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Ownership

As a teenager, we all dream about the moment we take ownership of our first vehicle.  We spend hours calculating how we can make it happen; the jobs we’ll do, counting the change or dollars, making those deposits and monitoring the savings account until the day we finally make that first purchase.

Then we reach our twenties and begin dreaming about that first house or townhouse.  We spend hours calculating how we can make it happen: the jobs we’ll do, making those deposits, establishing credit lines and finally making that first purchase.

For both of these big investments we take “Ownership.”  When it comes time to make the big investment in a college or vocational education, we need to be just as diligent and committed.  We need to take Ownership.

There are so many articles about the rising cost of college tuition, the affordability issues and the decreasing funding for financial aid or even performance incentives through state programs.  But what is not being addressed is that fact that you can avoid some of the pitfalls by taking Ownership early.

If the National average is to change majors 3-5 times, and changing majors equals increased numbers of semesters and dollars spent, then it seems reasonable that having a more defined idea about one’s future career endeavors would increase the probability of an on-time graduation and diminished need for additional education expenses.  Taking Ownership means you take action.

The Highlands Ability Battery is a wonderful tool to help chart a course, to take action.  Did you know that by the time you are approximately 14 years old, your Natural Abilities are defined and measurable?  Imagine if you knew what they are, how they match with identified professions and combined that with a methodology to assist in learning about those professions so that you are prepared to choose a major.   You take Ownership – you take action.  That way, when you go to college you don’t waste semesters, exceed your budget, and you graduate with a meaningful degree in something you enjoy and it’s marketable.

Ownership is powerful.

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Preparation as a Determining Factor in the Duration of Your Degree

When we set out to buy a car, we do our homework.  We check websites for best deals and dealers, price special features, and determine in our mind what our budget will be and the kind of vehicle we can afford.  Part of the equation may even be determining how long we intend to keep and use the vehicle, how serviceable it will be, and how much satisfaction we will get out of using it.

Actually, college is a similar investment.  We do our homework, compare schools, tuitions and, unfortunately, while we may think we budget enough for college, changing your mind on a major can completely change the financial picture.  The national average indicates that students in college change majors 3-5 times.  And although a bachelors’ degree typically only requires 4 years of college, the national average for students’ indicates they require 5.8 years.  Changing majors changes the duration of your degree and has huge financial impact.

Preparing ahead of time can make all the difference in the world from your performance in college classes to the amount of money invested in attaining a 4 year degree and even to the level of satisfaction with the chosen field of study and eventual career.  Preparations can begin as early as middle school and most of them take almost no time to invest beyond what you already do.  But you do have to be organized and have a plan.  Obviously the closer you get to junior and senior year in high school the more you need to be doing and the amount of money you invest becomes more demanding.  After all, tests, college visits and many activities include costs.

Good preparation can save time and money both in high school and in college.  So when you think about getting that college degree, have you thought about how much you are willing to invest in upfront costs of time, effort and money to save thousands on the back end?

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The Importance of Identifying a Major for College – Early

In June of 2008, The Wall Street Jour­nal pub­lished an arti­cle ref­er­enc­ing The High­lands Abil­ity Bat­tery and the impor­tance of stu­dents being able to iden­tify their nat­ural abil­i­ties for the ben­e­fit of life­long career man­age­ment.  But it is also impor­tant to under­stand that the abil­i­ties that are mea­sured at age 17 for a high school stu­dent, remain con­stant through­out your life.  There­fore, the results are applic­a­ble for a life­time and serve as a great resource in career deci­sions whether that deci­sion includes decid­ing on a major area of study, pro­mo­tion oppor­tu­nity, going back to school, or tran­si­tion­ing into retirement.  The results are also a great source of data verification on resume’s and in interviews.      http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121375062383682907.html

Select­ing the right major can mean the dif­fer­ence between grad­u­at­ing col­lege on time or becom­ing one of the national sta­tis­tics.  Nation­ally, less than 40% of col­lege stu­dents com­plete a four-year degree on time and more than 51% require up to 6 years to com­plete a four-year degree.  That fright­en­ing sta­tis­tic impacts your abil­ity to cre­ate a pro­duc­tive income after 4 years, but it also comes with a price tag that equates to a national aver­age of $30,000 per stu­dent in loan debt due to changed majors.  Imag­ine being ahead of the game just by grad­u­at­ing on time!  Imag­ine sav­ing $30,000 for an advanced degree or to open your own business!

