Robert Pearl Starks

Robert Pearl Starks

Location: phoenix, arizona

About me

As Vice President of Product Development, I lead cross-functional teams of designers, developers, QA testers and product stakeholders to develop, launch, and improve products customers need and love. 

Previously, I've worked in a variety of leadership roles in education / learning & professional development. Through my experience, I've become accustomed to working across departmental silos and with various stakeholders (executives, end-users, faculty, staff, students / learners, alumni, parents, regulatory agencies, partners and employers) to facilitate collaboration and advance common goals. In my previous roles, I've advocated for student needs and driven organizational change that helped educators do their best work, students thrive in their careers, and employers connect with quality talent.

Despite different contexts, a common theme in my career journey has been to do work that contributes to a mission which improves people's lives. It's also always been important for me to work with an organization whose values align with my own. I'm a listener, empathizer, customer advocate, servant leader, and lifelong learner. I'm never satisfied with status quo, I constantly strive for "better," and I'm driven by genuine curiosity to solve complex problems.

“Work to become; not to acquire.” -Elbert Hubbard

Interests

social media, career development, training, higher education, web 2.0/3.0, career services, leadership, marketing

Skills

social media, marketing, training, consulting, management, strategic planning

Activity

Hi Victoria , Thanks for sharing both a challenge and some intervention strategies you have used. This is a tough challenge to overcome since there is only so much one can do and insufficient financial support can cause a lot of stress for students only making the problem worse. Since you raised this important challenge that I'm certain others face, I'll share some other strategies to consider: 1. Develop a carpool program matching students who need a ride with students who have vehicles and are willing to help out. We kept a "Carpool" board in the student lounge so people… >>>

Hi Michael,

Great insight!  I couldn't agree more.  Often, people can forget that tools are just tools.  It reminds me of the quote, "It's not the wand; it's the wizard."  I'm sure everyone can agree, however, that learning to be effective with new tools and using them with intent can only enhance our ability to create overall experiences.  You just demonstrated this interaction between us which made this tool (blog and discussion forum) an integral part of the experience.  Now, I hope someone will curate this content, re-use it and create new experiences with others, be it discussion, critique, or… >>>

Instructors realize that sharing current, relevant content with their students can help make a connection between concepts taught in class and how they are playing out in the real-world. In the past, instructors might scan the newspaper and cut out a clipping to share with their class but with so many modern web tools, it is easier than ever to contribute online discoveries to class conversations. Using free online content curation tools, instructors can easily integrate new content in a variety of ways.

 

What are content curation tools?
A content curator is a service that uses algorithms to show… >>>

Discussion Comment

Helen , I believe that the ultimate reason we have "MIAs," is because, first, we haven't developed a strong enough relationship/partnership with the student/graduate. When an individual isn't concerned enough to simply communicate with us, return phone calls, respond to emails, etc., there lacks a feeling of responsibility to the partnership because a partnership hasn't been established. There is no feeling of responsibility to show simple courtesy to call someone back if the individual has no connection with the person trying to reach them. In the long-term, I'd suggest evaluating the processes that are in place that allows your department… >>>

Helen, I couldn't help but notice that there is no mention of the use of any social platforms for the long-term strategies of student/alumni engagement, employer outreach and engagement, or building one's network in niche fields. When you say you are using LinkedIn for "job orders," in what way? How is your social media use differentiated from other tools used in the career center? The course emphasizes relationship-building and building affinity with constituents, transforming students to advocates of the department and using social tools to improve student participation. Can you speak to specific ways in which any of this is… >>>

Helen, People search engines such as Pipl.com and KGBpeople.com came in handy many times for me when trying to skip trace MIA graduates. When using people search engines, it's best to use multiple tools since each scans different social networks for data. They simply are tools to help you optimize your researching skills by leveraging the data on social media platforms. Make sure to explore all the tools in the resources section related to people search. I have found that many career services professionals are not using these tools to help themselves be better "private investigators." If they can help… >>>

During the 2013 Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities Convention and Exposition, Career College Central Editor Kevin Kuzma visited with a number of sector leaders at the magazine's booth space. He was joined by Noah Black, Vice President of Communications for the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU.)

In this interview, Black explains the value of the APSCU organization and his plans for handling communications.

 

Petra, When you say your department uses social media to "keep up with graduates," can you elaborate on what you mean? What does "keep up" mean, how do you keep up, how does this strategy contribute to your goals and what made your department decide to incorporate social media as a tool to use? If your department has determined it is important to use as a tool, regardless of your personal use, how do you stay informed regarding social media trends and/or how do you intend to keep yourself educated? Robert Starks Jr.

 

Today, only 4 in 10 U.S. adults possess a two- or four-year degree and approximately 3 million jobs go unfilled because employers can’t find people with the right skills.  While the U.S. is falling in its proportion of college graduates relative to global competitors, the need for postsecondary education is rising for jobs in the 21st century global economy.  If the U.S. is to close the widening skills gap, it will require more than increasing the number of graduates from existing career programs.  Postsecondary institutions will also have to design new career programs to prepare students for emerging… >>>

During the 2013 Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities Convention and Exposition, Career College Central Editor Kevin Kuzma visited with a number of sector leaders at the magazine's booth space. Jenny Faubert, Director of Communications for the Imagine America Foundation, joined him for an on-camera discussion.

 
Faubert is responsible for developing new projects such as Imagine America Foundation’s Financial Planning Made Simple and the Student Success Zone.  As the Director of Communications, she also oversees the Foundation’s website, marketing, PR, and publications including the Imagine America Foundation's annual Fact Book.  Imagine America, in partnership with MaxKnowledge, also offers comprehensive… >>>

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