “new post” if you want to make a post: the big kahunas of your writing. Click on the down arrow next to the “new post” button, and select note for smaller things. Maybe an update, or maybe something that’s not really related to what you typically do on your account.

Something much appreciated is some emails detailing the performance of a few of my articles. I got one subscriber (hooray!!) and hopefully after this goes up I get, like, one more… but I’m not doing too bad on post reads, I’ve got three now! Woohoo!! But Substack gives you information on your post 25 hours after its initial posting, and gives you stats on how many people have subscribed and how many people have read your articles for the month a few days after the end of the month.

One thing I really appreciate is that since I’m my own boss on my Substack page, I get to write about whatever I want and post whenever. Of course, it’s nice to set a schedule for yourself and maybe a theme, but I’ve decided to write about three things that pique my interest: animation, esoteric political figures, and entertaining masterfully-deranged hypotheticals. Writings of any length are welcome!

It’s incredibly easy to edit a post after it is uploaded… just click on the post and go to the ellipses next to “Share”, and the first option is “edit”. You can also easily “cross-post”, which sends it as a post as well… and you can do that right under that same ellipses.

If you want a place to publicize your writings without any limits, Substack is the place for you. You can set up payment methods if you want to, but if you don’t, it’s a great place to publish your work. Below, I’ve attached three works I’ve made just for this paper if you want to take a look through. It’s fun, it’s free, and it’s easy as pie!

https://open.substack.com/pub/yourfavoritespencer/p/whats-wrong-with-disney-animation?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

https://open.substack.com/pub/yourfavoritespencer/p/harold-stassen-who?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

https://open.substack.com/pub/yourfavoritespencer/p/why-north-and-south-dakota-need-to?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Spencer R. Brown is a senior in their second year at Lawrence University, with a major in Government. They work as the Career Peer Educator for students in both Communication, Journalism & Written Arts (#CJW) and Government, Law & International Relations (#GLI) career communities in the Career Center. A writer and animator by trade, they are fascinated in finding ways to make digesting information entertaining. Feel free to connect with them on LinkedIn here!

The Denver Publishing Institute

By Lauren A. James-Spielman

Entering the publishing world is no easy feat, especially without experience. To stand out, additional education beyond Lawrence may be necessary.  Rather than attend a two-year graduate program, a much shorter training program exists to help you learn the relevant skills, create influential connections, and understand the ins and outs of the industry. The Denver Publishing Institute (DPI) is an option to turn your passion for books into a profession. 

Every summer, the Denver Publishing Institute enrolls 95 students in their four-week graduate-level publishing program that has launched the careers of over 4,000 participants across the country since 1976. Graduates can be found at work in every aspect of the publishing business–trade and textbooks, children’s and scholarly books. They have gone on to become designers and production specialists, sales reps and literary agents, editors, marketers, and publishers.

According to their handbook, “the program includes multiple workshops focusing on important processes within the publishing field. In the Editing Workshop, you will work on actual manuscripts to engage with the various stages of editing and will have the opportunity to practice editorial skills such as the preparation of a reader’s report, developmental manuscript editing, copyediting, and proofreading. In the Marketing Workshop, you will gain practical experience writing a publicity release for an actual manuscript, learn to identify target audiences and develop a complete marketing plan.”

In addition to hands-on workshops, prominent publishing executives from every area of the business will share their expertise on a broad range of publishing issues. You will also have many opportunities to gain general career knowledge, including tips on résumés, cover letters, interviews, and making job connections.

To learn more about the DPI, including costs and application requirements, visit their website here. Priority application deadlines are at the end of March, although applications are still accepted through early May.