GAP YEAR

What Does Coach Ned think of “A Gap Year”….just take a guess!

Ah…the infamous “Gap Year”.  Those of you out there in Blog Land unfamiliar with this term, please allow Coach Ned to explain.

After completing the burdensome task of obtaining an undergraduate degree, which evidently can only be likened to climbing Mt. Everest in a bathing suit and without oxygen, the graduate has “earned” and “deserves” an entire year off before going to work.

Coach Ned has been informed many times by parents that “a year abroad in Europe” or “a trip sailing the Seven Seas” is just what Junior needs to prepare himself for the real world.  After all, Junior will be working the rest of his life…and he’s worked so hard to finish college, and he’ll never have this chance again!

PLEEEEEEEASE! 

Gap Year? 4 or 5 years of college WAS your “Gap Year”! If Coach Ned could make a career out of going to college, every semester he’d be first in line to sign up!

College exists for one purpose…to get a career job after college.

If there were no universities, if the idea of college was never presented to mankind, would parents send their children off to a $150,000, 4-year fun camp to take classes, go to Fraternity parties and cheer at football games?  Of course not!

Needless to say, Coach Ned would recommend NOT taking a year off. Remember, 50% of all graduates in the USA are either unemployed or under-employed upon graduation. It’s not a given that everyone who would like a career job will be offered one prior to graduating.

Working on your career WHILE you’re in college and taking advantage of all the business opportunities and contacts presented to you WHILE you’re in college only apply to an immediate career position directly after college.

Envision the following scenario;

  1. A company is so impressed by your resume that they invite you to interview for a position.
  2. Then, after interviewing you two to three times, they are so impressed with your knowledge of business and excellent communicative skills, they invite you (over the other 250 applicants ) to be part of their company.
  3. They then say, “Go ahead and take your Gap Year and when you’re rested and ready, come report to work”.

Just doesn’t happen that way folks.

NextStep C2C…..Your Insurance Policy for Your College Investment!

www.nextstepc2c.com

OMG…..WHAT SHALL I WEAR?

 

Preparing for interviews is important stuff and many of Coach Ned’s young “professionals to be” pose the question….What shall I wear? Read more

DON’T MAKE ME CHASE YOU DOWN

I (Coach Ned) visit with many business owners and ask a lot of questions regarding what they like or don’t like when it comes to working with college graduates. Read more

THE 6th CLASSROOM

Coach Ned and all at Nextstep are passionate about the 6th Classroom.

Most students wait far too long before shaping their resumes for employment after college. By the way here’s a hint….the last semester of your senior year is too late!!!

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CHOOSING OR CHANGING YOUR MAJOR?……..DONT FORGET THE MOST IMPORTANT VARIABLE

Coach Ned here with some tips on a subject that once again came up this week, choosing or changing a major. Read more

DON’T LIMIT YOUR OPTIONS

Hi Parents / College Students….

Coach Ned here with another tip you can live by.  Working with college students, I find too many practice “tunnel vision” while looking for an internship and/or career job. Read more

COLLEGES DON’T DO IT

Coach Ned speaks with lots and lots of parents concerning the benefits of College to Career Coaching provided by NextStep. 

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Coach Ned’s c2c tip on COMMON SENSE

Your little millennial is all grown up and getting ready to go off to college. Before you “light the rocket” and blast him off to “The Land That Accountability Forgot”.  Can we please pause for a little common sense?

Read more