Business Administration Skills Lead to a Transformed Career

Through feedback and employment reports from alumni students, we have recently been able to connect with a few alumni to talk about their experiences as a DWC student, any current professional endeavors, and how their time at DWC shaped their professional lives.

Kathy Bush didn’t have much of a professional career before coming to us.

Now, she does. She is a graduate of our Business Administration Certificate who elevated her professional skill set through courses in productivity tools and essential soft skills. She was able to show employers that she knows business best practices and can be an asset to any team.

We were able to reconnect with Kathy in 2023 through our Alumni Success Story Series. Keep reading to learn more about her progress!

What led you to choose us as your education and why did you decide you needed Business Administration skills?

Yeah, so I grew up in a family where we were very frugal and my parents had given me their 2000 copy of Microsoft Suite, and I used that all the way through college. Then when I graduated, I realized I needed to upgrade my tech skills. So I asked around with some friends because I didn’t really want to go back to a traditional university to get that education. 

Digital Workshop Center was mentioned as a great way to just get the tech skills without having to take out a loan or anything like that.

What do you remember as the most memorable part of having been a DWC student?

The most memorable thing that stuck out to me about those classes was the small classroom environment, how it was very much two, three students to a teacher, so you could ask questions. Especially since I’m a very tactile learner when it comes to computer tech, I have to ask a teacher to come to show me everything because otherwise it’s in one ear and out the other.

With excel, I was also really surprised to learn how robust of a program it is because there are things that it can do that you just don’t know it can do if you only have basic knowledge. I think my favorite was learning how to code all the functions into the slots to just save myself some time in data entry.

So how do you think the certificate prepared you for the workforce and any current professional endeavors that you’re currently doing? 

Having taken the certificate programs has helped me become more familiar with how computers and technology have evolved. So it’s much easier for me to kind of troubleshoot a new program that I encounter than it was before I took the certificate. The skills are helping me in personal and professional settings, like staying organized and learning how to converse about these programs with other people. 

I am also in the process right now of learning how to be a freelance writer, so I am definitely using a lot of those skills in navigating current classes because it’s more of a virtual environment than an in-class environment.

What advice would you have for someone considering us as a school for tech skills?

The advice I would give for someone who’s considering your programs is to look into what skills they are needing for their job or for a potential job that they want. Look at the Digital Workshop Center  to see if it provides those skills at a much more affordable cost than traditional college would. Always talk to one of their student advisors to get more information. 

If there’s an option to take a capstone project, definitely take that up, because the more hands-on experience you have and the more you understand the lingo, the easier you’re going to come across as a professional person that the company would be interested in hiring.

Are there any other experiences you want to mention about having been a DWC student?

I do appreciate the fact that there was an additional class offered which was the business soft skills class. When I advanced to the point of being kind of like a manager at my job, I actually had to start training people underneath me. I realized very quickly I needed training on how to communicate and train people who are below me as well as people above me at that business.

I think the soft skills were a great add on to my Business Administration certificate. It just helped me feel more prepared and gave me the tools to be able to do my job.

Kathy’s testimonial highlights the profound impact that a certificate program can have on nontraditional students seeking to enhance their tech skills and professional capabilities. The hands-on, small classroom experience at DWC allows for tailored instruction and direct interaction with instructors, fostering a deeper understanding of complex programs like Excel and enhancing practical skills in technology. The focus on real-world applications and projects ensures that students are not only learning theoretical concepts but are also gaining valuable, marketable skills that can be immediately applied in the workforce.

For those considering advancing their tech skills without the financial burden and time commitment of traditional college programs, we have an ideal solution. We encourage you to explore the diverse range of programs we offer, designed to meet the needs of today’s dynamic job market. Whether you are looking to upskill for a current job, pivot to a new career, or simply gain confidence in using modern technology, we are here to support your educational journey.