Website Review

For the final post of 2010, I thought I would list the websites I've mentioned since August and give a short description of each. The blog post in which the site was mentioned is referenced for easy access. (CAUTION: Punctuation in this piece is not grammatically correct. Periods are merely used as stop signs. DO NOT use it as a reference in your own writing!)

-http://www.collegeboard.com (August 18, 2010): Administered by The College Board. Information about registering and preparing for the SAT, college search, college match and college profile features. Information about the entire college experience for students, parents and professionals.

-http://www.myroad.com (August 18, 2010): Admintistered by The College Board. Students who have taken the PSAT/NMSQT may freely access the My Road program which includes career inventories and information and other valuable tools to help start the post-secondary education process.

-http://www.dicsoveryourpersonality.com (August 25, 2020): Gives a complete list of the career tests they sell which includes the Strong Inventory Profile with High School Profile.

-http://psychcorp.pearsonassessments.com (August 25, 2010): Sells the Campbell Interest and Skills Survey which focuses on careers that require post-secondary training/education.

-http://www.college.gov (August 25, 2010): Administered by the Federal Dept. of Ed. Provides links to other sites on career exploration, college admissions and financial aid.

-http://www.bls.gov (September 15, 2010): Administered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Provides information on careers found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, such as training, qualifications, job outlook, earnings, etc. Links to professional organizations and societies.

-http://www.onetcenter.org (September 15, 2010): Administered by the Dept. of Labor. Provides info from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles(DOT) about knowledge, skills, interests, etc. that specific careers require. Has job search info as well.

-http://careeronestop.org (September 15, 2010): Administered by the Dept. of Labor. Good resource for older students and work force re-entries/unemployed.

-http://www.njit.edu/precollege (September 22, 2010): Administered by New Jersey Institute of Technology. Info on pre-college programs for fifth through twelfth graders.

-http://www.fitnyc.edu (September 22, 2010): Administered by the Fashion of Technology. Fashion related courses for middle and high school students.

-http://www.njpac.org (September 22, 2010): Administered by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Programs in music, dance and theatre for 11-18 year old students.

-http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/-dougproj/DPPreCollege.html (September 22, 2010): Administered by Rutgers University. Provides info and applications for the Douglass Science Institute for high school girls interested in math, science and engineering.

-http://edsitement.neh.gov (October 6, 2010): Administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Links to sites dealing with the humanities such as art and culture, language and language arts, foreign language, etc.

-http://www.rcan.org/schools/links.html (October 6, 2010): Administered by the Vicariate for Education of the Archdiocese of Newark. Provides links to multiple websites such as the College Board, the Library of Congress, et.al.

-http://www.studenteducationprogram.com/precollege.html (October 27, 2010): Provides info about precollege programs.

-http://www.bc.edu/sites/genpulse/pass/summer_pulse.html (October 27, 2010): Administered by Boston College. Lists sources of information on summer pre-college programs with descriptions.

-http://www.ametsoc.org (November 3, 2010): Administered by the American Meteorological Society. A great example of a professional organization with extensive outreach to elementary, middle and high school students interested in atmospheric sciences.

-http://www.careercornerstone.org (November 10, 2010): Administered by
the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center. A fantastic resource for those interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, math and medicine.

-www.unigo.com (December 1, 2010): Administered by Unigo in partnership with the Wall Street Journal. Free service aims to have "college students tell you what the colleges won't". Student reviews complement admissions office personnel segments.

-spiritprudential.com (December 8, 2010): Information about the Prudential Prestigious Awards, scholarships open to middle and high school students with strong history of volunteerism.

-snyinvitational.com (December 8, 2010): Info about the Metro PCS Leaders and Scholars Program, a scholarship for students in the Metro NY area who excel in academics and volunteerism.

-http://scholarshipamerica.org (December 8, 2010) Scholarships administered by Scholarship Management Services and links to other financial aid resources.

-http://applyists.com (December 8, 2010): Scholarships administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. Info on financial aid.

-Zinch.com (December 8, 2010): Great scholarship finder site. Includes info for graduate students.

I've enjoyed writing this blog these past five months. I meant it to be an aid for those of you who are looking for guidance in navigating the often confusing road to college and career. I hope it has helped.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!!

