Have you seen the commercials for the jobsite, The Ladders? In the commercials, the announcer proclaims that The Ladders is a premium jobsite for premium talent – those who people who are qualified for $100,000+ per year job. If you were like me, you might have wondered, “What exactly does it take to get one of these ‘premium jobs’?” I logged in this weekend to check out the job listings. (I signed up for the free service-I’m not taking myself too seriously, here)
This is what struck me: most of these jobs are within reach to ‘regular’ people who have worked to get the education and experience needed to qualify. None of the jobs were available to recent college graduates and most required evidence of success in previous jobs.
I think many high school students have one of two huge misperceptions. Misperception #1: they’ll never have a shot at a $100,000+ job. Misperception #2: they’ll get a $100,000+ job right out of college. The problem with Misperception #1 is that the belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy when many students have the skills and work ethic to earn a great job in the future – with guidance and a plan. The problem with Misperception #2 is that students fail to recognize the value of performance outside the classroom. Employers care little about grades after you’re hired. You’ve got to work hard to create success on the job, too.
Take a minute to log in and check out the site. Find a few job openings related to your subject area and share with your students. Use as an opportunity to have a discussion to talk about long-range career plans and the importance of education and work performance.
Career Development Tip for the week of February 23, 2009
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