In the business world, enrollment specialists are customer service representatives who collect and enter data so that customers can purchase or subscribe to services. It is also common for enrollment specialists to explain benefits and features of services and products to customers. In the world of education, however, enrollment specialists are professionals who recruit students whom they would like to see in their college or graduate programs. To become an enrollment specialist who acts as a customer service representative, it is normally necessary only to be able to perform basic data entry tasks. These professionals must also have excellent customer service and communication skills, though it rarely is necessary to have college degrees.
To become an enrollment specialist for a college or university, on the other hand, an undergraduate degree in a field such as marketing is often required. It is usually also necessary for job candidates to have years of experience working in higher education. In many cases, enrollment specialists in colleges and universities begin in positions in human resource departments and students services.
An individual who wants to become an enrollment specialist in higher education should understand how to use common word processing and data entry programs. They also might be required to learn how to use database programs specific to a university. In most cases, enrollment specialists are not expected to begin working for a college with knowledge of a database. They usually are, however, expected to learn to access information from and enter data into a program relatively quickly.
In order to become an enrollment specialist at a school, it is also essential that you become familiar with individual program disciplines. For instance, if you work for a school that is attempting to strengthen its psychology department, you should know which kinds of records illustrate an interest in this field and proficiency in essential skills. As you go from high school to high school, perusing student records, you should know that high marks in certain courses and membership in particular clubs often reflects strong interest in related programs.
A person who wants to become an enrollment specialist in higher education should be able to act as a proficient sales professional. He or she might be required to give presentations to sell the merits and benefits of a program to a region's top students. It is common for an enrollment specialist to plan events meant to attract students. He or she might also create resources and advertising materials, such as informational pamphlets, that are distributed to students and high school representatives.