Loose Ends and Leads

Prudential Prestigious Awards recognize middle and high school aged students who have been exemplary in their volunteerism. The program began in 1995. It is unusual in that it is open to middle as well as high school students. Selectees are certified by their school or one of the following organizations: Girl Scout Councils; 4-H Clubs; American Red Cross; YMCA; and Affiliates of the HandsOn Network. Award recipients receive scholarship money and attend a week long conference in Washington, D.C. The 2011 conference will take place from April 30 - May 3. More information can be found at spirit.prudential.com

Another scholarship program of interest is the Metro PCS Leaders and Scholars Program. In partnership with the 2011 SNY Invitational, scholarships are awarded to students in the New York Metro area who excel in academics and volunteerism. More information can be found at snyinvitational.com

Mention of these two programs may seem to have come out of left field and totally out of sequence. We'll be getting into scholarships in more depth when we talk about paying for school. The reason I've mentioned them now is that each has provided a valuable lead to even more information. This is how you should be looking at the websites in your career and college exploration. In reading about the Metro PCS Program, you find that it is administered by Scholarship Management Services, a division of Scholarship America, the "nation's largest designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals". If you go to their website at http://scholarshipamerica.org, you can find a list of the scholarships they administer and links to other sites, including Zinch.com. Zinch has a scholarship finder and is another great resource I'll discuss in a future posting.

The Prudential Awards Program is administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. at http://www.applyists.com
which states, "For over 23 years, we have provided scholarship and tuition program management for Fortune 500 companies, national membership organizations, family foundations, trusts and other organizations." At their site you can look up information by the name of the program or the sponsoring agency and you can apply for a scholarship. You can also access information about financial for college.

It makes sense that corporations would hire outside companies to administer programs such as these, but you might never have thought to dig a little deeper to find that out. If you explore sites critically you can find links and leads to a wealth of information and detect valuable sources you might have never considered. Go to it, Sherlock!

Two more loose ends:
The inaugural USA Science and Engineering Festival was held in October 2010. It was the country's first national science festival where over 500 science and engineering organizations tried to "reignite the interest of our nation's youth in sciences". More info can be found at http://www.usasciencefestival.org
The deadline for the January 22 SAT is December 23. The January and May test dates are the only ones this semester that offer the question/answer service option. For more information go to www.collegeboard.com.

I've Found Another One!

As I find websites that I think are of particular interest or particularly helpful, I intend to share them with you via this blog. Well, I've found a really good one (with the help of my lovely daughter!) about which I'm very excited. What can I say? I'm a guidance geek! WSJ (Wall Street Journal) on Campus has partnered with Unigo. Founded by recent college grad, 25 year old Jordan Goldman, www.unigo.com aims to provide a free service where over 30,000 "college students tell you what the colleges won't". Reporters from the Wall Street Journal and Unigo staff provide numerous reviews from students at different schools on a variety of topics. There are videos of panel discussions and college admissions staff members on pertinent topics as well.

There are two main sections: "Getting There" and "What to Expect". The "Getting There" section includes: College Rankings; Nail Your Essay; Recommendation Letters; Paying for School, and Facebook Scars. Clicking on the Facebook Scars heading, I found a video of an interesting panel discussion which included personnel from Princeton, Williams, UPenn, Franklin & Marshall and other institutions. They were discussing the topic, "Can What You Post on Facebook Prevent You From Getting Into College?". Other topics included their views of applicants who declare a major as opposed to those who are undecided and the importance of SAT's and other standardized tests.

There are also college match and college search features. If you create a free account, you can take a match survey. The test questions are sprinkled with interesting little factoids like: "Only four college football stadiums can hold over 100,000 fans."; and, "In 1955, 143 colleges required the SAT/ACT. Today, that number is over 1,400.". If you enter the name of a specific college in the college search section, you will not only see an updated college profile containing the usual info about size, cost, etc., but also student reviews.

The Top 10 for '10 rankings include: Top 10 New Ivies; Party Schools; Colleges You've Never Heard Of; Most Political Colleges; Most Intellectual; Hook-Up Scenes; Safest Schools, and Sports Schools. There's so much information on this site, you'll just have to explore it yourself.

With the beginning of Hanukkah tomorrow, the holiday season will get into full swing. I intend to post on December 8 and again on December 15. On January 4, 2011 (Wow, that year went fast!), we'll begin the new year with "It's January and Junior Year".
Happy Hanukkah!

