With today’s rough and tumble economy, choosing a school just got more complicated. It’s not just about course offerings, location, affordability, and reputation — you need to find out how they’ll help you after you graduate. In other words, imagine that part of that big fat tuition check is an investment into free career services later on, and use that as a factor in determining which school is right for you.

Check out what CareerJournal.com has to say about it:

Not-so-recent college graduates are demanding more career assistance from their former schools as they face tougher employment markets.

“This spring, I personally received more calls and emails from alums seeking job-hunting help than at any time in the past four years,” says Aspasia Apostolakis Miller, an official of the Northwestern Alumni Association.U.S. universities have begun to respond by creating job-search programs.

Nearly 20% now offer full-fledged efforts for alumni, up from just 5% five years ago, according to alumni-service specialists interviewed. And business schools in particular are stepping up aid for their graduates. Matthew Temple, Kellogg’s director of alumni career services, says he and fellow coaches handled 2,160 appointments with M.B.A. graduates during the eight months ended on April 30 — 45% more than the year-earlier period.

The good news is that schools are upping their efforts to help alumni. I know from personal experience, that my husband broke into the technology field thanks to a job placement program at the career school he attended. And my own alma mater has a career coaching program in which alumni make themselves available to mentor recent grads.

While finishing a program you’re just starting to research may seem like a lifetime away, you need to think ahead and ask questions like these:

• Does your school offer an on-site career center?
• Are resources like career aptitude tests available there?
• Are there resume/portfolio review services and/or mock interview sessions?
• Is there on-campus recruitment and interview opportunities?
• As an alumni, do I still have access to career services?

Essentially, going back to school is not just about learning a skill; it’s about leveraging a new network.

Why do you think most people leave their jobs? You might think it would be to escape a flesh-eating virus of a boss. Or it could be boredom or wanting to try something new. Others may jump on job opportunities that come out of nowhere. But surprisingly (to me at least), none of those are the most popular reason.

For the majority of employees recently surveyed by BelssingWhite, a consultant and training firm, it’s the lack of advancement opportunities that motivate them to leave. A whopping 29 percent say they want to grow, advance, and learn, but feel their current place of work is holding them back.

Here’s how BlessingWhite CEO Christopher Rice puts it: “They want to pursue their interests and goals, but aren’t dissatisfied enough to take action. From a practical standpoint employees can often satisfy their need for career growth, change or better use their talents with a current employer, but it’s not always obvious to them how they might do so.”

So what’s the best way to take action when your current job just isn’t doing it for you? Well, I’ve said it before, dear bloggers, but it merits repeating — you won’t get ahead unless you take your knowledge to the next level. Whether that’s by volunteering to take on new assignments, going back to school, or shadowing a higher up who’s willing to train you in a new skill, it all equates to continuing your work education.

Is your company big on education? For starters, take the initiative to see if there are any employer-sponsored training classes or tuition reimbursement programs you can sign up for. If not, do some research to find a class in your field you’d like to take, and talk to your supervisor about how you think it can help improve your productivity. If he or she agrees, you just might have earned a fat tuition check.

Still, your skills are your responsibility. If the boss won’t pay, so what? That doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Decide what you’re willing to invest in terms of time and money and seek out a program of study that can put you in line for the next promotion, or if you’d prefer, help you qualify for a position in a different department or new company altogether.

Why not give it a try? Then if things remain stagnant, you’ll know your employer is a dud and ultimately may decide it’s time to move on — only now, you’ll be packing a shiny new set of skills.

So I was away last week sipping all-inclusive drinks at a Caribbean resort. A long holiday weekend followed that, and 90-degree weather has rounded out the last few back-to-work days here in New York. It’s no wonder I’ve been stricken with severe blogger’s block. I think I’ve got an early case of “summer brain.” You know what I’m talking about.

Remember when you were in grade school and you literally forgot how to spell and multiply by the time you returned to school in September? My editorial team discussed this very topic yesterday because it’s happening to all of us. And wouldn’t you know, I found out this morning that it’s not just a lame excuse to subconsciously try to extend our time away from the office.

According to a study of Baltimore students by Johns Hopkins University researchers, students fall almost 2.6 months behind in math skills over the summer. Furthermore, the study showed that 65 percent of the achievement gap between poor and affluent children can be explained by unequal summer learning experiences during the elementary school years.

In other words, kids (and adults, too) need to keep their brains stimulated to avoid permanent brain vacation mode. How can you do that this summer? Why not use the extra downtime and office summer Fridays (if you’re lucky!) to research a return to education that’ll boost your career or start a completely new one?

Whether it’s a full-fledged degree or certificate program, a computer training course to bulk up your lacking tech skills, or some on-your-own reading, dedicate some summer time to improving your skills or learning something new.

Whew… now, I’m spent! (Sorry — still working out those summer brain issues.)

“Exploring and acting upon one’s educational goals should definitely not be a solo process.”

In fact, I was quoted as saying just that in a recent company press release (it does sound press releasey, doesn’t it?). But, really, I meant what I said.

