Find Your Right School

Getting High School Students Jobs

2007-08-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

I am presenting to a group of students on 9/7 at Raymonds Walter College, a college of the University of Cincinnati. The event is sponsored by the Ohio College Tech Prep Greater Cincinnati Consortium. Their site is www.techprepohio.org What a great idea! These guys work with high school juniors who love technology. Their focus is getting them started in high school on their career. I know from my previous experience running a large IT services division that people who get hired, have certifications. If you love IT, get your A+ certification or a Microsoft certification. If you have experience with web graphics, writing code (like PHP), or any area of online skills, you can get work now. Go to http://www.elance.com and bid on a project. If you do a good job, you will get a positive ranking, and you are off. I hired a UC C0-0p student and he did such a good job, I used him over 40 hours a week and he earned over $30,000 while still going to school. He now makes six figures in the online marketing business. Don't wait, get started now. If you are any good email me at Philr (at) www-college.org and I may try you out. Good luck.

Training for Top Three In-Demand Jobs

2007-05-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

Online College Articles and Tips Training for Top Three In-Demand Jobs
by Tamar Snyder

If you're wondering where all the jobs are, you may want to consider a career as a sales representative, teacher, or auto mechanic. Those three professions are the top in demand among U.S. employers in 2007, according to the annual talent shortage survey conducted by Manpower Inc., a global staffing company.

Of the 2,407 U.S. companies surveyed, 41 percent said they had difficulty filling these positions. Other jobs that made the top 10 list include truck drivers, accountants, technicians, and machine operators.

Here's a look at the training required to pursue the top three.

Closing the sale

Sales representatives topped the most in-demand list for the second year in a row as the hardest job for U.S. companies to fill.

"It's a supply and demand issue," says Melanie Holmes, vice president for corporate affairs at Manpower. The 2004 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that within the next decade, the U.S. would need an additional 736,000 people on the retail floor and an additional 187,000 business-to-business sales representatives, she says.

The sales representative job spans the spectrum of low paying retail positions to very profitable corporate ranks, such as pharmaceutical sales reps. The job may involve irregular hours and heavy travel. Salaries range from $30,270 to more than $114,540 a year, since earnings are often based on commissions.

Aspiring sales reps should also have the technical familiarity with the product, as well as the personality traits–including patience, persistence, and charm–to successfully engage clients and make the sale.

Employers are increasingly looking for sales representatives with a college degree. Courses in marketing, economics, communication and foreign languages may prove helpful. Many companies offer one- to two-year formal training programs. Seminars offering lessons in sales techniques are increasingly popular. More than 7 million people have signed up for a Dale Carnegie course, one of the more well-known leaders in developing interpersonal skills and building rapport. Enrollment in the Sales Advantage Course, which is designed to help sales reps improve their communication skills, has increased 35 percent over the past year, according to Regina Acosta, manager to the inside sales team at Dale Carnegie. "We build sales people and therefore we build our business," she says.

Certification is available by taking a course and passing exams administered by industry organizations. The Certified Sales Professional seminar, organized by the Manufacturers' Representatives Educational Research Foundation, is a three-day intensive course followed by written and oral exams, aimed at mid-level managers.

Popular sales training programs include ones specialized to pharmaceutical sales, medical software, and technology.

Educating the next generation

Teachers jumped to slot number two on Manpower's most in-demand jobs list. The ranking refers to K-12 teachers, excluding special education teachers.

During the next 10 years, the U.S. will add 524,000 post-secondary teachers and 265,000 elementary school teachers, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. The National Education Association estimates that close to 2 million teachers will be hired.

"The population is exploding," says Jennifer Smolka, program coordinator for Western Governors University's (WGU) online teachers college. "We're also finding more and more that smaller classes are better, so we need more teachers." Retiring baby boomers are also a factor. "There are a large number of lifelong teachers, and those teachers are now retiring," she says.

In addition to a four-year bachelor degree program in education, schools such as WGU also offers a master's in education for those who already have a degree but need education training. Such master's programs average 18 months to two years, but students who can devote themselves to full-time study can accelerate the degree, finishing in as little as six months.

"Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions–you touch the future and create the adults of tomorrow," Smolka says. "But it's not for everyone. It's very demanding."

