Monday, April 25, 2011

Match Your Skills to the Job

Your success in obtaining the job you want depends on how well you match your skills and interests to an employer's needs. How do you make the match?


  •  First, you must analyze your strengths and weaknesses.
  •  Then, you must sell your strengths to the employer.

  If you do not impress an employer favorably or if you cannot explain your skills, abilities, and personal qualities clearly, you may be passed over for another applicant who makes a better impression. How do you sell yourself?

  •  Know your qualifications.
  • What can you do well that this employer wants and needs?
  • Believe in your qualifications.

 If you don't believe in yourself, the prospective employer won't believe in you either.

  •  Think in advance about how you will describe yourself. 
  •  What are your ambitions, your short-term and long-term goals?
  • What is your experience, your education?

 Just as a successful salesperson must be able to convince a buyer of the value of a product, you must be able to sell yourself to an employer. You are a salesperson, and the product you are selling is yourself.

 
From How to Find and Apply for a Job by Doris Humphrey, Cengage Learning Quick Skills Series.

 

Thursday, April 21, 2011

April Rotary Student of the Month

Thai Vo & Amanda Hart (not pictured) ~ AAA

EXPLORE OPPORTUNITY AT THE EDMONDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

OPEN HOUSE MAY 10:
LEARN ABOUT WHAT TO STUDY AND HOW TO ENROLL


Edmonds Community College’s open house will be 6-8 p.m., May 10 in Woodway Hall 202, 20000 68th Ave. W, Lynnwood, 98036. For more information go to www.edcc.edu/openhouse  For directions to campus, see www.edcc.edu/campus.

Edmonds Community College provides educational opportunity in our community including: more than 40 professional/technical programs in connection with local employers; two-year degrees for bachelor degree seeking transfer students (with a choice of classes in more than 30 fields in social sciences, mathematics, humanities, and science); and adult basic education programs. The college also has a long-standing partnership, since 1975, with Central Washington University (CWU) so that students have opportunities to earn a bachelor’s degree close to home. Snoqualmie Hall, a shared building with CWU-Lynnwood on the Edmonds CC campus, opened in 2002.

At the open house, learn more about admissions and registration, university transfer degrees, job training and career programs, on-campus housing, internships, financial aid, scholarships, athletics, study abroad, and how to balance school, work, and the rest of your life.

The event will include a chance to hear from current students and ask questions, an opportunity to browse campus resource tables, information on what to study and how to enroll, and door prizes and refreshments.
Also on May 10, there will be opportunities to attend a:

• Composites Technology Info Session, 3-6 p.m., May 10, in Meadowdale Hall 221.

Meet with instructors and learn about the program. Experience hands-on projects, meet current students, take the college ACCUPLACER test, get help with the admissions process, and meet with a college adviser. Free and open to the public. Includes pizza. To attend, call 425.640.1944 or email mst@edcc.edu.

• Housing BBQ and Tour, 4-5:30 p.m., May 10, Community Room, Rainier Place.

Learn about housing options while attending Edmonds Community College. Take a tour and meet staff and current residents. Food and refreshments will be served.

For more information, call 425.640.1080 or email housing@edcc.edu

Internships!

Would you like to spend part of your school day working in a career area of your choice and receive school credit?

Are you looking for a mentor for your senior project?

The Steps Internship Program can help you with all of that and more. Morning and afternoon sessions are available.

For information and an application, contact your counselor or career specialist.




Wednesday, April 20, 2011

UW Bothell Application day is coming to the Evergreen Campus!!

Hey seniors!


Are you interested in UW Bothell?? There is still time to apply! In fact reps from UW Bothell will be in the College & Career Center Monday April 25th 10- 12 to help you complete your application.

What: UW Bothell Application Day

When: Monday April 25th

Where: Evergreen Campus College & Career Center

Time: 10 -12

You need to bring: Official transcripts, personal statement, SAT/ACT scores, activities log. The average GPA is 2.9.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Most Valuable Degrees

And the most valuable college degree goes to...


