All posts by Suzanne Shaffer

college guidance, college majors, college planning, parenting

When a parent disapproves of a child's career choice

options-susan-pOur guest blog post today is by Susan Posluszny, the founder of OPTIONS for Career & Life Planning, specializing in unique programs and services to support students with college major and career planning. Susan is a Master Career Counselor with over 25 years of career counseling experience including 18 years as a college career center director. She is the author of In Search of a College Major & Career Direction, an interactive program designed to support teens and young adults with choosing a college major and career path.Her career counseling and coaching practice is located in New Boston, NH. Subscribe to Susan’s e-newsletter, Career Options, at www.collegesandmajors.com

While watching the Food Network channel one day, I happened upon a series called ‘Chefography’.  This episode of Chefography featured a biographical account of Wolfgang Puck’s journey to success.  I knew little about this renowned chef but I was intrigued since I’d recently been to Disney World and had a great experience at his restaurant, Wolfgang Puck Café, in Downtown Disney.  While annual revenue from his cluster of businesses now averages millions of dollars, his father did not approve of his career interest and his early career experiences were quite shaky.

wolfgang-puckAt the tender age of 14, Puck left his home to work as an apprentice in a hotel kitchen.  Evidently, young Puck was a bit of a klutz and the chef threw him out and sent him back home to his parents.  He was ashamed to face his father with the news of his job loss since his father was against this career choice.  Dreading going home, he spent hours on a bridge contemplating suicide while looking over a river that ran through town. Eventually, Puck went back and hid in the hotel’s basement, peeling potatoes for the kitchen workers, until the chef discovered him two weeks later.  The chef appreciated Puck’s tenacity and made arrangements for him to apprentice in another hotel’s kitchen.  Puck’s career took numerous twists and turns over time as he honed his culinary skills and began his ventures as a restaurant owner.

As I watched this show, I couldn’t help but imagine the emotions that surged through Puck as he contemplated facing his father or committing suicide.  It’s natural for children to want to please their parents and fear of parental scorn can weigh heavily on a child.  If young Puck had committed suicide, would his father have realized the role his influence played in the choice to end his life?  As I reflected further on Puck’s life and career, I couldn’t help but wonder what his father must think of his son’s career decision now that he’s a successful businessman and one of America’s most famous and influential chefs.  I expect that he no longer considers his son’s decision to have been a poor one.

Research that I conducted while working as a college career center director revealed that parents are the number one influence in the career and college major choices made by their children.  That influence may be subtle, and beyond the conscious awareness of the child, or not so subtle as was the case with young Puck and his father.  Now I suppose you could argue that his father’s influence actually helped to lead young Puck to success.  You might say that what helped Puck to hang in there, when the going got tough, was wanting to avoid hearing his father say, ‘I told you so’.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t help think that there are better ways to influence a child.

As parents, it can be most challenging to support a child’s career decision when it goes against the grain of our own personal values and the future we envision for that child.  Yet, we can never know what the future holds and where a chosen path may lead.  As children grow, they need to cultivate a sense of self in order to one day make their own way in this world.  Along with a growing sense of self, they also need to develop confidence in their ability to take positive action towards their career goals.  This includes learning how to identify their career and lifestyle preferences, how to explore career options that match those preferences, and where to go to gain the skills and life experiences that will move them in a direction of their own choosing.  Parents can help their children to build self confidence by telling them they believe in their ability to take positive action on their own behalf.  Parents can also facilitate a growing sense of self by encouraging their children to engage in activities and experiences that let them explore and reality test their career interests, so that they are making informed choices.  Yes, as parents, we are the number one influence in the lives of our children.  It’s up to us to decide the form that our influence will take.

If you would like to contact Susan or find out more information about the services she provides, you can contact her at:

Her websites: www.careeroptions4me.com and www.collegesandmajors.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susanposluszny

Email:  susan@careeroptions4me.com

college costs, college planning, scholarships

7 Great Scholarship Search Sites

5 Comments

 

scholarshipsThe number one question I receive from parents is: Where can my college-bound teen find scholarships? The best place to begin is at these sites and then expand the search to fit your individual student. Follow the trails that the matches give you and search locally as well.

1. Cappex.com–A site created for students to help them simplify their college search, create a profile and search for scholarships.

2. MeritAid.com–The place to go to find merit scholarships and academic scholarships from colleges across the country.

3. Scholarships.com–An extensive scholarship search engine that helps you search and schedule alerts for deadlines.

4. Fastweb.com–An extensive scholarship search website with a massive database of scholarships, along with articles and helps designed specifically for parents.

