Student Resource Central 10x more useful than ConnectEDU, Naviance, Kuder, Career Cruisin or XAP

Posted on May 15, 2013 | Leave a comment

The Career Coaching for Students™ program has so much to it. Independent career coaches, high school counselors and college career center counselors are finding the assessments and strategies creating significant breakthroughs. We call this disruptive technology.

This article focuses on one part of the program that other programs minimize. Student Resources Central™ offers students and parents access to the best resources on the web. From career research, choosing a major, choosing a school, financial aid, scholarship research, college admissions and application process to the latest in resume portfolios, this portal to the vast unlimited resources on the web has it all. The website sprinkles advice throughout. The organizational layout enables the user to go exactly where they need to within two clicks.        SRC Welcome Page

Below are screen shots of the main tabs. Each main tab has subtabs that offer carefully selected resources. Click on the screenshot to see a larger view to read the subtabs.

Criteria for a resource to be included in Student Resource Central:

Quality of information. Including the source, we don’t think it helps you to receive bad, biased, out-dated or partial information.

Agenda-free. The recommended resources are not operating a marketing data collection site that will use your personal information to market their sponsors.

Ease-of-use. There are plenty of web information pages. Just do a simple search on one topic and you’ll find millions of pages. Which are really worthy of your time? How much time will you have to spend shuffling through hundreds of pages before you get to the right pages of information? With SRC, you’ll quickly find your way through any webpage we direct you to.

Several great take-action recommendations

Several great take-action recommendations

 

Career Coaching for Students extensive library of worksheets, videos, and more

Career Coaching for Students extensive library of worksheets, videos, and more

The most extensive Career Research portal on the web - and easy to use

The most extensive Career Research portal on the web – and easy to use – including several extensive career video libraries.

Education Research that gives you what you need - like college freshman retention rates and graduation rates

Education Research that gives you what you need – like college freshman retention rates and graduation rates

Straight scoop, how to and information with integrity is what the Financial Aid and Scholarship resources are about. Most scholarship websites are nothing more than marketing websites. Not at SRC.

Straight scoop, how to and information with integrity is what the Financial Aid and Scholarship resources are about. Most scholarship websites are nothing more than marketing websites. Not at SRC.

Writing a resume and developing interview skills are just the beginning. So much for you to leverage including career advice videos.

Writing a resume and developing interview skills are just the beginning. So much for you to leverage including career advice videos.

Using social networking sites is key to career research, getting inside information about colleges and universities, finding internships and landing the first job out of college. The latest in using Portfolios is reviewed with a list of free cloud-based portfolio apps.

Using social networking sites is key to career research, getting inside information about colleges and universities, finding internships and landing the first job out of college. The latest in using Portfolios is reviewed with a list of free cloud-based portfolio apps.

If all of that isn’t enough, Student Resource Central is including the Life Skills for Students™ program too – for the one price.

The good news is that if you’ve purchased the Home Study Personal Edition of Career Coaching for Students or engage one of the licensed facilitators for a one-on-one service or workshop in your area, you receive Student Resource Central automatically. Purchasing the full package is the best way to go.

However, if you don’t want to buy the entire Career Coaching for Students program and receive the cool assessments and student binder, Student Resource Central is available, for a limited time, at a ridiculously cheap rate. The same rate applies for families or teachers wanting to use the resources for an entire class.

After comparing to other offerings, it becomes obvious that those other programs are trying to do the minimum while maximizing profits. Student Resource Central – well – is just simple, common sense that everyone can benefit from.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in ACT Test, career exploration, Career Exploration and Career Coaching, career interest, career test, Choose a college, Choose a major, College Application Essay, College Search Tool, e-portfolio, FAFSA, FASFA, Financial Aid, Find a Major, portfolio, Resume best practices, resume writing, SAT Test, student career counseling, Student Career Exploration, Teen Career Exploration, Test Prep

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

E-Portfolios – The New Resume for Students?

Posted on May 5, 2013 | 5 comments

The traditional resume is far from dead. You’ll need that for most internship or job applications. But many colleges and employers are wanting a more insightful (and creative) view of your talents – even if you aren’t in a creative major or profession. And you will want to stand out from the crowd.

e-portfolio by CarbonmadeCreative professionals need a repository of work that shows engagement and abilities. This need to showcase creative work was the first application for e-portfolios. Whether you are focused on a creative profession such as photography or trying to stand out competitively as a business major, an e-portfolio is quickly becoming a popular and effective tool. Creativity is an asset valued greatly by any employer in any industry.

