Integratition of Virtual Sapiens’ cutting-edge Presence Portal into the i.c.stars internship program
Overview
Over the past two years, Virtual Sapiens and i.c.stars have formed a transformative partnership aimed at leveling the playing field for underrepresented interns in the job market. By integrating Virtual Sapiens’ cutting-edge Presence Portal into the i.c.stars four-month long internship program, the collaboration has empowered interns with the skills and confidence needed to excel in professional environments – particularly those in virtual settings.
The Challenge
i.c.stars, an organization dedicated to providing career opportunities to underserved young adults, has long recognized the need for its interns to be highly competitive in the job market. The interview experience for i.c.stars interns continues to be nearly 100% virtual in nature, this thus demands an accessible, on demand environment for practice and receiving feedback. The challenge was to find an effective, scalable solution that could provide personalized, real-time feedback to help these interns improve their communication skills as well as their confidence when communicating over video.
The Solution: Virtual Sapiens Presence Portal
To address this challenge, i.c.stars partnered with Virtual Sapiens, a leader in AI-driven communication coaching. The partnership introduced the Virtual Sapiens Presence Portal into the i.c.stars internship program curriculum. The Presence Portal offers interns on-demand, personalized feedback on their communication skills, focusing on areas such as body language, eye contact, tone of voice, and overall presence. It also provides interns with a safe and private space to practice, measure and track their progress and reference learning videos for ongoing improvement.
Implementation
The Presence Portal was seamlessly integrated into the four-month internship program at i.c.stars. Each intern had access to the Portal throughout their internship, allowing them to practice and refine their communication skills in real-time. The platform’s AI-driven analysis provided interns with specific, actionable insights into their performance, helping them to identify both strengths and areas for improvement. The interns would then review their feedback with their program managers.
Results
Since the partnership began, six full semesters have utilized the Presence Portal as part of their i.c.stars internship. The results have been remarkable:
- Average Improvement Rate: Interns demonstrated an average improvement rate of 15% in communication confidence and competence after using the Presence Portal.
- Enhanced Competitiveness: The communication skills developed through the Presence Portal have made i.c.stars interns more competitive in the job market. These improvements have translated into more successful interviews and greater confidence when pursuing their dream jobs.
Testimonials
i.c.stars Graduate: “The Virtual Presence Assessment tool helped identify issues such as looking away from the camera, speaking too quickly, a distracting background, or frequent interruption, all of which can negatively impact my virtual presence and communication effectiveness. It was a helpful platform that helped me feel more confident for my upcoming virtual interviews.”
Larry Cowans, Director at i.c.stars: “Our partnership with Virtual Sapiens has been incredibly impactful. The Presence Portal has become an integral part of our internship program, helping our interns develop the communication skills they need to succeed in today’s competitive job market.”
Conclusion
The partnership between Virtual Sapiens and i.c.stars is a testament to the power of innovative technology in driving social impact. By providing underrepresented interns with the tools to enhance their communication skills, this collaboration has significantly improved their job market competitiveness. As the partnership continues, both organizations are committed to expanding their impact and empowering even more young adults to achieve their professional goals.