Thank You Teachers! | Bearing the COVID-19 Brunt

There has never been a back-to-school season like this one. Schools across the country—from small, private elementary schools to large, public universities—grappled with how to open. There’s no “pandemic playbook,” after all. As plans unfolded, teachers stepped up, ready to educate students, whether their schools opened remotely, in person, or with a hybrid format somewhere in between.

image showing teachers desk

Now, more than ever before, we have so much to learn from teachers. Those working from home had to start from scratch and figure out how to effectively teach students remotely. Longstanding lesson plans had to be revised. “Classroom space” had to be carved out at home. Equipment had to be set up. Talk about a lesson in adapting to circumstances!

Teachers going to their schools to teach in person might be uncomfortable, afraid of getting sick. They must constantly take measures to keep themselves and their students safe. These days, in addition to clearly conveying the curriculum, teachers must ensure that students keep their masks on and remain at least six feet apart from one another. They must learn the names of students whose faces are blocked by masks while struggling to be understood through their own mask.

Last year, being a teacher was just being a teacher. This year, being a teacher is being a teacher, a medical professional, a therapist, and a juggler extraordinaire.

If you’re a teacher, thank you! These unfamiliar routines and long days can be draining, so be sure to take steps to minimize stress. Consider these options:

Answer emails once or twice a day. Checking your inbox all day long can make you crazy. Looking less often can save time and reduce stress.

Schedule “me time.” Set aside time throughout the week to do yoga, go for a run, take a long bath, sit outside with a cup of tea, or listen to your favorite music. Whatever helps you unwind, do it!

Give yourself credit. These are unusual times. With all the unknowns and unexpected challenges you’re sure to face as the school year unfolds, you’re stepping up to handle them. You’re still teaching, and the students are still learning.

All of us at Corexcel are in awe of teachers during the pandemic.

We respect you and we’re learning from you. Thank you Teachers!!!

Are You Bored With the Working From Home Thing?

Are you bored of working from home? If you’re like many people, you’ve been working from home for months. And you’re over it. At first, it seemed like a novelty—a chance to skip the commute and work in comfy clothes while staying safe. As the weeks went on, however, you realized it can be tough to work with spouses, kids, and pets around, and it can get awfully boring looking at the same walls.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to get out of your rut and combat the boredom you might be feeling at home:

Woman yawning while at her desk

Plan a busy schedule. If you pack a lot into your workday, your mind will be focused on the tasks. Now is the time to add those often-put-off housekeeping projects, like cleaning out old emails, deleting files, and filing papers, in your schedule. Fill the gaps and avoid the lulls.

Schedule breaks. This means actually put time for breaks on your calendar. Step away from the desk. Get up and stretch. Talk to a family member in the house. Stay put and call a friend. Squeeze in a workout. The point is to use the time to focus on something other than work so you can come back to it fresh.

Change your location. If you usually work in a bedroom, try a day in the kitchen. Or the family room. Or the dining room. Just mix it up! When you feel boredom setting in, take a walk, even if it’s just around the house. A change of scenery, even if brief, goes a long way.

Pursue training opportunities. You’re not spending time going to and from work, so use the downtime to explore training your employer offers. If your employer will compensate you for taking outside classes, take advantage of that. Or, if you want to switch or advance your career, take one of our many online courses and professional certificate programs. All of these options will expand your skill set, bolster your resume, and alleviate boredom.

Set up a fun distraction. Listen to music while you work—rock, jazz, country—whatever lifts your mood. Have a favorite show playing off on the side, if it won’t distract you from work. A little bit of fun can have a big, positive effect on your day.

Working from home might be a lasting trend. Once you learn how to keep boredom at bay, it might be a trend to embrace.

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

After a Pause on Hiring, Reset and Restart

When the pandemic began, it abruptly threw businesses into turmoil. Workers went remote. Hiring in many industries was put on hold. Management focused on how to stay afloat and move forward. Now that states are starting to reopen and move towards a sense of normalcy, businesses are lifting the pause button, resetting, and starting to hire again. If you’re one of them, here’s what we suggest:

hiring reset after covid

Consider hiring remote workers1. Instead of bringing people on board and planning for them to eventually come to the office, you can add permanent telecommuters to the team. Unsure? Try a candidate out as a freelancer. Start with an experienced remote worker, communicate your business’s values, and establish guidelines. Also, be sure to convey your corporate culture and to verify a candidate’s identity.

