“While each decision we make has an ultimate bearing on our future opportunities and blessings, certain pivotal points are critical. In these soul-defining moments, we are faced with choices that, once made, will in many cases forever open or close doors of opportunity." Hoyt W. Brewster, Ph.D. -- Professor at Pepperdine Univ., Chapman College, and BYU

Employment & Education Are they related?

Do you see a relationship??

The top 10 most in-demand college degrees (* forecast for 2015) 1.Finance Analyst, financial adviser, actuary... 2.Accounting 3.Engineering Electrical, mechanical,... 4.Computer Science 5.Business Administration/Management Common denominator? Don’t avoid math and science! The more education the better

Average Salary For B.A./B.S.* Engineering – $51-57K Computer Science – $52-54K Mathematics – $52K Accounting & Finance – $45K Business Admin./Mgmt – $60-80K Nursing – $43K Geography – $41K Education – $38K Humanities/Social Sci. – $36-39K that-pay-you-back Does salary motivate you? (*As of Nov 2015) (All have increased since 2011) “Engineering majors are consistently among the highest paid because the demand for them is so great.”

Supply and Demand!

SIDE NOTES: Reg nurses: yesterday Assoc degree; today, bachelors Hospitals are not hiring people who smoke!  Nicotine screening is now routine! A police record can exclude you from many jobs… by law! Your behavior today can affect the rest of your life! THINK ABOUT IT!!

What attributes are employers looking for? In order of importance: Major Has held leadership position Has been involved in extracurricular activities High GPA (3.0 or above) Has done volunteer work School attended

Want an advantage over other applicants? Skill / Quality Leadership78% Ability to work on a team78% Written communication skills73% Problem solving skills71% Strong work ethic70% Analitical/Quantitative skills68% Technical knowledge related to the job67.5% Oral communication, interpersonal skills, initiative, flexibility/adapability….60-67% Source: Job Outlook November 2014, National Association of Colleges and Employers

Want an advantage over other applicants? Nearly 74% of employers say they would prefer to hire new college graduates who have relevant work experience. More than half of employers preferred that this experience come from an internship or co-op assignment.

Internships? Have you tried PVCC Career Services?!

Look the part! Dress / Grooming is #1

Education “Education is the only area that Americans pay for and almost hope to be cheated -- to be asked to do as little as possible for the credit.” -- A LeGrand Richards Why are you taking classes?

Education “The 10,000 Hour Rule” Malcolm Gladwell, journalist and NY Times bestselling author The point? You get out of life, including education, what you put into it

What is a “well rounded education” Having a knowledge base that extends beyond a single specialty Fill your toolbox with as many tools as you can!

What are the options and possibilities of a Smart phone? The coolest apps are worthless…. if you never learn how to use them!

Education “There are certain mortal moments and minutes that matter--certain hinge points in the history of each human. Some seconds are so decisive they shrink the soul, while other seconds are spent so as to stretch the soul.” Neal A. Maxwell Former prof. of political science, Univ. Utah