Our thanks to reporter Philip Townsend from WVEC, the ABC news affiliate in Norfolk/Va Beach, for coverage of our new Propel etiquette tool for writing emails in Gmail and Outlook.
Author: admin
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Rubin Releases Propel, Innovative Etiquette Tool for Email Writing
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (June 15, 2023) — Rubin, the leader in online resources for business communication skills, has launched Propel, an innovative etiquette tool for email writing.
Propel analyzes a person’s emails and provides instant feedback designed to improve professionalism and soft skills. Unlike popular writing tools like Grammarly, Propel looks for etiquette and professionalism fixes instead of grammar, spelling and verb tense.
Feedback from Propel includes:
- How to write a short, concise subject line
- How to provide a proper greeting
- How to address the person with a formal title
- And much more
Propel is intended for the classroom and the workplace. Early adopters include public school systems where administrators often lament that students write emails like casual text messages. The tool is available as a Gmail extension and Outlook add-on.
When a person drafts an email, Propel analyzes the text in real-time and provides a blinking “P” icon with etiquette recommendations. Once the person clicks the blinking “P,” the etiquette suggestions appear in the email message area as lightbulbs next to the problematic text. The user opens each lightbulb to find a suggestion as well as a chance to “Learn the Rule” with a deeper explanation.
Propel does not write for the person but rather encourages the person to understand why it’s appropriate to start an email with, for example, “Good morning” or consider addressing the recipient with a title like “Mr” or “Ms.”
In the image, Propel encourages the person to start email with a common greeting like “Good morning.” “At Rubin, we have long heard the complaints from educators and business owners about poor etiquette in emails,” said Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “Propel is a direct solution to a widespread problem, and we hope Propel will catch etiquette mistakes before the person presses ‘Send.’”
Watch Propel in action below and request a free trial here!
The game has changed forever.
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Educators Give High Marks for Rubin Emerge in Spring 2023 Survey
The results are in, and educators are pleased with their experience using the Rubin Emerge curriculum during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Emerge is a digital library of activities, videos and assessments that help students with skills like email/phone etiquette, networking, team dynamics, entrepreneurship communication, leadership communication and more.
In a survey administered in April 2023, a random sampling of 32 “Rubin” educators across middle school, high school and college feel strongly about Emerge as a key resource to teach employability skills.
A selection of courses taught by the respondents:
- Business communications
- Transition
- Culinary arts
- Workplace readiness
- Work-based learning (WBL)
- Family and consumer sciences (FACS)
- Engineering
- Middle school career exploration
Among the survey results:
- 91% of respondents believe the Rubin team provides prompt, dependable customer service.
- 88% of respondents feel Rubin Emerge content is relevant and up-to-date.
- 85% of respondents would recommend Rubin to colleagues.
- 73% of respondents think Rubin Emerge improved students’ face-to-face interactions.
The respondents also shared positive feedback in writing, for example:
- “Very appealing and user-friendly. We love it. Helping us structure our workplace readiness skills for sure!”
- “Your support is excellent, and my questions are answered in a timely manner.”
- “Everything I utilized with Emerge was great to supplement and add to my courses at my school.”
Want to explore Emerge for yourself? Check out our new, full-color catalog and then request a 30-day free trial.
90% would recommend to colleagues
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Bezawit Abate from Potomac Senior High School Takes First Place in America’s Next Great Intern Contest
Virginia Beach, VA (April 13, 2023) – Northern Virginia’s own Bezawit Abate is America’s Next Great Intern. The sophomore at Potomac Senior High School, who moved to the United States from Ethiopia only seven months ago, was one of 16 finalists selected to showcase top-tier communication skills essential in an internship.
Nearly 200 students competed in the contest, and from that group Rubin selected 16 national finalists.
Abate wins a stipend for professional clothing, a professional headshot and a paid virtual internship. Her teacher, Ms. Eula Tillar, receives a $250 cash bonus to support her classroom.
Second place: Lucy Hansen from Boone High School in Boone, Iowa
Third place: Rosemary Ruan from Northwest Guilford High School in Greensboro, North CarolinaRubin, the leader in online curriculum for employability and workplace readiness skills, hosted the competition.
Demand for intern and job applicants with “soft skills” is a top priority across all industry sectors. According to a 2022 survey of employers by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 76% of respondents want to hire young people who can work on a team, 73% want ones with strong written communication skills and 58% seek new hires who can speak well.
The submission period for the America’s Next Great Intern contest ran throughout February 2023, which is National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. All middle school, high school and post-secondary CTE students were eligible.
The instructions were drawn from Rubin’s Emerge curriculum, a broad library of online exercises for employability skills like email/phone etiquette, job interview prep, LinkedIn communication and more. Rubin provides Emerge to CTE programs nationwide.
