The gigantic World of Work is a daunting concept for most students. Two easy and fun tools developed from the research of John Holland,: the RIASEC codes and Career Clusters can alleviate much of your confusion.
According to Holland, you can plug into the World of Work through your personality and interest in working with either data or ideas, and then and people vs. things. For many students, this is intuitive. You just “know” whether you’d rather work on spreadsheets or concepts for new products, when given a series of choices in an assessment.
Holland also theorized that you can make a match between job, and appropriate work environments using six RIASEC codes. Career Centers often do an exercise called “The Career Party” because, again, this process is pretty intuitive. You already know what type of people you’d like to work with, when you read the descriptions of a Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, or Conventional personality. You might fit into one or more of the codes. More structured assessments do this, too.
Career centers might give you a list of job matches that fit your codes. But I find that this idea unfolds more naturally when you visually overlap Career Clusters over your RIASEC codes, such as assessment provider Lawrence Jones explains.
So you’ve taken over 30,000 job titles and chopped your list down to 5000. Progress, right? Now the ball is back in your court. You’re now going to decide if college, other training or work is your next step. Each path has an “opportunity cost”, because you have to give something up when you follow it. But there are gains too, of course. Which decision fits you best? That’s another blog entry!
Info@whatsyourmajor.net
My mission is to empower youth with: - The knowledge about career possibilities, and the education and training needed to attain them - The creative-thinking and emotional skills that make for good career decisions and which employers prefer; - And the resilience needed to flourish in life.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sizing Up Campus Culture
The best time to dig deep into a college's culture is after you've determined that the college meets your academic and financial and practical needs, and you've visited once. When you're ready to put together your final list of eight to ten colleges that meet all of your basic criteria, you need to further evaluate your chances for success at them:
1. Read about the college‟s mission statement, strategic plan, and President‟s message on the web site. Ask to see the most recent student satisfaction survey, which should be on file in the President's office.
2. Don't assume that a college that is affiliated with a religious institution will express that heritage in daily campus life. The influence of that institution may or may not be dominant on campus.
3. Ask the tour guide and college representatives about the social tone, campus culture (or campus climate) and to provide examples of how they experience it.
4. Visit your final choice colleges a second time, after you‟ve been accepted, but before you accept the financial aid offer. On this visit:
- Pay attention to verbiage used in event posters, student newspapers and presentations. And ask random students on campus for their opinion about the campus climate.
- Take advantage of overnight stay programs that are commonly offered by the Admissions Department.
- Have your child visit or call the residence halls, explaining that he/she is a prospective student and ask the same questions that you asked of the tour guides and official representatives.
5. To fully understand how diversity and collaborative learning impacts daily campus life, take the extra effort to interview faculty members (especially those in your child‟s field of study). Be sure to ask for specific examples or data about the following questions:
- How does the institution encourage activities where students from different backgrounds meet and work together? Ask for examples where the activities impacted the majority of students, not just members of club or academic program.
- How often do students work in teams to complete assignments, solve problems or apply course content?
- How frequently do students engage in service learning or take part in community-based projects to fulfill class requirements?
- How many students collaborate on research with faculty members?
- How many interdisciplinary courses are offered? Are they open to all students?
- How many students are involved with living and learning communities? How is the faculty involved with these communities?
7. Since retention and graduation rates are correlated with student satisfaction, look them up on the College Board College Matchmaker, or other, college search engine, and compare your final choice colleges.
8. Consult student-written guides and forums about campus life, which are available for selected campuses. The most popular guides are:
“The Insider‟s Guide to The Colleges,” The Yale Daily News
“Students‟ Guide to Colleges”, The Penguin Group
“The Big Book of Colleges”, College Prowler
Visit online forums, where you can read comments and pose questions to experienced parents and students:
www.collegeconfidential.com
www.campusdirt.com
9. You may want to have a discussion with your child about the importance of campus diversity and culture to his or her happiness as a student. But don‟t expect tremendous insight. Your child‟s personality is still in a formative stage and he or she has a limited worldview.
10. Resist the urge to judge the campus morals and values, superficially. What you think is best for your child might not, in fact, be best. Listen beyond what your child says about a campus. He or she wants to please you and may be telling you what you want to hear. Look for signs of genuine enthusiasm.
1. Read about the college‟s mission statement, strategic plan, and President‟s message on the web site. Ask to see the most recent student satisfaction survey, which should be on file in the President's office.
2. Don't assume that a college that is affiliated with a religious institution will express that heritage in daily campus life. The influence of that institution may or may not be dominant on campus.
3. Ask the tour guide and college representatives about the social tone, campus culture (or campus climate) and to provide examples of how they experience it.
4. Visit your final choice colleges a second time, after you‟ve been accepted, but before you accept the financial aid offer. On this visit:
- Pay attention to verbiage used in event posters, student newspapers and presentations. And ask random students on campus for their opinion about the campus climate.
