Shawn Janke

Certificate in Professional Management (2010)

After several years of working in the restaurant and service business, Shawn Janke was offered a position as a junior buyer. It was a great starting position in the purchasing field, and led to his search for an education program that would give him the learning and credentials to carry him forward in his new career.

Over the next ten years, working and raising two boys with his wife, Shawn pursued two education programs simultaneously, the Certificate in Professional Management and a certified purchaser designation. Along the way, he landed a senior position as a procurement specialist.

"It was challenge to juggle everything, but the flexibility of online courses really helped," says Shawn. "I took a break for while, but online brought me back and helped me maintain a schedule I could commit to."

"I liked taking courses in a classroom format as well, but online still provided excellent interaction and networking," says Shawn. "I would come across the same people over and over again in my classes."

"Also, I think learning online was actually good training ground for the distance work that I sometimes face in my field."

Shawn found the technology of online to be exceptional, certainly different than he'd expected. "Blackboard and Elluminate were excellent," says Shawn. "They made it a great way to work."

Looking back at his program, Shawn has no complaints. "Everything that I've been involved with has been great," he says. "I guess you could say that I already knew how to swim, but the courses definitely improved my stroke."

"The courses were great...there was always that trepidation of what was ahead. But sometimes you would find gems of information that would prove very valuable to your career, or you'd come across an instructor that was absolutely great."

"I would absolutely recommend U of C Continuing Education to others," says Shawn. "It offers so many options and so much flexibility, and I think when you're done, you really come away feeling like U of C is your school."

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