Mechanics do well – no matter the economy

With 32,000 auto services and diesel openings annually, according to the National Automobiles Dealers Association, automotive service technicians are increasingly in demand. Through 2010, the organization estimates an additional 6,000 jobs per year. The increase in demand can be attributed to retirement of baby boomers and fewer workers willing to replace them as well as the number of cars on the road.

Many high schools and colleges offer two-year associate degrees where students work with an assigned shop and are trained under a seasoned mechanic. The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT) and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) currently certify a number of automotive programs. In fact, ASE has become a standard credential for those pursuing automotive careers. Additional certifications are available in electrical systems, engine repair, brake systems, suspension and steering, and heating and air-conditioning. For those wishing to attain master automobile technician status, certification in all eight areas is required.

Community College Web

2007-02-11T18:44:00.000-08:00

Found this great site that has a great directory of community colleges. good resource.

Community College Web Publish

Available College Scholarships

2007-01-31T07:53:00.000-08:00

Available college scholarships at http://www.www-college.org/college_scholarships_list.htm with a student derived list of scholarships available. Online websites and email contacts for your scholarship needs.

Free Scholarship/Financial Aid Search Internet Sites

2007-01-30T07:50:00.000-08:00

Go to http://www.www-college.org/free_scholarship_financial_aid_search_internet_sites.htm
View a list of Free Scholarship and Financial Aid Search Internet Sites via www-College.org team.

Federal Scholarship/Financial Aid Internet Sites:

2007-01-29T07:52:00.000-08:00

at http://www.www-college.org/federal_scholarships_financial_aid_internet_sites.htm Federal Scholarship and Financial Aid Internet Sites for federal funding needed for college

Thinking of Studying Engineering Online?

2007-01-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

If so, check out the top 25 engineering degrees, as ranked by GetEducated, LLC, an organization informing consumers about online education.
1. North Carolina State University (NC)
2. California State University, Dominguez Hills (CA)
3. Mississippi State University (MI)
4. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SD)
5. Oklahoma State University (OK)
6. University of South Carolina (SC)
7. University of Toledo (OH)
8. University of Tennessee (TN)
9. State University of New York at Binghamton (NY)
10. Eastern Michigan University (MI)
11. Boise State University (ID)
12. University of Delaware (DE)
13. Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VA)
14. California State University, Long Beach (CA)
15. Capitol College (MD)
16. Kansas State University (KS)
17. University of Idaho (ID)
18. Iowa State University (IA)
19. (tied) Auburn University (AL) and University of Wisconsin - Platteville (WI)
20. University of Illinois at Chicago (IL)
21. University of Colorado at Boulder (CO)
22. University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
23. Pennsylvania State University (PA)
24. Oregon State University (OR)
25. University of Missouri - Rolla (MO)

General findings: The survey of 56 distance learning master's programs revealed that online engineering degrees can cost anywhere from $5,280 to $67,500.

Spotlight on real-time engineering

California State University, Northridge has added synchronous content and dynamic interaction to its engineering department's distance learning program. The result will be high-quality voice over the Internet and multiplatform support, as well as a record/playback feature that enables students to review course material.

Engineering in demand

Did you know that electrical engineering is number two of the top 10 in-demand degrees, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers? That's why the engineering schools at the University of Buffalo and the State University of New York at Stony Brook and Binghamton are creating the world's first fully online bachelor's degree program in electrical engineering, scheduled to launch fall 2006.

Women, Education and Earnings

2007-01-02T20:22:00.000-08:00

By Jennifer Merritt

From the moment Eve ate the apple, women have been labeled the weaker sex. Many of us have weaker upper bodies, weaker willpower to resist sappy movies, and a weaker paycheck. (Recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau pinpointed the female-to-male earnings ratio at 0.76 in 2001.) We can work on the first two by hitting the gym regularly and watching fewer chick flicks, but when it comes to salaries, what can women do to make up the cash inconsistency?

Some might say the solution is simple: Advance your education, learn new skills, impress the boss, and you'll add a few digits to your salary. In fact, when it comes to education, women are the stronger sex, outnumbering men who earned associate, bachelor?s, and master?s degrees during the 2004-2005 school year, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

And the return on that education investment is high. Women who graduated from college earned about 76 percent more than women with just a high school diploma, according to 2004 data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Finding your focus "The first thing you have to do is figure out what your values are, and understand that the ways to higher pay are about trade-offs," says Warren Farrell, Ph.D., the San Diego-based author of Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap and What Women Can Do About It (Amacom, 2005). "The road to higher pay is a toll road; the discovery is finding out which tolls are worth it and which aren?t."

