Wise Decisions About the Cost of Education

Today’s high school students and parents are practical consumers who pick higher education paths after looking at the school costs, financial obligations and career options.

Generation Z students are independent and self-reliant making early decisions about careers and taking responsibility for their education choices. 

Students are becoming the major decision makers in deciding –

• The career path they want to follow
• The school where they will attend

Generation Z are looking at institutions that offer education and skills training as well as degree programs for future employment. The students are open to all educational alternatives - public/ private university, community college, vocational/career programs or apprenticeships.

Generation Z  are ready to make sacrifice to achieve their educational goals –

• Students are saving for college and their futures.
• They plan to minimize costs by living at home.
• They plan to work while in school.

Education planning is a family matter -

• Students talk with parents about college plans as well as strategies to pay for college.
• Families evaluate the long term values and costs of higher education in order to decide which school to attend.
• As a family unit, students and parents are involved in discussions to finance college.  Students are looking for ways to pay for at least part of their higher education costs.

Together, students and parents create career and financial plans will impact the students' educational choices.

Researching career and institution is a daunting task.   

The Explore Careers and College Majors simplifies the process of exploring careers and deciding the right educational institution.   

This program is currently on sale.  Learn more...

Tweet Future Goals - Merging Social Media and Career Development

 Use Social Media Tools to Discover and Target Future Goals

The social media has caused a shift in the way we discover our future goals.

Social media also improves our success in understanding,communicating and sharing information about educational and career plans.

Use Social Media to Bridge the Generation Gap: A Word to Parents and Professionals

Awareness of the generations is necessary to engage and connect with other generation.  Knowing the differences makes communication easier.

As an example, Millennials and Generation Z have unique characteristics.  They are -

1. Technologically sophisticated: Digital natives, Native speakers, Nets, Internet generation, iGeneration and Nintendo digital generation
2. Optimistic: Generation Y and Sunshine generation, an inclusive and hopeful generation
3. Generation C:  Connected, communicating, content-centric, computerized, community-oriented, always clicking

Types of Social Media

Expertise with social media tools is important.  Media technology promotes social networking, career exploration, and future educational planning.

According to Michael Wu, Ph.D., two major types of media tools:

• Social Networks
• Online Communities

Popular social media tools, mobile and web technologies,  include Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.  Media Technology helps us -

• Provide 24/7 access to resources, e.g. the US News and World Report (2012) discussed how High School Students Increasingly Use Social Media for College Search.
• Provide and receive immediate feedback
• Engage and connect with colleges, employers, companies, coaches, mentors, and other students
• Build networks
• Collaborate with others with shared interests
• Make your future plans

Hollandcodes.com has a variety of social media tools -

• Resource One: Facebook
• Resource Two: Twitter
• Resource Three: LinkedIn

Twitter is an information network, an online social networking service, and a microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based messages of up to 140 characters, known as "tweets".

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional business-oriented social networking service with over 175 million members and growing rapidly.

There are different reasons to use LinkedIn –

• Networking – Connect with professionals
• Recruitment
• People, company, and industry research
• Job Email Alerts
• Discussion groups
• Branding
• Job Search
• Interview preparation
• College or field of study research – LinkedIn for Education

Facebook has 70,000 users, 3 million daily page views and 90 million monthly page views.
Hollandcodes.com uses Facebook to display information about a variety of career development and social media topics.

Read more about social media... 

New articles will be posted daily.  

Follow us on the TweetFutureGoals Twitter page.

Social Media and Career Development Workshop Review

National Career Development Conference (NCDA) Conference   June 20, 2014 "The social media is ... a shift in the way we communicate, the way we share information, and the way we live."(NCDA, 2010) With social media, we learn how reach, engage and connect with career professionals and employers.    Digital learning is - Personal and flexible designed to meet the needs of the student   Program that allows students to work at their own pace, according to their competency and mastery levels   Environment that allows anytime, anywhere learning   Atmosphere that promotes sharing and collaboration   Approach that appeals the techno-savvy learners Components of a virtual center are courses, video lectures, career tests, activity sheets, worksheets, and Learning Management System (or LMS) that are presented virtually so that students can access the resources and tools any time, any where.        Digital Learning Principles Here are digital learning principles - Awareness of the Generations  is necessary to engage, connect, and network with students.   Connect with the generations.  What are the differences and similarities between  Millennial and a Generation Z students? Generation Z: The Technological and Advanced Learning Management System (or LMS) is -              -  A software package, that manages and deliveries of information, content, and resources to students                -  Web-based to facilitate "anytime, anywhere" access to learning tools and resources Social Media are tools are used to engage, connect, and network with students, career professionals and employers. Review the examples, highlights, descriptions, illustrations, and contact information for social media tools -  Resource One: Blogs - Blogger and Wordpress Resource Two: Facebook Resource Three: Linkedin Resource Four: Pinterest Resource Five: Twitter Resource Six: Evernote - note taking and archiving software Resource Seven: Delicious Resource Eight: Issuu - digital publishing platform Resource Nine: Prezi - cloud-based presentation software Resource Ten: Scribd - web and mobile device online library Resource Eleven: Slideshare - document, PDF, video and webinar Resource Twelve: Infographics - highly visual presentation tool Resource Thirteen: Wordle - word cloud generator software Resource Fourteen: Powerpoint Resource Fifteen:  Powtoon Resource Sixteen: Hootsuite Get examples of best practices career development/ social media web sites. When you use career awareness, digital learning, and social resources, you will -  Know and value yourself Build self-esteem and confidence Identify interests, abilities, and skills Build relationships between the school environment and the work force Build academic, communication, problem solving, and social skills Increase awareness of the need for future jobs skills See the connections between learning in school, academic skills, job related skills, and careers See career possibilities See themselves as a future contributor to the job force Build a connection between interests and potential careers The some of the most comprehensive, validated, reliable Holland Code career self assessment tests are: MCP - Multi-User Holland Code Career Test!!! Self Directed Search - PRINTED   or INTERNET Versions (Low Cost) Strong Interest Inventory assessment - the most respected and widely used career planning instrument in the world Looking for FREE Holland Codes resources, join the Holland Codes Resource Center. View NCDA 2014 workshop resources...