Nowadays, it seems that receiving an education is more important than ever. For some, this can be a great challenge both financially and socially. For many, going to college may seem almost impossible if they are simultaneously trying to raise a family and work a full-time job to make ends meet.
While the cost of college and student loans are high, many students are unable to produce the funds necessary to complete their program. This causes them to put in more hours at a lower paying job. Helping low-income students get a degree benefits both the individual and society as a whole and, by investing in higher education, underserved students will be able to help in improving the national economy, strengthen the workforce, and decrease reliance on governmental support.
A college graduate has the opportunity to find a job that not only increases personal income, but that he or she also enjoys. This is why we all need (in some way) to recommit to education and the opportunities it creates.
What has your experience been during these rough economic times? Have you personally had to choose or retrain for a new career due to the economy?
Resource article: clickhere.
Ever thought of sending a “Thank You” note to your interviewer after an interview? No? Well, you’re not alone. It does seem like an odd concept but it’s definitely something you should consider.
Writing that note after the interview gives you an advantage over other applicants for a number of reasons: it puts your name back in front of the interviewer, it gives you a chance to cover topics you may have left out or forgotten, and it shows that you’re truly interested in the opportunity. Not to mention it shows how incredible polite you are and gives yet another sample of your writing/grammar abilities.
Here are some types for writing your “Thank You” note:
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This is a business letter so be sure it is typed and not hand-written
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Address your interviewer formally, i.e. Mr./Mrs.
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Include the date you were interviewed
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Bring up key points you wish the interviewer to recall from your meeting
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Make sure you reiterate your interest in the position
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Keep it short and simple (KISS)
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Always make sure it is error free and grammatically correct
What do you think? Will you send a “thank you” note after your next interview? If you have done this in the past, can you add to our list of tips?
Time is an interesting concept, isn’t it? It seems like there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done; especially when you’re juggling work, school, family and friends. So often we spend so much time planning for tomorrow that we miss a lot of what’s happening “today”.
It helps to keep everything in check and, we swear, the concept of “time management” does work when you put it into practice. Here are a few tips we found to help you get back on track!
•Keep Prioritized "TO DO" Lists: List tasks you must complete in order of priority (most important to least important).
•Schedule Breaks: Schedule breaks at regular times. You'll be less likely to goof off when you should be working.
•Learn to Delegate: Don't try to do it all yourself. Ask your husband to cook dinner for the night or start a load of laundry. If your children are old enough, get them involved too!
•Get Organized: It's much easier to accomplish tasks if your work area is organized. As a side note, organization in your personal life (i.e. at home) will definitely flow over to your professional life as well. Developing good habits on a personal level will always transfer to your professional life.
•Learn to Say "No": No is a very important word. For Toddlers, this is one of the very first words they seem to master without issue. Funny how we “forget” how to say No once we become adults. There’s no shame in saying “no” when you honestly don’t have the time in your schedule.
•Stop Procrastinating: Procrastination can ruin your career if it results in completing projects late or not at all. Remember this saying: “Procrastination is the Assassination of Motivation!”
•Get Enough Sleep: Sleep is such a must with EVERYTHING in life. You need that time to recharge yourself or you’ll wear yourself out faster than you could imagine. We know it's tempting to work long hours to “get the job done” but in the end you're actually less efficient and prone to making errors.
What tips/suggestions can you add to our list? Do you have any “tried and true” methods of time management that you’d like to share? Let us know!
It wasn’t that long ago that having a cell phone was a symbol of “status” … I can still remember the episodes of Saved by the Bell where Zach Morris had that huge box of a cell phone. And, when I started college, my mother gave me her bagged car phone for safety reasons. It’s amazing to think how far technology has come in such a short amount of time!
Now you can use your cell phone to check your email, update your Facebook status, and even find a decent Italian restaurant nearby. But, do we rely too much on cell phones? Many of my friends have actually done away with a traditional land-line in their homes and rely completely on their cell phones as their main phone number. I’m not at that point, but I definitely do not like being without my trusty cell phone.
So, can you survive without your cell phone for a day … a week … maybe even a month?? Do you think we’ve become too reliant on cell phones … or do you think the best is yet to come?
When I started my college search, I actually looked in to a lot of different colleges. I was looking at Stanford University, West Point Military Academy, University of Texas El Paso and EL Paso Community College. Well, I was accepted into nearly all of those choices but the hardest part was getting admissions, it was the enrollment. Obviously, I decided to stay close to my home with UTEP and EPCC but having to take entrance exams just to see if remedial courses were needed was hard. After that the fact that I needed assistance with paying tuition was hard. I knew I qualified for the Pell Grant but after three straight semesters of filing for the FASFA early I never got it. The third time I applied I did get the FASFA but there was one problem, the frustrating thing of not getting it until the day after classes started and my courses that I selected were dropped.
I then found Penn Foster Career School, applied and was immediately accepted and enrolled into my first choice of studies; Veterinarian Technician. I loved the studies and the fact that Penn Foster never made me take remedial courses or entrance exams. Ultimately, I chose Penn Foster for the easy study hours that was needed. It is always fun being to study when you can or have time. However after one great semester with the Veterinarian Technician program, I struggled with the second semester of it. You could say that I failed it completely. I didn’t let that stop me from achieving my dream of working with animals. It was clear that I was happy with my choice in Penn Foster and decided to stick with Penn Foster for Pet Groomer studies. All my hardships, all my struggles were only pointing me towards finally succeeding with Penn Foster.
As a pet groomer that studied with Penn Foster versus other schools, I can say that nothing is impossible only an obstacle away. If you can dream it, then you can be it. I am being successful with a career choice I love and though I’m still building up clientele, I can say that it is always fun doing something that you chose simply because you love it. Don’t listen to the other people telling you that you can’t because you can. Keep up that fire to make it through your studies and you will be in the same place I am today, happy and successful. I found my happiness hence finding my success. After all the key to success is happiness and if happiness isn’t there then why the struggle to find success in something not worth chasing?