There is many a student out there with grand ideas of entering the medical profession, with all the prestige, salary, and pride that goes along with doing a job connected with helping others. However, while you’ll understandably be excited that your child is showing an interest to study medicine and join such a worthwhile profession, it’s important to remember that the cost of putting a child through medical school is expensive. As such you’ll need to make sure your child is fully determined to see the course through if you’re going to part with your cash. Below, we take a look at five questions you should be asking your child before they decide to study medicine; it might make them think twice, or give you all the encouragement you need to fund their education.

1. Why?

It’s easy to fall for the image of being a doctor or other medical professional, but the image and the reality are worlds apart. Your child might have a solid understanding of what is driving them towards the medical industry, but you won’t know until you’ve asked them. If they’re especially interested in helping people, understanding how the body works, and working hard, then it might be the right career choice for them. If they have only a vague desire, then try to draw out of them what they want to do – it might not be becoming a doctor, and you’ll be setting them on the right path.

2. Do They Know the Commitment?

Nothing worth having comes overnight, and this is true for becoming a medical professional. It requires a lot of schooling, right through from the time at college, to postgraduate studies, to getting experience in the hospitals. All in all, it’ll be well over a decade until they’re finished with their studies and bringing home a good income. Are they willing to play the long game to get their dream job?

3. Will they be Happy with the Work/Life Balance?

Working in the medical industry isn’t so much about having a job as it is adopting a lifestyle. For instance, asking “how much does a Radiologist make?” is a good question to ask, but it’s important to weigh he potential income (which is high) against the number of hours worked. The good news is that doctors do tend to get more free time as they get more experienced, but the early years can be particularly draining.

4. What Branch of Medicine?

Obviously, the medical field is massive, and as such there are many jobs that a person going down the medical route could end up doing. They could become a surgeon, general hospital doctor, a cardiologist, radiologist, or a whole host of other options. It’s not so important that they pick which discipline they’re most interested in before they start, but it’s good to keep an eye on which jobs will be safe for the future; doctors will always be in demand, but some surgeons might see their procedures automated.

If they can answer all these confidently and positively, then you might have a future doctor on your hands!

Most parents want their children to get a good education and grow into mature adults. They save from an early age to ensure they can afford to send them to college. However, that path isn’t right for everyone, and some children would do better if they selected an alternative. The issue is that most parents have no idea about the other options on the table. Research shows that a traditional university education doesn’t guarantee success in life. With that in mind, we wanted to highlight some of the other things you might like to consider. All of the options below could help your children to become successful without following the standard process. As with anything in this world, sometimes you have to think outside of the box to get the best outcomes.

Getting qualifications online

If your children aren’t suited to university, that doesn’t mean they can’t get the skills they require. Maybe it’s the social aspect of learning with others at college that causes the issues? Well, thankfully, there is an alternative that would allow them to get the education and recognition they deserve. Whether they want an online BA in organizational studies or anything else, there are many companies offering that service. As a parent, you just need to research the top organizations to ensure your child has the best opportunities. Look for an internet-based educational firm that has a good track record. In most instances, you will find lots of reviews from people who’ve used the service in the past. If they haven’t experienced any significant problems, you’re on the right track.

Applying for an apprenticeship

Governments around the world have pledged to put more money into creating apprenticeships than ever before. That means there are many more opportunities than most parents and children realize. Apprenticeships as a fantastic idea because they allow your child to learn as they earn. In most situations, the company will have your child working in-house for most of the week. They will then send them off to college on day release. All the costs are covered by the business, and so your child doesn’t have to pay anything for their education. It’s an excellent solution if your kids want to become tradespeople. Those schemes work well in the construction and service industries. So, if you want to create the world’s next best plumber or something like that, consider an apprenticeship.

Getting a job and working their way up

If your child can’t find a suitable apprenticeship, they might like the idea of finding a job when they leave school. That’s an incredible idea if they select something with lots of promotion opportunities. Nothing is wrong with starting at the bottom and working their way up. So, they just need to find companies and industries that offer those benefits. Of course, your kids are never going to become brain surgeons following that method. However, they could become managers or consultants once they’ve gained enough experience. Best of all? You won’t have to pay for their education, and they won’t end up with lots of debt from tuition fees. At the end of the day, it all comes down to what they hope to achieve from their working lives.

