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Poll: How has your education affected your career path?

By Job Journey on Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Educational paths, like college and career technical schools, can help pave the way to landing your dream job. But sometimes, the jobs we end up in aren’t directly tied to the education we received. Express Employment Professionals recently released the results of a survey conducted in both the U.S. and Canada which revealed that the least important factor when looking at job candidates was education. Instead, work ethic/integrity and attitude were the key characteristics that affected the hiring decision.

For our August question of the month, we want to know what role your education has played in your career or job search.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

What to Look For In Career Technology Education

By leidson on Friday, January 24, 2014

Whether you’re considering expanding your education for the first time or wanting to learn a new trade, your local career technology school could be just what you’re looking for. A career technology education often provides quality training for less time and money than more formal university programs. And, with Harvard University’s 2011 “Pathways to Prosperity” report showing that more than 25% of those holding post-secondary licenses or certificates from a career technology education earn more than the average bachelor’s degree recipient, getting a career technology education is a great way to further your career and increase your earning potential.

If you do decide to attend a career technology education, you still need to do a little research to make sure you’re choosing the best one for your needs. Here are four things to keep at the top of your checklist as you make your decision.

The Program You Want
Not all career technology education’s offer the same programs and certifications, so start out by finding the ones that offer what you’re looking for. If you aren’t quite sure what type of career you’re interested in, career technology schools are also great places to try different fields of work until you find one that fits. According to the New York Times, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that “of the 30 jobs projected to grow at the fastest rate over the next decade in the United States, only seven typically require a bachelor’s degree.” So you might take job security, projected growth, and earning potential into consideration as you decide on a program.

A Price You Can Afford
One of the best aspects of a career technology education is its affordability. “Because trade and technical schools are often directly tied into the employment needs of their region or state, prospective students can find low cost or free programs,” Mary Docken, director of market development at Hobsons, an education solutions firm, told Fox Business News. It is important to compare all the career technology schools within driving distance to see if one is cheaper than the others or if one has better scholarships or financial aid options.

Quality Teachers
Once you decide on your area of study, take a look at the various career technology teachers. What type of training do they have? Have they worked in the real world? What’s their reputation among their students? Often times, the instructors are more down to earth and approachable than university professors. “Instructors are usually well seasoned professionals with direct experience in the field, which is often not the case in the traditional college setting,” Erin Davis, director at McGraw-Hill Higher Education, said in a Fox Business News article.

A Good Reputation
Attending a career technology school that has a good reputation with local professionals and employers is critical if you want to maximize your chances of quickly landing a job after completing your training. So try to talk with some potential employers and find out what schools and programs they prefer to hire from. When a career technology school has a good enough reputation, some employers will even hire students before they graduate.

Just because career technology schools don’t receive all the hype that universities often do doesn’t mean they aren’t a great, viable option for you. Many of the jobs you can receive training for from a career technology school will provide stable, well-paying careers. And, even if you were already proficient in your field of work, sometimes getting that formal certification is what it takes to make you stand out from other job seekers.

Did you attend a career technology school and now have a great job? Do you think career technology schools can prepare you for a career just as well as universities? Let us know in the comments sections below.

Inside Express Reader Surveys

Did College Prepare You For The Workplace? Take Our Poll!

By Jared Cole on Monday, April 29, 2013

Last year, Woods Bagot – a global architecture and consulting studio released a survey asking whether or not recent college graduates are ready for today’s workplace. Of the more than 500 C-suite executives surveyed, 70% believe fewer than half of the graduates entering their companies have the skills to succeed in entry-level positions.

What do you think? Did college prepare you for a successful career? Do you think completely achieving any higher education or a training program gives you the necessary skills in the modern workplace? Let us know in our survey below.

At Work Cube Life My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips The Daily Grind Work/Life Balance

The Building Blocks of a Successful, Professional Résumé

By Miranda Wilson on Monday, April 5, 2010

When it comes to building a résumé, it’s important to know what to include and how to get an employer to notice yours. Typically, a hiring manager will form an opinion about you and your résumé within about 10 minutes, so your résumé needs to grab someone’s attention … and fast.

So, what does a great résumé include? Make sure you include these items to maximize your job search results.

The Basics. The basics for any résumé include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. And when it comes to listing an address, be sure to include a permanent address to ensure that if an employer sends you something, you will receive it. Also, for e-mail addresses, think professional. A great way to get overlooked for a job opportunity is to include a non-professional e-mail address, such as love2party@gmail.com. Instead, have a more professional e-mail address to include, such as jane.doe@gmail.com. Employers look at every detail on your résumé when deciding if you’re the right employee for them.