A portfolio is a collection of work developed across varied contexts over time.
The electronic format allows faculty and employers to evaluate student and applicants using technology, which may include the Internet, video, animation or audio. Electronic portfolios are becoming a popular alternative to traditional paper-based portfolios because they offer practitioners and peers the opportunity to review, communicate and assess portfolios in an asynchronous manner.

For college students, an ePortfolio is a collection of a student’s work in electronic format. You should include a welcome/introduction to your ePortfolio. This is the first virtual impression that people will have of you, so make it a great one! You may even want to include a video welcome where you explain the organization of your ePortfolio and direct the viewer through the site. Your ePortfolio may contain all or some of the following:

  1. Supporting files of various formats (text, pictures, video, etc.)
  2. Evaluations, analysis and recommendations
  3. Evidence of General Education competencies
  4. Writing samples (which might include several drafts to show development and improvement)
  5. Projects prepared for class or extracurricular activities
  6. Evidence of creativity and performance
  7. Evidence of extracurricular activities, including examples of leadership

Employers are starting to look at the portfolio as a means of assessing the total talent of an individual.

Since we now live in the internet age where anyone can access anything anytime, it is imperative that you have an online portfolio. The only real problem is figuring out where to put your work – there are so many online portfolio tools and communities, it can be challenging to determine which one will work best for you. Many e-portfolio solutions are offered at no cost. Below are just a few that have different strengths.

Online Portfolio Strategy

Online portfolios are an easy way for potential employers to view your work samples.

The Internet makes it easier than ever to share your work samples. Include your portfolio’s web address on all job search communication. If you participate in online networking, add a link to your online portfolio. This will make it easier for your network to recommend your work to others.

Organize your work samples thoughtfully as you would with paper portfolios, but take advantage of the Internet’s ability to link pages with one another.

Research your technical options carefully. Free services allow you to get up and running quickly with limited design skills, but may come with some disadvantages:

  • They may restrict how many files you can upload as well as the type AND size of the files.
  • They may allow limited customization.
  • They may insert ads on your pages. (This is how some can offer it for free.)

There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution. Which you choose will depend on your needs, time, budget, and web skills. Carefully compare features to determine which one meets your needs.

Portfolios

Free or subscription-based portfolios tend to allow larger and a wider range of file types. These files are uploaded directly to the host site. There are a variety of free portfolio options. Most are geared toward presenting graphic elements rather than text. These are ideal if you need to showcase work visually.

Check these out to find the best fit for your needs:

Whatever your discipline or career direction, you can rest assured that there is an online portfolio tool specific to your niche waiting for you to create your very own portfolio and help you market and sell your talent.

Carl Nielson is the creator of Career Coaching for Students and Student Resource Central, the most comprehensive one-stop resource for career exploration, major and education institution research and leading thought for students in high school and college.

5 Comments

Posted in e-portfolio, Find a Job Advice, Job Search, portfolio, Resume best practices, resume writing

Tagged , , ,

Warning: Campus Career Services NOT There to Help Students Choose a Career

Posted on April 5, 2013 | Leave a comment

B-Schools With Career Services That Rock—MaybeBusinessweek conducts a survey of college career centers each year. The way they wrote the article (see link), apparently college campus career services are not expected to assist students in choosing a career. So do you go to academic advising for help? Not really. They refer you over to the career center.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Excerpt from the Businessweek article:
One of the more perplexing things about business school career services is that student perceptions of how good a job their school is doing often bear no relation to the school’s real-world performance at placing students in high-paying jobs.

But wait, maybe there’s hope
Based on the survey data, students who took the Businessweek survey (summary article at http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-13/b-schools-with-career-services-that-rock-maybe) consider career services to be more than just placement and salaries.

In fact, the services include much more, from organizing career events on campus to connecting students with alumni who work in their targeted industries and providing help on job applications and résumés. Students who rate their school’s career services highly—notwithstanding mediocre success in the job market—are effectively giving them an “A” for effort. So if you’re looking for schools where you’ll get lots of help in your job search, consider those on our “best” list—you may not land your dream job, but it won’t be for lack of trying.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

Many career centers offer career counseling. Just keep in mind the “counselor” you are working with may be a grad student who has never had a job outside of the college. Or the counselor’s skill set may be stronger around how to write an effective resume than how to understand your talents and identify careers that are ideally suited to your talent makeup. Even if you are aiming for a business school education, there are many career paths that your education will support that you are less or more suited for talent-wise.

