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Planning – A Critical Factor in Student Loan Debt

Last week I listed 6 characteristics in considering a college or university.  The 6th factor was “Financial” considerations.  I truly do believe that it can’t be the first or even an initial limiting factor when students are considering lists of colleges.  But it has to become a factor eventually and can even be a positive if you know how to manage the parties involved.

Unfortunately, through a host of reasons, student loan debt has become astronomical.  Please, read this article and make note of the huge implications of choosing unwisely.  The implications are no longer just for the student.  Trends are indicating parents will carry a lot of the debt throughout their own retirement.  Click here for Bottom Line article.

So, by planning wisely and effectively choosing a college major, you can reduce your potential for extending a four year bachelor degree into a 6 year bachelor degree and/or a disappointing employment disaster into a marketable major.  Effective planning is not just about a financial plan.  It’s about how you plan to make a good college decision, how you spend your four years on that first degree, and about how your investment will pay for itself in the long run.  Need help?  Contact me.

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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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Change and the Fear Factor

I always laugh when people reference the old saying, “There are only two sure things in life, death and taxes.”  I laugh because I believe there is a third given, and that is Change.  The funny thing about Change is it can make people as uncomfortable as talking about death or taxes.  The “Fear Factor” of Change is remarkable.

Change occurs naturally.  Whether it occurs because of transitions in life like high school to college or college to the work force or because you get married, have children move to a bigger house, change happens.  Change happens when you get a new boss or maybe because you become the boss.  Whatever the reason, Change happens and when it does it can create Fear.  You see, it’s not because we don’t have the skills or abilities to enter into that new position or state of being, it is because it is the Unknown and as creatures of habit we get comfortable.  When we are pushed outside of our comfort zone and into the unknown realm of Change, we get nervous or even scared.

So how do you combat the fear factor of Change?  Set goals.  Write them down.  Create a plan.  Take action to achieve.  You see, committing a goal to paper creates a sense of accountability and empowerment.  It takes the fear of Change and refocuses on a purpose.

What action will you take to confront the fear factor of Change?  Need help?  Contact me.

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Addressing Trends of Need

Throughout the year I try to address topics that are pertinent to the trends of people with whom I work while addressing issues that I think are important in general to all who are looking at career decisions.  There are two comments and a question I want to address as we enter the week of Thanksgiving.

Comment #1 – Community Service is an important part of the “Total Student Package” that I talk about, but it is also an important part of our strength as a nation.  I want to say thank you to all of the students who are giving back to their communities through volunteer efforts at food banks, shelters, camps, food drives, community clean ups, or the multitude of other forms of community service.  Thank you as well to all who give back and address the needs of others.

Comment #2 – Thank you for the many ways in which you have supported my Blog and employed me to work with you or your student to define a college or career path.  I am honored to have the opportunity and grateful for your trust.

Question – In an effort to address your trend of needs as I plan the topics ahead in 2012, what questions do you have that you would like me to address through a blog? Click here to submit your questions.

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Keep It Current

There is nothing worse than sitting down after four years and trying to reconstruct the work you’ve done, courses you’ve taken and awards received in order to write or bring your resume’ up to date.  So the 3 most important words are Keep It Current.  Consider your resume or profile as a “work in progress” and keep it updated regularly.  Have you added:

  • Courses or Special Classes for Training
  • Conferences (as an Attendee or Presenter)
  • Athletic Showcases or Camps
  • Publications
  • Scores on National Exams or GPA

Students, employees, employers and stay-at-home parents who may one day re-enter the workforce all need to pay attention to their profile or resume’ and keep it current.   In addition to keeping it current, be sure that the presentation of material highlights the most current or relevant information for the position you are targeting.  If you were hiring you, what would catch your attention?

Professional Development has been the topic for the month.  Before leaving the topic, make it a point to update your information this week.  Make sure your own efforts to invest in yourself are well reflected in your presentation materials to others.

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Take Ownership of Your Potential

For the last two weeks I have addressed Professional Development as it applies to high school and college students.  But to the career professional or the “stay-at-home parent” getting ready to re-enter the work force, this broad term also applies.  Generally speaking, there are sectors of the work world that refer to continuing your education or training for licensing as Professional Development or Continuing Education Units (CEU).

  • Physicians and Nurses
  • Attorneys
  • Massage Therapists
  • Teachers and Administrators
  • Realtors and CPA’s

This list is certainly not complete, but you get the idea.  Some professions require within a determined number of years, that you participate in classes or conferences in an effort to keep current in your field.  Some industries pay for their employees to attend these conferences or courses while others leave it up to the individual.  The important point here is WHY would you leave it up to someone else?

