Creating a Pathway to Your Dream Career: Designing and Controlling a Career Around Your Life Goals

A college degree used to practically guarantee a satisfying (if not necessarily emotionally fulfilling) job and a salary that would ensure a reasonably comfortable lifestyle and a secure retirement. That's ancient history. During the depths of the recent recession, half of all college graduates were unable to get any job or, if they were lucky enough to land a job, it did not make use of their education and did not offer a professional career path. Although the job market is slowly improving, most university graduates, not to speak of community college and high school graduates, still face a very rough and uncertain road to the American Dream. After all, there are still far fewer mid-skill/mid-income jobs than there are people applying for them. And to make matters worse, the number of employers willing to hire and train new graduates on the basis of their 'potential' is rapidly declining. They want people who are already capable of performing the job they are looking to fill. It's no wonder that 56% of recent college graduates believe they will to do less well than their parents–only 17% expect to do better! But, while the prospects may appear daunting, there are many opportunities to not only get a good job, but to develop the career of your dreams. This book provides a 20-step plan to help students: 1. Hone in a career choice; 2. Develop the skills they will need; and 3. Land and capitalize on their first job.