The ultimate target of good education is to ensure a good job. This is instilled into us from the early stages of our lives. We know that without a good education it will be difficult, if not impossible, to move forward in life. Those responsible to guide and mentor us in all our formative years teach us to study hard and succeed in academics so that when we grow up we are able to land prestigious and well-paying jobs.
When Does The Job Hunt Begin?
What is the level of education that one needs to acquire before seeking a job? Should it be after graduating from high school or is a college degree essential before seeking employment?
Looking at some of the statistics that are pertinent to the issue, we find that less than 43 percent of students complete high school – out of which only about half enroll in college. This data pertains to the year 2003 and 2004 as reported by the National Center for Education.
Many Jobseekers Do Not Possess a College Degree
Considering the data above, it becomes apparent that a big portion of job hunters do not have a college degree. Therefore, the fact is that a good job can be had without a college degree.
When a candidate has the knowledge, skills and the right attitude and drive to excel, there is no dearth of opportunities to land good jobs.
What Is A Good Job?
Usually, the answer most people would give is that a good job is one that carries a fat salary and moves you high into the social bracket. However, this is not the right answer for describing a “good job”. In reality, a good job is one that you find pleasure and delight in going to each working day of your life.
Applying these standards, numerous jobseekers may be holding “good jobs”. The inevitable result is dissatisfied individuals who harbor a deep sense of disillusionment, even if they are able to get good salaries.
In reality, job satisfaction comes from doing a job that is in line with your passion in life, something you seriously believe in – and not the salary that it gets you. Therefore, the main criteria in selecting a job should be looking at what you enjoy doing and what you make in terms of money, rather than going for something that pays well and trying to force yourself into liking it.
The Advantage of College Education
The decision to go through college is a personal one – and honestly speaking, college education does open up avenues of high-end, knowledge-based employment, and is certainly desirable for anyone seeking to be intellectually empowered.
The real point here is that even without a college degree, there are plenty of jobs available that can allow a person to pursue a very fulfilling and satisfying career.
Deciding What You Want To Do
With so much competition and a plethora of jobs on the scene, it becomes very difficult to decide which way to go if you have not devoted time from your early years towards selecting the career you would like to pursue.
If you find this difficult, then you should complete a career assessment to determine what careers would fit with your personal characteristics and motivations. An employment counselor can also be of great help.
By: Tony Jacowski
Posts Tagged ‘Good Job’
Getting A Job Without A College Degree
January 24th, 2010Student Stress and Academic Performance: Seven Ways in Which Too Much Stress Can Affect Your Grades
January 6th, 2010You’ve probably been hearing the same mantra since elementary school – if you don’t get good grades, you won’t get into a good college, you won’t get a good job and you’ll end up living like a bum on the street…
All joking aside, your academic performance really does affect what fields you can go into and what type of job you can hold in the future. After all, you wouldn’t expect a straight-D student to get into medical school – nor would you want them to. However, whether you’re in high school, college, or graduate school, constantly dealing with stress can have a big impact on your overall academic success in any of the following ways:
1. Stress Affects Your Health
Stress suppresses your immune system, which causes increased susceptibility to bugs and viruses, as well as chronic health problems like headaches and upset stomach. It doesn’t take a Harvard graduate to tell you that if you’re sick, you won’t be able to give 100% to your classes. You may not feel up to studying or you could suffer further from missing classes. If stress is causing physical symptoms, it’s time to consult a professional therapist or stress management consultant.
2. Stress Affects Memory Retention
Students who experience large amounts of stress in their lives often have trouble with memory retention. When you’re stressed, you’re more likely to forget the facts and figures presented in class, and you’ll be less likely to successfully recall this information on tests, labs and on real life applications. Obviously, this is a problem for anyone who wants to do well in college, so try to identify and remedy the causes of stress in your life if you find you’re forgetting more than you retain from your classes.
3. Stress Causes Anxiety
Students who face a tremendous amount of stress may also suffer from anxiety – ranging from mild cases of worry to severe, can’t-leave-the-house cases of nerves. If you’re suffering from anxiety at any level, you’ll find that you can’t focus as well on your school work or on other aspects of student life like extra-curricular activities and personal relationships.