Too many parents complain that their student’s college major is unemployable after graduation. With the cost of college rising, it means families are conscious of the value of higher education and it’s ROI (return on investment). Even though ROI is not the most crucial criteria for choosing a college and a major, it should certainly be a factor in the college choice.

Renewable energy jobs are red hot right now. Whether you’re looking for a hands-on job in the field such as solar installer or a highly educated position such hydrologist, it’s important to create an education road map to make sure you reach your goals.

Renewable energy sources include wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower, and capturing those resources for energy requires many levels of skill sets: construction crew, technician, project manager, research scientist, mechanical engineer, lawyer, financial expert and beyond. While construction and technician positions may only need trade school or associates degrees, many higher-paying positions will require specialized degrees taking four years or more.

Map your green and renewable energy career with these three detailed resources explaining career opportunities in the solar, renewable energy, and green industries:

Breaking into the Solar Industry – http://www.letsgosolar.com/consumer-education/solar-jobs-careers-certifications/

Renewable Energy Degree Programs – http://www.letsgosolar.com/consumer-education/renewable-energy-degrees/

Green Careers Beyond Solar – http://www.letsgosolar.com/consumer-education/green-careers/

As a parent, you want your child to succeed in life. There is nothing strange or unusual about that. But how can you actually make it happen? For a start, it’s important to recognize that your child’s career is not something for you to decide on. You can support them and offer ideas during their education. But, ultimately, it’s something that they are going to have to work out for themselves. However, you should talk to them and be there to discuss options every step of the way.

They will need someone to share ideas with, so shouldn’t be completely out of the loop. As a parent with more experience of the world of work than your child, you could present some ideas. Make the career ideas you suggest appealing in some way. Show them things that could get them excited about their future career. You might not come up with anything that they end up doing. But you could inspire them or give them an idea that they pick up and run with. So, here are some ideas for career paths that are interesting. Discuss them with your son or daughter.

Stenographer

Stenography is a form of shorthand typing. It’s used to take down information rapidly when needed. It’s the kind of job, therefore, that requires a skilled individual. If your child gets the right training, this could be a good option for them in their career. It is used in a few different contexts. Court stenographers are used to take down everything that is said in the courtroom during a hearing. And they are also used to create live TV subtitles as well. It’s a job that’s a little unconventional, and that’s why it could appeal to your child. You can learn more about shorthand typing at http://shorthandshorthandshorthand.com/Speedbuilding.htm.

Dentistry

There are plenty of great career paths on offer in the world of medicine. But why limit yourself to the conventional options? Yes, being a doctor or a nurse or a surgeon might be prestigious.But dentistry can be just as interesting. As long as you don’t have a problem with poking around in people’s mouths all day, it could be the ideal job for your son or daughter. It’s very well paid, and dentists are always needed. It’s a legitimate medical field, but it’s one that many people don’t consider as a career option. If you ask me, that’s a mistake.

Film and Video Editing

These days, we are more reliant on films and videos than ever before. There is more of this kind of content around than in the past, and someone has to edit it together. Whenever you watch anything, there is an editing process behind it. Cutting together clips can be about telling a story or delivering information. But there is more behind that than you might think. It takes skills to deliver a narrative or a pile of information in a way that is interesting and captivating for the viewer. Many young people have a flair for it because they are used to working on computers.

International Diplomacy

Have you ever wanted to be the guy that strikes trade deals and does business with other countries? Those are just some of the things that international diplomats do. If you have an interest in world affairs and want to be a part of it, then you could do a course in international relations. You can find course details at sites like http://www.withmydegree.org/can-international-studies-degree/. It takes ambition and determination to get to the top in that world. And you have to start at the very bottom if you’re going to have any chance of making it all the way. However, it could be worth it in the end.

Land Surveying

Before civil engineering and building projects go ahead, the land has to be assessed. This is where the land surveyor comes in. These are professionals that are responsible for taking data and making a judgement. It requires a skillful understanding of numbers, as well as an ability to interpret complex data. On top of all that, land surveyors have to be able to negotiate and communicate with lots of other people. So, having people skills is important too. It can be an interesting and financially rewarding job, though.