The Glitch to Gliding

One of the key factors in college admissions is the applicant's GPA, Grade Point Average. When I first began counselling, my high school did not "weight" grades. Weighting is a formula by which grades in honors and advanced placement courses are given greater numerical value, i.e., weight, to compensate for the fact that they are more difficult in many aspects than core college preparatory courses - bonus points, if you will. It didn't take a student long to figure out that if he resisted placement in these advanced levels he would not risk his GPA. Students who didn't take the honors level courses would often rank higher in the class than those who challenged themselves with more rigorous placements. I campaigned for weighting, and, shortly after I began working in the high school, we had a weighted GPA and ranking system, much to the chagrin of those who hoped to continue to glide and not suffer any disadvantage.

Coasting through the core curriculum may have seemed to these students to be the way to go. They would be able to shine with little effort and get great letters of recommendation from teachers who welcomed their presence in class. They were only hurting themselves. One of the other big factors in college admissions is the rigor of the secondary school program. This factor is right up there with the GPA and rank in admissions criteria. College profiles in the Princeton Review's 2011 edition of the Best 373 Colleges back up this statement. Since many competitive colleges ask for a copy of the high school profile, they know if advanced placement opportunities existed for students who received A's and only took core college prep courses.

Another reason to take the most difficult classes you can handle is to challenge yourself. If you don't, you may be the one left behind in difficult college classes. Many of your fellow students who took honors and advanced placement courses may be knowledgeable about topics to which you weren't even exposed. Dr. Thomas Sowell, a brilliant economist and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University wrote a book, Choosing a College, a Guide for Parents and Students. It was published in 1989. While some of the information about specific programs and places is dated, the philosophy of how to make this most important choice is sound and relevant. In it he states, "In the admissions game, 'winning' cannot be defined as simply getting in. At a minimum, it must also include reasonable prospects of survival...". By testing and challenging yourself in high school, you can maximize your chances of not just surviving but thriving in college.

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday and the fact that I'm hosting dinner, I will not be able to blog next Wednesday. I wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. Patience, some of your relatives may not be so thrilled to see you either!!! Remember the great Ralph Kramden's mantra - "Pins and needles, needles and pins. A happy man is a man who grins." Keep smiling!

Sloan Career Cornerstone Center

In searching for links to professional organizations/societies for last week's post, I found a site that is, as the Brits would say, BRILLIANT! Sloan Career Cornerstone Center can be found at www.careercornerstone.org It is a "non-profit resource center for those exploring career paths in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine. The extensive site explores over 185 degree fields and offers detailed education requirements, salary and employment data, precollege ideas, and career planning resources."

All 185 "Degree Fields" are listed alphabetically under that heading. Articles are similar to entries in the Occupational Outlook Handbook , accessible at www.bls.gov, in that they include the following sub-headings: Overview; Preparation; Day In The Life; Earnings; Employment; Career Path Forecast and Professional Organizations. Links are provided for organizations such as the American Board of Medical Specialties, The Society of Actuaries, The American Geological Institute and many others that provide and update content to the Center.

They spotlight and discuss resources for students, counselors, teachers, parents, and graduates. Under the sub-heading "Graduates", they link to job search sites. Unlike the OOH, the site includes the sub-heading highlighted above, "Day In The Life". Contributors in different careers describe a "typical" day on the job and there are profiles of professionals in areas such as biology, engineering specialities and more. The profiles detail the professional's educational background and job description. As an example, Urszula Tajchman is featured under the Profiles of Physicists. Dr. Tajchman is a Fellow in Pediatric Cardiology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. There's an interesting profile on her which includes, as do all the profiles, her advice to students. There are profiles for a lot of "heavyweights" like Dr. Tajchman. Under the "Healthcare" heading, job titles range from veterinary tech to surgeon. Many of the articles give lists of degree conferring colleges and universities and accredited training programs.

This is another really great site. The information it provides is invaluable and so extensive, it's almost overwhelming. Despite that, it's easy to navigate and understand - and it's FREE! BRILLIANT!

