The Resume and The Life-Long Learner

Assessments & EducationResume Writing

life-long learner
Most people use the Education section of their resumes to list their degrees to show their qualifications for a particular position. This section of the resume seems pretty cut and dried. List schools, cities and dates of attendance and move on to distributing the resume. However, in today’s difficult economy, being competent may not be enough to land you that coveted first step to a job: being named as a candidate. You need to show the potential employer how you are going to wow them, exceed their wildest dreams, and how you will solve their most difficult problems. You can do this by showing the employer that you are a life-long learner.
By all means, list your degrees on your resume and leave off their dates of completion if you feel that it dates you. But make an effort to keep learning and to update your skills. Add related skills to your professional resume that will build on your primary skill sets. Go to workshops. Take continuing education classes, set aside time for informative webinars. Knowledge becomes quickly obsolete in this age of technology; those who keep learning and use that knowledge in their careers are the employees who will be most productive and get noticed by management.
It isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Yes, learning does take time, but you get the opportunity to experiment during work and see which skills work in a given situation and which don’t. This is valuable knowledge, and it deserves a place on your resume, right under your degree list. Make it snazzy. For example, don’t just list “Internet Search Webinar.” Make sure you list the appropriate webinar name such as “Weddles Guide to Internet Searches.” Weddles is a respected and known name within the job search industry. The name signifies that you learned valuable information by attending this webinar.
Above all, be prepared to talk about any new experiences you listed on your resume with an interviewer. Tell how this new learning can resolve employer problems and how it can be used to train other employees. Make a case for life-long learning, and you may just start a trend at your new workplace to give employees funds and time off to pursue new learning.

College Degree – Is it Helping You?

Assessments & EducationCareer & Workplace

College University
Since the job economy is dismal at best, there are a large number of people who are out of work and have been out of work for a long time. For many employed workers, they are working in a field totally unrelated to their college degree. So, is it helping?
Statistics show that those with a degree earn more money than those with only a high school diploma (90% compared to 64%). They may not be making as much as they had hoped, or in a field they trained for. But a college degree is still important.
Hopefully, the times that we live in currently will not last forever and the job economy will get better. When that happens, there will be more job opportunities that may fit your degree better.
Even those who attend a technical college and train in a specialized degree do better, on average. It may seem as if going to college is a waste of time currently, but it simply is not. You have to invest in yourself and hope for a better future.
If you don’t, you will be most likely working for a lot less money than you are really worth. No one wants that. And, everyone wants to be able to take care of themselves and making more money is where it’s at.
The year 2012 is full of promise and now just may be the time that you seriously consider getting a degree. It does not matter how old you are, there is never a better time than now to better your life.

10 Highly Profitable 2-year Degree Jobs

Assessments & EducationCareer & WorkplaceSalary

(A warm thanks to Laura DeCarlo from Career Directors International (CDI) for this excellent information!)

* 10 Highly Profitable 2-Year Degree Jobs             


According to the Payscale.com article, 10 Highly Profitable 2-Year Degree Jobs, by Michelle Goodman, the following careers can be most easily entered by clients seeking career change with only a 2-year degree:
1. Physical Therapist Assistant – average $46,111.
2. Web Designer – average $48,785.

3. Electrical or Electronic Engineering Technician – average $47,163.

4. Registered Nurse – average $55,276.

5. Computer Support Specialist – average $46,111.

6. Executive or Administrative Assistant – average $37,669.

7. Dental Hygienist – average $57,148.

8. Surveying or Mapping Technician – average $42,104.

9. Veterinary Technician – average $33,363.

10. Camera Operator – average $42,558.
Great list.
P.S. I am almost back to blogging full time. Just a few more surprises up my sleeve for you! 🙂