Monday, June 8, 2015

LEARNING THE SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED TODAY AND TOMORROW




Your life is full. You’re starting a new semester, probably even beginning your college career, and you’re feeling pulled in many directions. Why take time to read this introductory section? We lightheartedly offer our top 10 reasons to read it on page P-1, but the real importance of this section to your success is no joking matter. The purpose of this introduction and of the entire text is to help you learn principles, strategies, and skills for success that will help you not only in this course but also in your career and entire life. Whether or not you learn these skills is up to you. Learning them won’t guarantee success, but not learning them—well, you get the picture. We hope you invest the time to read the entire Getting Ready for Prime Time section. However, we realize that some parts of the material may be more relevant to your individual needs at a particular time than others. To help you focus on the most important information for your needs, we’ve divided the material into three major categories:

1. Succeeding in This Course. An overview of the skills you’ll need to succeed in this course and throughout college as well as the skills needed to succeed in your career after you earn your diploma. READ THIS SECTION BEFORE YOUR FIRST CLASS and make a great first impression!

2. Surfing the Internet. A quick and easy overview of how to surf the Internet. This section is designed for newbies (new users), so if you are an experienced surfer you may just want to skim the titles in this section to see if there is anything you would like to know more about. However if you are new to the Internet, this is an excellent place to start.

3. Getting the Job You Want. Guidelines to finding and getting the job you want with an emphasis on job search, résumé writing, and interviewing skills. This is an exciting and challenging time. Never before have there been more opportunities to become successful. And never before have there been more challenges. Success in any venture comes from understanding basic principles and having the skills to apply those principles effectively. What you learn now could help you be a success—for the rest of your life. Begin applying these skills now to gain an edge on the competition. Good luck. We wish you the best.

SUCCEEDING IN THIS COURSE
Since you’ve signed up for this course, we’re guessing you already know the value of a college education. But just to give you some numerical backup, you should know that the gap between the earnings of high school graduates and college graduates, which is growing every year, now ranges from 60 to 70 percent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the holders of bachelor’s degrees will make an average of $40,478 per year as opposed to just $22,895 for high school graduates.

1 That’s a whopping additional $17,583 a year. Thus, what you invest in a college education is likely to pay you back many times. To get an idea of how much salary difference a college degree makes by the end of a 30-year career. That doesn’t mean there aren’t good careers available to non–college graduates. It just means that those with an education are more likely to have higher earnings over their lifetime. The value of a college education is more than just a larger paycheck. Other benefits include increasing your ability to think critically and communicate your ideas to others, improving your ability to use technology, and preparing yourself to live in a diverse world.2 Knowing you’ve met your goals and earned a college degree also gives you the self-confidence to continue to strive to meet your future goals. Experts say it is likely that today’s college graduates will hold seven or eight different jobs (often in several different careers) in their lifetime. There are many returning students in college today who are changing their careers and their plans for life. In fact, 41 percent of the people enrolled in college today are 25 or older. More than 1.6 million students are over 40.3 Talk to them and learn from their successes and mistakes. You too may want to change careers someday. Often that is the path to long-term happiness and success. That means you will have to be flexible and adjust your strengths and talents to new opportunities. Many of the best jobs of the future don’t even exist today. Learning has become a lifelong job. You will have to constantly update your skills if you want to achieve and remain competitive. If you’re typical of many college students, you may not have any idea what career you’d like to pursue. That isn’t necessarily a big disadvantage in today’s fast-changing job market. There are no perfect or certain ways to prepare for the most interesting and challenging jobs of tomorrow. Rather, you should continue your college education, develop strong computer skills, improve your verbal and written communication skills, and remain flexible while you explore the job market.

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