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College is a Roller Coaster Ride

February 12, 2009 By 16 Comments
carnival-college-admissions

College-bounders, current college students, and recent grads, listen up, because I’ve got a great secret to share. The 10th edition of the Carnival of College Admissions is live, and packed with posts from the top experts in the higher education blogosphere that’ll get you ready for the college ride and beyond. Thanks to Mark Montgomery for hosting!

  • Need financial aid and FAFSA tips? It’s there, courtesy of Amanda at U. Got It?
  • Want to know what NOT to do on your college applications? MyUSearch’s blog clues you in.
  • Perfect for Valentine’s day… get some college dating tips from Unigo!
  • Don’t forget to see which CollegeSurfing post made the cut.

Enjoy, and don’t forget to leave some comment love at the Carnival!

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So What is Personal Branding Anyway?

January 13, 2009 By 22 Comments
personal-branding

It has all the earmarks of a buzzword or business jargon, but call it what you want, career experts in all walks of life say personal branding is vital to today’s career success. So in case you don’t know what it is, I’ll tell you.

Personal branding is all about marketing yourself or creating yourself as a “brand.” What do you stand for? What sets you apart from your competition? What are your unique attributes? How do you represent yourself online and offline?

Here’s another way I like to think of it: If you could give yourself a tagline or slogan, what would it be? Think of it as a witty extension of your job title. I like to say I’m a “higher education writer and blogger extraordinaire,” for instance. An editor friend of mine gets even more creative, calling herself the “content pimp” (although not on formal letterhead, or anything, but you get the idea).

I recently interviewed Frank Schoeneman, CEO of Empire Beauty Schools, the largest provider of cosmetology education in the country, for our sister blog, A Minute With SpaBeautySchools (check it out for some of his great beauty industry tips and quips next week), and he was touting the importance of personal branding.

“You are your own brand. What makes you so special? There are a lot of those people out there who are very good at what they do — that have better skills than you do — but there’s nobody better at being you, than you. If you’re able to develop the people skills to know your product, to know your services, to figure out how and when to apply them to the right customer, your branding has been set.”

Now remember, this is a professional in the beauty industry. Yet in our conversation, we didn’t talk hot hair colors and cosmetology trends — we discussed his mission to help students market themselves. And I think that’s true of all fields these days, which is why more and more colleges and career schools are catching on and teaching this concept to their students. Right now, though, you’ll mainly hear about personal branding offerings in the form of seminars or one-day workshops. But mark my words — you may start hearing about schools offering it as a full-fledged elective course in the near future.

Personal branding guru, Dan Schawbel, has been campaigning this idea for quite some time. He blogs:

“You need to reach across boundaries, in a world where everyone is on the same plane, and you can almost touch hiring managers at companies you want to work for. Don’t send out a 10,000 resume blast because that is just like the 10,000 emails reporters get everyday and they are discounted as spam. The real way to succeed in college is to understand how the internet can be used to get a job or start a business, and then act.”

So how do you want to brand yourself? Think about it, and start doing it ASAP. It can make all the difference, especially in a tight economy.

Just for fun, what would you like your tagline to be?

Filed Under: Career Skills, Education Tagged With: , , , , ,

Our Top 8 Posts in 2008

December 29, 2008 By 27 Comments
2009

It’s reflection time. Everywhere you look, you hear about the year in review, the top somethings of 2008, the biggest winners and losers of the year. And the CollegeSurfing blog is no exception. Take a look back at our top 8 in ’08 picks…

Stop Worrying About Jobs – The rough economy might actually be a good thing for new grads. Find out why.

Before They Were Stars, They Were Students – What did your favorite celebs major in before hitting the small and big screens? This post has the answers.

Beat the Economic Crisis: 5 Safe Careers – When choosing a career path, you may as well pick from among those with the most longevity. This list is a surefire bet!

Seven Alternatives to Federal Aid – Can’t afford to go back to school? Find out seven ways to pay for it.

Gen Y: Whiners or Winners? - Think your boss doesn’t do enough to please you? Join the debate on whether or not he should be trying harder, or if making an impression is your job.

The Top Reason to Say “I Quit!” - If you’ve been on the fence about making the leap, this article may be the kick in the butt you need.

On Shaky Ground? Go on a PR Campaign – Marketing isn’t just for marketing majors. Find out how to brand yourself.

Jumpstart ’08 With a Career Diet – Read about some career resolutions you should stick to (and renew them for ’09!).

Well there you have it… happy reading, and a Happy New Year!

Readers, which of these is your favorite?

Filed Under: Career Info, Education Tagged With: , ,

Head to School: It’s Your Patriotic Duty!

December 17, 2008 By 17 Comments
capitol-hill

Top educators met on Capitol Hill recently to discuss increasing the percentage of young people who earn a degree from 40% to 55% by 2025. The goal was driven by the Commission on Access, Admissions and Success in Higher Education report, which documents that a college degree is vital not only to individual success and income potential, but for the growth of our nation. The group, which is sponsored by The College Board, is currently proposing recommendations and will be requesting federal funding from President-elect Barack Obama.

This is a great initiative, of course, but as we know, such campaigns take time to get off the ground. Not to mention that it’s geared toward the next generation of students, so efforts will begin at the preschool level. We can still pick up a lesson from the news, however; educating yourself at any age can not only do wonders for your own personal success, but for the country’s overall well-being. Consider it your patriotic duty to head back to the classroom!

if you’re thinking of enrolling in a program, keep in mind this first basic rule: Degree/program completion starts with making the right school choice! That’s why it’s so important for students to do their homework when it comes to college research.

Here’s how to get started…

- Finding a school that matches your academic interests, location preferences, and learning style is key to having a great experience and completing your degree.

- Be open-minded to a variety of different colleges beyond ones on those “Top 10″ lists. Many lesser-known institutions or community colleges provide top-notch educational opportunities -– you just have to seek them out.

- Be sure to consider an institution’s extras, such as free academic support, on-campus activities, and career services. Taking advantage of these offerings can help students ride out tough semesters and avoid dropping out. Connect directly with colleges and universities, so that you may ask those important questions and learn more about your choice schools before you sign your tuition checks.

- Remember, traditional colleges and universities are simply not for everyone. Despite the Commission’s efforts, some people are better suited to work in a trade. Career schools that are focused on honing skills for work in a specific industry can prepare students with specialized training for a variety of lucrative careers.

- Once you choose a couple of potential programs of study, figure out what’s standing in your way (finances, fear of returning to the classroom, time constraints, etc.), and start removing the obstacles one by one. For instance, financial aid programs are available for both traditional and nontraditional students; and online learning can make it possible for learners to find the time to “go” to class. In short, if you want to school badly enough, you can find a way.

What’s your biggest obstacle to education?

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