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Ernest "D.J."
Burroughs believes the experience and knowledge he's gaining in the PDI Office
Staff Development classes will help him succeed. |
PDI Profile: Ernest "D.J." Burroughs
Name: Ernest "D.J." Burroughs
Current Position: Financial Support Clerk in Accounting Services, Duke University
Tenure at Duke: 10 years
Before coming to Duke: Ernest worked in a manufacturing job in San Diego, Calif., before moving to Durham to be closer to his mother. He worked in retail for a short time before taking a position with Duke housekeeping.
Education: Ernest attended Rutgers College in New Jersey, but before graduating, he joined the U.S. Navy. He spent four years stationed in San Diego, Calif.
Meet Ernest: Ernest Burroughs is energetic and hard working -- during his time at Duke he's moved up from being a housekeeper to mail clerk and ultimately to a financial support clerk. He currently works in a renovated office in the historic and serene American Tobacco Campus.
He's the type of person who doesn't like to sit still and is motivated to try new things. Over the years, he's taken advantage of several professional development programs and courses including ones on accounting and computer training. Ernest said he's stayed at Duke because of the numerous development opportunities available -- this is the longest he's ever been with an employer.
"You just have to go out and get them ... they're here," he said. "I'm always in class somewhere."
Ernest's manager Iris Tuck, encouraged him to enroll in Duke's Professional Development Institute's Office Staff Development Program, which focuses on clerical office management skills.
Although Ernest doesn't know what type of position he'd like to be in after he completes the 44-week program, he hopes it'll be a promotion.
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"I like being
challenged," said Burroughs of the PDI Office Staff Development Program. "I look
forward to going to class every night. I'm glad I joined the program." |
Ernest believes the experience and knowledge he's gaining in the Office Staff Development classes will help him succeed. He's brushed up on his grammatical and writing skills, has gained a better understanding of e-mail etiquette and professionalism, and has learned to better manage his time.
After working on a calendar and time chart during a recent Office Staff Development class, Ernest said he realized how much time he was wasting and how to better plan his days.
But the most important lessons for Ernest have centered on public speaking. Although he seems like a natural conversationalist, Ernest claims that he often avoided speaking in large group meetings.
"They teach you to come out ... to open your mouth and not be afraid to talk in front of people," Ernest said of the Office Staff Development instructors. "They won't let you sit there. They get you to participate."
Ernest said the course work is challenging, but manageable. He's begun to use the free time he's found to study and go over his class notes. He also feels a need to meet the expectations of his instructors, who have given Ernest the push he said he needed.
"I like being challenged," he said. "I look forward to going to class every night. I'm glad I joined the program."
Ernest is looking forward to future Office Staff Development classes on computer training and the internship portion of the program, which will begin in February.
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Sonja
McDonald's
