This is first in CollegeSurfing Insider’s series, “From Laid Off to Learning.”

Even in the midst of a layoff, some people prefer to consider the glass half full rather than half empty. And instead of focusing on the lack of a steady paycheck or the interruption in one’s career, there are a growing number of individuals who view the forced hiatus as a blessing rather than a curse. Once the sting of a layoff wears off, many take the time to focus on things that might have been overlooked during years of employment, like getting a degree.

Going back to school is always a good idea, but it makes even more sense after you’ve been laid off. It’s important to refocus your priorities after being let go, and for some, there’s no better way to get a fresh outlook on life than to enroll in a degree program.

John Hedtke, 53, is a Eugene, Oregon-based writer who was put on “working notice” by his publication—that is, he will be laid off by the end of the year so that he can finish his assignments. Hedtke is taking it all in stride—as a writer with 26 non-fiction books to his credit as well as a healthy savings account, he’s not too worried about his career or his financial solvency. In fact, he’s quite excited, because shortly after he found out about his layoff, he decided to go to college—for the first time.

That’s right—despite a lengthy and fulfilling career as a professional writer, Hedtke doesn’t have a college degree. And now that he has made the decision to earn a degree after all these years, you can bet that he’s not doing it to further his career. Rather, Hedtke is heading to campus to pursue a passion that he’s had for more than 40 years—art.

“I am planning on going to college to get a degree in art, because I’ve wanted to be a painter for more than 40 years,” Hedtke says. He adds that he will also take classes in art history, French, and Italian because those subjects interest him as well.

We often think of a college degree as a means to an end, with that end being the start of a new career. But whatever happened to learning for the sake of learning? Hedtke might just be single-handedly bringing it back into style.

“This degree is largely for my own satisfaction,” he says. “Getting letters after my name would be nice, but I really want to learn to draw and paint rather than rack up an accomplishment.” Hedtke does admit that being able to illustrate will make him more valuable as a writer for certain publications, but it’s just really icing on the cake. “All of this is secondary to my primary goal of learning how to draw and paint.”

Hedtke will begin his college career by taking placement exams and a few courses—drawing will be one of them—at Lane Community College in Eugene starting in January. His plan is to eventually transfer to the University of Oregon, but he wants to start, as he says, “a little gently” at first, noting that he will most likely be 30 to 35 years older than the majority of the students.

Hedtke plans to support himself through freelance writing projects as he pursues his degree, but he is also looking into any financial aid benefits he might be eligible for through the Displaced Workers Program.

Whether Hedtke turns out to be the next Picasso remains to be seen, but what is more important is that he is fulfilling a dream that has been several decades in the making.

–Barbara Bellesi

DO IT NOW: Read more of CollegeSurfing.com Insider’s series, From Laid Off to Learning.

If you were one of the hundreds of thousands of Americans laid off this past year, the ability to appreciate the fact that you’re in good company will only get you so far. Whether you saw the layoff coming or it hit you like a ton of bricks, you’ll need to take a proactive approach to returning to the Land of the Regular Paycheck.

After the initial shock of being laid off wears off, many people are getting up, brushing themselves off, and heading back to school. Why? Laid off or not, people enroll in a degree program for a variety of reasons: a better credential for their resume, a change of career, or simply a desire to learn something new.

Over the next few weeks, this blog will feature stories of individuals who found themselves suddenly without a job, so they made the big decision to back to college. Maybe you’ll relate to some of them. Or maybe you’re writing your own success story. Either way, you’ll find the inspiration and motivation you need to go back to school right here.

Read inspiring profiles now:

Faced with a Layoff, a Writer Returns to His Real Passion

Laid Off Dad Finds Hope in Online Learning

Laid-Off Telecom Pro Heads to “Greener” Pastures

It’s Thanksgiving week. Once the turkey and sweet potatoes are digested, do visions of shopping and discounts dance in your head? On Thanksgiving Day, do you spend part of day mapping out a strategy for hitting stores when they open early the next day (or even late that night) and beating everyone else to the in-demand items on sale?

It’s a make-it-or-break-it time for some. Total spending on the Black Friday weekend reached about $41 billion in 2008, according to a National Retail Federation survey conducted by BIGresearch. If you were out there, you joined a 172 million shoppers in stores and on retail Web sites.