Use a hiring tool. In the best of times, it’s a challenge to make sure you bring the right people on board. Now, without meeting candidates in person, you want as much insight as possible at your disposal as you decide who to hire. We recommend PXT Select™, an online hiring assessment designed to help you select the best candidates for your organization. It not only assesses thinking style (e.g. verbal reasoning), but also behavioral traits (e.g., independence), and interests (e.g., technical). It measures verbal and math skills, too.

This is important because you don’t want to hire someone who, although good at the job, ultimately won’t stay because they don’t feel fulfilled or engaged. PXT Select takes a variety of factors into consideration and provides information that lets you know if a candidate is truly a good fit.

Candidates complete an assessment online that takes an hour or less to complete. The system generates reports that let you truly get to know a candidate. It even suggests personalized interview questions for you to ask a candidate to probe deeper for more insight on certain points. You can also use the reports to compare multiple candidates.

So dust off your pre-pandemic hiring practices and reset with these tips. You’ll start fresh and bring in the best new hires for your organization.

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

1Forbes.com: Hiring Your First Remote Employee? Follow These 16 Tips

Is The Time Right for a Career Change?

clock with people in the background

Who would have thought that a global pandemic could be just the thing to prompt a career change? When COVID-19 first hit, we were thinking, “Do I have enough toilet paper” and “Where can I get hand sanitizer?”—not “Perhaps I should switch jobs.” However, there are actually several reasons why it just might be the perfect time to make a career move.

Time to think. Before the pandemic, it was go-go-go.  We were running to work. Running home to take care of the kids. Running to meet friends for dinner. Now we’re sitting on the sofa…and sitting there some more. It gives us time to think, and, importantly, to assess whether or not we’re happy with our careers. Time to think can lead to “time to change.”

Job uncertainty. Businesses of all sizes are hurting. Many Americans are worried about job security, rightly so. Even if you enjoy your current job, will it be there when the dust settles as the pandemic winds down? Unfortunately, a new career might not be something we want, but something we need.

Time to learn. With all of these weeks at home, we have plenty of time on our hands. That means we have time to learn new skills. We have time to update our resumes and LinkedIn profiles, too. (Even if you’re working full-time, you no longer have a commute, social engagements, or errands to run.)

Workplace flexibility. Just a few months ago, an employer might have questioned a job candidate on a career shift. In these unprecedented circumstances, a career move is understood.

Corexcel offers the educational opportunities you need to revitalize or reinvent your career. Not only do we offer a full suite of career-boosting courses, we also offer many online certificate programs. Earn your certification in Data Analytics, Search Engine Optimization, Cybersecurity, or many other in-demand options. Exit the pandemic with a valuable skill set—and a new career!

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

Here’s to the Nurses!

nurse wearing gloves and a mask workingHas there ever been a better time to show appreciation for nurses? We don’t think so. These skilled medical professionals are in the front lines of the battle against COVID-19.  Whether or not they work directly with coronavirus patients, nurses show up at work day in and day out to take care of the patients who need them. Their dedication in the face of personal risk must be recognized.

To all the nurses out there, we appreciate your knowledge, your caring, and your unwavering commitment. Here’s to you!

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

When Social Isolating Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade

lemonade on a tableYou’re home, socially isolating. Maybe you’re working remotely. Unless you’re on the front lines of medical care or you work for “essential” business, chances are you have extra time on your hands. Why not take that online course you’ve long said, “I’ll take someday”?

Taking an online course can pave the way to a new career or do wonders for the career you’re in—and you never have to leave your home. Corexcel offers a full suite of online courses for you to consider.

For healthcare professionals and those looking to get into a medical field, there’s:

  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Medical Terminology
  • Comprehensive Medical Coding
  • Introduction to Electrocardiography

For those in the business world, there are courses in a wide array of topics, including:

  • Communication
  • Cyber Security
  • Data Analytics
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Project Management

We offer 12 online certificate programs as well. These help you stay current, improve your skills, and enhance your marketability. Corexcel is approved as an Authorized Provider by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training, and many of the courses we offer carry multiple accreditations.