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Build Your Network

Social media is changing the way we network for career opportunities.  But we can’t forget to develop our in-person networks as well.  This is especially true for high school and college students.  As you think about career directions, this is the time to do some explorations and especially if you are not working during the summer.

Tap into those networks that are closest to you.  Parents and their employers, extended family members and their employers are all great places to begin.  Find out if positions exist within their organizations that you may interest you.  If so, a quick phone call or introduction followed by a couple of questions could well set the stage for an opportunity to spend a few hours or even a week exploring the career options related to the career you shadowed.  By shadowing, you have also extended your own network for future opportunities.

In years past we only heard about networking as a business tool.  No longer!  It is a tool for everyone and students are no exception.  Whether you are building a network of coaches, admissions contacts or career professionals, networking is powerful.  While Facebook, LinkedIn and Yelp are all proven social media networking tools, don’t overlook the obvious.  Check out your own family network and the network of businesses and professionals used by your family.  It’s all part of promoting your self.

 

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Mapping a Summer Plan

Whether your summer begins May 7th , June 4th or June 25th, the landslide of summer workers/participants will hit in full force.  You need to be prepared to submit applications and do interviews before everyone else.  So work backwards.  Identify your target date for starting work and work backward with your plan.  You will need time for interviews, phone calls, application completion, Internet or local searches and networking.  That means you start now mapping a summer plan.

There are some terrific web tools for identifying summer employers as well as tips for effective interviews.  Here are just a few:

www.quintcareers.com                Great for searching College Internship Opportunities

www.getthatgig.com                     Opportunities for students 16-21 years

www.teenjobsection.com          Interactive map of opportunities across the country

www.snagajob.com                       Getting and making the most of your job

The important thing about starting now is you begin looking at the opportunities.  And opportunities do not apply only to work.  Opportunities may refer to athletic team participation, experiences or internships.  What would you like to do?  Are there jobs/opportunities you are particularly interested in doing and things you just would not consider?  What transportation barriers exist or what options are available if a good opportunity presents itself?  How many hours a day will you be available to work/play/volunteer?  Is summer class part of the equation when figuring schedules for work?  Different employers will embrace your availability as a summer worker and as a student working to get ahead.  Others may find value in your performance and embrace the opportunity that you may be available for the next few seasons.  The here and now impacts tomorrow!

By starting your search now, you have some time to explore options and activate a network.  Just like business people network to expand and strengthen their own client base, students can network to find great summer opportunities through parents, relatives and family friends.  Now is the time to get started!

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Getting the Biggest Return on an Education

When you evaluate the cost or investment in something, sometimes we humans can be a bit short sighted.  So when it comes to evaluating the cost of a college education and your investment of time, you want to make sure you invest well and provide good marketability for yourself.  You also want to reduce the potential of debt after graduation.

There is an excellent article, The Best Values in Public Colleges that ranks 20 of the best universities and reasons for the rankings.  I point this out because there is an additional factor to pay attention to in these numbers and it isn’t printed.  The last column on the chart identifies “Average debt at graduation.”  This is important…many states, like Florida, offer academic scholarship dollars to in-state students based on GPA.  But even with those dollars, the “Average debt at graduation” for students at University of Florida is $16,013.  Maybe your most economical and major specific institution isn’t in-state.  Look at all of your options.

By doing some work up front, you can explore careers, majors and schools that are interesting, make sense and are a natural fit for you.  That’s where I can provide you excellent guidance and steps to creating an effective plan for college and career direction.  Those steps help to lead you to a great college experience, on-time graduation with a meaningful degree that is marketable in a career path geared to your satisfaction and reward.

Getting the biggest return on an educational investment means:

  • Graduating on Time
  • Reduced or No Student Loan Debt
  • Marketable Degree
  • High Degree of Satisfaction in Career Path

Click here for more information on creating a successful high school and college to workplace plan.

Click here for the full article and table – The Best Values in Public Colleges.

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4 Considerations to Evaluate Your Needs

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. ”  – Mark Twain

Whether you are a high school student or a college student, you are on a path that can provide enormous opportunity and create background experiences that set you up for success.  So, as part of the plan, begin by evaluating your needs.

As a student, there are four “needs” to consider when planning your summer.  Keep in mind, your plan may include parallel paths to meet these needs.

1. Financial Need – Do you need to make money for spending cash or are you in need of making money to be able to make expenses when you return to school?  Do you need to make money to pay for college?  If “financial need” is a primary concern for your summer, then getting started on your pursuit of summer employment is an immediate need given the competition that will be out there.