While you’re heading at midnight or early Friday morning to snatch up deals on designer clothes and purses, TVs and electronics, toys, and other items, think about these three careers that thrive on holiday spending.

• Fashion merchandising: You’ll be getting clothes off the runway and into the stores for buyers to give the latest fashion trends to friends, family and even themselves. The profession involves not only buying items, but heading up ad and marketing efforts and, depending on the size of the store, duties such as arranging store displays. Sometimes that’s exactly why people come – I’ve waited in line to see the amazing holiday window displays at Macy’s in New York.
• Advertising: Your ad campaigns will get the word out about holiday items and pricing, and will entice people to head to your clients’ store or buy your client’s product first. You’ll rely on education and experience to know which mix of media – print, radio, Web sites, TV, billboards, etc. – will attract gift-giving customers.
• Retail: Probably the hardest working people in late November and December are those in the stores dealing with the shopping mob. Retail management jobs are for those who want to be in the midst of it all. Retail managers are crucial in a store’s success during the holidays as they oversee a team of staffers, order merchandise, and assist sometimes harried customers.

If you’re joining the crowds on Black Friday or throughout the holiday season, think about if one of these new careers is on your wishlist.

Happy shopping!

-Lori Johnston

The year isn’t over yet, but it’s already time to start thinking about  your summer plans. Just the other day, a junior in college was telling me she is looking at internships but hadn’t found many advertised.

She was considering using Twitter. Making connections on social networking sites such as Twitter can help as internships have been scarce in some fields. Hey, even Pizza Hut used Twitter this past summer to find a  Summer Twintern to tweet about the company.

I recently received an email from a former journalism student of mine at the University of Georgia seeking an intern in New York City. I mentioned it to a student in a class I was teaching and passed along an e-mail address as the contact info.

They began communicating via Twitter after my student saw in the internship coordinator’s e-mail signature that she had a Twitter account. She began following her on Twitter and replying to her comments, and she landed an interview for the position.

So how can you find opportunities on Twitter? Start with a search for your industry, the job you’re looking for, the city in which you want an internship and keywords such as internship, a company name, and titles such as human resources director. As you find relevant matches, start following them, as well as people who work for the company of interest.

Don’t hesitate to keep in touch with someone who hires interns via Twitter throughout the year. Reply to their comments with information about their industry. Lastly, add some internship Tweeps to your follow list like @internqueen and @internweb.

Best of luck with your search, and happy Tweeting!

-Lori Johnston

My white-chocolate pumpkin cheesecake recipe is ready to be whipped out and put the sweet finishing note on holiday diners. That’s what I’ve been talking about in conversations with my family and friends since the Halloween costumes were put away –  Thanksgiving potlucks and holiday dinners and parties.

One of my 30-something friends would love to become a personal chef, and she displays a natural talent in the kitchen, creating the most difficult Martha-esque recipes quickly, while mine are disasters. So it’s amazing to learn about the types of culinary training available for her and others pursuing that goal in the growing field.

Look at the backgrounds of celebrity chefs and restaurant owners in major cities competing on popular shows such as “Top Chef,” and you’ll find an array of education experience.

One of my “Top Chef: Las Vegas” favorites, restaurateur Kevin Gillespie of Atlanta, cooked part-time at eateries while attending the Art Institute of Atlanta.

The stars of Food Network also demonstrate different paths to a culinary career. Bobby Flay attended the French Culinary Institute while Giada De Laurentis earned a degree in anthropology from the University of California in Los Angeles before focusing on food and training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, as did Sandra Lee.

The entertaining Guy Fieri route’s was a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, then working in and owning restaurants before being named “The Next Food Network Star” a while back. Iron Chefs Cat Cora and Michael Symon are graduates of The Culinary Institute of America.

You could leave those schools with associate and bachelor’s degrees as well as the in-depth instruction and hands-on experience that will propel you to succeed in your next kitchen, whether it’s in the glare of the TV cameras or delighting small groups of diners every night.

-Lori Johnston

OK, maybe college was never uncool. But in this recession, college attendance among young adults is the highest it’s ever been. Ever.

Here’s proof: In October 2008, close to 40 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds were enrolled in college, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of newly released data from the Census Bureau. That translates into almost 11.5 million young adults in higher ed.

Of course, a majority of the college enrollment growth has come at community colleges, where enrollment tends to rise as the economy worsens. After all, who can afford a pricey private college education when community college offers a good education for a fraction of the cost?

