EDUCATION & Is going to college worth it? #PewResearch says Yes!

by ANDREA CAUMONT, Pew Research, 5/19/15.

A new Pew Research Center report on higher education contains a number of findings about the rising value of a college degree (as well as the rising cost of not going to college). College-educated millennials are outperforming their less-educated peers on virtually every economic measure, and the gap between the two groups has only grown over time. Here are six key findings that provide a compelling answer to the question: Is going to college worth it?

1A college education is worth more today. There’s a wider earnings gap between college-educated and less-educated Millennials compared with previous generations.

2College benefits go beyond earnings: In addition to earning more, college-educated Millennials also have lower unemployment and poverty rates than their less-educated peers. They’re also more likely to be married and less likely to be living in their parent’s home.

3College grads are more satisfied with their jobs: College-educated Millennials are more likely to see themselves on a career path, rather than just working at a job to get them by.

4The cost of not going to college has risen. Millennials with just a high school diploma are faring worse today than their counterparts in earlier generations by almost every economic measure examined.

5College grads say college is worth it: About nine-in-ten college grads in every generation say college has been, or will be, worth the investment. Despite a steep rise in college tuitions, Millennials agree.

6College majors matter. Among all grads, science or engineering majors are the most likely to say their current job is very closely related to their field of study and the least likely to say that a different major would have better prepared them for the job they really wanted.

Read more at … http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/02/11/6-key-findings-about-going-to-college/

EMPLOYERS & 5 Things Your Employees Are Afraid to Ask You

“You don’t want to answer them–but you have to. If you don’t, you’ll put your company in jeopardy.”
by Laura Garnett, Inc. Magazine, 4/9/14

Excerpts include:

“Do you see me as a long-term part of the success of this business?”

Manager dialogue: Share your vision of the company along with your vision of where you see this employee fitting into that vision. If, however, you don’t see the person as part of your vision, you should share this as well and why. Maybe it’s because the person is the best at what he or she does and you see the person doing that in a variety of business arenas, rather than just yours. Either way, addressing this question opens the door to a motivational conversation that engages the employee in a meaningful way about the company’s future and the employee’s.

“Can I work from home–or anywhere else I want–as long as I am achieving great results?”

Manager dialogue: If this employee’s role allows the flexibility to work remotely, why not trust the person to create a specific work schedule. If you are feeling tentative about it, allow him or her to work remotely for a short period of time as a test and have the person track the results and present back the findings.

Read more at… http://www.inc.com/laura-garnett/5-things-your-employees-are-afraid-to-ask-you.html

EMPLOYMENT & Getting Unstuck: How Dead Ends Become New Paths

Getting Unstuck: How Dead Ends Become New Paths – Harvard Business Review

“In ‘Getting Unstuck,’ business psychologist and researcher Timothy Butler offers strategies for moving beyond a career or personal-life impasse–by recognizing the state of impasse, awakening your imagination, recognizing patterns of meaning in your life, and taking action for change. Drawing on a wealth of stories about individuals who have successfully transitioned out of impasses, “Getting Unstuck” provides a practical, authoritative road map for moving past your immediate impasse–and defining a meaningful path forward. Dr. Timothy Butler is a Senior Fellow and the Director of Career Development Programs at Harvard Business School. He teaches career coaching and consults to organizations worldwide on career development issues.”

http://hbr.org/product/getting-unstuck-how-dead-ends-become-new-paths/an/2254-HBK-ENG