By Chris Kyle

What makes a degree valuable?
-Career opportunities?
-Starting compensation?
-Time to completion?
-Versatility?

Our answer is: all of the above.

With graduation season coming up, we've compiled our list of Most Valuable Degrees based on these criteria.

And without further ado...the Most Valuable Degree goes to...

Winner: Bachelor's Degree in Business

The most popular college degree in the world is also the best college degree. A superb pick for students looking for a versatile bachelor's degree with major earning power.

Time to completion: 4 years

Starting income: $41,100

Mid-career income: $70,600

Winning factor: One of the advantages of a business degree is that you're able to move into many different industries. To name just two, health care is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, and finance is one of the most stable.

Search for online and local Business schools!

2nd Place: Associate's Degree in Medical Assisting

The timing for earning an associate's degree in medical assisting couldn't be better. The suddenly red-hot career was highlighted in Laurence Shatkin's book Best Jobs for the 21st Century and was also named by Forbes as one of the fastest growing jobs for women in 2010.

Time to completion: 18 months to 2 years

Average income: $29,450

Potential income: $39,970

Winning factor: Medical assisting opportunities are expected to grow an amazing 34 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Search for Medical Assisting schools near you!

3rd Place: Bachelor's Degree in Accounting

Accounting is often overshadowed by the more popular business degree but the income figures are higher for this more specialized degree. And you don't need an accounting degree to know that money talks!

Time to completion: 4 years

Starting income: $46,500

Mid-career income: $77,500

Winning factor: There's a lot of opportunity for those with an accounting degree. In a recent survey of more than 500 senior finance executives, more than half of the CFOs expressed concern about a lack of qualified accountants entering the workforce, according to global accounting organization Grant Thornton.

Search for Accounting degree programs now!

4th Place: Associate's Degree in Paralegal Studies

It's hard to imagine a two-year degree with more upside than an associate's degree in paralegal studies. This extremely solid degree allows you to work for a law firm or for yourself, in whatever city or town you want in America. And the pay isn't just good; it's great.

Time to completion: 2 years

Average income: $50,080

Potential income: $75,700

Winning factor: Opportunities for paralegals and legal assistants are expected to grow at a healthy 28 percent clip between 2008 and 2018, according to the Department of Labor.

Search for Paralegal schools near you now!

5th Place: Bachelor's of Science in Nursing

Add security to the long list of reasons to become a nurse. A Vanderbilt University analysis in 2009 predicted that the U.S. will have a shortage of 260,000 nurses in 2025. Find a Nursing school near you.

Time to completion: 4 years

Starting income: $52,700

Mid-career income: $68,200

Winning factor: Employment opportunities are expected to soar 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, with hundreds of thousands of job openings expected from retirements, according to the Department of Labor.

Search for Nursing degree programs now!

*All starting income and mid-career income information comes from Payscale's 2010-2011 college salary report. Average income comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, using May 2009 median salary information, and potential income reflects earnings by the top ten percent.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Show Your Boss You Are Productive

Every boss expects you to be productive. But time wasters eat away at the hours you put into your work. Several productivity traps keep you from being efficient. Do you fall into any of these traps?


• You have a hard time saying no and agree to do more than is possible.
• You waste time because you are disorganized.
• You procrastinate and find reasons to delay getting started on a task.
• You're a perfectionist. You spend so much time attempting to make your work perfect that you don't get much done.
• You let interruptions and distractions send you off-course.

Increase your productivity with these steps:

1. At the end of the day, decide the most important things you need to do tomorrow.
2. Prioritize each of these, using 1 for the most important thing you need to do, 2 for the next most important and so on.
3. Write the top-priority item as the first thing on a To Do list. When you accomplish this item, cross it off, so you will have a feeling of accomplishment.
4. Add to your list everything else you want to accomplish the next day.
5. Write down how much time you think each task will take.
6. Adjust your list if there is not enough time to do every task you listed.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Spring Break!

Have a relaxing Spring Break!!
From the Evergreen Campus College & Career Center!