Keeping the Dream Alive

To continue the last post's theme of finding ways to motivate yourself, I recommend that underclassmen tap into the resources they know. The idea of visualization leading to actualization/realization - "If you can see it, you can be it" - is very popular but not necessarily the case. In reality, most goals require a lot of work to be accomplished. If you have a career goal, it's important that you begin to find out what steps, e.g., education, training, experience, you'll need to reach it.
A really good source of information is one we often overlook - the people we know. How did your beautician become a beautician? What undergraduate school did your doctor go to? What subject did she major in? You may even have read and know the school name on the medical diploma, but how did the doctor get there? How did your plumber get licensed? I was often amazed at how few of my students knew what their own parents did for a living. If they knew the job title, they often didn't know what that actually meant. What did they DO?
Other good sources of information are professional societies/organizations. There's a good article by Lorie Withop, "The Promise of Professional Organizations", at http:www/back2college.com but it's mainly geared toward college students. However, in each job description article in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, under the subheading, "Sources of Additional Information", you can find contacts for professional organizations involved with specific careers. Many of these societies have precollege student membership categories. The American Meteorological Society at www.ametsoc.org, is a particularly interesting organization that has elementary, middle and high school student membership levels at a nominal fee. They have a Career Center, guides for pursuing a bachelor's degree in Atmospheric Sciences, internship opportunity information and many other services, including SCHOLARSHIPS! The staff is very responsive and helpful. So, all you Weather Channel junkies (I prefer Mr. G on WPIX.) now have an invaluable source to help you further investigate this interest.
Let's alter that trendy formula:
Visualization + Investigation + Preparation/Education = Actualization

Sophomoric Year

Sophomore year in college was when, for the first time in almost twenty years of formal education, I got my first grade below a B. This was rather late in the normal scheme of things, since this often happens when a student is a sophomore in high school. Hence, the word "sophomoric", which means you think you know it all when, in reality, you don't know nothin! You may wonder why they even use the word "sophomore" to describe the second year of high school or post secondary study. From personal experience, I believe it must have stemmed from teacher observations of their students dating from when Socrates lectured young people under the cypress trees. (In his case, they may have been hemlock!)
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor (PHEW!) reports that high school dropout rates increase as grade level increases. When I was a school counselor, I frequently saw an uptick sophomore year when students turned 16 and could legally drop out. It is so important for students to have a goal towards which a high school diploma is a necessary step. IES reports that in 2006-7, over 600,000 high school students out of around 14 million dropped out. That's definitely a dead end, especially in these economic times.
Since high school sophomores are often sophomoric, they usually don't see the link between current courses and a career. It is especially important at this time to flesh out a dream and keep it alive. Career interests should be identified and they should be explored through high school course selection. Career Days and College Fairs should not exclude underclassmen in an attempt to focus on juniors and seniors trying to decide on a college/major.
Since many sophomores won't be old enough for summer jobs, this is the perfect summer for exploration through a pre-college program. As I've mentioned previously, I've used and like Peterson's Summer Programs for Kids and Teenagers. Another that might be of interest is the Kaplan Yale Daily News Guide to Summer Program .
If you have a specific college in mind, see if it offers any pre-college summer programs. Many do. Check the school's website. Websites are especially good resources, as they are usually current. Two that I like are: http://www.studenteducationprogram.com/precollege.html and http://www.bc.edu/sites/genpulse/pass/summer_pulse.htmlThis last one is out of Boston College and lists sources of information on summer programs with descriptions.
This post was long enough to make up for missing last week!!!

PSAT/NMSQT

As mentioned previously, I will break the sequence of topics as more timely issues arise. Most High school juniors interested in college will have taken the PSAT/NMSQT today or will take it this Saturday, October 13. Test takers can expect to receive their individual results and actual test booklets in mid-December. While this "gift" may not have been on any holiday wish lists, it is an invaluable tool in helping a student prepare for its successor, the SAT. The student receives a report that shows which specific questions were answered correctly or incorrectly, the content area each question was meant to assess and its difficulty level. The student can also use the access code on the score report to register to use the MyRoad program on the collegeboard.com site. There are many features on this site that can be used without registering but, with it, one can customize an individual program and gain access to:
-take a personality assessment
-explore a list of suggested careers and majors that fit the student's personality, and
-explore colleges and majors and more.
This service is free for those who took the PSAT. As mentioned in a previous blog, paid subscriptions area also available for those who did not take the test.

I'm not going to post on Wednesday, October 20 but will return on October 27 with the next blog, "Sophomoric Year".

High School Homework - HELP!!!!!