5. Zinch.com–A free service for students and parents where students can showcase themselves, connect with colleges, and search for scholarships.

6. FastAid.com is the world’s largest and oldest Private-Sector Scholarships, Graduate Scholarships, Worldwide Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants and Free Undergraduate College Scholarship database.

7. ScholarshipExperts has been helping parents and students find scholarships and free college money since 2001 with an updated database of college scholarships and grad school scholarships to provide accurate and timely scholarship information.

 

college costs, college planning, parenting

Smart ways to live cheaper on campus



Here’s some great tips to help parents help their college-bound teens save some money when they go off to college. Take notes and start implementing these strategies into their lives BEFORE they leave for college.

By David Replogle for The Real College Guide

Living on a shoestring budget? Whether your parents float you funds or you’re pulling a part-time paying gig, here’s how to stre——-tch every precious penny.

piggy-bankBroke — it’s a common catch in student jargon. “OMG, I broke my phone at that rager last night” or “I just broke up with my girlfriend ’cause she was cheating on me with my best bud.” But when used as an adjective, the word describes the financial status of most college kids.

Unless Dad is handing over his preferred platinum card or you strike it rich selling those musty ol’ Pokemon cards, you’ll have to get by on meager means. Here are some painless ways to get major bang for your buck … even if it’s your last buck.

Put the “Eat” in Creativity

Whether you’re craving a change from the monotonous glop of the dining hall, celebrating a friend’s birthday at a nearby bistro or taking a study break to go for a late-night munch, your wallet will take a hit. Cutting back on these extravagances means getting clever.

  1. Buy in bulk When stashing snacks in your room, think long term. Talk to your roommates about pitching in for some grub, then head to the nearest warehouse retail chain to stock up on industrial-sized cheaper-in-the-long-run crates of Ramen packets and other non-perishables. Many discount clubs offer collegiate membership rates, and some give free introductory one-time shopping passes for non-members to bypass the annual fee altogether.
  2. Use the student discount Grocery stores, restaurants and even places on campus usually have discounts for students. Even if you don’t see it advertised, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Have your student ID at all times. It could save 15 percent on that panini or score you a free dessert!
  3. Sniff out free food Complimentary chow is almost as popular on campus as the latest gossip on CollegeACB. “Club meetings and churches are always looking to give out food to potential new members,” says Robby Panos, a University of Virginia junior. Philanthropic bashes and school-sponsored speaker events are also prime time for gratis grubs. Grab a slice of pizza and take in a lecture.
  4. Have a drink on me Students pour beaucoup bucks down the drain when indulging in conveniences like Starbucks and bottled water. Invest in a coffeemaker so you can brew your own, and get yourself a travel mug. Pick up a refillable water bottle too if your college’s tap is tolerable. Bonus: It’s better for the environment.

That’s Entertainment

Life doesn’t have to be a snore just because your pockets are empty. Money buys neither happiness nor a stellar social life. You can get out and about without tossing around a ton of green.

  1. Be art smart Your campus is probably rife with free productions, concerts and workshops. Problem is, nobody really hears about them … and when people do, the enthusiasm is usually lower than the grade on your last calculus test. Time to do some research (track down calendars of events), gather up your dorm mates and head to the next pay-what-you-can play or free movie screening. Even if it’s bad, you’ll get a few laughs — or at least the opportunity to heckle!
  2. Speak Greek Not joining a frat or sorority will save you a lot of cash right out the gate. But what happens when you want to get into the best party of the year and don’t have the connections? Exchange names of brothers and sisters you know with friends and ask them to do the same — on most college campuses, name dropping is the ticket to free admission. Once you’re inside, you’ll get beverages … and if you’re lucky, maybe even a few phone numbers.
  3. Out on the town Be in the know too when it comes to events in neighboring areas. Community organizations often host free outdoor festivals with live music. Local restaurants have early-bird specials. Theater workshops and art galleries frequently offer free or reduced admission. (Again, don’t forget to ask about student rates.) Read newspapers and pay attention to fliers. It could pay off.
  4. Any singles? If you have a significant other who saps all your savings, it may be time to have a chat about cutting back on unnecessary costs or to ask your partner to pull his or her own weight. If this person is not important to you, you may even consider living the single life for now. Romantic dinners and little gifts add up. Is it worth it? Your call.

