Community Colleges’ Growing Role in Helping People Get High Skilled Jobs

With all the talk about needed 21st century job skills, who is on cutting edge of helping people get them – and doing it in a cost effective way? Community colleges. If the idea of community college does not fire you up, consider your opinion outdated (and elitist) as the cost of 4 year colleges skyrocket and financial aid programs tighten. Consider these statistics from the American Association of Community Colleges:

• Health care: 59% of new nurses and the majority of other new health-care workers are educated at community colleges.
• Homeland security: Close to 80% of firefighters, law enforcement officers, and EMTs are credentialed at community colleges.
• Average Annual Tuition and Fees:

Community colleges (public): $2,361

• 4-year colleges (public): $6,185
• Nearly 12 million students (half of all U.S. undergraduates) attend community colleges.

Ben Bernanke, chief of the Federal Reserve who plays perhaps the biggest role in managing the U.S. economy, observed in a November 2007 speech in North Carolina:
“…improving the skills of local workers–especially those displaced by industries in decline–remains critical for both urban and rural areas in the state. Four-year institutions play an important role in meeting that challenge, but they are not the sole means for developing workforce skills. For example, in the 2004-05 school year, the North Carolina Community College System served nearly 780,000 students in fifty-eight institutions. The average community college student in the state is thirty years old and likely working while attending school (North Carolina Community College System, 2006). Because they offer education closely tailored to employer demands in the local workplace, community colleges in North Carolina, as elsewhere, play an essential role in training and retraining workers. Moreover, they do so at a relatively low cost. In general, we must move beyond the view that education is something that takes place only in K-through-12 schools and four-year colleges, as important as those are. Education and skills must be provided flexibly and to people of any age.” [emphasis added]
The Career Key’s author, Dr. Lawrence K. Jones, was the first person in his family to go to college and he began his education path at a community college; as you talk to people, their connections to these colleges appear. Consider how you can build new job skills using this resource. We offer tips on how to find the right college.
If you’re worried about prestige, an Ivy League degree certainly helps but for the vast majority of people, their networking, informational interviewing, and acquired job skills get them the best job, not the name on the diploma. If you don’t believe me, just talk to the people you consider successful.
Article by, Juliet Wehr Jones, M.D. and courtesy of Career Key, striving to help all people make the best career choices, worldwide.

Make Connections With a Washington DC Internship

Do you know who Huma Abedin is? You probably do or you might. You just don’t know you do.
Huma Abedin is that person you might catch a glimpse of, if you watched the presidential primaries, more specifically, watched Senator Hillary Clinton. Essentially, Huma Abedin is getting a lot of attention as Senator Clinton’s “body person” as she manages the Senator’s schedule from one event to the next. Here is what New York Magazine says about Abedin. “Huma Abedin, Hillary’s beautiful, enigmatic “body person,” spends nearly every waking minute with Hillary and so has the best sense of her daily rhythms and routines.”
Abedin is known for her extraordinary ability to multitask and juggle several assignments without breaking a sweat.
Huma Abedin was born in Michigan, to an Indian father and Pakastani mother. She was raised in Saudia Arabia and attended George Washington University. Abedin became an intern in the White House in 1996 and impressed Hillary Clinton once she landed a role in the First Lady’s office. Her role has evolved into that of the personal “body person” of Hillary Clinton, available to meet the candidate’s every need from water bottles to schedules to keeping the press at bay.
College students who are interested in Washington DC internships, here are a couple to consider:
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Internships are open to college juniors and seniors as well as new college graduates within 24 months after graduation. Interns must be interested in careers in performing arts, management and/or arts education. Interns will work 37.5 to 40 hours weekly for a twelve to fourteen week rotation. About 20 college students are selected each semester for these prestigious internships.
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Psychology majors in approved APA and counseling psychology programs are eligible to apply for internships at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington DC. The deadline to apply for these internships is November 1. College applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0, submit an application, 3 letters of recommendation a formal statement from the program director supporting eligibility for the internship.
Every year thousands of college interns spend time in Washington DC working and learning in a variety of roles. Not only do these internships get valuable work experience, they get to build a network of contacts and mentors who could be invaluable later as your career progresses.
Huma Abedin is one such internship success story.
Article by, Marcia Robinson of BullseyeResumeBlogs. Robinson has been coaching, training, and writing on career, workplace, employment and education issues for students and career professionals for 10 years.
And courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Accounts Payable Clerk Sample Job Description – Entertainment

