“…There were many times, I felt extremely happy to hear a voice at the other end of the line, screaming with joy, upon receiving the news that they have been accepted on the course they applied for, with a very attractive UNICAF scholarship to ease the financial burden of the fees.”
Stella Paschalidou, top performing Student Advisor, Larnaca Call Centre
“UNICAF Student advisers represent the UNICAF organisation in promoting higher education, through online and blended learning programmes, offered from partner universities. As ambassadors of UNICAF we promote its mission, vision and core values. We assist applicants, by providing accurate and consistent information, to help them select a course compatible with their educational background, interests, and expectations. We also provide all information relating to the UNICAF Scholarship Programme, helping design the most suitable payment plan that an applicant can afford.
Although it is a highly interactive process, there is no actual face-to-face communication between UNICAF Student Advisers and applicants, and this can sometimes make the whole process difficult.
Applicants can become rude and aggressive, especially if they have been scam victims in the past.
This is why I consider TRUST as the most powerful weapon that we have at our disposal. The applicant must like us, get to know us and eventually trust us. We are their personal advisers. And to achieve this kind of relationship there has to be no doubt in their minds that we are real people, doing a job we like.
In my career I have experienced both awkward and funny moments which I like to call ‘moments of truth’. Like the time a young boy of 18 sent to me, together with the required documentation, a photograph of himself leaning against a tree, showing off his (brand new, I suppose) shoes!
An awkward moment I remember is when I received a CV, and when I opened the document I saw the photograph of a colorful plate with two beef burgers!
We deal with hundreds of people daily, from different countries and continents, with different cultures, religious beliefs and lifestyles. People living in densely populated areas, and others in small, isolated communities. I feel blessed, to have a job that allows me to communicate and help people from countries around the world! Through hundreds of those ‘moments of truth’, I have developed an awareness of different cultures,that makes my work more enjoyable and gives me a stronger sense of responsibility and motivation to help people fulfill their dreams.
There were many times, I felt extremely happy to hear a voice at the other end of the line, screaming with joy, at receiving the news that they have been accepted on the course they applied for, with a very attractive UNICAF scholarship to ease the burden of the fees. I often find myself deeply touched, from emails I receive from my applicants, and students, expressing their gratitude to me and to UNICAF for changing their lives and for helping them realise their dream to earn an internationally recognised degree from a reputable university,in order to build a better life for themselves and their families.”
