Category: Your Career (Page 23 of 62)

      Law school applications plummet

      December 15, 2012 /


      Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalImages.net

      With all of the recent controversies surrounding the number of jobs law school graduates are actually getting, the idea of going to law school is starting to become less appealing, especially when you start to consider the ridiculous cost of law school.

      Now comes word that applications in this admissions cycle appear to be in something like free fall. As of December 7th, they are down 24.6% from the same time last year, while the total number of applicants has declined by 22.4% year over year. These numbers suggest that law schools will have a total of somewhere between 52,000 and 53,000 applicants to choose from in this cycle, i.e., slightly more than half as many as in 2004, when there were 188 ABA accredited law schools (there are 201 at the moment, with an emphasis on “at the moment”).

      To put that number in perspective, law schools admitted 60,400 first year JD students two years ago. Since a significant percentage of applicants are unwilling to consider enrolling at any school below a certain hierarchical level, and/or will decline to enroll at certain other schools without receiving massive discounts on the advertised tuition price, these numbers portend fiscal calamity for more than a few schools. But out of that calamity will come the beginnings of a more rational and just system of legal education for the next generation of lawyers.

      Things are going to have to change. Students don’t want to do into debt and then end up without a job. The entire notion is silly.

      The third year of law school is often a complete waste of time. Law schools should take a serious look at finding ways to give students internships for the third year where they can learn how to actually practice law while making money to pay for their tuition.

      Your Career, Your Education

      Solid job growth continues

      November 2, 2012 /

      The economy continues its slow and steady recovery. Job growth was solid but not spectacular again last month, which has some political implications as well.

      The last remaining political land mine embedded in Barack Obama’s path to reelection has failed to detonate.

      With time fast running out, the Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning released the last monthly jobs report we’ll see in this election. The news was unexpectedly decent: 171,000 nonfarm jobs added in October, and unemployment essentially unchanged at 7.9 percent.

      What’s more, the August numbers were revised upwards from 142,000 to 192,000, and the September numbers were boosted from 114,000 to 148,000. This suggests the possibility that something was stirring in the economy that we hadn’t picked up, and could help explain why Obama’s small but seemingly durable edge in the electoral college has persisted.

      These are solid numbers for President Obama‘s campaign in a super close election as the unemployment rate stayed below 8%. The Mitt Romney campaign will point it that the rate ticked up a tenth of a point.

      Your Career

      3 Ways the Internet Can Improve Your Career

      November 2, 2012 /

      Today, young professionals can advance their careers better than ever before thanks to the Web. Professionals with HughesNet Internet plans, cable Internet, or any other type of Web connection have access to an online landscape that’s ripe with opportunities for improvement and advancement. The digital age has ushered in a new era where business opportunities aren’t just conducted on the phone or at the office.

      If you’re aspiring to get better in your career or in your role as an entrepreneur, take advantage of these 3 major affordances of today’s Internet:

      Professional Development
      Getting better at your job or learning more about your industry doesn’t have to end with workplace training sessions, tutorials or guides and manuals. With the Internet, you can become an expert in your field without having to leave your couch, and without having to spend a dime. Numerous online resources offer courses in business strategy, technology, design, coding, finance and countless other subject areas related to what your professional specialty.

      Check out sites like Udemy.com, Coursera.org, w3schools.com and Udacity.com for free resources that can help you become better in your role. Not only will you be able to apply your knowledge to your job and improve your work, but your team leader will probably notice, too.

      Personal Branding
      In today’s professional landscape, it’s important that you differentiate yourself from the thousands of other people who do what you do. It could mean the difference in you getting that next big promotion or position at a prominent firm. Social media and blogging offer opportunities to engage in personal branding and to establish your presence online and become recognized as a leading authority and expert in your field. It takes time and considerable effort, but you’ll find that your own brand equity makes you a more valuable part of the workforce.

      Networking
      Last but not least, the Web 2.0 landscape offers more networking opportunities than were available 15 years ago. Not only do personal branding, social media and blogging play a prominent role in how professionals reach and interact with one another, but large-scale professional networking sites like LinkedIn offer legitimate opportunities to connect with others in your field. If you’re not using the Internet for networking purposes, start today so you can take advantage of all possible opportunities.
      How will you go about online professional development, personal branding and network in the future?

      Your Career

      Emergence of Massive Open Online Courses

      September 16, 2012 /

      We’ve been discussing the importance of the self-education revolution, with the emergence of free college courses allowing people all over the world to educate themselves. As more universities and start-ups put more college level courses online for free, the media is paying more attention to this trend.

      USA Today recently discussed this revolution in a recent article on Massive Open Online Courses:

      Jonathan Salovitz’s course load sounds as grueling as any college undergraduate’s: computer science, poetry, history, math and mythology, taught by professors at big-name schools such as Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.

      Except Salovitz, 23, is not an undergraduate. His effort won’t count toward a bachelor’s degree, and he hasn’t paid a dime in tuition. Nor have his classmates, who number in the tens and even hundreds of thousands.

      Instead, Salovitz calls himself a “guinea pig.” He’s participating in a grand experiment in higher education known as Massive Open Online Courses –MOOCs, for short. Learners of all ages around the world are flocking to them. Top universities are clamoring to participate. And MOOCs already have attracted the interest of some employers, paving the way for a potential revenue source. All in less than a year.

      The articles goes on to describe many of the new courses and companies that are driving the interest here, so it’s definitely worth a read. It also points out how Moody’s Investor Service calls MOOCs a “pivotal development” that has the potential to revolutionize higher education.

      Over time, we can expect to see employers start to react. Imagine how impressed you would be interviewing someone who either used these resources to complete a virtual college education, or someone who used it to gain a new skill. Think about a medical professional who decides to go online to get a virtual business or accounting degree.

      The possibilities here are endless, and there will be plenty of ways apart from the old grading/diploma system to verify that the student has actually completed the courses and learned the material.

      The future in education suddenly looks bright.

      Your Career, Your Education

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