Community-Based Learning Project Teaches Marketing Students Skills Employers Desire

Research was conducted by the author to determine whether a community-based learning model teaches students the skills employers are looking for in new marketing graduates1; specifically, specialty skills to be used to become future leaders in the company such as having good communication skills, the ability to work in teams, possessing a positive attitude and the ability to highlight past experiences from real-world class projects. Marketing students at Regis University take a Consumer Behavior class that participates in community-based projects over the last seven years. The author asked the students how valuable a list of communication and team skills were to them, and assessed their attitudes toward learning and their success with a community-based project. It was found that students learned successful communication skills collaborating with their peers while working on community-based learning projects. The experience increased student confidence, which had a direct impact on having a more favorable attitude overall. The combination of positive attitudes in their marketing skills and hours spent conducting research for their project prepared students for job interviews with better skills and a work sample to discuss during a job interview