Kris writes:
I am a high school senior ready to graduate and I only have the grades to go to a 2-year community college, and I don’t really know what I could major in that would require me only 2 years! Please help me with some ideas. Thanks a lot!
The Career Doctor responds:
First of all, let me say that community colleges are great places — I taught at one for a few years while getting my Ph.D. — and you should not feel desperate. Students who attend community colleges usually follow one of two routes — they either go into a career that only requires an associate’s degree or certification — or — they use their associate’s degree as a stepping-stone to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a bachelor’s degree.
You can find a wealth of information about community colleges at the American Association of Community Colleges site.
So, please try and make the best of your situation. Poor grades in high school do not have to stop you from achieving your dreams. Going to community college and developing good study habits and getting good grades can be a springboard to take you to great heights — whatever those heights might be!
Leah writes:
I am a student in high school and I have no clue what I want to do when I get older, if you know of any sites or anything please inform me of them. Thanks a lot; this has really been bothering me lately and I really don’t know what else to do….
The Career Doctor responds:
Leah, the good news is that you have many years to figure out exactly what you want to do with your life — and even then, most experts predict that people will change their careers five times over their lifetimes… so, take a deep breath and relax.
What you should really do is examine your strengths — that is, what you’re good at in school. And then examine what you enjoy doing. Then spend some time thinking about types of jobs that might incorporate these skills and strengths. You might also consider taking a few of these career
assessments, which are another tool in helping you discover what you’re good at and what you like to do.
Are you planning to go to college? Most studies show that people with a college education make a much higher income than those with just a high-school diploma, so you should be looking in this direction. If you know you are going to college, then you need to look at colleges that offer majors or minors in the subjects that most interest you. For example, if you have an interest in journalism as a career, there are some fantastic journalism schools around the country.
There are lots of college sites, but I recommend you start at mine. If you go to College Planning Resources for Teens, you find original articles about choosing a college, strategies for visiting colleges, and choosing a college major — as well as links to the best college-related sites for teens.
Remember, no choice you make today is irreversible — you have plenty of time to discover what you really want to accomplish in your life.
Melissa writes:
I am 27 years old and looking to go back to school full-time. I went to college
briefly after high school as a business major but didn’t stay and am now
regretting it… BIG TIME. I want to advance myself and my career but sometimes
feel I am too old competing against all these younger people that just graduated
college. How can i over come the feeling of inadequacy and what are some
suggestions for a college major that is goal oriented but will help me out in
the real world?
The Career Doctor responds:
I think you know what I am going to say… just do it! Heck, one of my favorite
students is a 50-something woman, so being 27 is nothing. If you can find a
way to do it financially, I really encourage you to go back to college full-time.
So what if you’re 30 by the time you finish? Going back to college will be an
investment of your time and money, but it’s an investment that will continue
to pay you back for a lifetime.
Study after study shows that college graduates make more money and live
a more comfortable lifestyle. The lifetime income of families headed by individuals
with a bachelor’s degree will be about $1.6 million more than the incomes of
families headed by those with a high-school diploma.
And it’s not just all about money. Folks with a college degree also have
better job opportunities, and develop skills and knowledge that will serve
many purposes, and live healthier and happier lives.
But as you are contemplating this leap back to college, you also need to take
time for some self-assessment and career exploration. You need to discover
your passions in life - and how you can apply those to one or more careers.
And if I may make one plug for a business education, let me reiterate my view
that I think every college student should at least minor in business (if not major in it).
How many college grads are not going to work for a business in their lives?
Having at least a minor gives you important insights and skills needed in the
business environment.
And remember - no regrets. Some folks are just not ready to tackle college
at 18… needing time to gain the maturity and appreciation necessary to succeed.
Read more in this article published on Quintessential Careers:
What
Good is a College Education Anyway? The Value of a College Education.
Kelly writes:
I am a college-bound teen — I hope — and am interested in your opinion about the
value of me attending a summer camp to help me with the whole college choice,
college application process. What are your thoughts?
The Career Doctor responds:
I remember when summer camps used to places for hiking, swimming, sitting
around the campfire, and other fun activities — and while there are still camps
like this — a growing number of college and career prep camps are
offered to high-school students from around the country.
In the increasingly competitive college admissions process, some high school
students, such as yourself — or your parents — are turning to college-bound programs
offered by a variety of traditional and academic camps. And according to the
American Camping Association, the number of member camps offering academics
has grown about 15 percent over the last few years.
Students and parents are looking for that extra edge, whether in finding the perfect
college, writing the admissions application and essay, or mastering one of the
standardized admissions tests, are turning to both traditional camps that are
adding academic enrichment programs and college-prep camps located on
college campuses around the country.
These college-prep camps are expensive, but they are sold as a small investment
into a very important decision… most of these camps costs several thousands of
dollars for two- to four-week sessions.