In reviewing last week's blog, I noticed the Amazon.com portal had the Hallinan book I referenced as costing over $100. Yahoo! I ran up to the attic and retrieved my copy, planning to put it up for sale lickety-split. On closer inspection, I realized that price was for the paperback edition which is obviously rare. My copy of When I Grow Up is the hardcover edition and can be purchased at around $8.00 which is less than I spent! Moral of the story: Read carefully and check your work.
Speaking of work - how's that high school homework? Now that the September review segments are over, the work should be getting more difficult. Here are two great sites for assistance with your homework and research.
- http://edsitement.neh.gov This is an index of websites which have been reviewed by the National Endowment for the Humanities and provides links to those sites in the following areas: Art & Culture; Literature & Language Arts; Foreign Language and History & Social Studies.
- http://www.rcan.org/schools/links.html This site is run by the Vicariate for Education of the Archdiocese of Newark and provides links to great websites - the Library of Congress, the College Board, et.al.

NOW, GET TO WORK!!!!

Finally! Freshman Year

I had thought we would have gotten to this point long before this! There is just so much information and so many topics to cover. I am trying to keep these subjects in some kind of grade order but I will break the sequence as topics I think important come to mind. Also, there is a great deal of crossover, as subjects apply to many grade levels. For example, career exploration may be addressed as early as kindergarten. I used to read P.K. Hallinan's When I Grow Up to the children in grades K-2 and then ask each student to draw a picture about the job they would like to do. I would laminate and collate the pictures into a book for each classroom's library..but I digress. (as usual!)
One of the things that may make going to high school less frightening would be eagerness to take the couses in which you have an interest and, finally, a choice. While freshmen do have to take a core set of classes, they are usually able to select a foreign language and applied/performing arts electives. Having a career focus can help with these choices. Those interested in architecture may want to take drafting while those interested in fashion may want sewing or art. Choose wisely, grasshopper. In making these selections you need to be aware that certain classes may be of interest and fulfill a graduation requirement but they may not "count" toward college admission requirements. For example, Vocal Music is a great choice and counts in New Jersey as an arts requirement for graduation but it is not considered an academic elective for college entrance. A course in Music Appreciation would satisfy both requirements. Sing if you want to. American Idol needs contestants! Just know how your curriculum choices fit your needs.
You can find high school graduation requirements on your state's Department of Education website. Check the pre-requisite classes for admission to a college(s) in which you might be interested. If you don't have one, you can play it safe by checking the requirements for a major state college/university where you live. For example, in NJ, state colleges have the following MINIMUM requirements:
-4 units of English
-3 units of math (Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II)
-2 units of the same foreign language
-2 units of laboratory sciences
-2 units of social sciences
-3 units of ACADEMIC electives
Many private schools and special programs have additional requirements. The sooner you have specific programs/colleges in mind, the easier it will be to make sure you've covered all the bases.

JUNIORS: PSAT - Wednesday, October 13
Saturday, October 16
SEE YOUR COUNSELOR!

Blog Management

I've just added a new feature to my blog through which I can link to Amazon.com so that you may learn more about the books I mention. I'm checking to see if a book mentioned previously, The Occupational Outlook Handbook and the book mentioned in today's blog, Peterson's Summer Programs for Kids and Teenagers will appear and how they will look. This is a learning process for me as well. Thank you for your patience.

Part VI - Enrichment and Exploration

     Once someone has a career interest in mind, one of the best ways to explore/develop that interest is enrollment in a pre-college program.  When you Google "pre-college programs", you get over NINE MILLION results.  "Pre-college programs in health careers" results in over eight million and even narrowing the search to "free pre-college programs" yields over six million. (I found quite a few that were not "free".) This can seem daunting and students should seek help from their guidance counselors.  You can also check your state's Department of Education website.  If you are interested in a specific college, you can look for pre-college programs at that school.  I would recommend perusing Peterson's Summer Programs for Kids and Teenagers.   Once you find a program that interests you, check out the website for information and application updates.
     I helped many of my middle and high school students find summer and school year programs which they found very helpful and motivational.  Here are just a few about which I have first hand knowledge.  I will blog about others that are available when we get to the high school segments.