That’s why I thought I’d share with you some of the interactive ‘support systems’ that CollegeSurfing has recently put in place to help you find the right school and career path for you.

> There’s this blog… but you knew that already.

> Then there’s “A Minute with SpaBeautySchools,” another blog that offers a refreshing look at the world of beauty and wellness. If alternative health, holistic healing, and beauty and glamour excite you, add it to your bloglist for sure!

> Then there’s you — our User-Generated Content portal at CollegeSurfing.com to be more accurate. Here, whether you’re an aspiring, current, or former student, educator or industry expert, we invite you to share your experiences, questions, and advice. Check it out and go create your profile.

> Then there’s Career “Ed,” CollegeSurfing’s MySpace persona. Ed’s got an entertaining and informational blog of his own, which riffs on pop culture, career trends, and school stories, along with numerous links to career articles and polls. Similarly, SpaBeautySchools.com’s MySpace presence highlights unique career trends and profiles of top industry professionals within the beauty and wellness fields.

> Don’t forget your offline life. Family, good friends, colleagues, someone you know or get to know in the industry of your interest, the list goes on and on. Nothing compares to the opportunities that arise as the result of talking up your endeavors. That’s what that whole networking thing is about.

And, there you have it! Go forth and surf… And, please do drop me a line to let me know what you think and how else we can help. We’re listening!

The big talk this week is March Madness, but I’m more psyched for April baseball. Ahh, baseball…

I’ve been counting the months, weeks, days, and minutes until Opening Day since last November. There’s just something about the game — those walk-off homers in the bottom of the ninth; the knot in my stomach when the closer comes in to (hopefully) save the game; David Wright’s supreme cuteness; the triumph of an underdog team celebrating on the field. I can hardly wait until my Metsies take the field on Sunday night. While I wait patiently (OK, more like obsess over Game 1 starters), I’m realizing that there’s a lot to learn from America’s pasttime — not to mention countless baseball metaphors to exploit (my apologies in advance). So without further ado, please rise for the singing of the national anthem — er, sorry — I mean, check out these baseball-inspired success strategies…

“You gotta have heart” – So the famous song from the broadway musical says. And, if you do, you can even beat those “Damn Yankees” (I hope the Mets do this year, anyway). In other words, drive, dedication, and lots of practice can take you to the big game, even if you’re starting from last place (a.k.a. have no educational background or career experience). To get one step closer to first base, start researching hot career paths and swing away.

“Who’s on First?” – I love Abbott and Costello’s famous, hysterical skit, don’t you? But it goes to show that if you don’t get to know the who’s who of your field, chaos and confusion might ensue. Take the time to research career paths, speak with industry MVPs, shadow someone on the job in your field of choice, seek out professional affiliations and organizations, etc. Staying in the know will help you warm up for your big game debut.

“Field of Dreams” – Remember that movie and that whisper: “If you build it, they will come?” And that last scene between father and son? Just thinking about it makes me teary-eyed! But I digress… What I really wanted to say is that to find success in the field of your dreams, you’ll have to do some building. Skills building, that is (who’s backyard is big enough to build a ball field anyway?!). Take a course, earn a certification, or pursue a full-fledged degree. The choice is yours, and the educational opportunities are there. Once you’ve completed your “spring training,” you’ll be ready to play the field.

So follow your heart, find out who’s who in the field, and build your career dreams! And if you strike out once or twice, don’t sweat it. You’ll knock one out of the park next time… just like David Wright will against the Cards, God willing.

No, it’s not a bird, a plane, or a bad slogan to a new Sci-Fi channel “Heroes” ripoff. It’s actually the top three career goals as cited by CollegeSurfing.com users. Well, if you minus the metaphor, it means programs in aviation, criminal justice, and massage/wellness programs garnered the most requests for information at CollegeSurfing.com thus far in ’07.

The top 5 specific programs were:

What do these fields have in common? Well, for one thing, they are all industries that are penetrable via career education and training. They are also the perfect lead-in for this question…

Q: Isn’t career training for people who just don’t want to go to “real” college?

A: There are many reasons why people choose to pursue career education, and it’s usually centered around having very specific career goals. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), over the 12-month period ending in spring 2005, 44 percent of adults reported having participated in formal adult educational activities. Reasons cited included:

The bottom line is that career education differs from a traditional university education in several ways, but one main difference is that it isn’t most populated by newly graduated high school seniors. Those who pursue career education do so from a variety of life situations, career goals, and demographic backgrounds.

Then, of course, is the nature of the learning itself. Career education is very industry-focused, skill-building, hands-on coursework. You can think of it as sort of an “off-the-job” training. On the other hand, traditional college students complete a “core curriculum” of classes aimed to provide a well-rounded education (hence the English literature, philosophy and biology requirements), along with whichever major course of study they choose.

Naturally, choosing between career schools and traditional colleges and universities will depend on your professional goals. If you want to be a college professor, you’ll need the full-fledged advanced degrees in education. But if you want to fly high, fight bad guys, or ease stress, career education will give you professional wings (or, a red cape, if you prefer).

So what do you want to be when you grow up?

Photo: Warner Bros.