Surely you have heard of professional life coaches: specialists who help other people to get the most out of their lives and achieve their goals, using a combination of specialized techniques and communication tools.
Did you know that at CIS University we have an on-site, certified coach dedicated exclusively to helping our students achieve their objectives? Let’s take a look at some of the advantages and positive outcomes associated with having such direct and complete access to a professional personal development coach at an educational institution.
What is the main function of the personal development coach at the university?
As described by the coach himself, Jesús “Chus” Díaz, his main role in a university setting is to accompany students, perhaps ironically, during the non-academic parts of their university experience:
“We function not so much as a mentor or guide, but rather as a co-pilot who travels with the student throughout his or her time at the university. We also conduct ability and personality tests, which are later used to create a comprehensive report that serves as a basis for detecting possible areas of improvement, therefore allowing us to work together toward enhancing skills and strengths should it be necessary.”
What are the benefits for students in having access to a personal development coach at their university?
The advantages are significant, varied, and can function together to create a combined, amplified effect:
1 – First, a detailed, personalized, and confidential report on the student’s abilities, skills, and capabilities is generated electronically. This report is reviewed one on one with each student. Every detail is explored and explained so that the student can give his or her point of view on the initial findings, which serves to “fine-tune” and personalize the results even further.
Parents have access to this information and can meet directly with the coach, either in person or online, to ease any concerns that might arise and to ask any questions they might have, which allows them to gain a much broader view of their child’s academic performance.
2 – Orientation and integration: It is very common for some students to feel lost during the first few weeks, since embarking on a university degree program involves significant changes both in their environment, as well as the way they are expected to interact in their new setting and situation. The personal development coach is an essential element in terms of their successful integration during the first few months of this new adventure. It helps them to move forward with confidence and greater self-assurance.
3 – It allows us to identify possible areas of improvement: The main outcome in terms of creating the personalized report for each student is to discover potential areas of improvement in which they can focus and develop themselves toward realizing their full potential. For example, it is possible to detect the need to improve skills such as public speaking, time management and organization, teamwork, and much more.
American schools like CIS University focus on such considerations through extracurricular activities and participation in clubs, such as the Debate Club, the Literature Club, the Creativity Club, the Business Club, and the Language Exchange Program.
4 – Early detection of potential issues: Many times the student may have academic results below their expectations due to peculiarities that have not been previously diagnosed such as hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, shyness, and others. The personal development coach through one-on-one interviews works to pinpoint personality traits or skills that have gone unnoticed and put a spotlight on them for further consideration.
5 – Continuous follow-up: One of the most rewarding factors in having such direct access to an on-site personal development coach is the individualized attention when it comes to evaluating students’ progress after having taken action and having implemented improvement techniques. For example, at CIS University, we have support workshops that enhance skills for students who might need extra support in areas such as math, writing and accounting.
It’s clear that having a personal development coach at your school and at your service is a big advantage when it comes to taking your education to the next level. The coach accompanies you along the way and supports you, but it is the student who must make his or her own decisions and develop both academically and personally in the end.
In the words of Chus, our coach:
“As a parent, I can assure you that being a personal development coach is a very arduous, yet fulfilling task. You learn as much from the students as they learn from you. It’s wonderful, challenging and demanding, but…do you know the best thing about coaching? It works!”