• New Jersey Institute of Technology - Newark, NJ  The Center for Pre-College Programs offers a wide range of summer programs in science, math, engineering and technology.  The courses are designed for students who are entering fifth grade to those entering twelfth.  Program fees range from $350 to $700.  The district for which I worked provided scholarships for a number of qualified students.  My students, and also my nephew, got a lot out of these programs.  (Having an aunt who's a guidance counselor can really ruin your summer plans!)  More information can be found at:  www.njit.edu/precollege/
• Fashion Institute of Technology - New York, NY  The School of Continuing and Professional Studies offers classes for middle and high school students.  This Fall they're offering courses in marketing, design, sewing and many other areas.  My daughter and my niece attended different Saturday Live classes and really enjoyed them.  I enjoyed bringing them into the city, chatting over bagels and then wandering around on my own while they were in class.  (FIT has a very interesting museum and the flower district in spring and Macy's flower show are cool as well!)  Neither girl went into fashion, nor did they decide to go to college in Manhattan, but process of elimination is also a learning technique.  FIT also has a Sunday Live program.  One course currently costs $391 for out of state residents and meets for 11 weeks.  The workshop classes are less expensive.  http://www.fitnyc.edu/
• New Jersey Performing Arts Center - Newark, NJ  NJPAC offers programs for students ages 11-18 who are interested in music, dance and theater.  Information can be found at http://www.njpac.org/  At the home page go to "Education" and then "Arts Training".  Programs for the 2010-2011 school year are full but auditions will be held in Spring 2011 for the following year.
• Douglass Residential College - New Brunswick, NJ  This is the women's college of the Rutgers University system.  The Douglass Science Institute is a four year summer residential program to which young women who are entering ninth grade and are interested in math, science and engineering may apply. www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dougproj/DPPreCollege.html

     These are just a few of the over NINE MILLION possibilities.  The experience can be invaluable.

CLARIFICATION :  I realize that some information I gave on accessing the BLS "What Do You Like?' site may be confusing.  It's such a good site, especially for younger students, I want to be sure you can find it!!!  Either go to http://www.college.gov/, click "Why Go?" on the home page and then click "Find Your Passion"  and go to "What Do You Like?" on the next page OR go to http://www.bls.gov/, scroll down on the home page and click "Career Information for Kids".

NOTE TO HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS:  The PSAT/NMSQT will be administered on Wednesday, October 13 and Saturday, October 16.  You cannot register online.  You must see your counselor to take this test which is a must if you're even thinking about college!  If you take it, you will also have free access to the College Board's My Road program which is a good planning tool I previously blogged about.

SENIORS!  LATE REGISTRATION FOR THE OCTOBER 9 SAT IS SEPTEMBER 24
You can register online at http://sat.collegeboard.com/

Part V - Good Government

     In many ways, I consider myself a libertarian.  So when I find FOUR online sites that I really like that are run by government bureaucracies, that's really saying something!  They're informative.  They're current and they're free!!!  ( Doesn't sound like government at all!)
     For years I lugged around a dozen copies of the Occupational Outlook Handbook so I could show my freshman classes how to use this invaluable tool.  Now the Bureau of Labor Statistics has put this publication and much more online.  The BLS site is http://www.bls.gov/ .  At the home page, scroll down the Publications tab to Career Guides and then click onto Occupational Outlook Handbook.  By this point you can see that the site has a wealth of useful information you might find interesting.  You can go to the A-Z index and see an alphabetical list of the careers that are covered by name or related occupations.  Each career article covers:  Nature of the Work; Training, Other Qualifications and Advancement; Employment; Job Outlook; Projections; Earnings; Wages; Related Occupations and Sources of Additional Information.  This last item can be especially helpful.  For example, if you look at this sub-heading under the Radiologic Technologists and Technicians entry, you'll find links to their national society and be able to find specific certification requirements and programs.
     On the BLS home page, if you scroll down to "Career Information for Kids", you'll be linked to a page that asks, "What Do You Like?".  I clicked the Sports balloon and the following choices came up:  Dancer; Professional Athlete; Coach; Recreation and Fitness Worker and Recreational Therapist.  I clicked  Recreational Therapist and was taken to a very easy to read short article that covers the same areas as the OOH in a shorter, simpler manner while linking to the Handbook for more in depth information.
     The Department of Labor runs the O*NET data base at http://www.onetcenter.org/. This is a successor to the DOT - Dictionary of Occupational Titles.  It also gives information about knowledge, skills, interests and general work activities specific careers demand.  You can download assessments or order them from the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).
     The Department of Labor also runs http://www.careeronestop.org/.  When I began this blog only a month ago, if you clicked on CareerOneStop on the  Federal Department of Education's http://www.college.gov/ site, you were taken to the BLS site mentioned earlier.  Now that link takes you to the Department of Labor site. ( That's the government bureaucracy I know!)  The CareerOneStop is also a really good resource, especially for older students or work force re-entries/unemployed.  They actually have centers run by the Department of Labor to help employment seekers.  There are more than a dozen centers within 25 miles of my home!  Who knew?  Well, that's one of my reasons for doing this.  The amount of information and resources out there is almost overwhelming.  I hope that by writing this blog, I've opened them up to you as well.

