Category: Your Education (Page 20 of 22)

      Are Online Colleges the Latest Smart Trend?

      September 9, 2010 /

      What is the latest trend in education? The answer is simple: online colleges.

      Online universities and colleges have been spreading quickly and have made their presence felt across the globe. As universities like the University of Phoenix have made this trend popular, an online education has a lot to offer.

      The flexibility is one of the biggest advantages. Students can now concentrate on a degree in their own home, studying and doing schoolwork whenever they like. This means that individuals can now keep their family, social schedule, work commitments and be able to pursue their educational goals.

      Online colleges are also a great way to go to school in locations where few respectable choices are present. If you live in one of these areas and don’t want to move, an online college can be the perfect middle ground.

      How will this trend fare in the coming years? Well, all signs are pointing to an increased presence for online colleges and universities. As expected, individuals are excited to go to school online and to not have to rearrange their life to pursue their degree and start or advance their career.

      Another sign of the increased presence of online education is traditional institutions. Previously, traditional colleges and universities may have only offered a few online classes for students. However, now it is more common for traditional schools to offer degrees that can be studied on the internet. Many of these schools have launched degrees that are based completely online, along with distinct parts of the school that is devoted to online-based studies.

      As it is increasingly common, perhaps this is the latest smart trend for many in education. If a student is able to handle the atmosphere, an online education represents a considerable choice for tech-savvy students.

      In education, certainly online schools and universities represent a development smart trend.

      That said, please do your research. Look into the graduation rates for the schools. You don’t want to end up with tons of student loans but no degree!

      Your Education

      Future hiring trends

      September 6, 2010 /

      Here’s one disturbing trend that should have you focus on education and training:

      Whenever companies start hiring freely again, job-seekers with specialized skills and education will have plenty of good opportunities. Others will face a choice: Take a job with low pay – or none at all.

      Job creation will likely remain weak for months or even years. But once employers do step up hiring, some economists expect job openings to fall mainly into two categories of roughly equal numbers:

      _ Professional fields with higher pay. Think lawyers, research scientists and software engineers.

      _ Lower-skill and lower-paying jobs, like home health care aides and store clerks.

      And those in between? Their outlook is bleaker. Economists foresee fewer moderately paid factory supervisors, postal workers and office administrators.

      This has been going on for years, and it’s only going to get worse. You can’t rely on walking into a factory and getting a well-paying job. Those days are gone.

      Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Education

      The Steven Slater saga

      August 22, 2010 /

      Few events have sparked so much conversation in this country on workplace issues like the bizarre story of Steven Slater and his strange meltdown at work. He’s now a celebrity with legions of Facebook fans and constant coverage on cable news, but his story does raise serious questions about workplace conditions, stress on the job and losing control under pressure.

      The Seattle Times has a story about how flight attendants get most of the brunt of customer anger over things like baggage fees and other stresses of flying.

      Forbes discusses how to avoid have a Steven Slater incident in your own organization.

      Ohio.com has a story explaining how to resist the urge to have a Steven Slater moment.

      Yes, the whole incident has been a circus, but we’re seeing some thoughtful analysis and advice coming out of what is becoming a teachable moment.

      Your Business, Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Education, Your Network, Your Team, Your Workplace

      Choosing what you love

      August 21, 2010 /

      The recession has been difficult for many people, but it has been particularly difficult for anyone who has lost their job.

      Some are taking matters into their own hands and using a job loss as an opportunity to find a new career doing something they love. I understand this isn’t a real option for everyone. Paying the bills and supporting a family in the short term always come first.

      That said, many people who lose their jobs are in a position to re-evaluate their jobs and careers and change course. If you can create a situation where you love your work, you can lead a much happier and productive life.

      BusinessWeek addressed this issue in a recent article and also explained how certain developments can accelerate this trend. The article posed the issue as choosing between your passion vs a steady paycheck.

      After more than a decade in the advertising business, Erik Proulx found himself on the wrong end of a pink slip. What most people might have deemed a setback, though, he saw as an opportunity. Instead of looking for another job making TV commercials, Proulx dove into a longtime dream: filmmaking. Last December he released a documentary called Lemonade, which chronicles the lives of ad industry veterans who reinvented themselves after being laid off: a coffee roaster, a nutrition coach, an artist, and others who, like Proulx, decided to pursue their passions rather than return to careers that were no longer inspiring.

      With the unemployment rate apparently stuck at or near double digits, more people seem to be choosing a passion over a steady paycheck. Rather than waiting for companies to open up their payrolls, these people are taking matters into their own hands and defining their own jobs, going online to find each other, leverage each other’s capabilities and services, and learn faster by working together. That is a big risk, but these people realize that they’ll be far happier if they can find something they love doing and figure out creative ways to make a living from it. Focusing on work that offers greater meaning makes it easier to withstand the perils and roadblocks they will face as they leave the corporate fold.

      The author then explores whether this new trend is sustainable and whether it can spur economic growth. He cites two significant factors that will push this along – cloud computing and social media. The answers are fairly obvious, but the article is worth reading. Also important is something called the cheap revolution championed by writers like Rich Karlgaard.

      Your Career, Your Education

      A look at for-profit college EDMC

      August 21, 2010 /

      BusinessWeek has a recent profile on for-profit college EDMC and the involvement of Goldman Sachs. The article is balanced, as they gave EDMC the opportunity to present success stories, but many of the stories are unfortunately similar to others we’ve heard regarding for-profit colleges – too many students paying huge tuition costs, racking up huge student loans, and then not being able to get high-paying jobs they expected (or were sold on by recruiters). One student profiled in the article got a bachelor’s degree in game art and design at EDMC for a cost $70,000 in tuition and fees. After she graduating she got a job that paid $12 an hour recruiting employees for video game companies. She eventually lost that job and now she’s stripping.

      We’re seeing more and more lawsuits in this area, and the article points out some lawsuits against EDMC. Changes are also coming from the Obama administration.

      On July 23, the Obama Administration proposed restricting—and in extreme cases, cutting off entirely—programs whose graduates end up with the highest debts relative to their salaries and have the most trouble repaying their student loans. EDMC will be affected more than most other for-profit companies because of its focus on “passion” fields, such as art and cooking, rather than more practical accounting or business degrees, says Jeffrey M. Silber, an analyst with BMO Capital Markets in New York. Cooking, fashion, and arts jobs tend to have low starting salaries: A beginning cook, for example, earns an average of $18,000 a year, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, while a two-year culinary degree can cost $40,000 to $50,000. EDMC spokeswoman Jacquelyn P. Muller says Art Institute students tend to earn more, with those holding culinary degrees starting at $28,000.

      You have to do your research if you’re thinking of attending one of these schools, and don’t fall for high-pressure sales tactics!

      Your Education

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