In a low economic market it makes it more challenging for individuals to pay for such training, but it pays dividends if you do.  Firms, companies and organizations have scaled back their resources to cover the costs associated with on-going training for employees, but the value of investing in you is enormous!  It not only increases your own intellectual value, but it elevates the employer’s perception of you as an individual and your willingness to increase your own potential.

Want to know how to increase your value to an organization?  Contact me.

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Professional Development for High School Students

In the adult world of work we frequently talk about professional development and the associated costs, benefits or requirements for some professions.  However, I don’t think I have ever heard anyone reference high school students who prepare for college as undergoing professional development.  But that is exactly what it is!  There are costs associated and benefits to be had through professional preparation for college.

On the academic side, PSAT/SAT/ACT prep courses are all a form of professional development.  Parents invest significant dollars in order for their son or daughter to increase their score potential.  The investment is not a guarantee, but it enhances the probability.  So it is important to plan wisely and get the biggest bang for your buck.

Create a calendar that targets test dates and work backward.  Identify the necessary enrollment date and get registered on time to avoid late fees or missed application dates for colleges.  Using these dates, work backward again and identify the necessary time frame to participate in a prep course or private tutoring so that you have time to take practice tests and target areas needing improvement. That’s how to get the biggest bang for the buck!

High school athletes also invest in professional development when they employ specialized coaches for sport-specific technique or great recruiting advisement through companies like The College Sports Track or Educated Recruit.

The world of work has changed radically over the last 5 years and it is more important than ever that everyone look at ways in which they can enhance their own marketability.  In order to do that, adults, college students and high school students need to look at professional development with a new perspective.  How can you invest in yourself, your loved ones or your employees to enhance marketability or job performance?  Need help? Click here to contact me for more information regarding professional development.

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Being the Leader

Do you remember your elementary school days when you wanted to be the line leader?

Why did you want to be the leader?

  • First to get to the destination?
  • Sense of authority or power over those behind you?
  • Feeling like you could take them anywhere?

Do you still want to be the leader?

Last week I suggested that you read an article about Leadership and the importance in today’s job market and the admissions process for college.  The author, Jason Jakus, wrote about eight qualities of Leadership.  I agree wholeheartedly with all eight, but I would add one more…Responsibility.  Good leaders take responsibility.

So as you look back over your own leadership characteristics and how they align with the eight indicated by Mr. Jakus, consider a time when you took responsibility for a situation and how your own leadership qualities emerged.  What was the situation?  What action did you take?  How long did it take?  What was the outcome?  If you can answer these questions, you just framed a response to an interview question about your own leadership.  You don’t have to be chairman of a corporation or committee, president of a club or organization to demonstrate leadership.  But you do need to consider your own leadership qualities and determine how or if there is a need to develop you more fully in order to be marketable to universities and employers.

Need help?  Click here to Contact Me.

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Creating a “Best You” Resume’

Presenting the picture of you to a potential employer requires a careful, accurate and quantifiable selection of words that will pique their interest and provide connections to their need and purpose for hiring you.  Many times over the past several months I have referenced the importance of measuring natural ability. In so doing, it is possible to quantify characteristics which are valued by employers and most especially in today’s job market.

Just as there are jobs that no longer exist, the words once highly effective in resumes have also changed.  There was a great article on MSN Careers about writing an eye-catching resume’.  Click here to read the article.  Click here if you want to know more about measuring your natural abilities.

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Social Media in the Job Market

At a time when information is driving the workforce, it is hard to imagine anyone not paying attention to the trends.  But we are creatures of habit and therefore our daily lives get set in routine and unless an effort is made to allocate time to educate ourselves or allow someone else to provide that resource, we plod along in an undefined direction and “life happens.”

I can remember being a classroom teacher and getting the first computer station.  That was thirty years ago.  Then along came the day when I got six computers and a curriculum for integrating the stations into my classroom schedule.  That was 1987, the computers were dependent on the mainframe with a set curriculum and the Internet was a “buzz word” we had just learned and had no idea of what was to come.  The trend was technology.

Fast forward to today, 2011, the “buzz word” is Social Media and a Google search of key words, “jobs in social media” indicates 163,000,000 results.  There is a trend in this age of information and it is important to pay attention.  Ten years ago we didn’t read articles or see job postings for social media marketing, social media headhunters, human resource management of social media, or social media litigation. While millions of jobs have been lost in the economic disaster of the last few years, the opportunities that are developing require that individuals be prepared and that thinking about careers cannot be the traditional thoughts that the general population has had over the last decade.  The evolution of the job market deserves our attention.  That which we can imagine today will be surpassed tomorrow.  Will you be prepared?  Want to know how?