Inve$ting in Tomorrow, Today!

We are in an economic environment where few people are taking the time to look at long term goals because they are so concerned with their short-term security.

I cannot help but ask why so many people are willing to stay “stuck” where they are when according to a recent Harris Interactive survey (www.careervision.org/about/pdfs/mr_jobsatisfaction.pdf) the majority of them (55%) are not satisfied with their current employment situation (33% believe they are at a dead end in their career and 21% are eager to change careers)?

WAKE UP AMERICA…Even though the future seems uncertain, there is no need to resign yourself to staying in your current reality!!

In fact, those who dare to pursue their dreams of a better tomorrow for themselves and their families will most likely be the ones who will continue their climb up the ladder of opportunity as the recession comes to an end – pursuing new challenges and finding satisfaction in the workplace… The others, who choose to remain securely tethered in their current situation, may wake-up on the other side of this recession realizing that they are woefully ill-prepared to meet the demands of the employers of tomorrow.

Getting up, out, and through this recession to a better tomorrow for you and your family will require long-term goals and investments in tomorrow’s opportunities. Now is the time to invest in training and education that can provide you with the new skills, aptitudes, and ways of thinking that are needed to propel you up and out of today.

Pursuing learning and education today can open doors to a new tomorrow, fostering 11 of the top 15 skills employers reported as very important — skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, self-direction, written and oral communication — you become much more employable through advanced learning (http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/how-to-win-students-and-influence-learning)!

Bluffton University has offered accelerated degree programming at Edison Community College in Piqua, Ohio for nearly ten years and we’ve helped hundreds of area professionals change their professional realities. If you are stuck, perhaps we can help you too!!

We have several degree options designed specifically for working adults – bachelor’s and post-baccalaureate degrees http://www.bluffton.edu/adultdegree/ and master’s degrees http://www.bluffton.edu/grad/gpb/

• At Bluffton, we believe that learning takes place in community and that a significant amount of education occurs through the immediate response and feedback from instructors and classmates that simply cannot be replicated in an on-line program.

• At Bluffton, we believe that your effectiveness in the workplace will be improved through collective exploration of issues relevant to collaboration and improvement in organizational activity in today’s global economy.

• At Bluffton, we believe that you can increase your value to any organization by engaging in thoughtful consideration and discussion of a broad range of societal topics through the diverse perspectives provided by classmates from other backgrounds, industries, and organizations.

• At Bluffton, we believe your time is valuable – so we ask you to attend class just one night a week leaving you a full 6 ½ days to balance work, family, church and civic projects, and homework.

• At Bluffton, we believe in values-driven education so our curriculum challenges students to make positive changes in their work life and personal life that will effect change in the lives of others!

Don’t let uncertainty about tomorrow put your long-term goals on hold…NOW is the time to make your move!

College Education?? Oh, Ye$…Ye$ Indeed!

Earning a college degree takes several years of personal and financial commitment. Time is invested in studying for exams, completing assignments and earning credits while characteristics such as time management, decision-making, prioritization, and accountability are sharpened.

The personal and financial investment and demonstration of personal growth confirms to potential employers that an individual is dedicated to their career. With the job market saturated with competent, qualified individuals seeking work, employers have the luxury of being extremely discriminate with requiring certain skills sets and educational achievements. The college degree has now become an expected requirement of employability for most professional-level jobs.

Undergraduate degrees require a core curriculum of general classes that all students regardless of major must complete. Courses in math, English, and history develop skills in reasoning, tolerance, reflection, communication, speech and writing—all essential skills in any job position.

This type of instruction yields a broad understanding of the world, and provides a foundation of important concepts and principles outside the chosen field of study. The result is a more well-rounded, versatile and employable individual.

For Full Story Visit The National Program on Noncollegiate sponsored Instruction http://www.nationalponsi.org/

http://www.nationalponsi.org/about/newsletters/newsletter_spring_2011.html#Does

It’$ All About Choice$

Even if you absolutely love your job, there are (no doubt) challenges that arise as you interact with the personalities and structures that comprise your organization.

How is it that despite (or in spite of) those challenges some folks are able to maintain a positive attitude while others’ spiral out of control?

I attribute it to one simple act…Choice. Challenges will arise, it’s up to us to choose how to respond.