- Take advantage of overnight stay programs that are commonly offered by the Admissions Department.
- Have your child visit or call the residence halls, explaining that he/she is a prospective student and ask the same questions that you asked of the tour guides and official representatives.
5. To fully understand how diversity and collaborative learning impacts daily campus life, take the extra effort to interview faculty members (especially those in your child‟s field of study). Be sure to ask for specific examples or data about the following questions:
- How does the institution encourage activities where students from different backgrounds meet and work together? Ask for examples where the activities impacted the majority of students, not just members of club or academic program.
- How often do students work in teams to complete assignments, solve problems or apply course content?
- How frequently do students engage in service learning or take part in community-based projects to fulfill class requirements?
- How many students collaborate on research with faculty members?
- How many interdisciplinary courses are offered? Are they open to all students?
- How many students are involved with living and learning communities? How is the faculty involved with these communities?
7. Since retention and graduation rates are correlated with student satisfaction, look them up on the College Board College Matchmaker, or other, college search engine, and compare your final choice colleges.
8. Consult student-written guides and forums about campus life, which are available for selected campuses. The most popular guides are:
“The Insider‟s Guide to The Colleges,” The Yale Daily News
“Students‟ Guide to Colleges”, The Penguin Group
“The Big Book of Colleges”, College Prowler
Visit online forums, where you can read comments and pose questions to experienced parents and students:
www.collegeconfidential.com
www.campusdirt.com
9. You may want to have a discussion with your child about the importance of campus diversity and culture to his or her happiness as a student. But don‟t expect tremendous insight. Your child‟s personality is still in a formative stage and he or she has a limited worldview.
10. Resist the urge to judge the campus morals and values, superficially. What you think is best for your child might not, in fact, be best. Listen beyond what your child says about a campus. He or she wants to please you and may be telling you what you want to hear. Look for signs of genuine enthusiasm.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Rankings vs. Reality: How Do You Assess Your College Choices?
College rankings publishers are getting smart about answering students’ real questions about what makes for a great higher education experience. Whether you use or believe these rankings, or the methodology used, the newer, more creative rankings publishers, can open students’ minds about what might really be important in their college decisions.
Look on the home page of any college web site. If it made the cut on one of the U.S. News and World Report or The Princeton Review’s favorable lists of distinctions, it will certainly be promoted there. U.S .News and World Report rankings are developed by peer ratings from college administrators, while The Princeton Review’s come from student surveys.
So, despite the controversy over rankings, colleges care about them.
Most students make final college choices on the basis of some reality: financial, career or just how the campus “feels” to them. However, it’s also worthwhile to look at how the college might impact you as a person.
Some publishers have responded creatively to new and different issues raised by the public, the media and even higher educators themselves about what makes for a great college experience. Since 1996, Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) , a non-profit organization, has member schools who are recognized as having “students heavily involved in cooperative rather than competitive learning, and a faculty of scholars devoted to helping young people develop their powers, mentors who often become their valued friends."
And this fall, the Washington Monthly evaluated schools based on:
- “Social mobility” - the recruiting and graduating of poorer students
- Research - the support of scientific and humanistic study, by producing PhDs and by the winning research grants
- Service – the school’s effectiveness at giving back to the country, through either military or civilian service
One can certainly imagine the positive impact on character that would come from a collaborative learning experience in an environment that focuses on social impact. Ask creative questions of your prospective faculty on these matters when you whittle down your college list.
Look on the home page of any college web site. If it made the cut on one of the U.S. News and World Report or The Princeton Review’s favorable lists of distinctions, it will certainly be promoted there. U.S .News and World Report rankings are developed by peer ratings from college administrators, while The Princeton Review’s come from student surveys.
So, despite the controversy over rankings, colleges care about them.
Most students make final college choices on the basis of some reality: financial, career or just how the campus “feels” to them. However, it’s also worthwhile to look at how the college might impact you as a person.
Some publishers have responded creatively to new and different issues raised by the public, the media and even higher educators themselves about what makes for a great college experience. Since 1996, Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) , a non-profit organization, has member schools who are recognized as having “students heavily involved in cooperative rather than competitive learning, and a faculty of scholars devoted to helping young people develop their powers, mentors who often become their valued friends."
And this fall, the Washington Monthly evaluated schools based on:
- “Social mobility” - the recruiting and graduating of poorer students
- Research - the support of scientific and humanistic study, by producing PhDs and by the winning research grants
- Service – the school’s effectiveness at giving back to the country, through either military or civilian service
One can certainly imagine the positive impact on character that would come from a collaborative learning experience in an environment that focuses on social impact. Ask creative questions of your prospective faculty on these matters when you whittle down your college list.