Part IV - The Scarecrow Syndrome

     There are two or three more topics I'd like to discuss as middle/pre high school segments.  I had inititally planned to move on to use of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and CareerOneStop this week.  However, I think it would be beneficial to discuss/explain a statement I made in Part III that not everyone need or should go to college.
     Now that, hopefully, you/your child have used some of the tools discussed to discover general interests, I'd like to caution you not to fall into the trap of believing someone can't be happy in a job unless it requires a college degree.  While more and more employers might favor applicants with post-secondary education, that's largely due to the current unemployment rate and economy.  There are just that many more job applicants. 
     Another factor is that parents feel there's a sense of prestige in saying their kid is going to such and such college, the pricier, often times, the better.  Ivy League names seem to garner the most respect. ( A lot of people responsible for this economy went to these schools.  Enough said!)  I call this the Scarecrow Syndrome.  In the Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow mistakenly thinks the showy diploma that declared him a Doctor of Thinkology made him smart.  It should be so easy!  It's a lesson as to how so much of what we hold true can be a matter of perception.
     People seem to deliberate more about the cost of a car and what they get for it than they do the cost and worth of a specific college, or even college in general.  A colleague of mine and I were discussing what our children were planning to do after high school.  Naturally, the discussion turned to college.  I said that I really wished my kid wanted to be a plumber.  The other teacher couldn't believe I was serious.  Another colleague chimed in, "My plumber is a millionaire and only takes the jobs that he wants".  Who's the "thinkologist" here?
     The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a great site which we will get to next week.  Their studies show:


While the general trend is that more education leads to higher wages,
the level of education is not the only determinant of wage.  For example, elevator installers and repairers, who are classified in the long-term-on-the-job category, had a median annual wage of $69,380 in May 2008, which is higher than the median annual wages for occupations in the bachelor's degree category, which was $57,770.

They say, in summation, that "occupations categorized in postsecondary categories are projected to have the fastest growth from 2008-18."  However, "on-the-job training and work experience categories still are projected to comprise the majority share of 2018 employment".
     The point of this post is that in helping someone decide what career path they should take, options should be considered that include training in addition to or in lieu of formal postsecondary education.

Part III - Interest Inventories

     When I began my career as a counselor, a phone and good communication skills were two of the biggest assets I had.  Later, it boggled my mind how any school counselor with a computer (which means just about every one of them!) could be ineffective in helping students with career planning.  When you search "student career inventories", you get over 200 thousand results!  The trick is picking out a good one and here's where the counselor should come in.  I'll review three possibilities of good places to start to help assess a middle/high school student's career interests.  Remember to check with your/your child's counselor to see what they suggest and if the school district offers this service to their students.
     Strong Career Tests/Interest Inventories are available at http://www.discoveryourpersonality.com/.
The site gives a complete list of career tests they offer and a video gives advice as to which test might be right for you/your child.  The Strong Interest Inventory Profile with High School Profile is very comprehensive and includes suggestions as to which high school courses correspond to the individual's areas of interest.  A sample of a profile may be viewed online.  This option is pretty pricey at $110 for each inventory but the reports are very detailed and easy to understand.  The price includes an optional phone consultation to answer any questions you may have.
     A much more affordable option is available for $18 plus tax at http://psychcorp.pearsonassessments.com/. The Campbell Interest and Skill Survey focuses on careers that require some post secondary education.  It is geared to students 15 and older with a 6th grade reading level.  It includes interest and self-rated skill items.  It takes between 25-40 minutes and doesn't need to be completed in one computer session.  Having people self-rate their skills may skew the results, but I like the fact that the ability component is at least taken into account.  The students can access a twenty page printable report with results of their interests and abilities in various occupations/occupational areas.  An eighteen page Career Planner is also part of the package.
     An even more affordable option (You can't beat FREE!!!) is to use http://www.college.gov/, a website run by the Federal Department of Education.  While I don't like the implied emphasis on college, as not everyone should or need go, a student can use this site as a portal to CareerOneStop.  This site is run by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  The student is taken to a page that asks them if they are interested in:  Math; Reading: Science; Social Studies; Music and Arts; Building and Fixing Things; Helping People; Computers; Law; Managing Money; Sports or Nature.  This site can be used in conjunction with the results of an interest invenory or alone.  It taps into what a student might already find interesting or things she feels she does well.  It's so easily navigable and readable that students might explore pages and careers that they formerly hadn't thought of.
     In honor of Labor Day, I'm taking next Wednesday off - how oxymoronic!  (If you think teaching is easy, notice how many parents are smiling more broadly as September 1 approaches!)  On September 8,  I'll discuss this Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) site in more depth and how to use the  information it provides.