So where does a student go for assistance in choosing a career?

Leave a comment

Posted in career choices, career exploration, Career Exploration and Career Coaching, career interest, career options, Choose a college, Choose a major, Find a Job Advice, Find a Major, student career counseling, Student Career Exploration, Teen Career Exploration

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Countering College Student Objections to Joining LinkedIn

Posted on March 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

LinkedIn5 COLLEGE STUDENT Objections to Joining LinkedIn

While it is true that some college students may be beyond help, below are some excuses you can meet head on. To support students, my connections exceed over 2,000 which connect me to over 17 million on LinkedIn. I use my connections to help both high school and college students find people in their career of interest as part of the Career Coaching for Students program (high school program or college student program).

Your key to success1. “Creating a LinkedIn profile takes too much time” is a common complaint; however, creating a profile is actually a motivational exercise. Students can easily copy and paste their résumé to their LinkedIn profile and revise it from there. Once their profile starts to fill out, they begin to feel better about their developing profile.

2. “I don’t have time to add a LinkedIn update once a week?” Posting an update once a week is not that hard to do. With most students now on Facebook and Twitter, posting an update takes the same effort. It’s as simple as commenting on a topic such as something interesting being covered in a core course that aligns with your career direction, attaching an article, posting a great quote, letting people know what you are up to, etc.

3. “I don’t think people in my occupation use LinkedIn” might have been a valid point two or three years ago. Some occupations, namely the trades, were slower to jump on the LinkedIn wagon. Today, people in all industries and all types of work are on LinkedIn. With the number of connections I have, I love taking friendly bets on this false perception. I’ve won every bet.

4. “There’s no way I can get 50 connections” is an interesting challenge. LinkedIn allows users to download contacts from their e-mail account from the beginning of registering for membership. One just has to select the members they want to invite and soon acceptances and invites will come their way. An exercise I do with high school and college students is to have them write down on a worksheet everyone they know (friends, extended family, parents of friends, professional contacts). I then poll everyone to see how many they wrote down. In a 5 minute time limit, the average student writes down between 30 and 50 names. I then ask them if it is reasonable to expect each person they wrote down to have the same number of contacts. We then do the math. Using the least (30), the math looks like this: 30 x 30 = 900. Each of us can easily get something between our direct contact count and the 900 within one week. For college students, making this a competitive challenge with a reasonable $$ prize for the highest number of contacts after one week generates amazing results.

5. “I’m just a college student.” LinkedIn will most likely not offer immediate gratification. This isn’t a sprint; it is more like a marathon. The smartest students will invest in the time to begin their lifelong network. They’ll be ahead of their classmates and will most likely receive more interviews and offers when the time comes for the payout.

Carl Nielson is an organizational development consultant, professional career and executive/leadership coach and creator of the nationally recognized program Career Coaching for Students™ . Career Coaching for Students is available as a district-wide high school program, college program and in group and on-one-one offerings through certified career coaches throughout the United States, Canada and other countries. Contact Carl Nielson at carl@successdiscoveries.com or call 972-346-2892 to discuss specific needs. Or visit us at http://www.careercoachingforstudents.net

Leave a comment

Posted in best career, career choices, career exploration, Career Exploration and Career Coaching, career interest, Choose a major, Job Search, student career counseling, Student Career Exploration, Teen Career Exploration

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dr. Phil’s Sweet 16 Tips for Success – for High School and College Students

Posted on March 13, 2013 | 5 comments

Dr. Phil Sweet 16 Life Rules on The DoctorsDr. Phil McGraw shares part of his formula for success with “The Sweet 16,” featured in his new book, Life Code: The New Rules for Winning in the Real World. He makes the point in the promo piece on The Doctors television show that success requires living authentically through these 16 rules. I’ve created a matrix of these Sweet 16 with critical soft skills for success that we introduce and coach on in the Career Coaching for Students program. These are skills that are aligned with and critical to teens and college students creating a successful launch from child to adult and being over-the-top happy in career and life. The two lists are independent of each other.

Dr. Phil McGrawFor college students, the heat is high enough to hold their attention on this subject – if it is offered as part of a college freshman seminar or provided proactively by the family as part of a personal career coaching program. For high school students, the ability to internalize these 16 life rules in order to leverage the opportunity to explore and plan for a career that is ideal for them is a tough challenge. However, some students are doing this and reaping the rewards in a big way. Dr. Phil’s Sweet 16 and the Life Skills for Students offered in the Career Coaching for Students program are both critically relevant for those wanting to experience success in life and work.