When it comes to using education to increase earning power, Farrell says it?s all about choosing the right subspecialty?particularly one that is least common, but most in demand. As an example, Farrell points to gypsy, or traveling, nurses: Even though nursing is an in-demand profession, because of the travel requirement, gypsy nurses can earn twice as much as traditional nurses.

"Ask not how far you want to go or what you should major in, ask what you should sub major in," Farrell says. "It?s not just your choice of field. What?s just as important is your choice of subfield."

Farrell believes the field, rather than the degree, can be a predictor of higher pay. Take data from the NCES, for example, which shows that among 2000 graduates with bachelor?s degrees, those with engineering degrees earned the most?close to $50,000?one year after graduation, while those with education degrees earned the least?less than $30,000?one year after graduation.

"A scientist is going to make a lot more than a language major," he says. "More important is that the choice of field not only predicts pay, but also the probability of getting a job in that field at all. "

Caring for your career Practicality is exactly what propelled Teri Fagan?s paycheck. Fagan was working in accounting making $8.60 an hour when she and her family fell on hard times. A friend encouraged her to increase her earning potential by going back to school to become a nurse, but Fagan struggled on her own for four years before realizing higher education could improve her financial situation. Even so, the years she spent in school were "scary," she admits. "I was in the program full time, and the last year I was there, I only grossed $5,000," she says. "I relied a lot on family and friends."

With 2004 statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau revealing that women who hold at least an associate degree earn $9,032 more than women who don?t pursue higher education, the notion of one day having a better salary that could afford her a better life pushed Fagan through the program.

"They asked us in class why we wanted to be nurses, and many people said they wanted to give and be compassionate. I?m afraid I was all about money," Fagan ADmits. "But, I was intrigued by the thought of nursing. It?s intellectually stimulating, and it has a lot to do with accounting in terms of math and judgment."

After earning her degree, she landed a job on her second interview at Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C., one of the top 100 hospitals in the nation. Since then, her salary increased threefold, her family has taken their first vacation together, and Fagan was able to buy her first home.

And Fagan isn?t the only woman experiencing a pay increase. From 1979 to 2004, women?s earnings as a percentage of men?s increased from 62 to 80 percent, according to the BLS.

Does Fagan believe she received a return on her investment? Most definitely. "I wish I had thought in terms of the bigger picture and made education a priority earlier in life, so that I could enjoy my life more," she says.

Maintaining versatility Frances Altman had a good job and an even better salary, but she returned to her alma mater, Roosevelt University in Chicago, to earn her master?s degree in communications because she felt it would help her keep pace with her peers in public relations.

"I was running into more and more people who had degrees," she says. "It became apparent that the additional consolidation of my education would be beneficial."

Of today's workforce, nearly 33 percent of women ages 25 to 64 had academic experience under their belt in 2004, compared to 11 percent in 1970, according to the BLS.

When her employer of 19 years downsized, the tangibility of Altman's degree became apparent. Although she was left without a job, she quickly found another, and eventually landed her current position as a public relations specialist for Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Business.

It was her degree, says Altman, that maintained her versatility in a continuously fluctuating job market. "You have to be watching for opportunities to reinvent yourself all the time," she says. "Maybe it seems public relations doesn?t exactly fit in one area, and yet I began working in PR in education. I?m using all the same techniques, but now I?m working with alumni and teachers."

Knowledge is business power Erika Ingram says outright that her MBA helped increase her earning power. If she hadn?t pursued the degree, she may never have opened her own business. In fact, in 2003 more than 500,000 women aimed to increase their paychecks by enrolling in graduate programs, according to the most recent data from the NCES.

Like Altman, Ingram went back to school because she felt she needed to in order to keep up with her colleagues. Although she had no intention of leaving her job in Corporate America, her creation of a mock business plan for a school assignment got her thinking.

She worked with one of her marketing professors for two years to create a business plan for a spa, spoke to other spa owners around the country, and examined the pros and cons of the health and wellness industry. As a result, she opened the first location of her Iatria Spa and Health Center in Raleigh, N.C., at the age of 31, and seven years later, has opened an additional three locations throughout the state.

"Prior to going into business school, I was somewhat unconfident of what I didn?t know," Ingram says. "I was hungry for more information, and I wanted to see the big picture and have more of an impact." She admits that she could have never been able to accomplish that at the large organization where she worked prior to her education recommitment.

