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Higher Ed Highlights from the State of the Union

January 25, 2012 By 50 Comments
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President Obama has big plans and high hopes for community colleges, career training, and keeping college costs down.

In his State of the Union address last evening, President Obama kept circling back to the importance of education, and how a well educated nation will grow the economy, keep jobs on our soil, and take us into a better future.

Here’s a glance at his main points:

“Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that – openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work. That’s inexcusable”

“Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers – places that teach people skills that local businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.”

“At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July. Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves middle-class families thousands of dollars. And give more young people the chance to earn their way through college by doubling the number of work-study jobs in the next five years.”

What role do you think higher education and career training will play for the future of America? Sound off below…

-Dawn Papandrea

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: , , ,

College Major Choice Can Help You Avoid Unemployment

January 12, 2012 By 46 Comments
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Which college degrees provide better job security?

A new study from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce implies that your degree choice can have a big impact on keeping a job. According to the findings, risk of unemployment for recent graduates varies considerably depending on their major.

You can check out the full report, Hard Times, College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings: Not All College Degrees Are Created Equal, but here are some of the takeaways we’ve gleaned from it:

- Specializing is great, but develop skills that can be applicable in a number of ways. Case in point: The highest unemployment rate in the study was for architecture graduates (13.9 percent), a direct reflection of the struggling real estate market, and there’s little work outside of that industry. On the other hand, those with financial or computer expertise can transfer those skills to work for most any corporation or organization.

- Now might be a good time to get that advanced degree you’ve been mulling over. The overall unemployment rate for people with graduate degrees is just 3 percent.

- Look for ties to strong industries. Recent graduates in Engineering, the Sciences, Education, or Healthcare are tied to stable or growing sectors, and therefore, offer opportunities with the most staying power (with just a 5.4% unemployment rate).

On the bright side, any degree is still better than not having one at all. Recent bachelor’s degree earners have an 8.9 percent unemployment rate, while job seekers with just a high school diploma are at 22.9 percent, and high school dropouts are at 31.5 percent.

-Dawn Papandrea

Filed Under: Career Advice, College, getting hired Tagged With: , ,

The Obligatory Career Resolutions Post

January 4, 2012 By 44 Comments
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Five Steps to a Better Career in 2012

Beyond breaking your cheese doodle habit and saving more money, you’ve probably got a career resolution or two. And, if not, you should!

Here are some ideas to get you started on your 2012 career advancement plan, courtesy of Julie Redfield, talent management expert at PA Consulting Group:

Connect the dots. Career building is all about the connections, isn’t it? “Reconnect with school friends, prior employers and others in your profession. You never know where that next opportunity will come from,” says Redfield.

Look up. Redfield suggests that you identify a mentor, at least two levels up from your current position, and ask if you can pick his or her brain for career advice. This strategy also works if you’re looking into entering a new industry. See if you can identify someone willing to show you the ropes, whether it’s at an industry event, or by requesting an informational interview with someone at a company you’d love to work for.

Meet new people at work. Make this your goal today: “Identify one person in the office that I don’t know, and make an effort to get to know them and learn what their career aspirations are,” says Redfield. Along those lines, try to pay one genuine compliment to someone new every day. Getting to know people and being likeable, can go a long way.

Be the boss’ go-to employee. Every Monday, pay a visit to your boss’ office and ask what’s on his or her worry list, says Redfield. Then offer to help. That’ll help you remain top of mind, and when it comes time for promotions, guess who will be at the top of the consideration list?

Get smarter. This is one of our best tips, but we’re sure Redfield and other career experts would agree. If there’s a skill you’re lacking or something you don’t know, make this the year that you update your knowledge. Take a class online, see if your company offers career training, go to seminars, or if it’s warranted, consider exploring a certificate or degree program.

What are your career resolutions? Please share them with us here, or on Twitter (use #careerresolution).

Happy 2012!

-Dawn Papandrea

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , , ,

The Top 10 Most Visited Posts in 2011

December 27, 2011 By 47 Comments
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In case you missed them, here’s a look back at the top posts that received the most visitors this year. As you can see, we’ve touched on everything from zombies to animation to iPhones to the challenging job market.

Which one is your favorite? And what would you like to read about in 2012? Share your thoughts in the comments or tweet me: @CollegeSurfing.

  1. 15 Post-Apocalyptic College Hipster Survival Tips – You guys are really worried about this, aren’t you?
  2. Top 8 Higher Education Trends of the Decade – Now that 2011 is almost over, what do you think the new trends will be?
  3. Geek Heroes: 26 Geeks Before They Were Stars – It’s always fun to look back to see what folks like J.K. Rowling and Patrick Stewart did before they became famous.
  4. Hoops & YoYo Creators Bob Holt and Mike Adair Interview – One of the most fun interviews I’ve done — check it out!
  5. 5 Reasons I Should Sue My College – Breaking down some myths about college life.
  6. Beat the Economic Crisis: 5 “Safe” Careers – Always a hot topic, a look at the industries with the most staying power.
  7. Wacky Job Interview Questions – And some fun answers to get you thinking!
  8. Hot Trend: iPhone App Development Course – Break into this still-smokin’ field.
  9. 8 Offbeat, Odd & Wacky College Majors – These are real, we swear!
  10. Top Schools for Video Game Design – There’s no denying the cool factor of this career path, which is why it’s in our top 10.

-Dawn Papandrea

Filed Under: Miscellaneous