“I have studied success all of my life and I found that success leaves clues,” Dr. Phil says. “There is a formula for success and I’ve boiled it down to what I call The Sweet 16.”

The first column displays Dr. Phil’s Sweet 16 Rules. We’ve listed 16 “Life Skills for Students” that are key to success. Each of Dr. Phil’s rules align nicely to our Life Skills for Students content.

Dr. Phil’s Sweet 16 Rules for Success

 Life Skills for Students™
1 Have a defined “image” and never go out of character.
You must know both yourself and how to present yourself.		 Interpersonal Skills
Effectively communicating, building rapport and relating well to all kinds of people requires knowing yourself.
2  Create a perception of uniqueness.
Choose to define your image so that you distinguish yourself from anyone else in the world.		 Creativity and Innovation
Adopting traditional or devising new approaches, concepts, methods, modes, designs, processes, technologies and/or systems helps to distinguish you.
3 Play “big,” not just long.
Playing big is different than playing long because even reliable and competent people that play long seldom win big, if at all.		 Proactive Thinking
The capacity to think ahead in order to realistically evaluate the consequences of current actions, processes and decisions shows you are thinking big.
4 Learn to claim and accept praise, and acknowledge it in a gracious way, but do accept it.
The goal is to get noticed and acknowledged for who you are and what you do.		 Decision Making
Utilizing effective processes to make decisions will be one of the biggest generators of praise.
5  Become “essential.”
If you want to succeed in any situation, it is important to be needed and good to be relied upon.		 Initiative
The compelling desire to get into the flow of work in order to accomplish the vision and complete the goal makes you essential.
6 Know your real currency.
Don’t waste time working for what you don’t want.		 Self Management
The ability to prioritize and complete tasks in order to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames is valued like gold by your employer/boss but will also help you create self-worth. Also see Goal Orientation below.
7 Always, always have a plan.
If you want to achieve a sustained measure of success in any area of your life, you need a specific plan that begins with identifying what you want.		 Planning and Organizing
Utilizing logical, systematic and orderly work procedures to meet objectives.
8 Keep things “close to the vest.”
To be interesting you have to maintain a certain degree of mystery, because it gives you a degree of mastery.		 Project and Goal Focus
The capacity to concentrate one’s full attention on the project or goal at hand, regardless of distractions or difficulties gives enables your mind to discipline itself.
9 Always be in investigatory mode.
You have to constantly be gathering relevant information that may empower you to do and achieve what you desire.		 Continuous Learning
Check this module out by clicking on the link. Taking initiative in learning and implementing new concepts, technologies and/or methods. Let others be part of the source of your learning.
10 Must “stretch” and behave your way to success, even if it feels like “fake it until you make it.”
Have confidence and be bold enough to stretch yourself, scramble to close the gap if one exists, and grow into new opportunities.		 Flexibility
The ability to readily modify, respond to and integrate change with minimal personal resistance.
11 Always keep your options open.
It is important to always leave yourself a face-saving way out.		 Goal Orientation
Energetically focus your efforts on meeting your personal goals. Create a personal mission statement. Having a longer-term vision for yourself makes seeing the value of different options easier.
12 Always master the system and figure a way to make it work for you.
You can gain distinct advantage if you know the game better than anybody else.		 Problem Solving
The ability to identify key components of the problem, possible solutions and the action plan to obtain the desired result.
13 Create a passionate nucleus of supporters.
Surround yourself with people who share your passion and vision, and support your pursuit of your goals.		 Persistence
The capacity to steadily pursue any project or goal that a person is committed to in spite of difficulty, opposition or discouragement. Distance yourself emotionally from those that are naysayers to your goals.
14 Deal only with the truth.
You must resolve to never fail to acknowledge if you have a problem or are in some kind of toxic situation that is draining your life energy.		 Personal Accountability
The capacity to take responsibility for one’s own actions, conduct, obligations and decisions without excuses. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone fails at some point. Some believe failing is the best way to learn – as long as you try again. Don’t fear owning your mistakes with others.
15 Recognize and use the ego and greed of others to create a path to success.
If you want acceptance and to be heard and well-regarded, you can create receptivity by being sensitive to your listener’s ego.		 Futuristic Thinking
Imagining, envisioning, projecting and/or predicting what has not been realized yet. Others’ egos are not relevant to your long-term goals but may be valuable for your current situation.
16 Pick your battles and never let your opponent have control.
Never put yourself in an untenable position by picking a battle that you don’t need to fight and don’t know with great certainty that you can win.		 Persuading Others
The capacity to influentially present one’s positions, opinions, feelings or views to others in such a way that they will listen and adopt the same view. Knowing others better than they know themselves puts you in control.