A panel of judges (Rubin team members, industry professionals and staff from the Association for Career and Technical Education) assessed the students across five areas.
1. Greeting: Video recording of the student engaging in a professional handshake
2. Phone Skills: Video recording of the student leaving a mock voicemail and answering the phone at a place of business
3. Team Communication: Email in which the student updates a teacher or employer on the status of classwork or a project at an internship/job
4. Resiliency & Determination: Written example of a time in which the student demonstrated resiliency in the face of a challenge on a class/club project, volunteer opportunity or internship task
5. Research & Critical Thinking: Questions the student prepares to better explore a company where the student would like to intern“Employers often lament that students don’t possess the ‘soft skills’ necessary to engage in an office setting or on the job site,” says Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “We hope the contest shows that, yes, there are motivated young people coast to coast who will add value to any business or organization.”
About Rubin:
Rubin is the leader in online instruction for employability and work readiness skills. The company, based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, provides Emerge, a digital curriculum that teaches effective writing and speaking skills, to thousands of students in middle school, high school and higher education. Rubin also has a soft-skill notification tool for email writing called Propel.
Founded in 2017 by Danny Rubin, a former CBS television news reporter and consultant to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rubin teaches students nationwide critical lessons for email/phone etiquette, networking, team communication, leadership communication and more. Our motto: “Write well, open doors!”
We have a winner!
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America’s Next Great Intern Contest Featured on NBC Newscast
As the voting period continues through April 7, 2023 for the first-ever America’s Next Great Intern contest, we are grateful for news coverage from WAVY, the NBC affiliate for Norfolk/Va Beach.
On March 28, reporter Bianca Holman aired a story that highlights Clara Sanchez-Lapitan, a Virginia Beach high school senior and national finalist in the contest.
Clara’s teacher, Ms. Anna-Lisa Wanack, appears in the story along with Mr. Michael Taylor, the principal at Clara’s school, the Advanced Technology Center.
And here’s a flyer Virginia Beach Schools created to promote the vote.
Spotlight on Clara Sanchez-Lapitan
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Rubin Announces National Finalists in First-Ever America’s Next Great Intern Contest
Virginia Beach, VA (March 10, 2023) – A student will soon be named America’s Next Great Intern. After reviewing nearly 200 submissions from across the country, Rubin has chosen 16 finalists who showcase top-tier communication skills essential in an internship.
Prizes include a stipend for professional clothing, a professional headshot, a paid virtual internship, a cash bonus for the teacher of the winning student and more.
Rubin, the leader in online curriculum for employability and workplace readiness skills, hosts the competition.
Demand for intern and job applicants with “soft skills” is a top priority across all industry sectors. According to a 2022 survey of employers by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 76% of respondents want to hire young people who can work on a team, 73% want ones with strong written communication skills and 58% seek new hires who can speak well.
The submission period for the America’s Next Great Intern contest ran throughout February 2023, which is National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. All middle school, high school and post-secondary CTE students were eligible.
The instructions were drawn from Rubin’s Emerge curriculum, a broad library of online exercises for employability skills like email/phone etiquette, job interview prep, LinkedIn communication and more. Rubin provides Emerge to CTE programs nationwide.
A panel of judges (Rubin team members, industry professionals and staff from the Association for Career and Technical Education) assessed the students across five areas.
- Greeting: Video recording of the student engaging in a professional handshake
- Phone Skills: Video recording of the student leaving a mock voicemail and answering the phone at a place of business
- Team Communication: Email in which the student updates a teacher or employer on the status of classwork or a project at an internship/job
- Resiliency & Determination: Written example of a time in which the student demonstrated resiliency in the face of a challenge on a class/club project, volunteer opportunity or internship task
- Research & Critical Thinking: Questions the student prepares to better explore a company where the student would like to intern
Rubin encourages the public to vote here on the national finalists through April 7, 2023. The Rubin team will announce 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners on April 12, 2023.
“Employers often lament that students don’t possess the ‘soft skills’ necessary to engage in an office setting or on the job site,” says Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “We hope the contest shows that, yes, there are motivated young people coast to coast who will add value to any business or organization.”
