FROM COLLEGE CAMPUS TO NURSING HOME, AT 23 YRS OLD By: J.P. Wooley Success in today’s job market just might require an infatuation with the elderly. Go beyond your love for grandma’s cookies and you could end up with a profitable career. Professional, punctual, and incredibly personable, Heather Elliott beat the odds to find success in her field of study. Many college students have a difficult time transitioning from the classroom into the workforce, but with the right skills and attitude it can be done. Heather found full time employment a mere two months after graduation. Battling one of the highest unemployment rates in history Heather emerged victorious where so many had fallen before her. Her weapon of choice is marketing and she wields it well. Raised in Lexington Kentucky Heather attended Bryan Station High School, it was there that she first developed an interest in marketing. This interest carried over into higher education when she began taking business courses at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. It was at BCTC with the help of dedicated professors that she was able to ignite her passion. While sharpening her skills academically Heather was also exposed to real world scenarios, as a handful of her instructors were prominent business figures in the community. Heather attributes much of her “real world” success to the valuable life experiences shared in those classes. After the graduation cap is thrown and the gown retired most students face the most
daunting task yet, the first real interview. Heather’s first interview was at Lexington Country Place, a local nursing home. The position to be filled was an Admissions and Marketing Coordinator. The predominant role of the Coordinator is to persuade consumers to choose Lexington Country Place. The interview process was extensive but after speaking with three different people and answering a series of marketing scenario questions, she was called and offered the job. Now that Heather is the Admissions and Marketing Coordinator, a typical day starts with a morning meeting. During this meeting Heather is responsible for relaying census information to the other departments. The census refers to the number of residents currently staying at the facility. After the meeting she proceeds to follow up on referrals and plan for the day’s admissions. In addition to admissions, giving tours, marketing to local hospitals, and direct contact with prospective clients takes up the majority of her day. When asked if there was anything she would like to change about her position she responded with “The pressure, there are strict deadlines and quotas that must be met in order to maintain a satisfactory census. It can get pretty stressful”. While Heather referred to the quotas as challenging, you wouldn’t gather that from her performance this past year. When she was first hired the census was unusually low and the facility was struggling to fill rooms. Heather implemented several new practices to draw more clients including a scrapbook of testimonials and a variety of promotional