Shop Till You Plop

Enter upscale department stores and exclusive boutiques at your own risk, but you don’t have to totally give up the urge to splurge. Just tone it down a few notches.

  1. Clothes the deal Punch up your wardrobe without breaking the bank: shop clearance racks. (The best ones are where an additional markdown is given to already slashed prices.) Look for one-of-a-kind finds in thrift and consignment stores. Pick up inexpensive accessories at discount stores and chain boutiques.
  2. Gotta dollar? Discover the beauty of the dollar store. It’s great for party supplies, stationery, candles, soaps, toiletries and tons more. Whether you’re buying useless trinkets or practical necessities, think about it: You can walk in there with a 10-spot and leave with lots of loot. Heck, you can scrape together a dollar plus tax in pocket change and treat yourself to something.
  3. Be a coupon king or queen Keep a lookout for coupons on one-day shopping events at major department stores. Also sign up for email notifications of store specials and be sure to check online for Internet coupons before making a big purchase. (Restaurants and fast food chains run a lot of coupon specials too, so keep your eyes on the prize.)
  4. Beauty booty Ladies, fine department stores dole out free samples at the cosmetics counters. Want to road test a lip color or facial moisturizer or new perfume? March on over there with an air of confidence and ask the consultant to show you some options. She’ll likely give you mini-sized products to try at home.
  5. What a card! If you’re a die-hard shopaholic experiencing severe withdrawal, hold off before reaching into your cash stash by keeping in mind that the holidays are right around the bend. “It might be painful to wait all semester,” says Appalachian State senior Diane Vachon, “but soon enough you’ll have a dozen gift cards with your name on them.”

Common Cents

Ask not what you can do for your school but what your school can do for you. Universities give back to their student patrons in plenty of ways, so take advantage.

  1. Be book smart The library isn’t just for studying, using the Net and people-watching. It actually contains books — a revelation, I know. If you’re taking subjects like lit, history or philosophy, the library could relieve a big financial burden. Instead of turning to the expensive school bookstore (or even Amazon) for a book, do a quick search on the libe’s browser to see if it’s available. Then drop-kick the kid who’s about to check it out.
  2. Get off your lazy butt If you have access to the campus gym and you’re paying for a pricey fitness membership, stop. Other free-of-charge physical activities: walking, jogging, hiking, in-line skating, riding your bike, a pickup basketball game, lifting weights in your room, dropping to the floor to do sit-ups and push-ups … shall we go on?
  3. Let’s make a deal You’re a smart cookie, so figure out how to split costs with your roommate. Double up on your laundry to save quarters. Share a printer, swap playlists and take the same cab home from a party. And if you’re both heading out of town, consider carpooling. Even if you and your roomie aren’t the best of buds, a road trip is always less taxing when there’s company … and music.
  4. Hop on that job “The No. 1 thing I can say is find a job on campus,” offers up Wabash College junior Mack O’Shaughnessy. “It’s the best way to get some extra cash in your pocket.” On-campus stores and restaurants are often hiring. Just don’t tell the folks: You still need someone’s sympathy, especially when it comes in the form of a crisp Benjamin.
college costs, financial aid, scholarships

Scholarships: JROTC and FFA

 

Searching for scholarships can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t know where to look; or in this case, how to plan. Sometimes planning for scholarship opportunities takes a little foresight and preparation, but the benefits and the rewards definitely pay off.

JROTC Scholarships

jrotcMany high schools across the country offer a class called JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps). It’s more than a class, however. It’s an opportunity to qualify for scholarships at the military academies and in college ROTC programs. Additionally, many parent booster groups offer scholarships to cadets who participate in the program. Even if your college-bound teen doesn’t plan to pursue a military career, JROTC offers a great opportunity to show colleges they possess leadership qualities and communication skills. Units also teach discipline and respect.

Read this article to find out more information about JROTC:

Junior ROTC-more than just a class to cadets

ffaFFA Scholarships

FFA (Future Farmers of America) clubs in high schools offer another opportunity for students to win scholarships. Students raise livestock and participate in livestock shows. Most exhibitors leave the livestock show with some money for college, and many win additional scholarships.

Read this article to get more information on FFA and livestock competitions:

Scholarships: Another way for stock show competitors to win big

If your college-bound teen shows an interest in either of these two areas, it’s an excellent opportunity for them to turn their interest into some money for college.

college news, college planning, parenting

In the News: Violence on college campuses


A few weeks ago, a disgruntled professor shot and killed several of her colleagues at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Another shooting occurred at Northern Illinois University between students, where two years ago five students were killed and dozens more wounded. And who could forget the tragedy at Virginia Tech where 32 faculty and students lost their lives at the hands of a shooter during classes.