2. Experience Need – Experience presents itself in many forms.  It can be an internship, externship, or participation with an organization.  Internships may be with or without pay, but the big payoff is experience with a company that can build toward future employment with them or at least the benefit of learning what you do or don’t want to do in your future.  Participation with an organization may be in the form of an athletic team that helps you build skills and stats toward college or professional opportunities.  Either way, the experience is your primary need and may result in a great reference.

3. Volunteer Need – This one is of particular importance to high school students but should not be dismissed by the college student.  Volunteering speaks to your character.  Many high schools require community service as part of their graduation requirements.  Universities look at volunteerism as one element of consideration when admitting students.  Companies look at your community service as an outreach and a positive extension of their own business.  Assess your schedule and your need to increase volunteer capacity.

4. Education Need – Do you need to take summer courses?  Does your graduation date indicate that you are on track with completing your diploma or degree on-time?  Do you want to get ahead on your timeline?  Assessing your summer needs for education is something that needs to be done now so that you do not miss a course enrollment deadline.

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3 A’s for a Successful High School to College Plan

Building a plan for success begins as early as middle school since your grades transferring in to high school will determine the level of courses in your schedule.  But once you are there it’s important to remember that there are 3 A’s to keep in focus.

Active and Targeted Community Service – Get involved with something that moves you.  Identify a community or church organization that needs volunteers, accommodates your school schedule, and allows you an opportunity to participate in something you find interesting enough to want to learn and do more.  These are great career exploration opportunities, so target something and get active!

Authentic Leadership Experiences – Not only should you be involved, but seize the opportunity to take on a leadership role.  It builds character, experience, and can become a critical factor for admissions to universities and colleges.   In order to be authentic, you have to be an involved leader and not just carry the title.

Academic Rigor – Challenge yourself to take the most difficult level courses you can manage while maintaining the highest GPA.  Universities want to see a demonstration of your ability to learn at a higher level.  Slackers need not apply.

Build a plan for success by paying attention to all of the A’s!

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3 Things to “Bring to the Table”

Everything we do creates the bank of experiences that we bring to the table of our work environment or an interview for a job.  Those part time jobs as a kid help us to learn the kinds of things we enjoy and find satisfying or the things we do to have spending money and hope we never have to do them again in our lifetime.  That same concept goes for jobs during college and at times even into our adult lives.  It becomes even more apparent when a job market is as difficult as the one we are in now, but it will not last forever.  The up side is to understand that we can learn from these experiences and take them forward to the “Table”.

When you consider what you bring to the table, for an organization, company or firm, consider bringing these three:

Desire – What is your interest or passion for working with the organization?  What have you done in the past that would bring value to that company or firm?  What do you hope to gain through working with them?

Problem Solver – What is your problem solving style and how can that bring benefit to the organization?  How have you demonstrated that style in the past?

Positive Spirit – No one likes to work with negative individuals and there is a distinct difference between being a “devil’s advocate” on an issue and always being the “downer”.  How will your spirit or energy be perceived during an interview?  What does your body language say about the real you?

Reflecting on your Desire, Problem Solving and Positive Spirit can help you to evaluate what you bring to the table.  As interviews take on a more authentic process for screening candidates, it has become more important than ever that you spend time understanding what you have to offer and how that has been demonstrated in the past.

 

 

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Creating Your Own Trend

Making good decisions begins with asking the right questions and gathering meaningful information.  That’s why I encourage people to pay attention to trends in jobs, careers and demographics.  That’s why it is important to start early and allow time for exploring possibilities.  It is also why I recommend that people who are looking at college educations, changing jobs, or re-entering the workforce evaluate their interests, values, passions and abilities.  All of these are measurable and can provide meaningful information in making decisions about career paths.  Paths that can create great satisfaction and reward.

In his book, GOOD TO GREAT, Jim Collins wrote, “Indeed the real question is not, “Why greatness?” but “What work makes you feel compelled to try to create greatness?”  If you have to ask the question, “Why should we try to make it great?  Isn’t success enough?” then you’re probably engaged in the wrong line of work.”

I believe that when the national statistics indicate that greater than 60% of the population dislikes their work, we have a national disaster on our hands.  How can we be great as a nation if we don’t individually feel compelled to create greatness in our own work?

On October 5, 2011 we lost an American Great.  Steve Jobs will forever be known for his impact on the world of personal computing.  He was passionate about his work, and I believe, “compelled to try to create greatness.”

What will you do today that compels you to create greatness?  How can you establish your own trend that creates a meaningful career path?  Need help?  Contact me.