I realize, however, most folks need (or prefer) information in a non-abridged version. For those folks, I offer some common sense insight from a recent article by Kelly & Marshall Goldsmith:

“You have the power to create significant positive change. And, there are only two things that you can change: you can change You or you can change It.

Changing You means to change everything about you that is under your control.

Changing It refers to changing any of the influencing forces in your life that are not you. For instance, another individual, group of people, job, place, relationship, or even the results of a choice that you made in the past that needs undoing. It is basically everything that isn’t you.

The choice of whether to change it or you is up to you, and it can be difficult to determine which is the best route to take. A lot of times we make the wrong choice and try to change It when we should be changing something about ourselves, and vice versa.”

So what do you need to do to maintain a positive attitude in the workplace?

1. Alter your attitude toward the company. Try to find new and better ways of interacting with coworkers. Mentally readjust and try to make peace with It. That’s changing You.

2. Positively and proactively change your work environment. Be respectful to decision makers, and also challenge up on important issues. Make a positive difference in work environments. Respect final decisions that cannot be changed, and realize that you can impact decisions that are in progress that can be changed.

This advice is actually applicable to any social situation…family, school, and church & civic organizations!

You can be a positive person – it really is YOUR choice!

Adapted from: ‘What To Do When You Hate Your Job’ By Kelly Goldsmith and Marshall Goldsmith | February 25, 2011 for full article visit: http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=409895128&gid=72806&type=member&item=46242885&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebnet%2Ecom%2Fblog%2Fmarshall-goldsmith%2Fnot-achieving-your-goals-5-common-mistakes%2F286&urlhash=bY-Z&goback=%2Egde_72806_member_46242885

Are You Ready to Advance Your Career?

 

A great way to expand your knowledge, hone your skills, and increase your value is through graduate studies at Bluffton University!

Bluffton will host a Graduate Programs Open House from 4:30-7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17, at The Meeting Place, located at 220 W. Market Street in Lima, Ohio. Call 1.800.488.3257, option 4, for more information.

This Open House provides an opportunity for area professionals to investigate the options Bluffton University provides for completion of MBA, Master of Arts in Organizational Management (MAOM) or Master of Arts in Education (MAEd).

At Bluffton, we recognize that working adults are busy so we allow MBA & MAOM candidates the choice to attend classes in Piqua, Bluffton, or Archbold (whichever may be closest to their homes or workplaces)!

At Bluffton, we believe that learning takes place in community and that a significant amount of education occurs through the immediate response and feedback from instructors and classmates that simply cannot be replicated in an on-line program.

At Bluffton, we believe that your effectiveness in the workplace will be improved through collective exploration of issues relevant to collaboration and improvement in organizational activity in today’s global economy.

 At Bluffton, we believe that you can increase your value to any organization by engaging in thoughtful consideration and discussion of a broad range of societal topics through the diverse perspectives provided by classmates from other backgrounds, industries, and organizations.

At Bluffton, we believe your time is valuable – so we ask you to attend class just one night a week leaving you a full 6 ½ days to balance work, family, church and civic projects, and homework.

 At Bluffton, we believe in values-driven education so our curriculum challenges students to make positive changes in their work life and personal life that will effect change in the lives of others!

To learn more, stop by for a visit at The Meeting Place on March 17th or call the Office of Adult & Graduate Education 800.488.3257, option 4 to schedule a meeting with representative in your area!

Tax Benefit$ for Education

If you are a student PLEASE READ THIS before filing your taxes!!

There is a variety of tax credits and deductions available to taxpayers to assist with the expense of higher education.

A tax credit reduces the amount of income tax you may have to pay.

A deduction reduces the amount of your income that is subject to tax, thus generally reducing the amount of tax you may have to pay.

Visit IRS.gov for details:  http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=213044,00.html

Po$$ible Tax Changes for Employer Tuition A$$i$tance

Do you know someone whose employer is providing tuition assistance? It´s a great benefit, right? Especially since, at this moment, those tuition dollars are not counted as taxable income for the student. If it were, the student would have to pay extra income tax on that tuition assistance. But that could easily change.

