Posts filed under 'Careers'
Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, a former University of Tennessee president, is bringing the idea of three-year degrees back into the news with this week’s column in Newsweek.
As a parent of a 3-year-old, I’m already dreading how much it’s going to cost to send my son to college and applaud any plan to cut those expenses, which will continue to escalate. From a financial standpoint, the idea of three-year degrees, which a College Bound previously pointed out is already offered by some schools, has some merit.
But one benefit of the four-year degree is that it benefits self-starters and highly focused students as well as those who are lacking direction during their first couple of years in college.
Some students are able to gain duel degrees or even start working on post-graduate work with the four-year scenario, allowing them to squeeze every drop out of their college career. Others arrive from high school unsure of a career focus and it takes time for them to determine their major or to develop a passion in a particular area.
Packing a college education into three years also could hinder opportunities to study abroad, and some schools have significantly increased those programs in the past decade. I’ve seen students travel around the world, to destinations as varied as England, China, Italy, and Antarctica, and come back not only with new relationships, but also a more worldly view that aids them in their studies and career paths.
Most students I know already don’t pursue internships until between their junior and senior years, and the possibility of losing out on those opportunities could be harmful upon graduation in the form of closed job doors. Those experiences are crucial, I believe, to getting hired and being competent to handle the first year in a career.
Alexander advocates steps such as making summer classes mandatory as ways that would enable students to graduate earlier. As I see college students stress about their weekly load of tests and projects, I fear that being forced to go to school year-round could lead to burnout. They need those breaks, even though as a working professional, I’m envious about those long naps and the possibility of even just a week of nothing to do but watch movies or read.
The three-year degree’s financial benefits are obvious, but to reach to that point, more would need to be done, starting as early as the middle school and high school level. The main question is how to get students focused on their careers earlier so that they enjoy a fun but knowledge-filled college education that sets them on a professional path earlier than their parents, siblings and bosses.
–Lori Johnston
October 22nd, 2009
Good news for those of you looking to become a teacher in the next few years: the Department of Education will be looking to hire an estimated 1.7 million new educators by the year 2017.
It’s nice to see encouraging employment numbers in the midst of a recession, isn’t it?
What is less encouraging is the reason for the teacher shortage. Not only are baby boomers retiring from the classroom in droves, but new teachers are also being driven away from the profession by low salaries. There’s no doubt that when it come to professional careers, teachers are at the lower end of the payscale, but ask any veteran teacher why they continue, and they’ll tell you that their interaction with the students is what keeps them coming back year after year despite a paltry paycheck.
A new website, MyTeacherMyHero, has been launched to honor teachers for a job tremendously well done and to educate those who are thinking of becoming teachers. The site features videos of individuals expressing their thanks for a special teacher who has been an inspiration in their lives. MyTeacherMyHero is sponsored by MAT@USC, the very first Master of Arts in Teaching program that is solely online and is offered through the prestigious University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education.
Anyone can upload a video, but the first round of videos features some pretty big names from various industries. Craig Newmark, the brains behind Craigslist, is one video to check out, as well as the ones starring musician Sean Paul, HBO President Sue Naegle, and Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford.
I’m thinking of posting a video message for my all-time favorite English teacher, Eileen Finn. While she couldn’t possibly predict when she taught me in 7th grade that I’d be a blogger, she did encourage my writing, and for that, I’m very thankful.
–Barbara Bellesi
October 19th, 2009
Last night I had the pleasure of joining the Girl’s Night Out event (GNO) on Twitter. Hosted by Mom It Forward, GNO set lifelong learning as its topic, but discussion eventually covered everything from juggling school while handling children to getting your own kids into the college of their dreams.
Whether the participants were thinking about school for themselves or someone else, one thing was certain: GNOers love learning and they know that the conventional college answers may not be the right solution for every budding student. That’s why it’s important to take a look at all your options, from online schools and continuing education, to career schools and certification.
