Presentation for QHS AVID students 9/19/14 with data on what employers want.

1. Why it matters!
Career Preparation for 21st Century Employment

2. 1. High School – More than just
the soon to be “good old days.”
2. Post-high school – College or
technical training?
3. What employers want – You,
well-educated you!
4. 10 Practices for Career Success
Here’s what you’ll learn!

3. Dr. Angela Koponen
 QHS ALUMNI
 Director of Co-curricular &
Operations Assessment at University
of Houston Downtown
 CEO – Koponen Associates,
skills2hired.com
 I’ve been a cartographer, an
assistant to a corporate CEO and
a corporate President, a
business owner, a high stakes
project manager, and a
marketing director
University of Northern
Colorado, Monfort College of
Business
 BA – Interdisciplinary Studies
with emphases in
communication; writing;
management & marketing
 MA – Communication Studies
 Ph.D. – Educational Technology
University of Notre Dame
Mendoza College of Business
 Certification – Leadership and
Management
Who am I and why do I care?

4. 85
1444
3611
2534
6082
274
179
UHD Student Ethnicity
American Indian
Asian or Pacific Islander
Black
Hispanic
White
International
Total Population 14,209 Unknown

5. High School –
More than just
the soon to be
“good old
days.”
The biggest mistake
that you can make is to
believe that you are
working for somebody
else. Job security is
gone. The driving force
of a career must come
from the individual.
Remember: Jobs are
owned by the company,
you own your career!
Earl Nightingale
 What you do in high school lays the
foundation for post-secondary education
and career development. This is a time
to:
 Practice skills that are critical to career
success.
 Test the waters of subjects which later in
your academic career you may discover
you not only enjoy, but are crucial to
career success.
 Develop good working habits like time
management, organization, and diligence.

6.  Here are 5 Benefits of Receiving a High School Diploma,
compiled by eHow.com:
 Salaries. A high school diploma recipient earns an average of $8,400 a year more than a high
school dropout. If you work until the age of 65 that will amount to $394,800...Wow!
 Significance. A study by the Economics Center for Education and Research in Ohio found that
high school diplomas benefit taxpayers and state economies as well. High school graduates
contribute more to a state's economy and require less state assistance than high school dropouts.
 Potential. The Ohio study found that high school graduates can realize a net lifetime benefit of
more than $470,000. For state tax payers, the contributions by high school graduates far outweigh
the costs of education.
 Misconceptions. A General Educational Development, or GED, is widely perceived as a high
school equivalency certificate. However, studies have shown that high school graduates earn more
on average than GED recipients. In addition, not all colleges accept a GED as equivalent to a high
school diploma.
 Considerations. High school dropouts, in contrast to graduates, face uncertain futures. Dropouts
are more likely to be incarcerated or require public assistance than high school graduates.
Benefits of a High School Diploma

7. “The value of a college
education is not the learning
of many facts but the training
of the mind to think.”
~Albert Einstein
 Let’s include education in general!
Post-high school – College or
technical training?

8.  The data are clear: individuals with at least some
college education make more money than those with
only a high school degree. And let us not forget about
the non-monetary returns, such as better working
conditions, lower rates of disability, and increased civic
engagement.
 However, the conversation has become more complicated
as research has pointed to another important fact: yes,
college is worth it, but not always. We no longer think
that all educations are financially good investments—the
specifics matter. The answer for any student depends
upon three important factors: the college attended,
the field of study, and the cost or DEBT TAKEN.
 http://www.payscale.com/content/value-college-degree.
pdf
Is College Worth It?

9.  DEBT is a reality of higher education today,
and some debt is fine if it makes possible a
beneficial educational investment. However,
the level of debt that is reasonable depends
greatly on the school attended and major.
One might judge $10,000 of total debt for an
engineering degree to be fine, while the
opposite would be true for a six-week
certificate program. (p.11)
 TEDx Seattle talk
Consider DEBT!

