At every high school, I'm sure there's a myriad of clubs and organizations you can join. Throughout the US, one of the most popular ones is coined DECA. Though the acronym doesn't exactly have a meaning behind it that fits its purpose, DECA is essentially a student competition where you can compete in several different events in the following categories (and more): marketing, management, and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service. Though I am personally an education major and joined DECA in high school to have a chance at being able to compete at the Nationals conference in Anaheim, California, I quickly became talented at my event and thoroughly enjoyed DECA and what it had to offer for my future as a regular functioning adult.
Here are ten things DECA taught me that anyone can bring into the real world.
1. How to write a resume.
To be in DECA at my high school, we were required to take either a marketing, business, or finance class that was attached to the club. For this class, we all had a project where we had to write a resume for ourselves after we were taught how to write one. With some minor changes, I still use that resume to this day.
2. Public speaking/presentation skills.
If you get to the state or national level for DECA competition (or sometimes even district), you have to present your project or do a “role play" in front of 2-3 random judges for around 10 minutes. After 2 years of presenting 30-page business plans I created myself, I became a master public speaker. Although I did have a knack for it before I joined DECA, the practice and presentations over the years made me far better and more a more sophisticated.
3. How to work well with partners.
As a DECA competitor, you can choose to work alone, or with up to two other teammates. Most people that do writing events choose to have a partner or two to split up the writing, and so you do not have to give a 10ish minute presentation alone. Since this project is all your own and it isn’t up to you to complete it and be prepared for competitions, you learn to work efficiently and effectively with others and get the project done NO MATTER WHAT, even if not your partners leave you high and dry.
4. How to pack for a 10-day trip in one suitcase (and a carry-on).
This one is KEY people. Florida DECA states (CDC, Career Development Conference) is a 4-day trip & DECA ICDC (International Career Development Conference) can range from 4-10 days depending on how far you're traveling and how much you are doing in that area before/after the competition. Not only do you need your essential toiletries, regular clothes and stuff for traveling and being touristy, but you also need your business clothes, presentation materials, a steamer- because heaven forbid you to go into a presentation with wrinkled clothes, and literally so much more. This makes it almost impossible to pack it all in one suitcase, a carry-on, and a personal item. Guess what though? THAT'S ALL YOU GET!! So, you make it work. This mega packing skill will be something I forever treasure and take away from DECA.
5. Writing skills.
Full disclosure, I am an English Education major. I have always been an advanced writer and have enjoyed the creative process. However, typing up a business plan that you have to create yourself is an entirely new monster that I had to explore and figure out. My DECA advisors (Shoutout Mr. Goldfinger and Mrs. Lopez) tore apart every draft of my papers and significantly improved my writing and on-paper presentation skills. If you are in DECA, I'm sure your advisor(s) do the same, and as much as it may hurt your feelings or your pride at the moment, you will thank them to the end of the earth when you get to the "real world "and you write better than the average joe sitting next to you in ENC 1101 or at work.
6. How to use technology.
If you want to be the best and have a chance at doing well in the competition, your laptop becomes your best friend during DECA season. I think I was the only kid at my high school that religiously brought their computer to school, but learning how to make graphics, typing scripts, and putting together a paper takes TIME and you never know when a perfect idea or working moment will strike.
7. CREDIT. CARDS.
I personally chose to take a personal finance type class to secure my spot in the DECA program. As part of that curriculum, my teacher taught us all about debit and credit cards, as well as different types of banks and bank accounts. Thank goodness someone taught me because without that class I would be literally clueless with my money.
8. The in and outs of Microsoft Office.
My last year in DECA, I switched over to the marketing track and invested some time in MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist) certifications. Through studying for the exams that I never even ended up taking, I learned how to navigate and became pretty efficient in using Microsoft word, powerpoint, excel, and outlook. This definitely turned out to be helpful in college, who knew!?
9. How to be a humble winner and a gracious loser.
DECA is inevitably a competition, so there is destined to be winners and losers. As hard as you work on your project, you only have around ten minutes to impress people that don't know you or how many sleepless nights you spent to prepare for this moment. It sucks to see your hard work not pay off, but remember to be happy for those people that did place and will be advancing. You never know until you're up on that stage accepting your glass trophy how much the support of your chapter members means.
10. How to be calm and collected... at all times.
DECA might as well stand for unDoubtedly Everything Could (go) Awry. My best advice to anyone in DECA, especially those traveling with their DECA chapter, EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED. My senior year, it was pouring rain on our presentation day and we planned to walk to the convention center and junior year we got stuck in traffic on Pacific Coast Highway in California and could've missed our flight. You just gotta stay calm and roll with the punches, and this is one of the best traits I've acquired through DECA that I have taken with me into my college/adult life.
To learn more about DECA, feel free to visit this website and to all of my fellow DECA alumni, I hope this made you remember the good times where all we cared about was meeting each other on the trips and deciding on which DECA diamond to throw in our pictures.