If you’re interested in checking out what the panelists had to say on all these topics and more, you can use Search.twitter.com to find all tweets marked with the GNO hashtag (#GNO). You can also check out the “Moms Back at School” page for more up-to-date info on bringing an education back into your life or head over to Mom It Forward and enjoy more discussion about last night’s GNO.
And if you’re not already doing so, make sure to follow us on Twitter!
– Genevieve M. Blaber
March 4th, 2009
Whether you’re a busy high school grad, a college student looking into his/her first profession, or a budding career changer, one thing you’ll wonder is how a job will fit with your life schedule. Will you have time to get home and tend to your responsibilities? How about just having the time to have fun or work on furthering your skills or education?
We’ve thought about these questions too and narrowed things down to three careers that can accommodate a busy schedule as well as the training they require:
Nursing: In addition to helping out those in need, a nursing career gives you an alternative to the average 9-to-5 office routine. While some nurses do work normal office hours, the various 24-hour hospitals and care services around the nation allow nurses to schedule work shifts that compliment and accommodate their busy home lives. Need the daylight hours for errands or school? Then work evenings or nights as a nurse. Of course, you’ll need the proper degree and licensure in order to land a nursing career. Depending upon the specific field you are pursuing this may take anywhere from two to four years.
Teaching: Though teachers for elementary schools and above often have workweeks that exceed 40 hours, they often enjoy a two-month vacation for the summer. In addition, many preschool and kindergarten teachers work part-time in light of the shorter school day schedules. In either case, the teaching profession allows you a greater amount of flexibility when it comes to scheduling your day or year. In order to get into this field you’ll need the right credentials. All teachers, except private school teachers, need a license to teach, but depending on the age group you instruct you may or may not need a bachelor’s degree in education.
Medical Billing and Coding:
If you’re interested in health care but prefer the behind-the-scenes approach, medical billing and coding may be the career for you. While medical billers work on the business side of health care, keeping records on the costs and nature of various hospital services provided to patients, medical coders specialize in coding info on patients to provide to insurers. Thanks to the nature of their work many people with medical billing and coding careers work from home, setting their own hours, or establish their own businesses. To get your own medical billing and coding career you’ll need to train with an accredited program and attain national certification in billing and/or coding.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
February 25th, 2009
The historic inauguration of our 44th president, Barack Obama, took place yesterday. As President Obama readies himself for the next four years and begins his first official day on the job, he needs to be sure he has the right staff to back him up. Looking back at the previous Presidential Cabinets, you might see some sort of pattern as to where they went to college. Are you an aspiring Presidential Cabinet member? Check out which schools might be of interest for the next four years of YOUR life and beyond. Here, you’ll find five as outlined by Dr. Katherine Cohen, CEO and founder of IvyWise:
1. University of California, Berkeley
Cal’s alumni have presided over several cabinet positions (most recently, a Ph.D. graduate Steven Chu for the department of energy) as Cal’s graduate programs in the Sciences, Law and Business consistently produce leaders whose experience is meaningful in D.C.
2. Yale and Georgetown (Tie)
Yale’s Law School still produces high-quality politicians and advisors, and, while Georgetown’s number is actually lower than Yale’s (Rumsfeld didn’t actually graduate G’town Law School), their top-notch Foreign Services, Business and Law Programs are specifically tailored for the future politico
3. Indiana University
The big surprise of the group, Indiana boasts four alumni in cabinet positions since 2001. A closer look at their highly ranked Business (Number 15 overall; Number two for Entrepreneurship) and Management Program reveals that IU’s innovative curriculum based on applicable, “real-world” knowledge builds connections that lead to political leadership.
4. University of Denver
This should not be a surprise for those in the know in the Business and Political World. While Condoleezza Rice is still its most famous alum, Denver has three other cabinet members and a world-class International Studies program, ranked ahead of giants such as University of Chicago, Yale, Stanford, University of California-Berkeley, and MIT.
