A Full-Day, Faculty-Led Workshop from NACAC and IECA 

An intensive workshop to support secondary school and college counseling professionals. Coming September 20.

About this workshop

This one-day training workshop is designed specifically for school-based college counselors and college admission representatives involved in or considering a transition to private practice. Whether it’s a mid-career change or plans for post-retirement work, this one-day institute is led by IECA and will prepare you for a successful transition to ethical and professional independent college consulting.

Who should attend

This workshop is for secondary school and college counseling professionals, college counseling department directors and supervisors, aspiring directors, and veteran counselors interested in a transition to private practice.

 Schedule information

This full-day pre-conference workshop will be held on Wednesday, September 20 in Baltimore, Maryland. See below for an outline of the schedule.

Program Directors

• Mark Sklarow, CEO/IECA
• Sue DePra, Deputy Executive Director/IECA

Questions

For purchasing and billing questions, please contact customerservice@nacacnet.org.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Understanding the IEC Profession

School-based college counselors as well as university-based admission representatives possess a wealth of knowledge, have developed a valuable network of professional colleagues, and have unique insight into teenagers’ hopes, fears, and worries about the college admission process. And while those are important to the IEC profession as well, there are differences to be aware of as you become an ethical and professional IEC.

 Learning Objectives:

• Differences between institutionally-based advising and the IEC profession
• The importance and impact of the IECA Principles of Good Practice
• Current trends in the IEC profession

Setting Yourself Up for Success

As the field of independent educational consulting has grown into a significant profession, more and more institutionally-based counselors have considered the career. What holds many back is concern over operating a small business—how to take your extensive experience and knowledge and use it in private practice. We will help you break this challenge into more manageable pieces so you can begin planning your own successful entry into the IEC profession.

Learning Objectives: 

• A better understanding of an IEC’s workflow patterns
• Resources and tools available to IECs
• Key factors needed to develop your own customer service and client management priorities.
• Presenter: Mark Sklarow, IECA chief executive officer

The IEC Curriculum

There are many different methods of delivering services to your clients. As you determine what approach(es) is best for you, you can develop a solid framework that will help you succeed and enable you to adapt as your practice evolves.

Learning Objectives: 

• Prepare to create your IEC consulting curriculum
• Curriculum models
• Presenter: Dr. Steven Antonoff, IECA

Marketing

Self-promotion can be a daunting challenge, especially for the more introverted or those uncomfortable discussing financial arrangements with potential customers and clients. We will show you ways to approach these challenges so you can design a marketing plan that suits your unique style and objectives.

Learning Objectives:

• Create a buzz
• Things to consider: Product, Pricing, Place, Promotion

Developing Expertise: Next Steps

This workshop is designed to give you an overview of the profession so that you understand the knowledge and skills you will need to begin a successful career as an IEC. This final session will identify the next steps in the process and help you hit the ground running.

Learning Objectives: 

• Resources for targeted learning and ongoing professional development
• Developing your networks of colleagues and mentors
• Presenter: Mark Sklarow, IECA chief executive officer

Our faculty will be happy to answer any questions you may have!