The following is a sample job description for an accounts payable clerk in the entertainment industry:
Accounts Payable Clerk
Toys and entertainment company is seeking a Sr. Accounts Payable Clerk. This position compiles and maintains accounts payable records by performing the following:

• Prepares analysis of accounts as required
• Prepares accounts payable checks, wire transfers and ACH payments
• Verifies and Approves Expense Reports
• Corresponds with vendors and answers their inquiries
• Prepares the monthly accrue list for financial preparation
• Must have good communication skills and attention to detail. Good knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Word required. Associates Degree in any related field and 2 years of Accounts Payable experience required.

Article courtesy of Accounting Jobs Todaya place where accounting and finance professionals come together to share ideas, get the latest career tips, information and resources all in one place.

Billing Manager Sample Job Description

Below is an example of a job description you might find while searching for a billing manager position.
Billing Manager
SUMMARY Supervise the billing coordinators; coordinate all the financial information involved in the sale or production of jobs.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The following describes the general nature and level of work, but it is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all activities, duties and responsibilities required of the job incumbent. Consequently, job incumbents may be asked to perform other duties as required.
Coordinates the billing functions of each geographic location by communicating regularly with each sites’ sales, management and billing coordinators, if present at that location.
Resolves issues arising from actions or events involving administrative functions throughout the progress of a job from sale to billing of the customer.
Coordinates and resolves sales tax issues.
Approve tax credit requests from customers.
Create monthly and quarterly commission reports.
Conducts training, as needed, on use of the Hagen OA system.
Supervise central billing staff located at the Los Angeles Billing Center and any other locations.
Train new employees on standard Company policies and procedures that related to billing
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
EMPOWERMENT Empowered with the responsibility for taking action regarding his/her own success within this position. Responsible for understanding and supporting all company policies and procedures and applicable laws, including employment and environmental regulations.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES Is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of department employees. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the Company policies and applicable state and federal laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
Four year college or university degree; 4 to 10 years experience in the printing industry.
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
REASONING ABILITY
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Article courtesy of Accounting Jobs Todaya place where accounting and finance professionals come together to share ideas, get the latest career tips, information and resources all in one place.

Tips to Improving your Skill Set without Changing Jobs

While many people want professional growth, it does not necessarily mean that you want to change jobs. You may be happy in your current position, but still have the desire to do more, be challenged and grow professionally. There are several tips that can help you to improve your skills without changing jobs.
By setting aside time for learning you can really improve your skills on your own. Reading professional journals, books, websites or blogs are excellent ways to help you think differently about the problems you face in your current position and open you up to new ideas. If you have time and classes or seminars are offered in your area, they can also be a great way to help improve your skills at work and network with others outside of your job where you can share ideas. The key to this tip is to dedicate the time for learning regularly, be it 30 minutes a day or a couple of hours a week.
Another tip to help improve your skills within your current position is to make yourself available to others in your office to assist with their projects or tasks. It is important to think outside your original job description and find out how you can be a team player at work. Putting yourself out there to try new things will help improve your skills and be seen as valuable contributor to your employer.
Outside the office is a great place to improve your skills often in a non-threatening environment. There are many volunteer positions where you can pursue new skills. If you need help on your leadership skills, see if you can find a volunteer position where you could work on these skills. Think about getting involved with clubs, religious or non-profit organizations, schools or sports teams. Sometimes the skills you learn in a context completely different from your career can fuel your creative energy to look at the issues you face at work in a new way.
Pay attention to what you are doing at work and think creatively about each task or skill. The monotony of your daily tasks is likely leaving you feeling less than fulfilled, but what if you could come up with a way to improve the outcomes of these tasks or to make them more meaningful? Pay attention to each task individually, concentrating on whether this is creating the best outcome. Things do not have to be broken to get better, focus in on each skill with an eye for improvement.
Article by, Teena Rose of Resume to Referral
Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Helpful Tips After Graduation

Many college graduates may be in need of some advice before they enter the real world also known as the workforce. After all, they’ve been used to having structure in a school environment for a long time and now must create their own path to success. Here are some tips from career coach, Bobbie Twa, to help prepare you for your transition into the workforce.

