“Most of our applicants are hard-working people, with young families to support; so getting them enrolled gives me great satisfaction, because I feel I have helped them get the best education, which can open the door to a much better lifestyle in the future.”
Carleen Anastasiou, UNICAF Student Advisor, Larnaca Call centre
“A UNICAF Student Advisor’s job is to help applicants complete successfully all procedures relating to their application for a UNICAF scholarship and enrollment on their chosen degree course, with the partner university of their choice. We advise, help and guide applicants, every step of the way, always striving to connect with them on a deeper level, to fully understand what they actually want, and also what they would qualify for academically and financially.
In my experience the most important tool we need to have is people skills. We work mostly with African applicants, often coming from poor, developing countries. We have to have empathy and understanding for their situation. We also need to sound enthusiastic, confident, polite and professional over the telephone, in spite of the impolite, or even aggressive way some applicants treat us.
I am so happy to have helped hundreds of applicants receive UNICAF scholarships to study with the partner university they wanted, to further their education and improve their job prospects. I still get messages from many of these people, thanking me again for my help. I get tremendous pleasure out of my job, when I know I can help people who are struggling financially, to create a better future for themselves and their families. Most of our applicants are hard-working people, with young families to support; so getting them enrolled gives me great satisfaction, because I feel I have helped them get the best education, which can open the door to a much better lifestyle in the future.”