Washington Monthly ranks colleges by social mobility, research and "giving back" to the US. http://ping.fm/VJGHw
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
New career & college articles - national scope: High-demand majors/careers, more! http://ping.fm/czQt4
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Here we go again! Payscale's high-pay college majors list. Filter this 4 yur region! Ask us how to find programs. http://www.pop.ly/2u16
Monday, September 07, 2009
Ashland U - More majors/smaller college! hotel/rest mgmt, radio/TV, int'l studies, tox/environ. science, sports med.! http://ping.fm/paZkD
Gates Foundation "College is knowledge"-- DMC for getschooled. Watch the video: http://bit.ly/8qxLH education
Sunday, September 06, 2009
You Control the The "You" Factors in Career Planning
Don’t know what you want to be when you grow up?
If you’ve already graduated from high school, you may not know yourself well enough to give a career counselor all the information he or she needs to help you.
He or she will probably suggest one or more of the most reliable career assessments: perhaps the Strong or Campbell Interest Inventories. They’re quick, a good investment and the results statistically represent your age group results. Or, a career counselor could use a values assessment, to determine what’s important to you and where you could find those qualities in a job.
These assessments work on the premise that you will be successful at things you like, and believe in. That’s very true, but how do you know what you COULD be good at, and interested in, if you never get exposed to new ideas and get a chance to try them out? For young adults, in particular, assessment results are limited to what they’ve been exposed to up until now.
The most sophisticated tests used to guide career planning are available through a psychologist or someone trained in tests of personality, ability (like the DAT for PCA) and intelligence. Still, the results here are somewhat fixed, and speak only to the potential for you to fit a career. They’re more apt to help an employer make decisions, not you.
Even if you could get interested in a new skill, there is a ticket to admission into this career path: Your skills may have to be developed. Should you go to college, or to a career center? Or somewhere else?
Discouraged? Please don’t be!
Yes, these decisions are expensive, both in time and money. And, like any service, even a medical doctor, your career counselor needs your direction and thoughtful responses to their questions. No one can give you all the answers.
The thing to remember is that you are in charge of this process; not the professionals. And it’s a lifelong process. That’s why so many college students change majors; many more than once. And so many college students are undecided about a major. Many college graduates never pursue the job that they went to college for. Any many adults change careers.
As you move through your work life, you will make better decisions when you understand all the factors that uniquely drives your satisfaction in a job: interests, abilities, personality, and values. You’ll be more motivated and confident about the investment you might need to make in training or education. Our Career Explor-a-tion workshop might just be a good place to start! Write to info@whatsyourmajor.net
If you’ve already graduated from high school, you may not know yourself well enough to give a career counselor all the information he or she needs to help you.
He or she will probably suggest one or more of the most reliable career assessments: perhaps the Strong or Campbell Interest Inventories. They’re quick, a good investment and the results statistically represent your age group results. Or, a career counselor could use a values assessment, to determine what’s important to you and where you could find those qualities in a job.
These assessments work on the premise that you will be successful at things you like, and believe in. That’s very true, but how do you know what you COULD be good at, and interested in, if you never get exposed to new ideas and get a chance to try them out? For young adults, in particular, assessment results are limited to what they’ve been exposed to up until now.
The most sophisticated tests used to guide career planning are available through a psychologist or someone trained in tests of personality, ability (like the DAT for PCA) and intelligence. Still, the results here are somewhat fixed, and speak only to the potential for you to fit a career. They’re more apt to help an employer make decisions, not you.
Even if you could get interested in a new skill, there is a ticket to admission into this career path: Your skills may have to be developed. Should you go to college, or to a career center? Or somewhere else?
Discouraged? Please don’t be!
Yes, these decisions are expensive, both in time and money. And, like any service, even a medical doctor, your career counselor needs your direction and thoughtful responses to their questions. No one can give you all the answers.
The thing to remember is that you are in charge of this process; not the professionals. And it’s a lifelong process. That’s why so many college students change majors; many more than once. And so many college students are undecided about a major. Many college graduates never pursue the job that they went to college for. Any many adults change careers.
As you move through your work life, you will make better decisions when you understand all the factors that uniquely drives your satisfaction in a job: interests, abilities, personality, and values. You’ll be more motivated and confident about the investment you might need to make in training or education. Our Career Explor-a-tion workshop might just be a good place to start! Write to info@whatsyourmajor.net
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Job security depends not just on college major; also region & employer. But start here: http://ping.fm/3xUS8
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Ohio families: Get smart about financial aid strategy! State assistance is down almost 50% FYs 2009-2011 http://www.aicuo.edu/Graphs%20-%20Financial%20Aid.html
Siegal College (Cleveland) Jewish Studies - academics, adult, continuing ed - graduate, adult, distance: http://ping.fm/hYIkW
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Youngstown State University accreditations: Business (AACSB); Education—
NCATE; Engineering—ABET http://www.ysu.edu/
info@whatsyourmajor.net
NCATE; Engineering—ABET http://www.ysu.edu/
info@whatsyourmajor.net
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