5. Harvard
Harvard has more alumni in cabinet positions than Yale, Princeton, Stanford and MIT COMBINED. Whether it was the Law School, Business School, or Harvard college, the Harvard reputation still carries much clout in the beltway.
-Amanda Fornecker
January 21st, 2009
At College – U. Got It?, we’re always on the lookout for guest bloggers. This week we asked Vincent Mackey, an administrative assistant for The CollegeBound Network, to share his tips on job hunting and interviewing!
It’s a recession and a lot of people are losing their jobs. Unfortunately for budding college graduates, this means that the job market is now incredibly competitive. Here are a few pointers that I use to land a job that I want:
- Define a focus:
The absolute most important point to remember is also the simplest: know what kind of job you want. If you can’t figure this out, then it would be impossible to move on to the next step. Many people set up their resume to be broad so they may apply to many different types of jobs at once. That’s not smart. A future employer wants to see that you know what you want, that you are completely willing to work for them.
- Gear up your resume:
Once you have established what kind of job you want, get to writing your resume. Always begin with a “goal statement” — a sentence or two outlining what kind of job you are looking for — and collect all of the information you need before writing your resume. Take a look at your past jobs and schools and base your resume on your strengths, or what you have the most of (for example, if you have more schooling than job experience, start your resume with the “Education” section). If you’re a complete novice at writing a resume, try using the Microsoft Word® “Resume Wizard” option.
- Where and how to apply:
The internet is an excellent means of sending your resume in quantity, but your local newspaper’s “help wanted” ads hold higher quality jobs. Try both out. It doesn’t hurt to have your name out in as many places as possible. Before you start sending, you may want to write a cover letter: a basic letter format that outlines exactly what you want — you can think of it as the extended “goal statement” of your resume. Sites such as Monster.com and Craigslist are helpful in getting a lot of resumes out. Follow up the next week with thank you letters to your contacts.
- Pre-interview:
So you finally landed an interview date, but you’ve never been interviewed before? Take advantage of the days before your interview to really impress your potential future boss. Always research the company you are interviewing for. This will make it easier to have questions the day of and to understand what you are getting into. Review potential questions in your head and try to really work on quick answers. An important tip to remember is to always turn a negative question into a positive (e.g., if they ask you what your weakness is, mention how you will improve on your weakness).
- Interview:
Your appearance is very important for this part. Just use your head and follow common sense: don’t pack on the cologne/perfume, guys should be sure to shave and girls shouldn’t over-apply their makeup. You can never be too dressed up for an interview, but keep it tasteful. You’re going to a job interview, not a club, so dress in business-minded attire. You’ve prepared for everything up until this point, so all you can do is compose yourself and be confident. Do this and you will land the job guaranteed.
– Vincent Mackey
January 15th, 2009
In a New York Times article published this Sunday, John Schwartz seemed taken aback to discover that college students aren’t always hopeless academics passing classes by the seat of their pants. He writes:
“I find myself on plenty of college campuses these days, and many of the students I meet are indistinguishable from the dull-eyed slackers I went to college with […] But then there are those who have this…THING, this go-getting excitement to start something, make something.”
Of course, if you’ve been a long time reader of The CollegeBound Network and our former publication CollegeBound Teen magazine, you already know that teens and college students are always on the move with new ideas and approaches to the world. What can we say? They have entrepreneurial spirit, and it emerges in surprising ways. Unfortunately, Schwartz is under the impression that the best place to find such students is in college entrepreneurship programs. His examples? A student who wants to import hangover-fighting pills from Thailand and one who wants to start a college bus tour service in Boston.
Our examples?
A teen who started her own greeting card line to market to other teens.
College students who created their own dorm-delivery food services.
And college students with businesses that deliver to everyone in town and ones that sell customized T-shirts.