The tuition exemption is possible because of something called Section 127. Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code has made it possible for millions of employees to take advantage of employer tuition assistance without the sting of tax liability. However, that law may no longer exist after this year. Under Section 127, an employee may exclude from taxable income up to $5,250 per year in employer-provided educational assistance at the undergraduate and graduate level regardless of whether the education is job-related. This provision is currently set to expire at the end of 2010.

CAEL is a member of the Coalition to Preserve Employer Provided Education Assistance (CPEPEA) which supports public policy that will make Section 127 permanent.

Section 127 is one of the only tax benefits that targets working learners, encouraging employers to offer tuition assistance. According to a recent SHRM survey, about 913 million people received Section 127 benefits in the 2007-08 academic year. The average age of Section 127 undergraduate recipients was 37 years old, and the average income was $42,711. This data suggests that Section 127 is making a difference for all workers, not just younger people or highly paid professional staff.

There is promising activity on the Hill in support of Section 127. On June 24, 2010, Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Representative Sam Johnson (R-TX) introduced H.R. 5600, the Employee Educational Assistance Act of 2010. This bill would make Section 127 a permanent part of the tax code. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has also introduced a higher education tax bill (S. 2851) that will make permanent several educational tax provisions, including Section 127.

There are several ways you can help:

• Write to your representatives to ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 5600. CPEPEA can provide you with a template letter.
• Provide testimony on the impact of Section 127, especially if you are an employee or employer.
• Get the word out.

This Information was taken in its entirety from:  Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) Forum & News https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:28750.8587460856/rid:4f9ba872eb588b7a733a0ff6d8e74de3

Upgrading Your Job $earch

“When the economy is tight, a lower percentage of open positions are actually advertised as employers rely on less expensive recruiting through referrals and informal word-of-mouth advertising,” Duncan Mathison, co-author of Unlock the Hidden Job Market: Six Steps to a Successful Search When Times Are Tough says. “This ‘hidden’ job market actually becomes a bigger share of open positions. This means that networking plays a bigger role in uncovering unadvertised leads.”

To maximize potential opportunities, Mathison recommends job seekers spend more time researching employers and asking people in their network and at professional organizations for leads. “Directly approach people who could be your future manager and tell them of your availability. These are the people who care most about what you can do and how you can make them and their teams successful.”

See Full Story by Beth Braccio Hering at http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-1665-Job-Search-Are-You-Shooting-Too-Low-in-Your-Job-Search/

Job $eeker$…How’$ Your Credit??

Though many people argue that credit scores have nothing to do with their capabilities on the job, some employers say differently. Sixty percent of employers recently surveyed by the Society of Human Resource Management said they run credit checks on all or some potential new hires. That’s up from 43 percent in 2006 and 25 percent in 1998…..

See Rachel Farrell’s Full Story at Career Builder: http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-1571-Job-Search-Why-Do-Employers-Care-About-Your-Credit/

Advice for Job $eeker$

Many employers around the country are inundated with qualified and overqualified applicants for every job they need to fill, which means they can be pickier than ever… And this doesn’t just mean choosy when it comes to job qualifications according to Eve Tahmincioglu.

“The competition is fierce,” one vice president of employment and training shared as he offered this advice, “They have to stand out from the rest, in the right way”……

See Full Story by Eve Tahmincioglu, MSNBC.com at: http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-1905-Job-Search-Time-for-Extreme-Makeover/?sc_extcmp=JS_1905_advice&SiteId=cbmsn41905&ArticleID=1905&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=bec8afaf20f743efa30f3b54505ce20a-330169280-RN-4

Developing Your $elling Point$

 

Imagine you are an advertising executive assigned the task of getting people to try a new soft drink. Before you pitched the product to consumers, chances are you’d examine the item carefully. How does it taste? Is it lower in calories than other beverages? What features distinguish it from other drinks?

The process is much the same for job seekers — only this time you are both the marketer and the product being peddled. Before trying to “sell” yourself to prospective employers, it is worth taking time to evaluate your attributes and the best ways they can be presented.

Read Beth Braccio Hering’s Full Story at: http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2267-Job-Search-Developing-Your-Selling-Points/?sc_extcmp=JS_2267_advice&SiteId=cbmsn42267&ArticleID=2267&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=7fa96b1b404a4651975502ba94b4b8ec-329571305-VJ-4