Carl Nielson is an organizational development consultant, professional career and executive/leadership coach and creator of the nationally recognized program Career Coaching for Students™ . Career Coaching for Students is available as a district-wide high school program, college program and in group and on-one-one offerings through certified career coaches throughout the United States, Canada and other countries. Contact Carl Nielson at carl@successdiscoveries.com or call 972-346-2892 to discuss specific needs. Or visit us at http://www.careercoachingforstudents.net

5 Comments

Posted in Career Exploration and Career Coaching, Managing My Career, student career counseling, Student Career Exploration, Teen Career Exploration

Tagged , , , , ,

College Admissions Pet Peeves

Posted on March 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

Highlight from U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2013 guidebook: 10 college admissions officers share their pet peeves

Choosing a college that is best for youWhile the “best colleges to attend” isn’t the “best way” to choose a college, attending a highly ranked college over a local junior college will add dollars to your starting salary. But getting accepted is the first hurdle. Choosing a college only happens after you are accepted. Here are excerpts from the article based on college admissions decision-makers:

  • Be yourself: “I’ve been jaded by years of reading captivating pieces only to meet the student and realize that he or she could not possibly have used the vocabulary relayed in the writing,” reports Tom Delahunt of Drake University.  “Students should submit their strongest work, not someone else’s.”
  • Passions, not laundry lists: “I become leery about a candidate when I notice his or her list of extracurricular activities increase significantly during senior year,” reports Delahunt. “Instead of a laundry list of commitments, we admissions officers want to know which one (or two) of these activities is truly a passion.”
  • Avoid slang: “While there is a time and place for shortcuts, emoticons, and other symbols of contemporary communication, your application should reflect formal standards that would make your English teacher proud,” advises Bruce Latta of the U.S. Naval Academy.
  • Watch what you post: “Many of our applicants tag themselves in photos after they have visited our campus, so it’s not hard for us to see what profiles are open to the entire world,” Latta notes. “My best advice is to remember that if your grandmother wouldn’t be proud to see what you’re posting online, it probably shouldn’t be public.”
  • Know who we are: Too many students ask questions about what majors are offered and other information “that is plainly stated on our website.” says Suzi Nam of Swarthmore College. “We want you to display, through your application, that you have a meaningful understanding of our institution and how and why you see yourself as being a good match. This kind of authentic, thoughtful engagement with the admissions office is what all colleges value most.”

Excerpted from “What Not to Do When You Apply” in U.S.News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2013. Available at usnews.com/college13. Copyright © 2012 U.S.News & World Report, L.P. Used by permission of U.S.News & World Report, L.P. All rights reserved. U.S. News allows republication of this excerpt without specific written permission or payment of royalties, provided that the excerpt is republished in its entirety without any modifications and includes this notice. Please contact permissions@usnews.com with any questions.

Carl Nielson is an organizational development consultant, professional career and executive/leadership coach and creator of the nationally recognized program Career Coaching for Students™ . Career Coaching for Students is available as a district-wide high school program, college program and in group and on-one-one offerings through certified career coaches throughout the United States, Canada and other countries. Contact Carl Nielson at carl@successdiscoveries.com or call 972-346-2892 to discuss specific needs. Or visit us at http://www.careercoachingforstudents.net

Leave a comment

Posted in ACT Test, Choose a college, Choose a major, College Application Essay, College Search Tool, Find a Major, SAT Test, student career counseling, Test Prep

Tagged , ,

Job Hunting in the 21st Century for Students and recent College Grads

Posted on January 27, 2013 | 3 comments

Forbes The ConnectorFor some time now, I’ve watched the number of college students graduating without a job go to unacceptable levels. We can blame the economy of course. But how does that explain that some students are getting jobs. And these are graduating seniors with GPA or class standing all over the board. In fact, there are some graduating seniors with extremely high GPAs being passed over for others with a substantially lower GPA. The solution is more complex than any one thing. The economy isn’t even close to the top reason (I’m sure some readers will disagree and argue this point but watch the slide show below first).

