I’ve emphasized in many previous posts the importance of education especially in the online world as it’s such a rapidly changing space. It’s important to understand what works and what’s no longer relevant in order to stay ahead of evolving technology, be an early adopter and really understand the landscape of the social media revolution.

My most recent venture in education industry is one that I’m most grateful for. I have the privilege to educate college students at Platt College San Diego on a subject that is my absolute passion, Online Marketing and Social Media. I was hired to develop a brand new Marketing curriculum focused on innovation, new technology and social media which is really the essence of marketing in 2010 and beyond. The school teaches students both traditional and contemporary skills because the fields  instructed at Platt (3D Animation, Graphic & Web Design, Digital Video Production) are in a constant state of development. There is a strong emphasis on providing a foundation in problem solving skills to meet future challenges and needs of a constantly evolving job market. My role as a Marketing & Communication Instructor is to empower students with new technology and social media skills for their professional development and career ventures.

I’ve only been teaching the class for a few weeks and although it’s my role to be the educator, I have learned a significant amount in areas of business management, professional speaking, presentation skills and more. By sharing my learning I’d like to inspire others to start educating about their passion. Education isn’t limited to a college setting.  There are many platforms that allow one to teach about their passion. Professionals can educate other business owners, speak at industry events and educate within their own company. If you’re passionate about something, share it with others and that’s exactly what I’m doing!  Here’s how educating has helped my career development allowing me to better serve my clients and partners as an Online Marketing Consultant, Social Media Strategist, Speaker and Entrepreneur.

1. Refined Professional Speaker– I’ve been using professional speaking as a marketing tool for myself and a service offering to help businesses and events for the past few years. Speaking has always come naturally to me especially when I’m talking about my passion. The act of teaching has refined my professional speaking skills significantly because I’m constantly practicing my ability to read the audience and engage them with compelling content. I’m learning better ways to prompt participation to create an interactive experience. I’m also enhancing my skills to be clear and concise with my messaging.  Each lecture I give is essentially a new speaking platform for me as I continue to grow my business as a paid professional speaker on online marketing and social media.

2. Better Visual Presentations- I’ve learned how to incorporate visuals in a way that tells a story  thus eliminating long drawn out sentences through excessive bullet points. Images trump text in any publication as people see  images before even scanning the text.  Choosing the right images for your presentation really makes a difference in the ability to engage your audience. My visuals are consistent with my lecture.

3. Enhanced Business Management Skills- I compare managing a group of students to a leadership role in a company where you’re managing a team. I’m responsible for providing clear instruction, managing expectations, motivating my students to meet deadlines and being an overall leader that inspires my class to really take the initiative to stay learn.

4. Increased Knowledge about the Social Media Landscape- Since teaching the class I’ve educated myself more on the social media landscape and technology developments. I find myself reading more blogs, watching more videos and scouring social media for examples and case studies relevant to my lectures. While I do this because it’s a passion, it’s now become a responsibility. As a leader  in the classroom and a professional in the online marketing space, I expect myself to fully understand the evolving social media landscape.

5. Improved Interpersonal Communication- My interpersonal communication skills are constantly being challenged and improved as a Instructor. I work with students from all walks of life so I must be able to adapt to their style of communication but also implement strict policies in a manner which allows them to understand the benefits of my assignments and requests. I must be understanding of each individual student’s circumstances while being firm about my policies and overall craft replies that are tactful and respectful. These are the same strategies I apply to business relationships so the more situations I’m in where interpersonal skills are necessary the better I become at improving my own communication.

As my class continues I look forward to sharing more of what I learn and how it applies to my career development. I’m always open to new opportunities to teach and educate others so feel free to contact me if you feel there is a good fit with my teachings and your educational institute, business or organization.