As a parent of a college-bound teen, you want to be assured that your child will be safe when you send them off to college. And while you have no control over random acts of violence, you can know what systems the prospective colleges have in place to deal with these type of unexpected tragedies. According to a former FBI consultant, parents should visit the campus security office and ask this one question:

What systems do you have in place to protect my child in the event of an emergency such as the Virginia Tech shooting?

It’s important to insist on a detailed answer. Shortly after the Virginia Tech shootings, the American Council on Education published a list of questions school leaders should ask themsleves. Parents should expect answers to these questions when discussing this issue with campus security:

  • Has the school done a full assessment of potential catastrophic risks, and does it have plans in place to address these risks?
  • Does the school have an appropriate emergency team in place? Do team members regularly participate in emergency preparedness exercises?
  • Does the school have multiple means to communicate with students, faculty, and visitors in the event of an immediate, ongoing emergency situation? Do plans exist to direct people to a safe location?
  • What communication and coordination networks exist among campus security leadership, local law enforcement, political officials, first responders, and health officials, both on an ongoing basis and in case of emergency? Is there a specific integrated emergency response plan? Do all the agencies who might be involved in emergency run drills on campus to prepare?
  • Is the training of campus security personnel appropriate to potential risks?

Before sending your child off to college, do your homework. Make sure that if something bad does happen, the incident and the students get the attention they deserve. If you know the plan and have assurance that the college has implemented specific procedures to facilitate it, you will worry less and sleep better at night.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, parenting

The 3-year college degree

5 Comments



By Lauren Joffe for The Real College Guide

Heads up, traditionalists! A radical new idea promotes kissing the four-year academic program buh-bye and saying hello to a three-year system.

As accustomed as we are to its infrastructure, it would take some serious shaking up to rattle the U.S. education system. Yet Robert Zemsky, chairman of the Learning Alliance for Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Making Reform Work: The Case for Transforming American Higher Education, is advocating for major changes on university campuses — most notably a three-year college program.

Zemsky argues that given today’s economic, political and technological climate, it’s time for Americans to minimize cost, unnecessary resources and wasted time repeating coursework. His proposed plan would cause a drastic uplifting of the current system, impacting high schools as well. But it is Zemsky’s hope that reform ultimately would spawn a more streamlined institution. While the government might not be ready to back such lofty plans, the real question is: Are you?

How will students benefit from such reform?
According to Professor Zemsky, shifting to a more sequenced, regimented three-year program will save students time and money — cutting tuition costs by a whopping 25 percent. This is less moolah out of your pocket, not to mention additional interest that builds up as you work to pay off hefty loans. At the very foundation, students would pay for 90 credits over the typical 120.

In a contemporary society where minimizing time and financial expenditures ranks high on to-do lists, it seems almost given that a new system should be put into place. Right? Not necessarily. For one, the program basically assumes all undergrads will go on for a post-grad or m3-year-degreeasters degree. “If you want college to help vocationally, you have to go beyond the undergrad,” says Zemsky. Under the new system, college would be a breeding ground whereby students learn the basics of a particular trade. It is then in graduate school that learning would become truly vocational.

So how would high schools be affected by this change?
High school seniors are infamously plagued by “senioritis” and finding ways to sidestep mundane assignments. Zemsky proposes doing away with wasteful course schedules during senior year and instead modeling it after the current freshman year of college. He suggests pre-college seniors take some of the basic humanities and sciences normally taken by college freshmen.

Zemsky tells us in a phone interview, “High schools would need to make assessments at a ninth-grade level as to whether a student is making progress to be ‘college-ready.’ Remediation would take place at this time rather than at the first year of college. The 10th and 11th grade levels would look the same, and the 12th grade would become equivalent to the first year of college. There would be an alignment so that senior year of high school sets students up for freshman year of college.”

What is the downside of a three-year college program?
Some students feel it’s unreasonable to be expected to choose a major and commit at age 18. And indeed, the pressure is really on if the typical college career were condensed. “I don’t know what I plan on majoring in,” says U Penn freshman Brett Levine. “In a three-year program, undecided people have less time to explore new subject areas.