4. Stress Affects Your Judgment
Stress has a definite impact on student judgment. Some students will turn to illegal drugs, prescription medications or binge-drinking in order to escape from the affects of stress. However, turning to drugs and alcohol doesn’t erase the source of your stress – it only adds more. Substance abuse is a serious problem, so if you find yourself pouring a glass or four of wine each night to help you wind down, it’s time to seek professional guidance.
5. Stress Compromises Your Future Outlook
Stress can turn an ambitions, driven student into one who’s nervous and unsure about the future. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you have a test Monday, a paper due on Wednesday and a major lab on Friday – but don’t let the little things affect your drive for success. If you find yourself thinking that there’s no way you’ll get everything done, try breaking large tasks down into smaller pieces and tackle them one bit at a time.
6. Stress Affects Your Self-Esteem
Students who feel overwhelmed by stress may experience feelings of guilt and hopelessness, causing their self-esteem to falter. If you’ve dropped the ball on your academic work, it’s easy to feel like you’ll never get back on track – but don’t think like this! If you get too caught up in your recent stumbles, you’ll lose track of all the positive strides you’ve made in your studies. Remind yourself of all the good things you’ve accomplished so far and find small, concrete ways to get back on the right path.
7. Stress Can Lead to Mental Health Problems
It’s easy to let the competing academic and personal priorities of being a student get the better of you as a student, and it can become difficult to see outside all this stress. As a result, many students – particularly college-aged students – end up dealing with depression or thinking suicidal thoughts. If you’re ever feeling that there’s no way out of the stress you’re under, seek proper care immediately – there are people who understand what you’re going through that can help you work through the stress you’re dealing with.
By: Elisabeth Kuhn
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too much stress to get a good jobSuccess University-Are Traditional Schools Teaching Students Everything They Need
November 5th, 2009Lately with the downturn in the economy and people loosing their jobs by the hundreds, many who are searching for new opportunities may be finding that they don’t have all the skills they need and they may be looking into non-traditional on-line schools like Success University.
When most of us attended traditional schooling as we got our education, we were taught that if we just worked harder and put extra qualifications on our resume that we could land a good job and therefore be successful. However, what is success really? If you describe success as being in a regular job you really can’t stand and you are counting on your pension to set you up with a little freedom and comfort when you retire, then perhaps the traditional schools provided everything you need to be successful.
There are those who are very content with their jobs or careers, and if so then they’re successful. However, it seems that many people aren’t happy with their current situation. Success is defined by some as the quantity of money they bring in, or hope to bring in. That works for some and some people feel fulfilled chasing the money. However, we’ve all heard that money doesn’t always equal joy. So if we’re still unhappy, how can we be successful? If you have a ton of cash but don’t have the time to really enjoy it, how much does it really mean? Of course in today’s economy everyone is searching for a source of money, but just having the money may not be how everyone defines success.
Some may feel that success is about fulfillment, freedom and being happy. Can one be considered successful even if they haven’t gotten to their goals yet or reached their dreams? Yes, enjoying the journey along the way could be considered having success with who you are and how you feel. Regrettably, success and building income are not taught in the traditional educational platform. We learn language, math, science, art, history, etc, but no one teaches us how to achieve success in life. As well, traditional schools don’t teach us about achieving goals, self esteem, communicating, being a leader or how to build income. If we don’t learn these things in a traditional school, where can we be educated in these matters? Fortunately there are lots of self-help books, courses, webinars and online schools that offer a non traditional education platform and training on building income, self growth and achieving success.
However, because no one is educating us on self growth, setting goals and optimistic thinking early in life, we sometimes only find these resources after we’ve learned pessimism, doubt in ourselves and negative thinking. That’s why some just ignore this type of training. People can improve their attitude in these areas if they open their minds to new ideas. Discovering how to attain success and produce income is available to anyone who puts forth the effort. Maybe someday these things will be included in an early traditional education when we need them the most. Until that happens people must use the resources and tools that are available to us when we look beyond traditional education.
By: Khai NG