"[After graduating,] I had more self-confidence because I had a more well-rounded set of skills. I had a better network and knew to whom I should go."

There?s no question that education directly increased Ingram?s earning power. In fact, she hopes to spread the wealth of her knowledge as she begins teaching an online marketing course at the University of California at Irvine. "This enables me to give back, and that makes me happy," she says. "I?m more rewarded doing what I do now, because I can effect change better."

So if you hand your boss a copy of your advanced degree, will he or she hand you a raise in return? Not necessarily. But if there?s anything women can learn from Eve?s perceived weakness in eating the apple, it?s that we learn from experience.

"The career has something to do with it, there?s no question that?s part of the deal," says Marsha Firestone, president of the Women Presidents' Organization in New York, a nonprofit membership organization of 1,000 successful female entrepreneurs who own and run multimillion dollar businesses. "But education is key for opening doors," she attests.

How to get a scholarship

2006-12-31T18:24:00.000-08:00

BookRags.com Articles

Writing and Studying Skills and Tips
How to Get a Scholarship

Scholarships are tricky things. Everyone wants one. Few people get them. Apparently, there are millions out there that go unused on an annual basis. Because scholarships differ from loans in that they are free money, they are coveted beautiful things. They are also brilliant resume boosters and look fantastic on any resume.

Now, there are so many types of scholarships, it helps to be abreast of the types, time ranges, amounts, and places to find them. Some high schools give away scholarships prior to attending college. Some scholarships are merit based, others need based, others interest based, other cultural based. The list goes on.

The best way to begin seeking scholarships is to do your research. Every college and university will have a dowry with various scholarships. Usually they will be listed on the school’s website; however, you can always inquire as to their prevalence. When you learn about them, you can find out how much, many, and reasons behind them. Essentially, scholarships don’t usually just get handed to you (although some lucky people do find this fortuitous world). You must do your research.

Here are some types of scholarships.

Merit Scholarships
Scholarships typically revolve around this type of award. People who excel in academics are awarded a scholarship on the basis of their overall academic achievement. This may come in the form of top GPA, excellent SAT scores, and so on. These are highly competitive and may come in various forms.

Need-Based Scholarships
This type of scholarship is given purely on financial means. They are designed to fund the less-fortunate students in their academic pursuits. Scholarship committees look at various reasons for this hardship: Parents’ income, number of siblings in school simultaneously, expenses, cost of living, etc.

Athletic Scholarships
Scholarships are popularly given to star athletes by universities to recruit them for the athletic teams. Many athletes complete their education free of charge, but also pay the price of overworked team sports. Usually full-scholarship athletes are recruited by "scouts" while in high school. You don’t usually pursue this type of scholarship; it is given to you.

School-Based Individual Scholarships
Every school offers specific scholarships relevant to specifics from the university: donors, individual name scholarships, personal scholarships, and so on. Sometimes you have to apply directly to the scholarship, and other times, just by being accepted, you are placed in the bowl for possible scholarship awards.

Full/Partial Scholarship
Many people look at scholarships as a whole and think that they sometimes cover everything. If you are lucky enough to receive a full scholarship, then yes, they cover living, books, and tuition. However, many scholarships are partial, meaning they may cover simply living, simply books, or part of the tuition. If you are awarded any type of scholarship, take it and run! They are prized, wonderful gifts, and you should feel honored to receive one.

While several scholarships are school based, others are based on almost every other personal element that can exists. Several websites and books are designed purely for the existence of finding scholarships. Here are some websites and books that serve as search agents and listings of all the scholarships that exist. If you try hard enough, you are likely to find at least one or two that match your interests and qualifications. It takes much patience and time, but you are bound to find a scholarship for you.

Websites:

• www.scholarships.com/
• www.fastweb.com/
• www.college-scholarships.com/
• www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/
• www.finaid.org/scholarships
• www.absolutelyscholarships.com

Books:

How To Go To College Almost For Free by Ben Kaplan
The Scholarship Scouting Report: An Insider’s Guide to America’s Best Scholarships by Ben Kaplan
The College Board Scholarship Handbook 2004: All New Seventh Edition by Joseph A. Russo
Winning Grants: Step by Step, 2nd Edition by Mim Carlson
Scholarships, Grants, and Prizes, 2004 by Peterson’s
Complete Idiot’s Guide to Financial Planning for College by David Rye