Eighth Grade - The End of Middle School Madness Part II

     I began my career by teaching middle school students.  The fact that I stayed in education for more than three decades after that first year is still a source of pride - like having made it as a Navy Seal!
     Middle schoolers are the most odious of creatures.  Seventh and eighth graders are in a larval state and, having no certainty of self-worth, they can be just plain MEAN!   I think it's because they are really afraid and they feel they're too old/cool to ask just to be held and read a comforting story.  They are the oldest kids in the building.  They know its ins and outs, the personailities of its personnel and on which days it's better to buy lunch.  They also have a nascent knowledge that it's all about to end and they'll soon be thrust into the high school like released hatchery fish on stocking day.
     I find it's very helpful for them to have an idea as to why they need to subject themselves to making the passage.  They need a goal.  They need to see going to high school as a means to an end - a way of getting to that  state of independence they both fear and crave.  Did you ever notice how kids at that age seem to stop telling you what they want to be when they grow up?  It's as if they know that sitting on the bench for much of their Pop Warner days rules out the NFL.  There's not so much verbaliztion of dreams anymore.  The realization has hit that talent and training must come into play at some point.  This seems to occur at the very same time that their estimation of their talents, abilities and even beauty is at its nadir.
     For these reasons I felt it a good idea to expose my eighth grade students to career interest inventories.  I would start by asking them to visualize where they wanted to be at that very moment in ten years time.  Were they teaching a class, preparing lunch for the family, manning a fire truck, etc.?  I would hand out paper and ask them to design their business card.  What would their title be?  Where would they be located?  What type of business was it?  These would be preliminary activities before taking the actual inventory. 
     An inventory I used and found very effective was available for free through the My Road program operated by the College Board.  I found http://www.college.board.com/ to be an invaluable website for students, professionals and parents.  Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) are given free access to the My Road program (http://www.myroad.com/) which includes the ORA Personality Profiler inventory.  Most students take the PSAT/NMSQT as high school sophomores but a one year individual subsription to My Road is available for $19.95.  Many schools subscribe to College Board services or provide free career inventories to their students as part of the school guidance curriculum, so check with your child's/your counselor. 
     I prefer inventories that not only assess a student's interests but take their abilities into account.  Next week I'll discuss one I particularly liked.


    

   

A Lifetime of Experience Is a Terrible Thing to Waste

    I used to be a big deal.  For over three decades I would enter a building and people of all ages would trail after me calling, "Miss, Miss" or later "Mrs., Mrs."  to get my attention or assistance.  Now, recently retired, I enter a crowded space and barely a head turns in my direction.  I was an educator and counselor in an urban New Jersey school district.  In a novel I'm currently reading (I favor mysteries and historical fiction.), one of the characters wonders what he might have been had he had a different guidance counselor.  It was unusual to see someone give deference to the kind of influence we counselors have.  While we all have our guidance counselor horror stories, I was one of the very good ones. (I have Wood Shop produced plaques and World's Best Teacher chachkas to prove it!) 
     I did a great deal of social counselling on both the elementary and high school levels, but I really loved the academic and career planning part of the job.  So, I'm going to endeavor to impart some guidance to parents and high school students alike as to how they can navigate the road to a satisfying career/careers.  Each Wednesday I'll post a few ideas and suggestions.  While the emphasis will be on high school, we'll need to start somewhere so next Wednesday's topic will be, "Eighth Grade - The End of Middle School Madness"