Should you consider one of these camps? If you are considering some of the
most prestigious colleges in the country, then these camps could help you in
better understanding and better preparing for the admissions process, but if
you are planning to attend one of the vast majority of colleges that fall in the
middle (or lower) of the rankings, then it might make more sense to use the
resources already available to you at school, in books, and online.
Read more in this article published on Quintessential Careers:
Are
Summer College Prep or Academic Enrichment Camps Right for You?
Christine writes:
I am interested in a career in fashion design, fashion merchandising, and fashion journalism. I know I can take courses in fashion design
and merchandising at community colleges, but I didn’t see any courses
in fashion journalism. Would I just need to take a regular journalism
course and also the courses I need to take to do fashion design and
merchandising to be able to do all three?
The Career Doctor responds:
I think it’s great that you have discovered your passion in fashion. Obviously,
you envision yourself doing something in fashion, whether it’s creating it,
marketing it, or reporting on it.
That said, I think the skills you need to do those three careers are all quite
different, and while it makes sense to take classes in all three areas to absorb
as much about the fashion industry as possible, its probably better to try and
narrow down your choices. Besides learning more about the industry, the classes
might help clarify which specific path you want to follow.
I also suggest you work with a counselor and people in your network to attempt to
shadow one or more professionals in each of the career fields. See what a day in
the life is really like. If job shadowing is not possible, you can at least conduct a
number of informational interviews with people working in these careers. By doing
one or both of these activities, you’ll be able to ask people working in a job you
might aspire to how they got to where they are today — and that should help you
with your educational and career planning.
Assuming you are in school, you should also consider one or more internships in
fashion, marketing, or journalism to help you narrow your career choices. And work
with a counselor to help narrow your choices — and find the best career path for you.
A pretty cool resource for folks interested in fashion careers is this section from
About.com: Job Descriptions of
Cool Fashion Careers.
Jeffrey writes:
My son is a junior in high school with a 3.8 GPA, but he can’t define what he wants to
do in life. His mother and I have been telling him to pick something even if it is wrong.
This will at least give him some focus and direction so that we may line up potential
colleges. What do you recommend?
The Career Doctor responds:
I totally agree with you that having an idea of potential future career plans helps in many ways, including finding colleges that have strong
programs in that field. The problem, unfortunately, is that many people
struggle over the course of their lives in trying to find their ideal careers —
so the likelihood of a 16-year-old doing so is small. Many college students
go through multiple majors before settling on one.
I going to suggest some exercises for your son to take that may help him
begin to identify one or more career paths, but unless something clearly
emerges from the process, the best suggestion I have would be to narrow
the choices on some of the other major criteria students use, such as entrance
requirements, size, location, costs (and financial assistance), type (public/private),
reputation/ranking, degrees offered, and accreditation.
So, where should your son start in trying to identify possible careers and majors?
The keys are self-assessment and research. The first step is identifying favorite
courses and activities — then looking for common elements among them. He
should also examine his strengths and weaknesses, focusing more on his strengths.
Because some people have a hard time with introspective activities, one or more
self-assessment tests can help him discover more things about himself — and some
tests even suggest potential careers based on the results.
The second phase is research. First researching careers that match his interests
and strengths, and then talking with people in those careers to discover more about
the career paths and how they got there (including colleges, majors, degrees). He
should even consider hands-on research, such as job shadowing and volunteering.
Finally, he should research colleges and universities that offer majors/degrees for
his potential careers.
And for the latest on trends and issues with college admissions, go to the
Answers to Common
College Admissions Questions, published on Quintessential Careers.
April writes:
If I was interested into going about being a website master or
assistant, what would be the proper major of field to go in?
The Career Doctor responds:
You could certainly get the technical skills you need for such a job from a
community college or even some sort of certificate program, but if you are
a regular reader of this blog, you must know I am an advocate for
getting as much education as possible — when it’s possible — so I would
suggest you look into four-year colleges that offer a major in Web publishing
and e-commerce. These programs might be housed in one of several areas:
computer science, digital arts, or business.
I am an advocate for obtaining your bachelor’s degree not only for the intrinsic
value, but because it is the minimum standard of many professional jobs, and
as you advance in your career, the lack of a bachelor’s degree could hold you
back from promotions and other advancements.
A Webmaster must have a large skill set, from the technical skills of how to
create and manage Web pages, to the softer skills of communications and interpersonal relationships. You’ll be part of a team from all parts of the
organization that helps develop and manage the organization’s Web presence.
And typically, you’ll start as a member of that Web development team — as a
Web designer or developer.
Different organizations define Webmasters differently, but basically a
Webmaster is responsible for managing the evolution and well-being of the
Web work, as well as the more traditional HTML and other technical work.
In some organizations the Webmaster is a senior-level position — part of the
strategic team guiding the entire organization.
You can get started now by learning some of the basic skills, possibly hosting
your own site, and conducting informational interviews and shadowing
current Webmasters and Web developers.
Learn more about how to conduct career research in this article published
on Quintessential Careers: Research Companies and Careers Through Job Shadowing.
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