Should Every Student Pursue a Four Year College Education?

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The availability of student loans has changed our financial and employment landscape. 

While attending college used to be something just a few did, “We now send 70 percent of high-school graduates to college, up from 40 percent in 1970,”according to Marty Nemko, a career counselor based in Oakland California (The Chronicle of Higher Education).

While 70 percent of high school graduates attend college, the number of students who graduate with a degree is smaller.  Even when a student does obtain an undergraduate degree, a job is not guaranteed.

“Among the members of the class of 2010, just 56% had held at least one job” (The New York Times) by the spring of 2011.

This naturally begs the question, should all high school graduates attend a college?  Should attending college be something we encourage our children to do?
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Education: Your Hedge Against Inflation

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Every now again, we hear about inflation, and the way it erodes your earning power.

As prices rise, you either have to earn more money, to keep pace, or you have to cut back on your spending so that you aren’t using as much of your money.

Most people prefer to look for better returns.

The right investments, or leveraging your money on low-rate loans to position yourself for the future, can help you make the most of your money now and hedge against inflation.

However, you can also hedge against inflation in a more indirect way: Get an education.

Higher Degree = Better Earning Power

You’ve heard stories about how someone with a degree makes more money than someone without one.  And, for the most part, it’s true.  If you invest in a college education, you are repaid with a higher lifetime earning power.

Take a look at the following chart from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on how education pays off:

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Is YOUR Employment Picture Brighter?

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The most recent figures show that the rate of unemployment has dropped to 8.2%, down from a recession high of over ten percent.

That’s an impressive drop, but it is, after all, a statistic.

The real question might be, are the statistics real?

By “real” I mean do they accurately describe what people are actually seeing?

Is the improvement the product of government jobs programs, changes in the statistical count, or are most of the new hires part-timers at the Golden Arches?

Remember, that percentage you hear about is the OVERALL average unemployment.  Truth is, there are many areas and groups that have much higher unemployment numbers.

Below are some employment categories that I think tell more about the employment situation in America than the unemployment numbers.
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The $100 Startup Only72 Sale – Follow Your Passion and Make Money Doing It

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How do you answer “what do you do?” when you meet someone for the first time?  Do you give a sheepish answer?  Do you shrug off the question because you don’t truly love the work you do?

I’ve been in that position!

Ever wish you could start your career over?

Would you love to create your own business that you love?

Do you want to be your own boss?

Chris Guillebeau has travelled to over 175 nations.  He’s looking to visit every country on Earth.  Oh, and he’s only in his early thirties (in contrast, I’ve been to about 5 countries besides the U.S. and except for Canada, all the others are Caribbean tourist destinations).

That in itself is a pretty cool and interesting feat!

But how does he pay for all that travelling?

Well, Chris has a certain knack for taking his ideas and turning them into profit.

In his latest book The $100 Startup, Guillebeau culls together information from 50 case studies of individuals who have built businesses that earn $50,000 and more, many of which started out with $100 or less.

The book is a simple guide to help you find your own personal expertise that you can build a business into.  Read valuable lessons from other successful entrepreneurs and see how you can do the same.

Sounds like a pretty cool book, right?

It’s on my reading list and it’s not even out yet.

Only72 Sale

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Should You Give Human Resources Access to Your Facebook Profile?

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More and more, our private lives are available online.

When you sign up for a social network, you are putting yourself out there.

Post on Facebook?  Send a tweet?  Share on Google +?  You are putting information about yourself in the public domain, and it could be searchable.

While some privacy settings can limit what’s out there, you never know what sort of trail you are truly leaving online.

This is becoming important because, increasingly, companies are using online search as a way to determine whether or not you would make a good hire.

Social media is becoming a big part of the job search, and you need to be aware of this.  There are even companies offering services compiling social media profiles for employers.

Some companies, though, are going beyond simply searching the web for dirt on your past, or purchasing a report on your social media habits from a third party.

There are reports that some companies are actually asking for Facebook logins, and making friend requests.

Should Employers and Potential Employers Ask For Your Facebook Password?

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Is Your High Power Job Worth the Sacrifice?

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Many students go to college and pursue known money-making degrees—engineering, computer science, and business among a few of them.

They may pursue these career tracks because they are truly interested in the field, or they may choose them because they want to be financially comfortable during their lifetimes and they know that a lowly English major, while pursuing her passion, will never be rich.  (Ask me how I know.)

Follow these individuals 20 years later when they have achieved a great deal of financial success, and you may find them less delighted with both their lives and their chosen career paths.

A High Power Corporate Job Isn’t All It Seems

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Unemployment Extensions In Jeopardy – What Long Term Jobless Should Consider Doing

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Congress is racing against the clock to renew extended unemployment benefits.

Democrats in the House and Senate would like to renew the current program, allowing the unemployed in the hardest hit states like California and Illinois, to collect unemployment insurance for a maximum of 99 weeks.

If the GOP’s plan goes through, these states will see that maximum cut by 40 weeks, leaving millions of people in an even tougher financial crisis.  If Congress doesn’t move fast, about 6 million people will lose benefits.

How unemployment extended benefits work

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How to Make Unemployment an Opportunity

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We tend to think that unemployment is a bad thing.

Losing a job seems to be the height of catastrophe.  And, in some cases, it really is a huge setback.  After all, your job provides you with the income you need to survive, and unemployment benefits can rarely supply the amount you are missing.

Without your job, it can be difficult to make mortgage payments, buy food, and meet other obligations.  However, unemployment doesn’t have to be all bad.

If you plan matters right, your time unemployed can actually be of benefit to you. Continue Reading

The New American Family: Flexibility and Unconventional Lifestyles to Make Ends Meet

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The following was written by my wife, Mrs. Craig.  She was kind enough to share her take on our current lifestyle.  We changed things up in our household  a couple of years ago…I’ll let my wife tell the story.

The last time I wrote a story for this site was almost 3 years ago.   Much has happened since then!  I wrote a narrative about my decision to take a leave of absence from my job, as a school counselor, to stay home and raise my 1 and half year old son and 8 yr old daughter.

[Glen: here's the article - A Mother’s Struggle Between Work And Kids]

Many events have taken place since I shared that story with you.  It was an account of a working mother who became a stay-at-home mom.  The story changed as you will see below.

Life as a Stay-at-Home Mom

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How to Prove Your Usefulness, Keep Your Job, and Maybe Even Get Ahead: Be Indispensable

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One of the lessons many learned from the recent economic troubles is that almost no one is indispensable. You never know when your job could be on the chopping block.  You can, however, decrease the chance that you will be the one laid off when these decisions are made.  The key is showing that you are valuable — and possibly indispensable.

Here are some ways that by being indispensable you can prove your usefulness, keep your job, and maybe even get ahead:

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