“Even with people who know what they want to study, a three-year program would surely be more demanding if requirements for majors or graduate schools admissions stay the same. A lot of pre-meds and engineering students have difficulty satisfying graduation requirements as is. For undecided students like myself, the variety of course options is incredible. It allows me to explore new subject areas unavailable in high school.”

Says Zemsky: “Students are given endless choices, but it’s expensive. It confuses lots of people, and it takes longer to graduate because they get lost. Redesign the curriculum so it is not a smorgasbord of options.” Say goodbye to elective courses too, because in this system, there’s no room for classes that do not directly relate to your plan of study.

How would such lofty goals be implemented?
Zemsky doesn’t kid himself into thinking this would be a minor undertaking: “To really kick off reform, it would take an invitation from the president. I can’t imagine this happening without presidential leadership.” And, yes, he’s referring to the president of the United States.

In a recent Newsweek article, Zemsky argues his position by stating, “Everything around us — technology, medicine, politics — has changed … and [higher education] will too have to rethink what we are about.”

Still, Levine questions the practicality of Zemsky’s proposal. “A three-year program would essentially make college an even more stressful period. It would probably restrict options for traveling abroad, which many students value. It has many potential benefits for some students. People who know they want to major in economics, political science, Spanish or other relatively less intense majors may only need three years. However, others need four to prepare for graduate school or their desired career.”

And furthermore, Levine adds, “Socially, it obviously restricts the amount of time commonly dubbed ‘the best years of your life.’”

What do you think? Do you think our kids are growing up too fast? Do you think a 3-year degree is a wise educational choice?

admissions, college guidance, college news, college planning

In the News: Videos as part of admissions applications

With technology progressing faster than we can keep up with it, Tufts University is inviting prospective students to post one-minute videos on YouTube telling the university a little something about themselves.  According to an article in The New York Times: The Choice, one of the dean of admissions at Tufts came up with the idea:

Lee Coffin, the dean of undergraduate admissions, said the idea came to him last spring, when watching a YouTube video someone had sent him. “I thought, ‘If this kid applied to Tufts, I’d admit him in a minute, without anything else,’” Mr. Coffin said.

Some of the YouTube video submissions have garnered quite a following; opening an interesting debate about privacy online.

One new company, has come up with a solution to having the whole world view your admissions video: MyCollegei. They have partnered with colleges to allow your college-bound teen to post their video FREE of charge and create a video that will give colleges an insight into who they are and find that “perfect-fit” student for their college community, while maintaining the student’s privacy.

Here’s a GREAT video presentation of the service, describing what they offer and how they have created a user-friendly site for students who want to get that extra edge in the admissions process. (Just click the graphic!)

mycollegei

Admissions officers are always looking for that “perfect-fit” student and videos are an excellent way to see beyond the traditional application and essay. And after all, teens today have grown up using technology. As colleges strive to keep up with the times, this is just another way that prospective students can communicate their creativity and passion.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Uncategorized

10 Things we learned from Videotaping 1200 College Tours

collegiate-choice-dvd-240w

Today’s guest blog post is from Collegiate Choice,  a company that offers DVD’s of actual college tours filmed on location. Their DVD virtual college tours help in the narrowing down part of the selection process or when one parent cannot travel because of the additional cost or the need to stay home with the traveling teen’s siblings. These DVD’s will give you a feel for each college to help decide if the chemistry there will be right for you or your teen.

High school guidance counselors are forever urging their students to go out and visit prospective colleges. View books, short online videos, and guide books are all helpful, but actually walking the campus, listening to students while checking out the surrounding neighborhood is the best way to develop a feel for each school.