10. Why we need vocational training!
 By Mark Phillips in The Answer Sheet by Valerie Strauss
 http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answ
er-sheet/post/why-we-need-vocational-education/
2012/06/04/gJQA8jHbEV_blog.htm
l
Best salaries for tradesmen:
 http://work.chron.com/typical-wage-tradesman-
9225.html
Technical Training

11. http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm
http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_102.htm
Salary comparison

12. Note: Data are for persons age 25 and over. Earnings are for full-time wage
and salary workers.
These education categories reflect only the highest level of education
attained. They do not take into account completion of training programs in
the form of apprenticeships and other on-the-job training, which may also
influence earnings and unemployment rates. For more information on
training, see: http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_education_summary.htm
and http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_education_by_train.htm.
BLS has some data on the employment status of the civilian noninstitutional
population 25 years and over by educational attainment, sex, race, and
Hispanic origin online.
The Census Bureau also has some data on educational attainment online.
BONUS: http://work.chron.com/comparison-level-education-salary-
6533.html
Salary comparison encore

13. IT TAKES MORE THAN A MAJOR:
Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success
An Online Survey Among Employers Conducted On Behalf Of:
The Association Of American Colleges And Universities
By Hart Research Associates
So What?
Why all this really matters . . . Coming up!
April 10, 2013
Hart Research Associates
1724 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009
A degree won’t do it alone for many graduates:
http://www.aacu.org/aacu_news/aacunews14/september14/p
erspectives/

14. Innovation Knowledge
Skills Communication
Critical Thinking Education
What do employers want?

19. Employers say the most emphasis should be
placed on the following areas:
• Critical thinking and analytical reasoning (82%
more emphasis, 7% less)
• Complex problem solving and analysis (81%
more emphasis, 6% less)
• Written and oral communication (80% more
emphasis, 8% less)
• The application of knowledge and skills in real-world
settings (78% more
• emphasis, 6% less)
• The location, organization, and evaluation of
information from multiple
• sources (72% more emphasis, 9% less)
• Innovation and creativity (71% more emphasis,
9% less)

22. How can you
acquire the skills
valued by
employers?
• In college, embrace
your general
education classes.
• Accept that the
courses most see as
“busy work” offer
fantastic opportunities
to gain invaluable
knowledge about
yourself and the
world.
• Respect and
appreciate your
professors.
ASIDE FROM
COLLEGE:
• READ! INQUIRE!
DISCUSS! READ
SOME MORE!

23. Neil Howe and William Strauss call Millennials
The Next Great Generation
"Over the next decade, the Millennial Generation will entirely
recast the image of youth from downbeat and alienated to upbeat
and engaged--with potentially seismic consequences for America."
–from Millennials Rising
Are you ready to live up to or follow that compliment?
Generation Z
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z
http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/how-millennial-are-you/
Who do you want to be?

24. 10 Best Practices
http://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/s
d/news_article/46431/_PARENT/layo
ut_details_cc/false
You! The Star of the Show

25. Best Practice #1: Keep Track of Your Accomplishments, Skills
and Projects
Best Practice #2: Develop and Expand Your Network
Best Practice #3: Identify and Build Your Expertise
Best Practice #4: Write Career Goals Prevent floating!
Best Practice #5: Keep Your Resume Current
Best Practice #6: Manage Your Professional Image
Best Practice #7: Build a Personal Career Portfolio
Best Practice #8: Keep a Dynamic Target List
Best Practice #9: Create a Personal Board of Advisors
Best Practice #10: Develop Your Leadership Style
Best Practice #11: Develop a Global Perspective
See more at:
http://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sd/news_article/46431/_PARENT/layout_details_cc/
false#sthash.NM9oOHu8.dpuf
Manage your career!

26. CONTACT ME OR FOLLOW MY BLOG
 Dr. Angela Koponen
 University of Houston Downtown
 Director of Co-Curricular & Operations Assessment
 Houston, TX
 angie@drangiesnotebook.com
 www.drangiesnotebook.com