2023 America’s Next Great Intern National Finalists
Bezawit Abate, 10th Grade
Potomac Senior High School
Prince William County Schools
Dumfries, VA
Teacher: Ms. Eula Tillar
Tucker Brookman, 12th Grade
Lord Botetourt High School
Botetourt County Public Schools
Daleville, VA
Teacher: Ms. Katrina Kish
Ivory Carney, 12th Grade
Allen Village School
Kansas City, Missouri
Teacher: Dr. Terri Redden
Sameer Eppanapally, 12th grade
Stockdale High School
Kern High School District
Bakersfield, California
Teacher: Mr. Brian Devitt
Violet Gude, 10th Grade
Las Vegas Academy of the Arts
Clark County School District
Las Vegas, Nevada
Teacher: Ms. Elizabeth Strehl
Lucy Hansen, 11th Grade
Boone High School
Boone Community School District
Boone, Iowa
Teachers: Ms. Lindsey Hyman and Ms. Amy Bossard
Madison Hansen, 12th Grade
Littleton Health Sciences
Littleton Public Schools
Littleton, Colorado
Teacher: Ms. Heidi Mahn
Laurengail Lorenz, 12th Grade
Elk River Senior High School
Independent School District 728
Elk River, Minnesota
Teacher: Mr. Matt Stueber
Bryleena Patterson, 12th Grade
Central High School
Phenix City Schools
Phenix City, Alabama
Teacher: Mrs. Valerie Thornton
Rosemary Ruan, 10th Grade
Northwest Guilford High School
Guilford County Schools
Greensboro, North Carolina
Teacher: Mrs. Chandra James
Clara Sanchez-Lapitan, 12th Grade
Advanced Technology Center
Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Teacher: Ms. Anna-Lisa Wanack
Yug Sarin, 9th Grade
Fuquay-Varina High School IT Academy
Wake County Public School System
Cary, North Carolina
Career Academy Coordinator: Ms. Rhonda Lusher
Alondra Sanjurjo-Mercado, 11th Grade
Colonial Heights High School
Colonial Heights Public Schools
Colonial Heights, Virginia
Teacher: Ms. Susannah Oates
Mickala Tenn, 12th Grade
Putnam City North High School
Putnam City Schools
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Teacher: Ms. Amanda Davis
Ana Vaeao, 11th Grade
Oceanside High School
Oceanside Unified School District
Oceanside, California
Teacher: Ms. Kim Roy
For more information or to set up an interview, please contact Danny Rubin at danny@rubineducation.com.
About Rubin:
Rubin is the leader in online instruction for employability and work readiness skills. The company, based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, provides Emerge, a digital curriculum that teaches effective writing and speaking skills, to thousands of students in middle school, high school and higher education. Rubin also has a soft-skill notification tool for email writing called Propel.
Founded in 2017 by Danny Rubin, a former CBS television news reporter and consultant to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rubin teaches students nationwide critical lessons for email/phone etiquette, networking, team communication, leadership communication and more. Our motto: “Write well, open doors!”
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Get your votes in now!
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Only Two Weeks Left to Submit to Rubin’s “Great Intern” Contest
With two weeks remaining in the first-ever America’s Next Great Intern contest, the Rubin team continues to review stellar submissions from CTE students around the country.
Now through March 3, 2023, students are encouraged to showcase their employability skills in the fun, free competition.
Educators can register their class or school here. A panel of judges (Rubin team members, industry professionals and staff from the Association for Career and Technical Education) will assess the students across five areas.
1. Greeting: Video recording of the student engaging in a professional handshake
2. Phone Skills: Video recording of the student leaving a mock voicemail and answering the phone at a place of business
3. Team Communication: Email in which the student updates a teacher or employer on the status of classwork or a project at an internship/job
4. Resiliency & Determination: Written example of a time in which the student demonstrated resiliency in the face of a challenge on a class/club project, volunteer opportunity or task at an internship
5. Research & Critical Thinking: Questions the student prepares to better explore a company where the student would like to internThe instructions are drawn from Rubin’s Emerge curriculum, a broad library of online exercises for employability skills like email/phone etiquette, job interview prep, LinkedIn communication and more. Rubin provides Emerge to CTE programs nationwide.
Questions! Email support@rubineducation.com
The clock is ticking — submit today!
Clock is ticking!
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Rubin Launches America’s Next Great Intern Contest
Virginia Beach, VA (January 10, 2023) – The nation will soon discover its “Next Great Intern” through a free contest sponsored by Rubin, the leader in online instruction for employability and work readiness skills.
The first-ever America’s Next Great Intern contest highlights students who participate in career and technical education (CTE) or project-based (hands-on) classes and programs. All middle school, high school and post-secondary CTE students are eligible to participate.
Demand for intern and job applicants with “soft skills” remains a top priority across all industry sectors. According to a 2022 survey of employers by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 76% of respondents want to hire young people who can work on a team, 73% want people with strong written communication skills and 58% seek new hires with strong speaking skills.
The submission period for the America’s Next Great Intern contest runs the month of February 2023, which is National CTE Month. Educators can register their class or school here. A panel of judges (Rubin team members, industry professionals and staff from the Association for Career and Technical Education) will assess the students across five areas.