Being stuck at home because of the coronavirus can seem like a big bowl of lemons. Why not boost your career and make lemonade?

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.

Introducing Managing Remote Employees

Today’s workforce is turning to technology to handle both internal and external communications. Employee Working Remotely The idea of meeting face-to-face is becoming less and less common. In wake of the recent string of viruses world-wide, many companies are embracing the idea of employing remote workers to run their day to day operations. While the convenience and agility of working remotely sounds easy enough, it is also imperative that supervisors and managers alike are practicing the best strategies to effectively oversee their remote employees.

Introducing Managing Remote Employees 

Course Features

  • Online, self-paced course
  • Open enrollment 24/7/365
  • No prerequisites
  • Interactive review exercises
  • Professional videos with complete transcripts
  • Ask the Expert feature – Submit questions directly to our experts
  • CEU/PDU Certificate

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) – Why it Matters!

Perhaps you’ve heard of something called emotional intelligence, or EQ. It’s mentioned a lot these days! In the workplace, it’s important to understand not only what emotional intelligence is, but also the effect it can have on your team. According to Psychology Today, emotional intelligence is the “ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.”   

The key elements of emotional intelligence are:  game-pieces-on-a-game-board

  • Self-awareness: How well an individual identifies their emotions.
  • Self-management: How well an individual controls their emotions and adapts when thinking and solving problems.
  • Social awareness/relationship management: How well an individual can empathize and maintain healthy relationships.

 

Having a handle on your emotions and using that awareness to react differently in times of conflict is called agility. That’s why many agile leaders are integrating an EQ test in their workplace, by providing EQ assessments to better understand their teams. The idea is that managers and team members who have control of their emotions and an awareness of others are agile enough to have productive relationships with coworkers, and thus be an asset to the team.  

“It is very important to understand that emotional intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence, it is not the triumph of heart over head—it is the unique intersection of both.” 

David Caruso, Ph.D., Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

We are thrilled to introduce an online emotional intelligence assessment for organizations. With the information this DiSC®-based assessment provides, you can make effective hiring decisions, create agile teams, and facilitate workplace harmony. 

Please contact us for more information.

IACET Spotlight Provider Recognition | Corexcel

The International Accreditors of Continuing Education and Training (IACET) will be recognizing Corexcel as a Spotlight Provider! Spotlight IACET Provider: Corexcel

When: Saturday, February 22, 2020.
Where: Visit the Corexcel Profile on IACET

Corexcel is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.

Corexcel has been an accredited provider for IACET for more than 25 years and has successfully helped thousands of students earn Continuing Education Units. It is an honor to work with an organization so dedicated to helping others achieve their goals!

Thank You, First Responders

firefighter putting out a fire

Several months ago, California saw severe fires that spanned hundreds of thousands of acres and caused thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Locals didn’t know what to expect in the coming days, but they knew that firefighters would face the blazes until they were put out. Actor John Cena was so appreciative of the first responders that he donated $500,000 to firefighter organizations in their honor.

There are approximately 1.1 million firefighters in the United States. These professional and volunteer men and women bravely put themselves in harm’s way every time they respond to a call. That’s why we appreciate them, too. We also appreciate the 262,000+ paramedics in the U.S. who show up to treat people requiring urgent medical care.

First responders: We know you have busy, unpredictable schedules. (We also know that’s an understatement!) So, fitting in the medical courses you’re required to take can be difficult. After all, what are the chances you’re free on the days when classes are given?

Thankfully, we have a solution. You can meet your requirements by taking our Anatomy & Physiology and Medical Terminology courses online, whenever and wherever you like. These courses provide the flexibility you need with your ever-changing schedule, and they’re self-paced so you work at your own speed. Plus, we give you access to the material for a year, so you can squeeze in the work a little bit at a time—or you can knock it out on a free weekend!

How you take our courses is your call. But when you respond to the next 9-1-1 call, with these courses under your belt, you’ll be ready. Thank you for all that you do.

Email us at learn@corexcel.com to learn more.