Have you ever considered continuing education? Maybe for some of us it’s finishing that high school or college degree. For others, it’s the conversation that flirts with going back and getting the old masters. We’re also talking about straight up continuing ed. Come on, fellow procrastinators - this job market stinks. [NY just passed the THIRD emergency unemployment extension for a total of 33 extra weeks] What better thing for you to do with your time then become super educated, never mind the outrageous student loans. You know your credit card debt wants a friend.
I am Nikki’s contempt for mounting grad school loans [mind the language kids]. But aside from my moaning, becoming more qualified to have that job you always wanted is a route for your unemployed spinning wheels. There are some pretty solid benefits to getting back into academia beyond student rate discounts at museums. For instance, networking, which we’ll talk about later, is a great student perk. Networking with fellow students [at the grad school level this can be an impressive crowd] or industry leaders can open conversations for future opportunities.
Most prestigious college and universities, as well as your more affordable community colleges, offer opportunities to peek into areas of study without making the commitment to full-time student status. Consider, if you will, the NYU continuing ed catalog. It offers more class then some colleges. If you can’t find a class you want, you can at least collect many of the thick books and build a house with them. [you know somewhere in the city, some smart homeless person is sitting like a king in his own catalog castle]
Bottom line, higher education has frequently been the shelter for professionals during difficult economic times. Consider coming in out of the cold. For those of you who suffer from banner blindness, the University of Phoenix offers distance learning. Maybe it’s right for you.
I am Nikki’s contempt for mounting grad school loans [mind the language kids]. But aside from my moaning, becoming more qualified to have that job you always wanted is a route for your unemployed spinning wheels. There are some pretty solid benefits to getting back into academia beyond student rate discounts at museums. For instance, networking, which we’ll talk about later, is a great student perk. Networking with fellow students [at the grad school level this can be an impressive crowd] or industry leaders can open conversations for future opportunities.
Most prestigious college and universities, as well as your more affordable community colleges, offer opportunities to peek into areas of study without making the commitment to full-time student status. Consider, if you will, the NYU continuing ed catalog. It offers more class then some colleges. If you can’t find a class you want, you can at least collect many of the thick books and build a house with them. [you know somewhere in the city, some smart homeless person is sitting like a king in his own catalog castle]
Bottom line, higher education has frequently been the shelter for professionals during difficult economic times. Consider coming in out of the cold. For those of you who suffer from banner blindness, the University of Phoenix offers distance learning. Maybe it’s right for you.
Quick note, a contact of mine over at Kaplan confirms that as a company Kaplan is doing well in the current (economic) situation. My contact shares, “In general, when the economy is bad, and employment is down people go back to school.” You’ve heard it from the pros folks.
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Another note, in this posting I talked about the emergency unemployment extension to 33 weeks. Guess what folks - the gov just decided that an additional $25 will be awarded each week to each person receiving benefits. Wow.
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