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The Difference Between Career Success and College Failure

Posted on Apr 30, 2012 - 06:00 AM | Career Prep | Comments (0)

As parents, we have two visions of our children. In one, they’re finishing college with a great degree and heading into the workforce bent on making their mark in the world. In the other, they’re a college dropout, sleeping on our couch and playing video games at ten in the morning.

Both are extremes, but at a time when 85% of college graduates move back home, only 56% graduate in six years, and 35% never graduate, it’s easy to see why we worry.

So how do you make sure college is a career builder and not a career buster?

Creating a Successful College Student

Give them direction. Students need to know what they want to do. Then they can build a college prep plan to achieve it. The best way to do this is through personality tests, job skills assessment and career research tools. Unfortunately, only 15% of high schools offer such tests, making them hard to come by. Fortunately, they are a standard part of our program.
Motivation. Students need to see the importance of their education. It directly relates to better pay and lower unemployment. Studies by Stanford and Harvard show that setting long-term and short-term goals keeps students motivated (ask about our Rewards Program to learn more on this).
SAT scores. The average SAT score of a college graduate is 122 points higher than that of a college dropout. Scoring above that average is a good likelihood that you have what it takes to graduate college. It is not the sole determinant, but can serve as a guide.
Right college. College dropouts often run into unforeseen problems. They give dozens of reasons for leaving school: too expensive. Too difficult. Too far from home. These explanations all boil down to attending the wrong college, one that didn’t meet their academic, social or professional expectations. Students need to research colleges thoroughly. Look at dozens of colleges to start, then narrow your list based using important criteria that’s meaningful to you. Our program lists more than 25 criteria that can shape your college choice. Find the “right college for you.”

TurningCollege Into a Successful Career

Career planning begins in high school. Take classes related to your likely career, research what jobs will be hiring when you graduate, know what salary you can expect and what level of education you’re going to need. These steps are the beginning of a long list of what you need to do before you get to college (where that list

gets longer. But it works to ensure a smooth transition from higher education to hired hand.

So research careers thoroughly. Knowing what a job entails will tell you what you need to succeed. Then add those steps to your long-term goal. That’s the difference between being a college success and a college dropout.

RSC’s Job Research Tools Include:

· Videos on hundreds of careers

· Hiring projections

· Educational needs and targets

· Starting and mid-career salaries

· Job/internship strategies

· Workforce skills assessments

· Career interest profilers

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