Part of the solution is something called “networking”. Let me share a real story that emphasizes the value and “fun” in networking as part of that solution.

Recently, a college junior (engineering major) discussed their passion for sports equipment engineering as a career. Short term, this student had hoped for a student internship before entering their senior year. Long term he wanted to know the industry and work for the best company engaged in sports equipment engineering. – What a vision! –

I suggested he “search for and find” the professional association that served the continuing education needs of sports equipment engineers. Sure enough there is such a thing (http://www.continuinged.uml.edu/isea2012/) and he signed up as a student member (discounted price) and flew from Dallas to Massachusetts to attend the conference last summer. He met many in the “business” and has built a networking foundation that will very likely lead to a great first career job and perhaps a career company when he graduates this next year. He doesn’t have a 4.0 GPA. What he has is passion for the career, a good GPA from a good university and a vision.

To help students and recent grads in the job hunt, I’ve put together a slide show that can easily be narrated by a Career Services professional but is also of value as just a slide show for anyone trying to figure out the mystery to effective job hunting. This “guide” applies to the hunt for an internship as well.

Click on the “Full Screen” button (bottom right) to view the presentation. Good luck in your job search!

Career Coaching for Students is the solution
Career Coaching for Students™ offers high school and college students (two versions of the program) the opportunity to develop a clear picture of self and their future that lifts self-esteem, increases academic performance and helps the family avoid unnecessary costs of changing majors and extending college due to changes in direction. Student Resource Central is the most comprehensive resource portal for career exploration and educational strategy research links. The Career Coaching for Students program assists students in finding their passion and establishing a path to success. For more information, visit the website at http://www.careercoachingforstudents.net.
Chief Discovery Officer, Success Discoveries

Carl Nielson

Carl Nielson is an organizational development consultant, professional career and executive/leadership coach and creator of the nationally recognized program Career Coaching for Students™ . Career Coaching for Students is available as a district-wide high school program, college freshman class and in group and on-one-one offerings through certified career coaches throughout the United States, Canada and other countries. Contact Carl Nielson at carl@successdiscoveries.com or call 972-346-2892 to discuss specific needs. Or visit us at http://www.careercoachingforstudents.net

3 Comments

Posted in best career, career choices, career options, Find a Job Advice, Job Search, Managing My Career, new careers, student career counseling, Student Career Exploration

Tagged , , , , ,

Freshman Year: The Big Picture by guest blogger Jennifer Karan, Executive Director, SAT Program, College Board

Posted on January 18, 2013 | Leave a comment

Happy TeensAs a former English teacher and Dean of Students (9th and 10th grade), I know that there are few things as daunting, mysterious and exciting to a teenager than freshman year of high school. It’s a whole new world: the hallways are foreign and at larger schools, students sometimes feel as though they need a GPS to get from class to class; the upperclassmen seem so much older and are brimming with a glowing confidence; teacher expectations and homework may require substantial adjustment. And college seems like a distant point on the horizon.

Part of the trepidation may be what adults would understand as not being able to see the forest for the trees. However, when a student is able to see how the various academic courses, opportunities in arts and athletics and programs that develop other interests (the school paper, community service or a part-time job) that form the Big Picture, he or she is able to navigate this terrain successfully, with greater purpose and enjoyment.

high school students see the big picture and plan carrersAn excellent first step towards realizing this Big Picture is to encourage a student to make an appointment with a school counselor early on. Where access to a counselor is difficult, students can approach a trusted teacher of a favorite subject. If a student is willing to share information with this new advisor, he or she can help that student make sure he taking the right classes to graduate on time and taking the types of classes colleges are looking for. Students should discuss favorite subjects to learn about additional opportunities as well as to get the necessary help with the more intimidating courses before it’s too late. Students can even share hobbies as well as aspirations; a counselor or advisor can help find extracurricular activities to help develop these interests.

Big Future, sponsored by the College Board, is an incredibly useful tool in helping students of all ages contemplate and understand what it takes to get to the college – or major – of their dreams. Starting early can help high school freshmen plan an academic path and start to understand the financial aid process, including scholarships and merit aid. It also provides information on how to make high school count, things to discuss with a counselor, planning college visits and other avenues to success.

Becoming aware of all the available resources and understanding how the decisions made now will offer benefits later on is one way to start the planning process. Actively utilizing those resources and building a unique and representative academic and extracurricular profile puts students on track for the Big Picture: showing colleges who they really are.