Unlike the stories Schwartz put forward, the above students come from all walks of life and majors. They didn’t enter an entrepreneurship program in search of creating a money-making product, they happened onto a market need and had the brains and drive to come up with an answer. That’s a true entrepreneur.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
January 6th, 2009
It’s the one question that gets old fast: What do you plan to major in? Whether you don’t know yet, or just want an idea of what major would best suit you, take the “What College Majors Will Match Your Personality?” quiz. Considering the result it gave me actually was my major in college, this could be a fairly accurate prognosticator of your future in higher education.
As a bonus, About.com follows your quiz result with a list of articles that tie into your perceived personality and college interests.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
December 19th, 2008
At College – U. Got It?, we’re always on the lookout for guest bloggers. This week we asked Vincent Mackey, an administrative assistant for The CollegeBound Network, to share his advice and past experience with working an unpaid internship.
The most important thing I got from college was actually the six months of free labor I gave as an intern. While a lot of people I know scoff at this statement and don’t understand why anyone would want to work for free, it was the best choice I made.
Still skeptical? Read on to find how your thoughts compare to reality…
I can’t afford to work an unpaid internship. Yes, you can! Fall semester of my sophomore year of college, I was thinking the same when I was offered an opportunity to work at Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y) office as an unpaid intern. I was a full-time student and already working a part-time job at a deli on the weekends. What I hadn’t realized until then was that most internships rarely ask for more than 20 hours per week. I was able to attend my internship two days a week, while still working my weekend job and attending the rest of my college courses.
I would rather get a paid internship. You could, but finding an internship that pays is difficult, let alone finding one with prestige. I chose Senator Clinton’s office not only because it was something I was interested in, but because it would allow me to work with real professionals — while adding an impressive line to my resume! I could have taken a paid internship as the mailroom guy in a magazine company, but then I wouldn’t be able to tell prospective employers how I used to prepare daily schedules for a senator of New York and regularly corresponded with Secret Service agents (real work!).
I’m not qualified to work at a cool internship. I soon discovered the best part about acquiring an unpaid internship: they’re not too hard to get. Employers understand that a college intern will be completely inexperienced and, let’s face it, they can’t be too picky with people they’re not paying. Two things that you will need to remember though, are to create a good resume (hint: base the resume on college courses you are currently taking and not on unrelated work experience) and to dress presentably. After you’ve done this, apply and apply often.
But how do I find applications for the internships I want? Create a list of companies you want to intern for and go Internet surfing for applications. Most large companies will almost always offer some type of internship program and if they don’t, call and ask anyway. Another good resource is your college’s career advisement center. Sometimes overlooked by college students, the center can be extremely useful in developing resumes, discovering a career path, and acquiring internships. This is also the only place where you can find out about receiving college credits for your internship or even travel and lunch stipends offered non-inclusively by unpaid internships.
Aside from being an eyebrow-raiser at interviews, working at Senator Clinton’s office had many other perks. I got to meet the senator herself, saw how professionals work firsthand, and was given a great confidence booster. (Not to mention, my girlfriend was happy I was more than a sandwich slinger at a deli all through college).
I admit that I was skeptical at first, but once I realized the potential that could come from working an unpaid internship, I continued on with two more unpaid internships.
Post a comment: What’s your ideal internship?
– Vincent Mackey
November 19th, 2008
Whether you’re aiming to be a celeb, or just want to make a career for yourself, the road to success may be surprisingly devoid
of the red-carpet treatment. You might find yourself working an anything-but-glamorous summer job or having to settle for your second- or third-choice university, but you should never give up on aspiring to more. In fact, you’d be surprised at how many of your favorite celebrities have gone from working minimum-wage jobs to having their names appear in lights.
So before you give up on your dream career or school, take a look at some of these celeb tales and see how they stuck it out for the better. Would you believe that Mariah Carey is a beauty school dropout?
– Genevieve M. Blaber
November 14th, 2008
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