Architect

We are not going to stop needing buildings anytime soon. And there are few jobs more rewarding them designing buildings that actually get built. This is exactly what architects do. They are the ones responsible for shaping the skyline and creating the buildings where we live and work. There will always be demand for people who are skilled in this sector. It requires a level of creativity, as well as a solid understanding engineering concepts. It’s certainly not easy to break into, but it is something worth introducing to your son or daughter.

Forensics

Anyone who has watched a cop show or a serial killer movie in the last decade or so will know a bit about forensics. You don’t have to understand it inside out to know that it’s very important when it comes to catching criminals. It’s work that has to be carried out by competent professionals, however. So, if your son or daughter enjoys science but doesn’t know which part of it to focus on, maybe forensics could be the best option. It allows them to put their skills to good use. Forensic scientists are always in demand, and the job pays well too.

Art Restoration

If your son or daughter has a flair for art, they could use this to their advantage when they are trying to find a career path. Art restoration is one of the most important activities out there at the moment. You can’t underestimate how key it is. If we want our art heritage to be around forever, it needs to be restored and maintained. To be involved in art in an active way doesn’t have to be about creating your own works of art. Bringing old works of art back to their former glory is just as important. So, this could be something to suggest to your art-obsessed child.

Many college students would like to get a job as soon as they graduate from college. However, this is not always the case for many of them mainly because they had not decided on which career path to take before college. Unfortunately, this situation is replayed in the lives of many graduates making it clear that the decision on which career path to take should be made before applications to colleges are sent out.  Here are some tips to ensure that you do not fall in the same trap of selecting a college before deciding on the best career for you.

• Work backwards

After high school many students typically start looking for colleges that they would want to attend, then select a major and finally decide on the career they would like to pursue. However, this is not right and things should actually be done the other way round, with the choice of a career path being decided on first and then the rest follow. You should picture yourself filling in application forms for a job that you are passionate about many years after college.

• Choose  a career you love

Do you know what you enjoy doing? In most cases, the answer to this question will make it easier to choose a career that you are passionate about. Always look into career possibilities that match your personality and in the long run will satisfy your needs for years to come. If your interests seem to be all over the place consider narrowing them down to at least three areas and choose a career that will march them perfectly. Also you can try out online tests that help people find a career path that go with their personality.  

• Select the right college

When you have settled on the career path you would like to pursue in the future, it is time to choose a major and a corresponding college. Although colleges to choose from are many, research on the best ones in the field that want to pursue so that you get the best education possible in the area. These colleges are also likely to offer several options in terms of majors that you can selecting according to your interests.

Overall, having an idea of the career you want to have in the future as you select colleges will keep you focused and motivated to work towards your dream profession.

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Today’s guest post is from Aaron Ramsey, the owner and writer for Eapplicants.com, an online resource for job seekers to find all the information they need on today’s largest companies.

Penn College students preparing for careers

With all the news about students graduating without job prospects, parents and students are researching alternatives to traditional higher education. One alternative is a career college. What would that look like? It would be a college that focuses on the career along with the degree–a career focused college.

One such college is Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. This college marries a liberal arts education with preparing students for a career after graduation by providing hands on career experience while attending. Students learn to weld, work on airplanes, construct houses, work on automobiles, and much more. Each career path offers a balance between education and career preparation. For more information on Penn College, check out my series: Degrees That Work on my blog.

Another college would be Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Northeastern offers a Co-op program: an educational program in which you alternate semesters of academic study with semesters of full-time employment in positions related to your academic and/or career interests in the U.S. or globally. Northeastern explains, “We do this through our experiential learning model which is, simply put, learning by doing. While experiential learning can and does happen in classroom, lab and studio situations, it is much more powerful and robust when students have opportunities to use their knowledge and practice their skills in authentic, real-world situations”.

When searching for colleges, consider a career focused college that focus on preparing students for careers after graduation.

Read Wendy’s post: College and Career Game Plan

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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentscountdowntocollegecoach to pocsmom.com and vice versa.

Communication is an important part of a person’s daily life. While there are many ways people communicate with each other, verbal communication is the most prevalent means of conveying needs and wants. For people with communicative disorders such as speech problems and hearing loss, giving and receiving basic information can be a challenge. These individuals need the assistance of trained professionals to provide them with tools and resources to help them navigate their daily lives as easily as possible.

A career in the communicative field can be incredibly rewarding. If you’re considering this career path, here are a few examples of jobs you can apply a communicative disorders degree towards.