Career Coaching for Students is the solutionCareer Coaching for Students™ offers high school students the opportunity to develop a clear picture of self and their future that lifts self-esteem, increases academic performance and helps the family avoid unnecessary costs of changing majors and extending college due to changes in direction. Student Resource Central, the most comprehensive resource portal for career exploration and educational strategy research includes Big Future by College Board among its recommended resources. Freshman spring semester is the ideal time to take part in the Career Coaching for Students program. For more information, visit the website at http://www.careercoachingforstudents.net.

About the SAT Test

Leave a comment

Posted in ACT Test, career choices, career exploration, Career Exploration and Career Coaching, Choose a college, Choose a major, College Application Essay, FAFSA, Find a Major, SAT Test, student career counseling, Student Career Exploration, Teen Career Exploration, Test Prep

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Informational Interviews are There for the Asking

Posted on August 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

For students contemplating career direction, it can be hard to know how happy you’ll be in a new job or industry. Find out more about the career you are interested in by finding three to five people who are doing the kind of work you’re interested in. Contact them to set up informational interviews. If you don’t know anyone, find people through your parent’s friends and your friend’s parents or use social media (LinkedIn is the largest networking site).

Don’t feel timid about contacting someone. People are usually flattered when you ask for their opinions, and most enjoy talking about what they do. For college students, you can always offer to take the contact to lunch to sweeten the pot. If you are a high school student, arrange to meet them at their office or place of work and be prompt.

Before the meeting, prepare a list of questions you’d like to ask the interviewee. These may range from “What do you like most about your work?” to “What’s an average day like for you?” to “What does someone have to do to get ahead in your field?”

In the Career Coaching for Students program, we have a set of 18 interview questions you can use. We prepare the students by having a “guest” come in to be interviewed by the students. Having the students see first hand how simple and enjoyable the dialogue can be with a complete stranger prepares and motivates students to leverage this strategy. The pay back for moving outside your comfort zone to pursue and do informational interviews will be significant. You might even be offered the opportunity to job shadow for a day or land a summer job. Wouldn’t that be worth it.

Carl Nielson is an organizational development consultant, professional career and executive/leadership coach and creator of the nationally recognized program Career Coaching for Students™ . Career Coaching for Students is available as a district-wide high school program and in group and on-one-one offerings through certified career coaches throughout the United States, Canada and other countries. Contact Carl Nielson at carl@successdiscoveries.com or call 972-346-2892 to discuss specific needs. Or visit us at http://www.careercoachingforstudents.net

Leave a comment

Posted in career exploration, Career Exploration and Career Coaching, new careers, student career counseling, Student Career Exploration, Teen Career Exploration

Tagged , , , , , ,

Why You Will Fail

Posted on August 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

Larry Smith is a different kind of inspirational speaker. His presentation on TEDx is so entertaining and insightful I felt compelled to post it on my blog. If you are a parent, please watch the video. If you are a student, please watch the video. If you watch the video, share comments here.

Throughout his three-decade career at the University of Waterloo, Larry Smith has inspired legions of students to take up the mantle of economics with his passionate and homespun tales of economic wizardry. A renowned story-teller, teacher and youth leadership champion, Larry has also coached and mentored countless numbers of students on start-up business management and career development strategies.

Having taught introductory microeconomics, macroeconomics and entrepreneurship classes, he recently celebrated assigning his 29,000th grade earlier this year.

Recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award, Larry has also coached several of his former students to help them position and develop their businesses, the most famous of which is Research in Motion (RIM), maker of the revolutionary BlackBerry wireless mobile smartphone. Larry also sits on the advisory panels of start-ups to provide his guidance on financing and negotiation with investors and venture capitalists.

Watch the presentation on TEDx.

Carl Nielson is an organizational development consultant, professional career and executive/leadership coach and creator of the nationally recognized program Career Coaching for Students™ . Career Coaching for Students is available as a district-wide high school program and in group and on-one-one offerings through certified career coaches throughout the United States, Canada and other countries. Contact Carl Nielson at carl@successdiscoveries.com or call 972-346-2892 to discuss specific needs. Or visit us at http://www.careercoachingforstudents.net

Leave a comment

Posted in career choices, career exploration, Career Exploration and Career Coaching, career interest, student career counseling, Student Career Exploration, Teen Career Exploration

Tagged , , , , , ,