But it’s not all about money. Even though the most growth has been seen at community colleges, enrollment at four-year colleges has remained steady despite annual tuition increases that outpace inflation.

So why is everyone flocking to college? In a downturned economy, going to college can seem counterintuitive – who can afford tuition when they can’t find a decent paying job? But the adage “you have to give something to get something” might put the situation into perspective.

During this recession, the national unemployment rate has been at its highest level in more than 25 years. We’re all feeling it, but many young adults are bearing the brunt of the strain. Just 46 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds were employed in September 2009, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s the lowest percentage since 1948, when the government began collecting this kind of data.

Recession Redemption
The choice for college speaks volumes about the anticipated and proven outcomes of a college education. If young adults can’t find work now, and therefore decide to go to college, they must be doing so because they believe education will help them get a job. And not just any job – college education translates into higher positions and salaries than high school diplomas do.

When you think about it, the data paints a picture of hope. Instead of bemoaning the current financial situation, young adults are taking their future into their own hands by pursuing higher education. They’ve determined that their lives can be better than what they know today, and they’re turning that possibility into reality.

So maybe the recession hasn’t been a total loss. If it has motivated people to do something good for themselves – something that might have otherwise escaped their list of priorities – the economy might just be redeemable after all.

What about you – have you been able to redeem the recession? It’s evident that young people view college as a worthwhile investment. Have you thought about the benefits of pursuing higher education, especially in tough economic times?

The fact is that whether you’re out of work, in need of a promotion, or ready for a career change, choosing college is always a smart move. Is the recession what it will take for you to make a change? If so, take advantage of the opportunity to make a better life for yourself. Education can always take you where you want to go.

-Robyn Tellefsen

My mom is in her early 60s and doesn’t intend to stop working as a middle school teacher anytime soon. That’s partly because she hasn’t been in the school system for that long. It’s a profession she’s wanted to do for years, but more than two decades after earning her bachelor’s in education and after years of working for computer companies and other businesses, she finally entered into her dream job a few years ago. She hasn’t regretted her decision and grows more passionate by the day.

It’s interesting because she made the career change at the same time her peers were preparing for retirement. Instead of saying goodbye to a full-time job, she took on the demanding role of a teacher. She’s even received her master’s since then and is pursuing her doctorate.

I often talk to retirement-age professionals around the country who are staying in the workforce or re-entering the job market, in new careers or consulting gigs stemming from their existing experience. Newsweek recently reported on how growing numbers of retirees have returned to the workforce after a drop in their 401(k) values.

If you’re looking to hospitals, universities, nonprofits, municipalities and insurance companies, Newsweek’s story says that’s the right track.

Don’t just rely on experience though. Gaining education can bring you up to date on changes in your profession or give you the training you need to pursue a new field.

Acquiring certifications, diplomas and degrees in health care, technology, education, and other areas through online programs or traditional formats could go a long way in helping you land new employment in this weak job market. And that can add to a dwindling nest egg. Or, as in my mom’s case, help you rediscover a passion you once had.

-Lori Johnston

Here’s some encouraging news out of my home state of Georgia: Record numbers of students are enrolling in technical colleges, inspired to try new career fields and seeking to quickly gain the knowledge needed to land those jobs.

Data from the Technical College System of Georgia shows a 24 percent increase in 2009 enrollment compared to 2008, with 110,254 students in the state’s 28 technical colleges. The previous record: 91,838 students, in 2003.

Officials say the enrollment increase is due to the downturn in the economy. The education provided by technical schools can provide marketable skills that open doors to jobs in high-demand fields such as healthcare, business and office technologies, and computer information systems.

You can gain that knowledge faster than at traditional four-year colleges and universities.  In Georgia, its 600 certificate, diploma, and degree programs can be completed in six months to two years, depending on the program. That’s much like other areas of the county, and the costs are low ($2,100 is the annual tuition and fee average in Georgia).

And the interesting thing is that technical colleges have a diversity of ages among the students enrolled. The schools in Georgia are seeing an increase in students under 21, with recent high school graduates joining experienced workers in the classrooms. Having that diversity of ages in programs is beneficial to everyone, preparing you for a multi-generational workplace.

You may be among those who have lost jobs or are just ready for a different career path, and technical colleges are an affordable route worth considering.

-Lori Johnston