Speech Pathology

A speech therapist, also called a speech-language pathologist, diagnoses, treats, and works toward preventing communicative disorders. These disorders may or may not be related to the following factors:

• Cognitive communication
• Fluency
• Swallowing
• Language
• Speech

As a speech-language pathologist (SLP), you may work with individuals who cannot produce sounds or do not produce sounds in a clear manner. Examples of voice disorders include stuttering, inappropriate pitch, and rhythm difficulties.

Many different organizations hire speech therapists such as schools, private businesses, and therapeutic groups. Whether you work for an organization directly or have a private practice, this particular area of the communicative disorders field has plenty of opportunity for career growth. Keep in mind that a master’s degree is almost always a requirement for most positions in this field.

Deaf Education

A career working with deaf or hard-of-hearing students is rewarding on many levels. Did you know that according to the Hearing Health Foundation (HHF), 1 in 5 Americans have some hearing loss in one ear? Also, 3 out of every 1,000 children born in the United States are born hard of hearing or deaf.

Do these statistics shock you? Do they make you wonder what it is like for people who, on a daily basis, struggle to communicate with their peers and family members? If so, you may want to consider a career in deaf education. Here are just a few of the many jobs that are directly related to individuals experiencing hearing loss:

• Sign language interpreter
• Audiologist
• Social worker
• Child care worker
• Employment counseling

As you can see, the types of jobs that appeal to people interested in deaf education are varied. Some jobs provide direct service to individuals with hearing loss while other jobs may focus on educating hearing people about the struggles that their non-hearing counterparts face. These particular jobs focus on finding solutions to make it easier for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals to function in a hearing world.

Audiology

The audiology professional is continuously growing and has many career opportunities. One of the reasons for the increased need for professionals in this industry is the growing geriatric population. Baby boomers are entering the later stages of their lives and with this comes hearing loss that can make communication difficult.

Audiologists strive to improve the quality of life for their patients and take on many different roles. Some audiologists provide rehabilitation services while others monitor and prevent hearing loss. Places that hire audiologists include the following:

• Private, medical practices
• Public health services
• Long-term care facilities
• Rehabilitation facilities
• Public and private schools (educational audiology)
• Health insurance providers
• Research facilities
• And more!

For a successful and lucrative career in the audiology field, you’ll need to complete as many as 8 years of schooling. The field is slowly transitioning into a doctoring-level profession, which includes an additional year of internship study.

To learn more about the opportunities in the communicative field, work closely with your counselor to find an educational path that will help you fulfill your career goals.

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Heather Jensen is an Audiologist and Clinical Assistant Professor for Utah state University.  She received her Doctorate of Audiology from Arizona School of Health Sciences in 2004.  She has been an adviser for the student academy of audiology organization at USU for 11 years.  Before coming to USU, she owned her own private practice, but decided she wanted to give back to the field of audiology by teaching students.  When she’s not working she spends time with her four children, she also enjoys doing hearing related humanitarian missions.

Higher education is a complicated issue for many students and parents today. College education is a necessity for finding success and prosperity in many career paths, but rising concerns about student loan debt and graduate unemployment are making the process of pursuing education more stressful and uncertain than ever before. Community colleges are becoming increasingly popular options for students everywhere, as a means of securing foundation credits before transferring to a university. Is community college a path that your teen should consider?

Community college gets a bad rap

Community colleges are often viewed as being stigmatized in many academic circles. Students and parents alike disdain the idea of a community college education because they believe that more prestigious institutions will look down upon them. Worries about how an employer will view community college education on a resume are disconcerting as well. However, you shouldn’t be concerned about such fallacies. Your teen can study at a community college before transferring to another school, and still have access to all the same opportunities as every other student.

Consider the costs

With college costs soaring, community college remains one of the most affordable options—in fact, it can save you a bundle.

•Community college tuition is significantly lower than that of traditional colleges and universities as well as public institutions.

•While attending a local community college, students can often remain living at home saving on room and board which on average is close to $10,000 a year.

•If your child is employed while in high school, they can keep their job by staying local throughout their college years. This income can often go a long way towards helping pay for transportation and college costs.

•If low grades are preventing your child from getting a scholarship at a college or university, attending a community college to earn an associate’s degree can be an affordable stepping-stone.