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Financial Aid Options

It’s almost Independence Day. Thoughts about the fall are probably in the backs of a lot of students’ and parents’ minds right now, but only in the back. Actually, now is a good time to start exploring financial aid options. The following is a list of what’s out there, in addition to grants, scholarships, and work study programs. The first step, of course, once you’ve decided where you want to go to school is to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. It doesn’t matter how much your family earns, fill out the form anyway because you may be eligible for assistance if you should need it.
Listed below are the different types of loans available:
Stafford Loans
These loans are available at most colleges and universities and are the easiest to obtain. They are both subsidized and unsubsidized.
FFELP Loans
These loans aren’t so easily acquired as Stafford Loans. They are often denied to students attending community colleges or lesser known colleges and universities. They are distributed by private organizations like Citibank, JP Morgan Chase and SunTrust, at their discretion.
Plus Loans
These loans are only made available to parents of dependent ungraduate or graduate students who have “stellar credit and stay on top of their mortgage payments,” says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid.
Peer-to-Peer Lenders
These loans are risky. A student in need of assistance goes to a Web site like greennote.com of fynanz.com and fill out a form in which they include the school they’re attending, their major, and the amount they’d like to borrow. Afterward, family and friends visit the site and decide whether or not to lend the student the money. If they agree to give the student a loan, the site generates a legally binding contract and then the two parties go from there. Note: These are not interest-free loans and the rates aren’t fixed. Kantrowitz says federal loans would end up being cheaper in the long run.
Private Lenders
These loans are the toughest to obtain. According to Kantrowitz, a borowwer needs a credit score of at least 650 in order to qualify. Most students, he says, can’t meet that demand because they “tend to have very limited credit, or if they have a credit score, it’s low.” He recommends that the student ask their parents to co-sign on the loan.
There are many loan options available, but if they can be avoided, so much the better.

Career Lessons from Bill Gates

So Bill Gates is preparing to retire as CEO of Microsoft. Gates and his childhood friend Paul Allen founded Microsoft on April 4, 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to make and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800, an early computer that was sold to hobbyists. Gates dropped out of Harvard University in his third year to focus on Microsoft, and the rest, as they say, his history. For an upcoming Forbes article, I was asked to consider lessons that can be learned from Gates’ amazing career, and here are a few I came up with:
Gates had a vision of the future that he genuinely believed in (i.e. the potential of computers) and was prepared to take major personal and professional risks to pursue that vision. He is a man who has never particularly cared what people thought, and so he was able to do things that went against the grain, such as dropping out of Harvard and alienating those who cried antitrust. We can note, looking at Gates, that those who aren’t overly concerned with society’s expectations actually have a better shot of transforming that society for the better.
Even though he was successful at a young age, Gates never sat back and reveled in it. He continually strove for higher levels of achievement. His management style was hands-on so that he could firmly control the direction of Microsoft and its products. He is not a leader who has relied on others to make important decisions on product strategy and other facets of the business, which cuts both ways. On the one hand, he can count himself personally responsible for Microsoft’s many successes, but on the other, he likely suffered a great deal of burnout, which may be part of the reason he’s retiring so early. We should ultimately strive for a working life that allows for some measure of control while leveraging the contributions and talents their of team members.
Gates was not afraid of failure. He was never apposed to without trying various tactics to see what would work for Microsoft – and what wouldn’t. In his speeches and articles, he has been known to tell of the significant investment in time and dollars that went into failed projects like the Omega database and a joint operating system with IBM. But if it weren’t for Omega, we wouldn’t have Microsoft Access, and if it weren’t for the discontinued IBM effort, Windows would not have progressed to its current super-product status. We can learn from Gates that temporary setbacks do not equal total failure but are rather a means to an end.
Whether through a natural ability or one he honed over time, Gates knows himself and what’s meaningful to him. He let Ballmer take over in 2000 so that he could focus on the areas of the business that intrigued him most, and it’s widely recognized how much time and money he devotes to his philanthropic endeavors of global health and education. It’s even said that he’s an excellent father. We should look at Gates as someone who has been successful as a total human being, not just as a businessman. This is, admittedly, a new definition for success, but one that’s becoming increasingly important as the boundaries between the personal and the professional continue to blur.
Article by Alexandra Levit and courtesy of Water Cooler Wisdom blog.

