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 Shawn, I'm so glad to hear you will actually be researching before choosing platforms. So many don't do this critical step and find that they either chose tools that are not widely used by their students and/or alumni, or use so many that their strategies become unsustainable because of the work involved. You may also decide that you use different tools for different purposes - for instance, I know many institutions use LinkedIn more for their alumni engagement strategy whereas Facebook may be used more with students to market career services and build affinity. The course talks about a… >>>

Discussion Comment
Hi Shawn, This is a common challenge for institutions that have programs which prepare students for careers in fields that have licensure requirements. What are some of the ways your department and institution are addressing this challenge? Are there any "institutionalized" interventions being set in place? (e.g. exam prep courses prior to graduating, required exam preparation workshops, practice tests periodically administered throughout the student life cycle, etc.) Robert Starks Jr.

Hi Shawn, It's good that you are starting early! Many people dive into using social media accounts without clearly defined goals, strategies, or ideas of how to measure results. Additionally, there are often unrealistic expectations and many things overlooked and not considered. I recommend taking your time in the course and of course, ask questions as you have them. Many career services departments use social media for different things so there are a variety of ways you can use the tools to help you accomplish your goals - you just have to decide what those will be and strategize from… >>>

Discussion Comment

Hi Kristine, Your right - maintaining/updating marketing collateral becomes more difficult to manage when you are using digital media that is published online. This is why I teach students that they don't have to use every social tool out there but to choose the ones they can/will manage and keep current for career marketing purposes. There are automation tools to help maintain a presence and stay relevant. Tools such as Bufferapp, Hootsuite, and other social media management tools make managing one's social accounts easier. I also point out to students that while it may be more difficult to maintain, the… >>>

Hi Kristine, Have the employers you speak with elaborated on what exactly they are looking for? I find that for the students who are aware that employers are reviewing profiles, they have the perception that employers are looking merely for "knock-out" factors such as offensive comments, distasteful images, or other sings of irresponsible behavior/character. However, beyond the obvious "knock-out" factors, I have found that employers are also looking for signals of fit with organizational culture and a candidate's brand consistency to see that the way they present themselves online is consistent with their face-to-face presentation and interview. Have your employers… >>>

Publisher Ryan Busch interviews Steve Gunderson, President & CEO of APSCU, as part of the 2014 APSCU Conference Rewind video interview series filmed live at the APSCU conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Discussion Comment
Hi Kristine, You're right! Employers see so many resumes that they can spot a "cookie-cutter" one instantly and it doesn't reflect well on the candidate. They may interpret this to mean the individual doesn't care enough to customize their submission to the employer's needs or to present themselves in a manner that differentiates from others. Robert Starks Jr.
Hello Kristine, I think it's a good approach to teach students to be prepared. You're right - some employers want cover letters while others don't. I think this is yet another example of why the most common answer I have when people ask me how they should prepare their marketing collateral is "it depends." We must teach students to adapt their strategies based on a number of variables. Thanks for sharing your experience! Robert Starks Jr.

Editor Kevin Kuzma interviews Jay Hollowell, VP of Client Services of MaxKnowledge, as part of the 2014 APSCU Conference Rewind video interview series filmed live at the APSCU conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Jay discusses 4 trends in training observed in the career college sector of Higher Education.  

Editor Kevin Kuzma interviews Denny Spisak, board member of the Imagine America Foundation in this first of several 2014 APSCU Conference Rewind video interviews filmed live at the APSCU conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

End of Content

End of Content