  1. Don’t visit during the summer
    Although summer might be the most convenient time to make such excursions, it is the worst time to experience a college; most smaller schools are not in session, so students and classes are absent. Dorm rooms are empty and devoid of all personal touches, making it difficult to envision oneself there. Bulletin boards, usually so revealing of the cultural and social opportunities of the college, are bare.
  2. When planning a visit, call ahead
    Schedule a student guided campus tour. Walking around unescorted permits only seeing a group of buildings. The tour fills in the details that give each school its humanity. Many smaller schools will record your name when you schedule a tour. The benefit is that they will often hold up a tour for a few minutes if you are running late.
  3. Schedule a meeting with an admissions officer and financial aid officer
    A number of colleges provide an information session by an admissions officer either before or after a tour. If you are seeking financial aid, meet with a financial aid officer as well. Inquire about this when you first contact the Admissions Office. Try to schedule it after the tour and information session, so you can speak knowledgeably about their school with relevant observations and questions.
  4. If you have a special request, ask before going
    The colleges are anxious to accommodate prospective students. If the student has a special request such as meeting a department chairperson, conferring with a coach, sitting in on classes, or staying overnight on campus, the Admissions Office will make the necessary arrangements provided they have sufficient advance notice.
  5. Give yourself plenty of time
    Assume it is going to take longer to find the campus and park than a map suggests. Make sure to drive around the outskirts of the campus before starting back. This could be the student’s home for the next four years; the surrounding neighborhood can make a difference. If the school is in a small town, is there a major city within a convenient drive? If not, does that really matter to the student?
  6. Dress appropriately
    The whole family should wear comfortable shoes. You will probably be doing a lot of walking both up hills and up stairs. Dress neatly. If the student is scheduled for an interview, he/she should dress for the interviewer, not for oneself. It is human nature to judge people by their appearance, so an opinion is forming about the applicant before a word is said.
  7. Be observant
    A college tour gives you a chance to see what is on the campus, what condition it is in, and what is missing. Is there an attractive and functional student center? Are there enough computer terminals scattered around campus? Is the campus wireless, so you can work online outside? How are the dorms kept up? Is the library adequate? Check out the physical education facilities. Are the playing fields a part of the campus or a distance away? Where are the dorms in relation to the main academic buildings?
  8. Ask questions
    The tour is also the best time to ask questions of someone who is both knowledgeable and candid. Guides will entreat families to do so, as they do not enjoy providing a one hour monologue. They are obviously pleased with the school (or they would not be giving the tour), but they are invariably honest about the drawbacks along with the positives. And remember that you are there to evaluate the school, not the tour guide. Make sure you ask relevant questions that apply to your experience: Greek life, study abroad, athletics, tutoring, faculty advising, campus life on the weekends, course recommendations, etc.
  9. Visit a diverse sampling
    Lastly, if you are beginning your search, try to visit a large state university, a smaller university, and some liberal arts colleges with 1,000 to 3,000 students. Applicants frequently alter their preferences after visiting a range of sizes.
  10. Don’t let distance inhibit your choices
    If the family finances allow it, don’t let distance from home inhibit your choices. The United States has an extraordinary diversity of schools, and the college experience can be the best four years of your life. After you have made new friends, you will be amazed how the desire to come home diminishes.

That’s why we began our video series. We’re college counselors from New Jersey, and we videotaped those student guided campus tours and put them on DVDs available at www.collegiatechoice.com. They average one hour per college.

Cliff Kramon
Collegiate Choice
collchoice@optonline.net
www.collegiatechoice.com

college guidance, college majors, college planning

Recession Safe Majors

2 Comments



Today’s guest blog post is by David Replogle for “The Real College Guide”

You could waste four years studying a foundering field. Or, find out right here what careers (and majors) are still worth pursuing during times of economic stress.

Like the national census or a good Bruce Willis movie, a recession hits the United States about every 10 years or so. It doesn’t take a math major to see it’s been nearly that long since the burst of the dot-com bubble, and now, the collapse of mortgage-backed security has brought Wall Street — and the rest of the economy — to its knees again. As for college students? Well, we’re just crossing our fingers that four years is enough time for the job market to rebound.

Luckily, the U.S. financial system seems to be on the upswing. “By the end of the year, things should be looking better,” says Laurence Shatkin, author of The 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs. college-booksBut Shatkin warns that a recovery would not necessarily signal a return in jobs. “They are the last thing to recover in a recession; businesses are going to wait until the last minute to stop using temporary hires. It will easily be over a year until this country starts seeing an increase in job openings.” Here, we relay the crème de la crème of careers so you can declare a major now that will set you up for success later.

What to Pursue

Health care

Even in dire straits, people need certain services. Shatkin cites the health care industry, which pays well and continues a growth pattern as the field most adept at staying afloat during a financial downturn. Careers in the medical realm — physicians, surgeons, pharmacists, health service managers — round out No. 6 through No. 10 on Shatkin’s list of 150 recession-proof jobs.
Major in: biomedical sciences, biology, chemistry. Plan on being pre-med.

Information technology

High tech is an industry with heavy growth — recession or no recession. With the Internet getting bigger by the millisecond, the stakes for finding a job in the technological world are up. The market does, however, face competition from outsourcing, since labor abroad is cheaper.
Major in: computer science, mathematics, computer engineering, electrical engineering. No lit majors here.

