Why it matters!2

Why it matters!Career Preparation for 21st Century Employment

Here’s what you’ll learn!

1. High School – More than just the soon to be “good old days.”

2. Post-high school – College or technical training?

3. What employers want – You, well-educated you!

4. 10 Practices for Career Success

Who am I and why do I care?

QHS ALUMNI Director of Co-curricular &

Operations Assessment at University of Houston Downtown

CEO – Koponen Associates, skills2hired.com

I’ve been a cartographer, an assistant to a corporate CEO and a corporate President, a business owner, a high stakes project manager, and a marketing director

University of Northern Colorado, Monfort College of Business BA – Interdisciplinary Studies

with emphases in communication; writing; management & marketing

MA – Communication Studies Ph.D. – Educational Technology

University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Certification – Leadership and

Management

Dr. Angela Koponen

851444

3611

6082

2534274 179

UHD Student Ethnicity

American Indian

Asian or Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

International

UnknownTotal Population 14,209

High School – More than just the soon to be “good old days.”

The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!

Earl Nightingale

What you do in high school lays the

foundation for post-secondary education

and career development. This is a time

to:

Practice skills that are critical to career

success.

Test the waters of subjects which later in

your academic career you may discover

you not only enjoy, but are crucial to

career success.

Develop good working habits like time

management, organization, and diligence.

Benefits of a High School Diploma

Here are 5 Benefits of Receiving a High School Diploma,

compiled by eHow.com: Salaries. A high school diploma recipient earns an average of $8,400 a year more than a high

school dropout. If you work until the age of 65 that will amount to $394,800...Wow!

Significance. A study by the Economics Center for Education and Research in Ohio found that

high school diplomas benefit taxpayers and state economies as well. High school graduates

contribute more to a state's economy and require less state assistance than high school dropouts.

Potential. The Ohio study found that high school graduates can realize a net lifetime benefit of

more than $470,000. For state tax payers, the contributions by high school graduates far

outweigh the costs of education.

Misconceptions. A General Educational Development, or GED, is widely perceived as a high

school equivalency certificate. However, studies have shown that high school graduates earn

more on average than GED recipients. In addition, not all colleges accept a GED as equivalent to a

high school diploma.

Considerations. High school dropouts, in contrast to graduates, face uncertain futures. Dropouts

are more likely to be incarcerated or require public assistance than high school graduates.

Post-high school – College or technical training?

“The value of a college education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think.”

~Albert Einstein Let’s include education in general!

Is College Worth It?

The data are clear: individuals with at least some college education make more money than those with only a high school degree. And let us not forget about the non-monetary returns, such as better working conditions, lower rates of disability, and increased civic engagement.

However, the conversation has become more complicated as

research has pointed to another important fact: yes, college is worth it, but not always. We no longer think that all educations are financially good investments—the specifics matter. The answer for any student depends upon three important factors: the college attended, the field of study, and the cost or DEBT TAKEN.

http://www.payscale.com/content/value-college-degree.pdf

Consider DEBT!

DEBT is a reality of higher education today, and some debt is fine if it makes possible a beneficial educational investment. However, the level of debt that is reasonable depends greatly on the school attended and major. One might judge $10,000 of total debt for an engineering degree to be fine, while the opposite would be true for a six-week certificate program. (p.11)

TEDx Seattle talk

Technical Training

Why we need vocational training! By Mark Phillips in The Answer Sheet by Valerie Strauss

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/why-we-need-vocational-education/2012/06/04/gJQA8jHbEV_blog.html

Best salaries for tradesmen:http://work.chron.com/typical-wage-trades

man-9225.html

Salary comparison

http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htmhttp://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_102.htm

Salary comparison encore

Note: Data are for persons age 25 and over. Earnings are for full-time wage and salary workers.

These education categories reflect only the highest level of education attained. They do not take into account completion of training programs in the form of apprenticeships and other on-the-job training, which may also influence earnings and unemployment rates. For more information on training, see: http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_education_summary.htm and http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_education_by_train.htm.

BLS has some data on the employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 25 years and over by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic origin online.

The Census Bureau also has some data on educational attainment online.

BONUS: http://work.chron.com/comparison-level-education-salary-6533.html

So What?Why all this really matters . . . Coming up!

IT TAKES MORE THAN A MAJOR:

Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student SuccessAn Online Survey Among Employers Conducted On Behalf Of:The Association Of American Colleges And UniversitiesBy Hart Research Associates

April 10, 2013Hart Research Associates

1724 Connecticut Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20009

A degree won’t do it alone for many graduates:http://www.aacu.org/aacu_news/aacunews14/september14/perspectives/

What do employers want?

Innovation Knowledge

CommunicationSkills

Critical Thinking Education

Employers say the most emphasis should be placed on the following areas:• Critical thinking and analytical reasoning (82%

more emphasis, 7% less)• Complex problem solving and analysis (81%

more emphasis, 6% less)• Written and oral communication (80% more

emphasis, 8% less)• The application of knowledge and skills in real-

world settings (78% more• emphasis, 6% less)• The location, organization, and evaluation of

information from multiple• sources (72% more emphasis, 9% less)• Innovation and creativity (71% more emphasis,

9% less)

How can you acquire the skills valued by employers?

• In college, embrace your general education classes.

• Accept that the courses most see as “busy work” offer fantastic opportunities to gain invaluable knowledge about yourself and the world.

• Respect and appreciate your professors.

ASIDE FROM COLLEGE:• READ! INQUIRE!

DISCUSS! READ SOME MORE!

Who do you want to be?

Neil Howe and William Strauss call Millennials

The Next Great Generation

"Over the next decade, the Millennial Generation will entirely recast the image of youth from downbeat and alienated to upbeat and engaged--with potentially seismic consequences for America." –from Millennials Rising

Are you ready to live up to or follow that compliment?

http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/how-millennial-are-you/

Generation Z  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z

You! The Star of the Show

http://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sd/news_article/46431/_PARENT/layout_details_cc/false

10 Best Practices

Manage your career!

Best Practice #1: Keep Track of Your Accomplishments, Skills and Projects Best Practice #2: Develop and Expand Your Network Best Practice #3: Identify and Build Your Expertise Best Practice #4: Write Career Goals Prevent floating! Best Practice #5: Keep Your Resume Current Best Practice #6: Manage Your Professional Image Best Practice #7: Build a Personal Career Portfolio Best Practice #8: Keep a Dynamic Target List Best Practice #9: Create a Personal Board of Advisors Best Practice #10: Develop Your Leadership Style Best Practice #11: Develop a Global Perspective

See more at: http://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sd/news_article/46431/_PARENT/layout_details_cc/false#sthash.NM9oOHu8.dpuf

CONTACT ME OR FOLLOW MY BLOG

Dr. Angela KoponenUniversity of Houston Downtown Director of Co-Curricular & Operations AssessmentHouston, TX

[email protected]