Week 1: BOLD Challenge (2/26) This week, leaders from Black Originators Leaders and Doers (BOLD) at Verizon helped students understand how they can tell whether a job prospect has high emotional intelligence (high EQ). Students were given design thinking tools and asked to design a way to help spread an understanding of EQ amongst campus peers. Today, students will come ready to share their prototype and engage in a mock interview with mentors to practice their ability to convey their emotional intelligence.

Week 2: LinkedIn Challenge (3/5) Students will build or level-up their LinkedIn profiles to achieve high engagement and begin to expand their professional network. They will use the audio software, Descript, to create an asset that helps introduce who they are, while communicating the value they bring employers. Mentor feedback on their prototype will be essential.

Week 3: Spotify Challenge (3/12) This week, students will use Spotify’s Anchor.fm podcast publishing tool to design a new podcast concept and publish the first in their series. Mentor feedback on their concept and initial podcast will be essential as they learn about the potential in this fast-growing media industry.

Week 4: Yahoo Challenge (3/19) Let’s face it. Students don’t take finance unless they have to. And, many underserved students don’t realize the power of financial markets on company decision-making and personal investment choices. This week’s challenge has students using Yahoo Finance to use the ‘portfolio’ tool to create a portfolio of stocks in their target industry segment/field. They’ll monitor fluctuations over a week, analyze their top picks, and invest possibly even invest $20 using a tool like Robinhood. This meeting with mentors will help them explain their rationale and gain insights acquired by professionals with many more years of experience.

Week 5: BlueJeans Challenge (3/26) The emotionally intelligent job candidate is one who knows how to identify their own strengths and helps others learn how to hone that same strength, too. This week students will identify a skill or strength and design a ‘live virtual’ synchronous class (or learning opportunity) for a population interested in learning that skill. Mentors will provide feedback on the student’s approach and technique, as well as any insights gained on the participants’ learning outcomes.

Week 6: Instagram/Facebook/WhatsApp Challenge (4/2) This week, students will utilize a social platform such as Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp to teach others asynchronously, curating a learning experience for others that is not time-bound and allows participants to easily digest material on their own time. Mentors will help students understand how asynchronous learning opportunities have been used in their industry.

Week 7: TikTok Challenge (4/9) The world of marketing and advertising is seeing record disruption as Gen Z will likely not subscribe to cable networks like Comcast and Charter, preferring to stream content on various social media platforms instead. As such, major brands are learning how to reach younger demographics using tools like TikTok. This week’s challenge has students designing content on the platform, creating 3-4 TikToks to entertain or share knowledge. By participating in An Hour of Mentorship, mentors will meet with students in a small group setting to review their TikToks, provide feedback, and share marketing insights.

Week 8: New York Times Challenge (4/16) This challenge will expose students to the fast-growing world of Photogrammetry and the power of immersive storytelling using 5G through NYT’s partnership with Verizon. Inspired by several great examples like the Story of Emmett Till, Chinatown in the 50’s, and Coronavirus vs Mask, students will learn how such technology is shifting the field. For this challenge, students will imagine that they are the VP of Creative at NYT and that they are presenting their top 3 ideas for 5G lab scientists to bring to life. At An Hour of Mentorship, mentors will meet with students in a small group setting to hear their 5G lab pitch, and discuss the takeaways from the experience. Mentors will also share their experience of how ideas are sourced and nurtured in large company environments.

Week 9: Verizon Media Challenge (4/23) Inspired by current Verizon Media web properties like Yahoo Sports, Yahoo News, Yahoo Music, Yahoo Finance, TechCrunch, and In The Know, students will design a site that rocks their world. Students might design a mashup of their own, redesign a current site, or design an entirely new site, and/or integrate a shopping experience that makes it more relevant for students like them. Students will design a new UX (user experience), explore layout/functionality using wireframes, and pitch their ideas to execs. Mentors will provide students feedback on their ideas and pitch.

Week 10: Makers Challenge (4/30) The resume is the single-most important tool a student has to share their experiences and accomplishments. Keywords on the resume must make it behind algorithms and bots that will screen them out if they don’t have all the right words a job description might require. But, what differentiates them when their resume makes it into a stack of hundreds? A video CV. This week students will create a video CV that enhances their resume and LinkedIn profile from all the others. Students will storyboard, script, rehearse and produce a high-quality video CV that prominently features experiences and attributes that demonstrate their emotional intelligence. Mentors will provide them feedback on their video CV. And, coming full circle from week 1, students will engage in a mock interview for their dream job and mentors will pay particular attention to the students’ ability to demonstrate high EQ.