Government

Shatkin is quick to point out that careers in government don’t have to be defined by bureaucratic paper pushing and yards of red tape. “Careers like school administrators and law enforcement officers fall under the government’s sphere,” he says. Government positions have had better protection against layoffs, which means more job security.
Major in: public policy, history, politics. Law school is another path to take if you’re looking to snag a spot working for the Feds.

Green jobs

An important, budding movement is the green sector — especially green energy. Organizations are looking for enthusiastic college grads to jump on board. Plus, the current presidential administration wants to transform energy needs into a self-sustaining machine anchored by clean and renewable power.
Major in: environmental science, civil engineering, environmental engineering. Although, there are opportunities for activists, advertisers and writers to get involved too, since the field is relatively new and malleable.

Education

The good news is that there’s still a very high demand for teachers. The bad news is that schools get funding from local taxes, so when this revenue dries up, so does money toward teachers’ salaries. Making big bucks is almost out of the question.
Major in: various topics in education, from math to P.E.

What to Avoid

Journalism

While Shatkin says several journalists still maintain great jobs in various trades, from padding the blogosphere to entertainment reporting, the field faces an uphill battle against two formidable opponents: bankruptcy and the Internet. Shatkin, himself a writer, claims the trick is to find a good niche: “I write about careers now, and I love what I do.”

Entertainment

“The field has always been fiercely competitive,” Shatkin says. He points out that many who can’t make it in other jobs resort to packing up and moving to Hollywood, betting on a slight chance of making it big. Now that the masses have less money to spend on entertainment, the industry has lost some of its sheen.

Finance

Careers in finance have been hit harder than most. “It was oversold for a very long time, and now it’s hurting,” says Shatkin. He describes the nature of finance as extremely cutthroat. Many financial companies value experience, which puts recent college graduates at an immediate disadvantage. And since many former employees in the financial realm were laid off and are now looking for work, the competition is stiff.

Staying Smart

In the eight months since Shatkin’s book was published, the situation has gotten worse. “When I wrote the book, there was only the likelihood of a recession,” he says. “You never know you’re in a recession until you’re knee-deep. Nowadays, it’s harder to find a job, investments have lost value and layoffs are increasing. People’s retirements are at stake.”

Shatkin’s advice to freshmen? Get a well-rounded education. “We need people in liberal arts who understand science and math, and engineers and scientists who can write,” he says. By pursuing different subjects, students discover skills or talents they never knew they had. “You become more versatile and learn about yourself. Don’t limit it to schoolwork. Pursue out-of-class activities on campus as well.”

college guidance, college majors, college planning, parenting, Uncategorized

Is your college-bound teen a math wizard?



By Lauren Joffe for The Real College Guide

math-picMath is your thing? Cha-ching! Turns out the 15 bachelor’s degrees with the highest starting salaries have a common denominator: They’re all math-related.

Turns out that seventh-grade algebra could come in handy after all — in fact, you can bank on it. Why? Well, recent research shows that math-related fields are highly lucrative. And if you have a solid mathematical foundation from which to build, turns out it’s not all that difficult for undergrads to prepare. Here we check out why majors that require heavy-duty math skills, like engineering and computer science, have recent and soon-to-be grads reaping some serious rewards. …

Hot-ticket Degrees
Of the 15 highest-earning diplomas, a full-on 12 are engineering majors. That’s a hefty number tipping the scale — the findings of a recent National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) survey. Petroleum engineering tops the list with an average starting annual salary of around $83,000. Non-engineering high-earning majors include computer science and actuarial science followed by construction management, which ends the list at a roughly $53,000 starting salary.

While the average post-grad job offer rounds out at $48,500, a chemical or mining engineer (the second and third top-earning degrees, according to the NACE survey) is offered a whopping $64,000 to start. Big diff. Here’s the complete list of the 15 highest earning majors:

  1. Petroleum engineering
  2. Chemical engineering
  3. Mining engineering
  4. Computer engineering
  5. Computer science
  6. Electrical engineering
  7. Mechanical engineering
  8. Industrial engineering
  9. Systems engineering
  10. Engineering technology
  11. Actuarial science
  12. Aeronautical engineering
  13. Agricultural engineering
  14. Biomedical engineering
  15. Construction management

Simply Supply and Demand
Not sure how this adds up? The basics of any economics class revolve around the principle of supply and demand, and engineering majors are making bank because of this very principle. According to NACE executive director Marilyn Mackes, “Many of the engineering disciplines benefit from an imbalance in the supply-demand ratio. Even in a tight job market, there are simply more opportunities requiring an engineering degree than graduates available to fill those positions. That drives up salary.”

