Passion or Job Security?  Weighing Career Choices

By DIANE HESS

Question: Which do you go by when you’re looking for your future career, your passion for a field or job security?

– Jessica Reynolds, Kalkasa, Mich.

Jessica: Your dilemma is one that many college grads face when confronted with the reality of taking a first job. I know I did.

When I graduated from college eight years ago, it seemed like everyone I knew was following a well-worn path to law school or Wall Street. The road to a great job in journalism seemed much less clear. But I decided that it was worth taking.

Remember that if you hate your job, you’re not going to be good at it. So my advice, Jessica, is to think about what you love to do and try to find a job that lets you do it. The time to take a career risk is when you are young.

You may be able to increase your odds of success by thinking expansively about which industries may interest you and by being flexible about what job you might take within it.

Sometimes college students choose fields, such as music or entertainment, which they may feel passionate about, but in which their chances of finding a job that can pay the bills, let alone a lifelong career, are slim.

Choosing between the career of your dreams and a stable paycheck can be gut-wrenching for twentysomethings, as this article from CareerJournal.com points out.

Kate Wendleton, president of the Five O’ Clock Club, a career-counseling firm in New York City, suggests that students learn about different industries through campus events, alumni networks or online, on sites such as WetFeet.com, and consider a number of options. You also can find out about the future demand for a wide range of jobs in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’s Occupational Outlook Handbook.Then find an entry-level job in the industry you choose to try it on for size.

There are many options for people who want to turn a creative passion into a solid career. Read this article about a musician who did just that: “How I Got to Where I Am Today: An Orchestra’s Operations Director.”

Keep in mind that there really isn’t such a thing as job security anymore. The best strategy is to be excellent at what you do, keep your skills cutting edge and love your work.

If you want to be happy in your work, find a career that suits your personality, meets your needs and helps you to achieve your personal goals.  And, of course, career begins with education.  Next comes part-time jobs and internships leading to a full time position when you graduate.  There are so many things to consider!

The next few weeks we are going to think about CAREER.  Students will choose a career and research details, write a report about the chosen field, prepare resumes, write cover letters to potential employers, practice interviewing skills, and follow up with thank you letters.

Please pay attention, tuck some ideas and thoughts back to recall later when you are at a place when you NEED TO GET A JOB!  You will have these classroom experiences of the BCIS Employment Unit to draw on.

A great place to spend some time reading, from The Wall Street Journal:

http://www.collegejournal.com/careerpaths

Are you interested in learning a little more about a business career?  There is an organization that you should join:  Business Professionals of America.  Mrs. O’Bannion is the sponsor and can answer your questions.  She is next door in Room 356.  Helpful link:  www.bpa.org

BPA is a national co-curricular career and technical organization for high school, college and middle school students preparing for careers in business and information technology.  The mission of Business Professionals of America is to contribute to the preparation of a world-class workforce through the advancement of leadership, academic, citizenship, and technological skills.

It’s a place where you will interact and compete with students from other high schools in our city, region, and state.  Many fun opportunities are ahead with BPA!

The first test in BCIS is Wednesday, September 12.  You will identify a Microsoft WORD window, it’s features, buttons, task bars, views and options.  You will also use tables and headers.  You will not be able to use your notes or collaborate.

It was great to have your parents at Back-To-School night.  Hopefully, they now have a visual image of how and where you spend your school days and will be able to relate easily to the stories you share.  You know, that IS what life is about … sharing our stories.  Open up, describe who you enjoyed, what you learned and how you are affected by what’s going on at WHS.  We will all be richer for it.

Invitations, newsletters, resumes, interviews, letters, memos, programs, menus, digital etiquette

In finishing our first project (Computer History Timelines), it is my observation that there are some who are natural at problem-solving as they do their work, and there are others who sit and wait for someone to show them (everything!)   We all need a little orientation and instruction, and plenty of TIME to be creative and complete the work.  However, I would like to challenge the reluctant ones to start reading (at your computer!) more.  I will try not to call you “lazy” but that’s the impression I’m left with.  Change my views!  Pull down menus, try options/tabs/buttons … see what happens.  Sometimes text or an object will need to be selected from your document for the tab to work, other times not.  Screen tips give you early insight quickly.  READ, folks!

While you’re reading … I love the information technology commentator, Robert Cringley (he’s brilliant!)  Here’s his latest:

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2007/pulpit_20070906_002891.html

1.  Are you taking digital pictures for your electronic scrapbook?

2.  Jot your new links and data learned in your ongoing Journal, saved on your home folder.

3.  First PROJECT … create a timeline about events/people impacting the History of Computers.  This is a major grade and is due Thursday.

It’s been great to meet and connect with you this week.  I’m glad you are at WHS.

www.microsoftoffice.com   Anytime you need tutorials on how to do ALMOST ANYTHING with our software, go to this online help.  There are quick & easy demos on everything (seriously!)  This is especially helpful when I’m not around.

Today, we are reviewing the Drawing Toolbar in Word.  Assignment is attached.

drawing-toolbar-assignment.doc

http://www.microsoft.com/surface

This is cool … how long do you think it will be before we see (use) it?

Another, go to: http://www.visuwords.com  and put the word “technology” in the search box and see what happens.AMAZING!!Then, put the word “accounting” in!

1.  Students, please begin your electronic journal, jotting notes, internet sites, terminology and quotes that are of interest to you.  Save this document in the BCIS folder within your Home Folder.  Reflect on the term personal learning which means learners taking control of and managing their own learning.

2. Begin your digital scrapbook by going to www.tumblr.com and setting up your preferences.  Then, take pictures of people and events of interest!  The more photos you have, the more interesting your scrapbook will be.  Maybe you want to set a goal of having 3 - 5 (good!) pictures a week to insert into your document.  You want to capture many kinds of things (and various people) … give it some thought and make a plan to achieve making an outstanding and creative photo-show of 2007-08!  Don’t forget, you’ll be adding descriptive text to these pictures.

 3.  Both #1 & #2 are ongoing assignments, to be graded once every six weeks.  At year’s end, you should have two very useful files chronicling both new-found knowledge and a pictorial reflection of your year.