Killing the College Misconception

Did you know that Alabama has a “College Application Campaign”? A statewide initiative with the goal of having EVERY high school senior in the state apply to at least one college. I found this out last week thanks to the high school guidance counselor’s weekly email blast. I’ll be honest, as an HR professional, I had to hold myself back from sending her an email outlining the negative impact of such a campaign. I’m still tempted to.  I graduated high school many moons ago, in an era when high schools still had classes like shop, mechanics, and electrical design. I

Why a Decline in Teens Working is Bad For Them and Bad For Business

The diamond on my ringer finger I can thank in part to a teenager engaging in summer work. My husband worked during the summer every year starting at age fifteen. And although I wasn’t even on his radar at age 15, nor do I think marriage to anyone was at that point in time, his hard work and savings from that hard work led to a lovely diamond on my hand that he paid cash for. He worked painting schools, mowing grass, driving a forklift at a lumber yard and building tree stands while in high school. His college work

Put Your Phone Away: The 1 Best Piece of Advice for Today’s Adults and Teens?

I’ve been asked to speak to a group of high school student leaders this week.  I’m always open to almost any topic the organizers want me to cover that I have expertise in.  In this case, what started off as a talk about communication skills morphed into talking about building confidence. The adult leader said that she felt as though this was a challenge for most youth of today.   I see this point and also see where there are a variety of factors contributing to it. One factor that I see related to both challenges in communication skills and confidence is the

4 Pieces of Advice for College Students

One of the things I like to do most is help students consider what would maximize their learning and experiences in preparation for the working world.   I recently had lunch with a student who is majoring in business and thinking about concentrating in Human Resources.  She is bright, well-rounded and is exploring multiple possibilities.  She asked good questions about what to consider, and I found myself offering this advice that I would offer to most college students, in particular, business school students: 1.  Study or work abroad at some point before you graduate.  I know the cost of this

Secrets of the Job Search for Recent Graduates

This time of year is always crazy busy with upcoming graduation and new beginnings for recent grads. Job search is on the top of their lists. I often get inquiries about resumes, cover letters & job search strategies in the spring. So, I thought a blog post addressing secrets for the job search would be timely. But first, I want to share a quick story. A couple of months ago, I worked with a client who was approaching college graduation. She was a treat to work with; she had a wonderful attitude, great education background as well as impressive internship