Jessica Peine12/15/2017 1:02pm
Host Company: Levementum
Orr Fellows believe that learning shouldn’t stop after graduation. We place an enormous emphasis on continued learning and growth – specifically through our curriculum and certification programs. As we seek to “sharpen our saws” outside of the workplace, we give ourselves the opportunity to be distinctive contributors within the workplace, a stipulation that more and more employers are reporting as a requirement for the modern employee (The Economist, 2017).
Our curriculum takes many forms. Whether it’s a speaker brought in to discuss his or her journey to success or the chance to learn some tips and tricks from an esteemed local financial planner, there is always an opportunity to learn a new skill or a new perspective in a group setting. On an individual level, Fellows work with the Personal Development Team to pursue certifications that will help them in their current role at their Host Company, or very often, help them work towards a longer term goal. Fellows complete certifications in all areas of business like design, management and sales. Many pursue more formalized certifications like the Certified Assistant in Project Management and Salesforce Certified Administrator program.
This month, we took our curriculum initiative in a new direction. Since Orr Fellows come from vastly different backgrounds and bring a breadth of experiences, interests and passions to the table, a group of first and second years decided to create Nexus, an event where individual Fellows share their skills with the group, mutually benefiting the Fellowship as a whole.
At the first Nexus, Fellows attended breakout sessions where they could learn from other Fellows about the topics like: photography & Photoshop, tactful communication in the workplace, using data to inform decision making and Search Engine Optimization. Each session was taught by an expert Fellow in that respective topic. For example second years Ridge Parks and Alex Antonetti led a session on Using Data to Inform Decisions, where the two discussed leveraging business data to drive decision making, especially when it comes to cutting costs, and growing the business.
First year fellow Audra Chalmers was one of the team members who helped to build this event. She said of Nexus, “Seeing this event come to fruition was really exciting! As Fellows, we are always seeking ways to enhance our skillsets. Learning from each other through Nexus provides another opportunity to do just that. I’m eager to hear feedback from fellows and continue to grow this initiative.”
Curriculum events like Nexus are such an integral part of what makes the Fellowship unique. As a group, Orr Fellows are always eager to seize the opportunity to learn from our community’s local experts and to soak new skills that can carry over to our roles in our host companies and beyond.