“The ability to handle quantitative information makes anyone more valuable in today’s workforce,” agrees NACE director of research Edwin Koc. “Much of the decision-making in any business is based on the analysis of data — numbers. Having that skill not only means you are likely to receive a higher starting salary, but that you are more valuable after you are actually employed.”

Still, Koc doesn’t believe offering higher salaries draws more students into these fields: “While the number of graduates overall increased substantially between 1997 and 2007, those in majors such as engineering and computer science did not increase very much even though these were the majors with the highest starting salaries for bachelor’s degrees.”

Easy as One, Two, Three?
It’s not tough to understand why more students aren’t jumping on the math-based bandwagon. Students probably migrate away from such degrees because they are infamously rigorous. For example, a major such as computer engineering requires its students to take calculus I, II and III; linear algebra; and differential equations along with a slew of other engineering, programming and technical courses. Intimidated yet?

For many students, the thought of spending an entire undergraduate career doing math is more than intimidating — it is downright frightening. But why are so many of us scared of something that really is rather elementary? To get some specifics about obtaining an average engineering degree at a reputable four-year institution, we consulted Fred Greenleaf, New York University’s director of undergraduate studies. Greenleaf professes, “Most people are actually stymied by third- to 9th-grade math experience.”

Not too surprising when a survey conducted this time last year by Wakefield Research found that of 400 kids ages 9 to 14, more than one-third said math was their most difficult subject. Eighteen percent of kids surveyed called math “boring,” while 13 percent actually referred to it as “torture.” And that’s not all: The parents of the kids were surveyed, as well, and a full 86 percent of those parents admitted math is important to their careers — even though half said they thought they’d never need the math they learned in school.

It’s Never Too Late
“If you enter college with a weak foundation where basic skills are not there, when you get to college, it is a great jolt,” says Greenleaf. But keep in mind that Greenleaf does not believe this means a student who is behind the proverbial eight ball is unable to do math. “In the K through sixth levels, if you don’t learn to think in terms of algebra, numbers, fractions, etc., it just becomes more difficult. It is like learning a language: As you get older, it gets harder.”

While math is a skill that can be obtained by studying often, there are still students who struggle no matter how much they try. Sound familiar? At the foundation of this problem lies a simple inability to think analytically. “It’s not that they are incapable; they just are of temperamental thinking,” says Greenleaf. “Reading math is analytical, whereas writing math is more irrational … it comes from intuition. All problem-solving is coupled with rational skills to exploit any intuition you might have.”

But if students work hard at building foundational skills, Greenleaf asserts that they can overcome any difficulties. Many colleges offer remedial courses in calculus and algebra to students who feel shaky with their math skills. Greenleaf helped write the remedial course at NYU nearly 10 years ago: “Many times I hear, ‘This is the first time a math class ever made sense to me.’ These students at the lower [skill] level are the ones we need to focus on to make sure they develop the capability. Learning to think for themselves is a huge adjustment.”

How to Get in the Game
Before you go changing your major, it’s important to understand how to jump aboard and what exactly will be required of you. Because every university varies slightly in terms of requirements, check out your school’s Web site. Go through the list of required courses and descriptions to see if they are of interest to you. Don’t expect to escape calculus, statistics and algebra, as these foundational classes are necessary regardless of your institution. Still uncertain? Make an appointment with your advisor or someone in the math department. A personal meeting will help you discover if a math-related career is right for you.

Also, understand the specifics that will be expected of you once you graduate and join the workforce. According to those already in the field, much of their time is spent doing actual mathematical calculations, while the remainder is dedicated to writing reports on the conclusions. Moreover, you might be responsible for testing prototypes, redesigning products, and researching and developing solutions.

Regardless of compensation, entering a field that you think is a snore will make for an exceptionally unrewarding college and post-graduate career. But if obtaining a math degree is your calling, don’t hesitate! You’re about to enter a field that not only promises to be desirable to employers but also provides financial security and job stability. Koc affirms, “The current prospects for the near future as outlined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that the math-related majors, particularly in computer science, have among the best growth prospects.”

Each Wednesday I’ll be posting guest articles from The Real College Guide: great information for college-bound teens and their parents.