Educational Background and Experience. Include what your major is or what certifications and training you have received. The more you include the better. Also, list which school or votech you graduated from or that you’re attending. However, when it comes to your grade point average, only list it if it’s 3.5 or higher.

Objective and Summary of Skills. It’s never a bad idea to include a clear, direct objective and summary of what you’re looking for and what you can offer an employer. Remember, when it comes to a résumé, your ultimate goal is to tell them what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.

For example, if you’re applying for an ad copy writer position, list your top skills that would showcase to the employer why you are the best choice for the job. Keep this object short – only a few sentences at most – and communicate your passion for the job. Grab their attention early on in the résumé.

List of Achievements. Once you’ve told an employer in your objective and summary why they should hire you, you have to show them why. This is the section where you can go more in depth about your skills and abilities. It’s also OK to brag on yourself a little here. Tell them about honors, awards, and recognition you’ve received regarding your area of study. List internships or major projects you worked on that got rave reviews? Did you showcase a major community project for your school?

If you received an award for being the best of the best, include that too. Let a potential employer know what you’re able to do! The more impressive you appear, the better. But remember, a cardinal rule of creating a résumé is to keep everything truthful. Don’t fudge the truth even a little to seem more impressive. If an employer ever finds out you did, your career with them would be over before it ever gets started.

Community and Extracurricular Activities. Be sure to list all the organizations you have been involved in at school and outside of school. Since you don’t have a lot of on-the-job experience yet, this is a great way to show how you’re putting your skills to use.

These are some basic must-haves that every résumé should include. One other thing to keep in mind is the format you use. Usually for recent college grads, a combination of a chronological and functional format is a good choice. The chronological format lists your experience in a timely order, while the functional format focuses more on just your skills and abilities overall. Also, check out additional tips for getting past resume gaps.

Finally keep the overall design basic and try to keep your résumé to one page in length. The busier your résumé appears, the more distracting it will be. When it comes to the design, less is more. Also, create your résumé in Microsoft Word, but save your final copy as a PDF version.

Follow these tips to make sure you start your job search off on the right foot. Tune in next week for information on creating a list of references.

Job Interviews Resumes and Cover Letters Salary and Promotions The Daily Grind The Job Search

Poll Says Degrees Still Valuable, but Readers Share Frustrations

By tiffany monhollon on Friday, July 31, 2009

In our July monthly poll, we asked readers if they thought that this year, with high unemployment rates and a highly competitive job market, higher education is still worth the cost.

The results were mixed, but 50.3% of readers said that yes, they did think higher education is still valuable in this economy. At the same time, 32.9% of readers said that they did not think higher education is worth the cost, and 16.8% responded that they were not sure.

Comments on the poll illustrated that mixed feelings run deep when it comes to the value of higher education, especially in this economy. Some shared frustration, bitterness, and even anger about attaining college and advanced degrees but still struggling in a difficult job market.

Others offered insight into the value of work experience. One shared, “I just wouldn't recommend going from undergraduate to graduate school without any real work experience. It will be even harder in my opinion when you graduate.”

Another said, “A degree doesn't provide anyone with a guarantee. It does tend to open more doors than those who don't have a degree, but that is about it.”

So, as the summer wraps up and universities prep to welcome a new wave of students, will you be joining them? If so, are you planning to work to gain experience while you go to school? Are you looking for a different way to learn about your industry? Share your higher education plans for this upcoming semester in our comments section.

Career Advancement Career Options Reader Surveys The Job Search

This Year, Is Higher Education Worth the Cost?

By tiffany monhollon on Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Summer may be at its peak, but just around the corner, another school year waits. Not just for children to return to class from summer vacation, but for a growing number of people in America, from the unemployed to those with newly minted degrees.

This year, a rising number of unemployed Americans are returning to school to improve their knowledge and skills in an increasingly tough job market. In fact, many community colleges reporting their largest enrollment spikes ever attribute the increase to the need to meet the demands of a highly competitive job market.

To cope with the monetary strain of higher education, many high school graduates are simply opting for a low tuition option such as in-state or community colleges, rather than ivy league, gold sticker institutions.

Many new college grads, who faced a dreary job outlook upon their recent graduation, are opting to go straight into grad school, fearing uncertain immediate employment future. In fact, the National Association of Colleges and Employers reported that 26% of new grads planned to go on to graduate school, up from 24% in 2008 and 20% in 2007.

So, with all this emphasis on going back to school, we want to know what you think. Is it worth it to get a college or graduate degree in this recession? Let us know by voting in our poll below.

poll by twiigs.com

Are you struggling with the decision of whether or not to enroll in higher education? Looking to increase your skills, or hoping a degree will help you earn a higher paycheck? Share your thoughts on higher education in our comments section.