While you can likely finance an expensive private college or university with federal student loans or private loans—consider too that your child will be one-step ahead financially if they can enter the workforce debt-free.

Getting an education with potential

Gone are the days when masses of young people went to college for a general liberal arts degree with no specific career focus in mind. With the sagging job market, students have their eye on promising careers with upward mobility and lucrative salaries. For students looking to enter rapidly growing job markets, community college can be a viable option.

Many in-demand, well-paying, jobs require only an associate’s degree. More and more educational programs are offering these career-focused degrees. Careers such as electricians, plumbers, and mechanics are financially lucrative and graduates who can work in these fields are in high demand.

Many graduating seniors have decided to take the community college path before heading off to a 4-year university. They will tell you that they’ve made that choice for several reasons: cost, academic preparation, and the freedom to stay at home for the first few years. Community colleges aren’t just training grounds for technical careers, they are also the first stop for about 4 in 10 of college-bound high school graduates.

Community college might not be for everyone. But, it might be a perfect fit for your teen. And, if your teen is planning on making it the start of a 4-year degree plan, do some research and verify that the classes will transfer to the university they plan to attend.

Read Wendy’s blog: 3 Surprising Reasons to Consider Community College

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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentscountdowntocollegecoach to pocsmom.com and vice versa.

Look to the future and what do you see? Flying cars? Steampunk kids riding hoverboards? Downtrodden dystopias with Harrison Ford-alikes running around in long brown overcoats?

Well, while these visions of the future might never happen, one thing is certain – some jobs will be obsolete, so you have to make your education count.

It’s a tough call to make. But some jobs will always be vital, no matter what era we live in.

So here are a few future-proof college majors for you to study, whether we move into a glistening or a downbeat future.

The children are our future

Despite declining birth rates in the western world, the need to look after and understand the needs of children is greater than ever.

But that doesn’t exclusively lead you towards childcare. For high wages and the chance to work out your brainbox, try studying for a degree in child psychology. Relative to other medical fields, psychology itself is in its relative infancy, making the possibilities for unique advancement high.

Knowing the inner workings of a child’s mind will never go out of style.

Digital love

You can see the impact of the internet on businesses already. As high street stores close their doors and indie retailers struggle to stay afloat, internet giants like Amazon dominate the marketplace.

The future is now in the digital world. As the tech for the internet unfurls before us, the reality is clear – the net is going nowhere.

As such, there are now countless avenues of study for a life in the digital world. Web development, computer programming, app design, game design – the list goes on. Some colleges even offer the chance to study the cultural impact of the web on society.

Not only is the world of the web putting convenience at our fingertips – it’s giving us the jobs of the future.

Get arty

We’ve all dreamed of it in some form or another – wearing a beret on the south bank of the Seine, Paris, you pen your latest novel, pursing a cigarette between your lips and living the life of the moody artiste.

But the successful artist – be they pretentious poet, literary heavyweight, beard-stroking filmmaker or agent provocateur raconteur – is usually one in a million. Yet however precarious a career as an artist might be, it will never go out of date. While the modes of distribution might change, the need for art won’t.

A degree in fine art, illustration or any other creative subject, won’t guarantee you a job straight off the bat. However, many people learn to combine a side job with their artistic aspirations. Creation may not pay amazingly – but it’ll never age away.

About 20 years ago, my son came to me and said he wanted to join the Marines. You can imagine–as a mom my heart dropped. I felt pride and angst all at the same time.

My father was a World War II veteran and I always loved to hear his war stories. Of course, I’m sure he spared me the painful ones, but I know he had some.

I’m sitting here today, as are we all, because these men in my life served in the military to defend our freedom. It was a decision they made and it took great courage knowing they might pay the ultimate sacrifice. I will always have admiration and respect for our veterans.

What better way to honor our veterans than by sharing some of my favorite posts from my blog and from others:

Our Military Academies–How to apply

If your son or daughter is considering a military academy? There are numerous steps they will need to take before applying.

Is Military College Right for your Student?

For those students who don’t want to attend one of the five military academies, military colleges can be an excellent option.

Best Colleges for Veterans

Do you know a veteran who wants to attend college?

A Tribute to Vietnam Vets on Veterans Day

One of the most heartfelt posts I have ever read and an example for future generations of Americans

Thank a veteran for his or her service today. We owe them a debt of gratitude.