2/5/09: Top Career Posts this Week
Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week. I’m pointing you to items about how to find ways learn more and how to assure that you will never, ever get promoted.
From Brain Leaders and Learners: Move Intelligence Up a Notch Today
“If you believe IQ is fixed, then it could well be so for you, because of the way belief fuels or limits mental plasticity and brainpower. Want more intelligence by the end of today though? Then simply act on one or more of your multiple intelligences, and expect your dendrite brain cells to reconfigure for more intelligence in that domain.”
Wally’s Comment: Ellen Weber shares some tips on how to improve your overall learning capacity.
From the Kansas City Star: Uneasy workers return to school to ensure their marketability
“Money runs out quickly. Education lasts. That’s why Caron Pfaff of Kansas City, North, said she chose to accept a buyout package from Ford Motor Co. that included as much as four years of education. Her other choice was a voluntary lump-sum buyout.”
Wally’s Comment: The more you know the more possibilities you have. Education is an investment.
From the Washington Post: Want to Get a Degree Online? Get Ready to Work Just as Hard
“One way to get an edge in this job market is to earn an advanced degree. Just don’t assume that doing it online will be easy. Online master’s programs are often cheaper and more convenient than traditional ones, but they also present challenges.”
Wally’s Comment: OK, so you want to get that college degree and you’ve heard that it will be easier through an online program. Maybe. You may gain some scheduling flexibility. But you’d better have the discipline to study on your own and a learning style that is effective outside the traditional classroom.
From the Nashville Tennessean: Workers go to tech schools to retrain
“Because many businesses are stalling in this difficult economic climate and laying off workers at all levels, employees are scrambling to find training as fast as possible to fill open positions in such job-rich industries as technology and health care. That’s why many are turning to vocational-technology schools or even apprenticeship programs, finding they can earn good salaries after a few years — or less — of training.”
Wally’s Comment: Not everyone who’s learning is heading back to college. A little analysis of the job market indicates that some of the hottest jobs, recession or not, are jobs in technical areas. For those, tech schools, community colleges, and apprenticeships are the choice.
From Fortify Your Oasis: 5 way to ensure you NEVER get promoted
Wally’s Comment: What can I say? The post absolutely lives up to the headline. All the education and training in the world won’t help if you do these five things.