The Candidate Experience…

That’s what is on my mind today.
About 2 months ago I was assigned to a team created within Sodexo’s Talent Acquisition Group called the, “Candidate Experience Team.” The purpose of this group is to examine our current recruitment practices (from the candidate’s experience) and recommend not only ways of improving, but also to develop supporting materials that will help our recruiters implement the new best practices.
Ultimately, we really just want to make the initial interaction and all of the touch points after with Sodexo are positive for all of our candidates (regardless of the outcome of the hire) and to ensure the new hires transition from candidates to Sodexo employees smoothly.
Because I am not a recruiter and I do not have experience with interviewing our candidates this has been a learning opportunity for me and having recently been through the hiring process here at Sodexo, it’s also been enlightening. Now I know what really went on behind the scenes before I was offered my job and I am officially impressed with the thorough and thoughtful process.
So why is the candidate experience so important to us?
We believe that improvements to our candidate experience will make Sodexo stand out as an employer of choice in this competitive hiring market. Enhancing the candidate’s experience will also help us improve communications with our candidates and improve our employer branding – a high priority for us.
Improving our candidate experience will establish Sodexo as a great place to work and will set the stage for our candidates to begin their career with Sodexo on a positive and fulfilling note. In researching this subject, I found a great article on ERE.net called, 10 Things Candidates Hate; 10 Things They Love – I thought it was an appropriate link for this post.
Courtesy of Sodexo Careers Blog Making every day a better day.

Would You Rather Do Your Taxes Than Write Your Resume?

I find that most people hate searching for a job, and especially hate writing their own resume. Even writers, marketers, and journalists who write for a living…hate writing a resume.
I think it’s because the process is so foreign. All the rules have changed, so resume writing is a different skill with different strategies than just a few years ago. Add to that all of the conflicting advice a job seeker gets – no wonder it’s more painful than a root canal without Novocain.
So job seekers have a task that they rarely do, feel they’re not very good at, the rules have dramatically changed in the past few years, everyone has a different opinion (usually conflicting), and it’s a task you feel guilty about not being comfortable with – because it’s writing about yourself!
So what do you do? Of course you could hire someone to write it for you, but you’ll still need something to start with. Here’s some help:
1) Schedule a day to write. Plan nothing else that day, so you’ll have time to procrastinate, and still get the job done. Choose someplace quiet – get a babysitter if you have to and go someplace else. Exercise first, to get the blood flowing, and the endorphins humming. And have a fresh pot of coffee. If you don’t have a laptop, arrange out of house activities for the kids, so you’ll have the house to yourself.
2) Use a template to start. There are resume templates everywhere, from the major job boards to alumni sites, or just Google resume template. Don’t sweat it which template to use. This will be a draft, and you’ll change it many times.
3) Don’t try to write a final copy when you are starting. Your resume is an iterative process. Even for a draft, you’ll want to have a process of writing then reviewing….a few times. You’re bound to find things to change for at least 3 review, minimum.
4) Take a break. After you’ve done a first draft, take a break. Go for a walk, or a run, or just get away from your resume. Take an hour, clear your head, and come back fresh to do a critical read and edit.
5) Have others review. It’s next to impossible to write a good resume without a third party reviewer. The reviewer will read it from a readers’ perspective, a difficult viewpoint for the subject of the resume…you.
6) Don’t worry about conflicting information. Plan on it, you’ll get conflicting advice – it’s going to happen. When you get conflicting information on your resume, I suggest you thank the person for their input, and make your choice of who’s advice makes sense for you. After all, it’s your resume at the end of the day.
7) Spelling, grammar, format, tabs, margins, fonts all matter. You only get two chances to be perfect in your life – when you’re born, and on your resume. You’ll be competing with hundreds, or thousands of other applicants for a single opening. Why would a HR reviewer or hiring manager choose an imperfect resume, when they see almost limitless numbers of perfect ones?
8) Don’t settle. Don’t settle for ok, good, or good enough for your resume. With the amount of competition you’ll face, your resume has to be stellar, exemplary….because your competition is. Hiring managers see only the top 2-3 % of resumes. So good enough just isn’t good enough anymore.
9) Stop procrastinating. I know you dread this…everyone does. I feel your pain. Now gut up and start.
So…what are you waiting for? Get typing!
Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.