1. Greeting: Video recording of the student engaging in a professional handshake
2. Phone Skills: Video recording of the student leaving a mock voicemail and answering the phone at a place of business
3. Team Communication: Email in which the student updates a teacher or employer on the status of classwork or a project at an internship/job
4. Resiliency & Determination: Written example of a time in which the student demonstrated resiliency in the face of a challenge on a class/club project, volunteer opportunity or task at an internship
5. Research & Critical Thinking: Questions the student prepares to better explore a company where the student would like to internThe instructions are drawn from Rubin’s Emerge curriculum, a broad library of online exercises for employability skills like email/phone etiquette, job interview prep, LinkedIn communication and more. Rubin provides Emerge to CTE programs nationwide.
Every student who participates in the contest will receive a certificate and e-portfolio of their submitted work.
“Employers often lament that students today don’t possess the ‘soft skills’ necessary to engage in an office setting or on the job site,” said Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “We hope the contest shows that, yes, there are professional-grade young people coast to coast who will add value to any business or organization.”
For more information or to set up an interview, please contact Janelle Burchfield, media relations with the Rubin team, at hello@jbdigital.media.
About Rubin
Rubin is the leader in online instruction for employability and work readiness skills. The company provides Emerge, a digital curriculum that teaches effective writing and speaking skills, to thousands of students in middle school, high school and higher education. Rubin also has a real-time notification tool for soft skills called Propel.
Founded in 2017 by Danny Rubin, a former CBS television news reporter and consultant to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rubin teaches students nationwide critical lessons for email/phone etiquette, networking, team communication, leadership communication and more. Our motto: “Write well, open doors!”
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Calling all stellar future interns!
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Rubin Adds New Ethics Unit to Emerge Curriculum
In fall 2022, the Rubin team developed a new series focused on ethical discussions as they relate to employability skills.
As the leader in online resources for employability and work readiness, we built an 11-part series that challenges students to think, “What would I do?” across several real-world scenarios.
Alexis Kruemcke, an implementation specialist at Rubin and former classroom teacher, led the project.
All eleven ethical scenarios are now inside our Emerge curriculum, a robust library of activities, videos, readings and assessments for employability skills.
The ethical scenarios align with existing units in Emerge and are as follows:
- Email etiquette
- Phone and video etiquette
- Networking
- “Storytelling” cover letters
- Internships
- Job interviews
- Resumes
- Student leadership
- Report writing
- Writing to clients
- LinkedIn outreach
See a sample ethical discussion below. Want to view all 11 scenarios and our full Emerge library of 200+ instructional items?
Request a 30-day free trial today, and our team will be in touch to set up the trial!
Ethical discussion for resumes: What would you do?
Scenario:
Over the summer, you were an intern at an environmental non-profit. One of the main projects was a river clean-up outside of the city. Your supervisor was the project manager, but he put you in charge of most aspects of the project.
Your tasks included:
- Create a schedule for the clean-up process
- Assign roles for the project
- Coordinate with city officials
- Obtain and manage supplies
On your resume, you decide to list yourself as the project manager even though the title is technically your supervisor’s role. However, you did most of the work and feel “project manager” title is more appropriate than “intern.”
Discuss the scenario with your classmates and answer the following question:
Is it fair and truthful to say you were the project manager because your supervisor put you in charge of the project? Why or why not?
What would you do?
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Rubin Adds Software Developer, Business Development Rep
Rubin, a leader in online instruction for business communication skills, has added two new team members to better capture demand in 2023.
Chris Gerardi comes on board as a software engineer. He replaces Austin Makohon who departed in fall 2022 for a technical role within with the U.S. Navy. Gerardi, a New Jersey native, moved to Hampton Roads after working as a quality assurance analyst with Samsung Electronics America.
Gerardi will manage the Rubin Emerge curriculum, a broad library of classroom resources for skills like email/phone etiquette, networking and more. Thousands of students nationwide use Emerge to learn in-demand soft skills for the workplace.
Gerardi also leads the team to develop the Rubin company’s newest product, Propel. The tool provides real-time feedback on a person’s soft skills as the person drafts an email.
Rubin’s second new hire, Chelsea Caputo, becomes the company’s first business development representative. Caputo joins Rubin after working at Tesla dealerships in Hawaii and Hampton Roads. Caputo will reach out to prospective customers and encourage use of Emerge, Propel and additional projects the company hopes to roll out in 2023.
Visit the Rubin website to explore Emerge, Propel and the company’s free “Dream Job” live webinar series.
Chelsea Caputo, Rubin’s new business development representative Chris Gerardi, Rubin’s new software engineer Growth in important areas.