Stay in School…No Really, Stay in School

College student thinking about what course to take. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The collegiate degree is the new high school diploma. What does that mean? That means that employers who used to be happy with a simple high school diploma are now requiring candidates—even those for low paid entry level positions—to have a college degree. This means that college isn’t really optional anymore.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that you don’t still have a lot of wiggle room when choosing your field of study. Most employers, with the exceptions of a few highly specialized industries like medicine, engineering and teaching, do not really care what kind of degree you have, as long as you have one. So why not consider one of the following degree programs? Continue Reading

Cool College Majors: Liberal Arts with an Edge for Emerging Occupations

Sharon Jones of Career Thought Leaders

Can you imagine designing websites for CBS prime time shows such as CSI and Survivor or holding the title of ‘Game Guru’ at AOL? 

Would you like to evaluate global threats such as terrorism, cyber-crime, or human trafficking for agencies such as the CIA or FBI?

If you are fascinated by liberal arts subjects (e.g. graphic arts, geography, history, foreign languages) but concerned about finding a job, score major marketability through liberal arts with an edge.

Some interdisciplinary college majors prepare you for new and emerging occupations. These academic programs may make you especially attractive to employers due to a shortage of qualified applicants. Continue Reading

Top 10 Best Paying Jobs for Four-Year College Grads

Photo of petroleum engineer courtesy of Shutterstock

Many college and university students and graduates are motivated by a desire to make the world a better place. Many are motivated by money. And many are motivated by a combination of the two along with other factors. But if money is important to you then this list of the highest paying occupations for college graduates should be of great interest. Continue Reading

6 of 10 Top Paying Majors in Engineering

Marilyn Mackes of NACE

Technical majors—particularly those in engineering—dominated the list of top-paying majors in 2012, according to a new report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

NACE’s January 2013 Salary Survey found that six engineering majors were among the 10 highest-paid at the bachelor’s-degree level.  Continue Reading

VIDEO: The future of careers, personal branding and workplace trends that are shaping our futures

Dan Schawbel speaks to the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs about the future of careers, personal branding and workplace trends that are shaping our futures. Continue Reading

5 Programs You Should Know Before You Get that Diploma

Young businesswoman assisting co-worker with computer program. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Learning the ins and outs of a specific major may be the main reason most students enroll in college, but, used wisely, your time spent at college can do more than train you for a single career path. Getting a job in the field of your choice may be ideal, but any additional skills you learn along the way will help you land a job right out of school until you can find work in your dream industry. While it won’t guarantee you’ll have a job waiting on the other side of graduation, having a background in a few computer programs can greatly enhance your résumé, making you more attractive to potential employers. Continue Reading

18 Fields Likely to Produce Most Jobs in 2013

Matt Ferguson, CEO of Careerbuilder

A newly released study by Economic Modeling Specialists (EMSI) provides some interesting insights into the fields likely to produce the most new jobs in 2013.

“Where the U.S. will produce the most jobs in 2013 is likely to follow growth patterns of the last few years,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder. “It’s no surprise that technology and engineering occupations comprise six of the top ten positions on our list, but workers should also see more opportunities in production-related fields, marketing, healthcare and financial services. The competition for educated, specialized labor has intensified as market demands increase in both the manufacturing and services sectors.”

Occupations requiring bachelor degrees that have produced the most jobs post-recession include the following: Continue Reading

Choosing a Major: Is the Job Market Your Only Concern?

With the exception of the lucky few, most of us can probably narrow our options down to about five possible college majors. To help us choose between these five, we have a host of rumors and speculation about the job market, our own intellectual curiosity, and other people’s life stories. Our parents will happily tell us what to do, and they want the best for us, but as parents, they have a very limited view of what that means. (They want us never to struggle financially, for example, though after the fact, a struggle like that can represent one of the most important and vivid chapters of our lives.)

Many of us know which option we find most appealing when money is removed from the equation. But the more we lean toward that option, the more stridently we’re warned away from it on the grounds that it may not provide a steady income. This leaves us with the remaining four, which include one or two that seem crushingly boring despite their promise of lifelong stability. But is this an acceptable trade off? And what if that promise isn’t as well founded as it seems? Continue Reading

B-School Applicants Decline: Damn Shame or About Time?

By Mark Mehler and Gerry Crispin of CareerXroads

The B-school numbers are in and they aren’t pretty according to this recent WSJ article by Melissa Korn. 69% of the F/T, two-year MBA degree programs in the US experienced significant declines in 2012 while 79-80% of the schools in Asia (Pacific Rim and Central Asia respectively) experienced gains. Globally the drop-off is 22% after a decline of 10% last year.

While some of this can be attributed to a return to normalcy after significant gains by B-schools during the financial crisis, you also have to wonder about the continuing value of the product exiting the many hundreds of schools granting these degrees. Continue Reading

myCNAjobs Predicts College Students May Help Alleviate the Impeding Caregiver Shortage

Chicago, IL – September 25, 2012 — Caregiver turnover combined with the retirement of 8,000 Baby Boomers each day are ingredients for a major worker shortage over the next decade, according to a recent study by Service Employees International Healthcare.  One factor driving high turnover, especially in states like Washington, is the inability for caregivers to secure enough working hours due to budget cuts.  Another major factor is decreasing caregiver loyalty and employment satisfaction.

“Being a caregiver is a tough job and even tougher in today’s economy,” says Brandi Kurtyka, Chief Marketing Officer for myCNAjobs, a caregiving and CNA recruiting vehicle used by senior employers across the country.

By 2050, over 20 percent of the U.S. population will be age 65 or older. Although professional caregiving careers are growing at a tremendous rate, nursing school enrollment isn’t growing fast enough to meet projected demand, according to the American Association of College and Nursing. Continue Reading