getahead Guide to Career Advancement
Surveying the Landscape for Hot Jobs What Jobs are Most in Demand in Columbia? By Rodney Welch
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or anyone wondering where all the good jobs are, a recent report from the University of South Carolina mapped out some high demand areas for the next decade and a half. According to the report, “South Carolina’s Education-Workforce Matchup: 2013-2030,” authored by economists at USC’s Moore School of Business, the state is looking at a serious shortfall in the number of people available in critical jobs over the next decade and a half. “Specifically,” the report states, “by 2030 there will be a shortage of 44,010 workers with associate’s degrees and 70,540 workers with bachelor’s degrees or higher.” Universities and technical schools offer a number of different routes to these jobs, and determining which path to take is very much a matter of individual ambitions and resources. Both directions vary widely in costs: in tuition and textbooks, a four-year bachelor’s degree at the University of South Carolina typically costs about $12,000 a year, while a two-year degree at Midlands Tech generally runs about $12,500 total (depending on the course of study). Some of the following critical jobs demand a university degree, but in several cases technical schools allow an affordable alternative that can give people a start in the same career field. Here are some of the top jobs of the future, and what they require in both money and time.
registered nurse by way of either university or technical schools, both of which deliver classroom instruction as well as hands-on training in hospitals and health care facilities. For people just testing out the career, MTC offers the Certified Nursing Assistant
(CNA) program — a five-week program, costing just over $800, that provides clinical experience and leads to state board certification. “Many times individuals like to start there,” said Cathy Pitts, Midlands Tech’s executive director of programs in corporate and continuing education, and “become gainfully employed as they work toward becoming a registered nurse or even a licensed practical nurse.” Also, they may find work along the way by gaining the skills necessary to become an EKG technician or a phlebotomist (people trained in drawing blood). Although both technical colleges and universities generally graduate nurses with similar skill sets, both degrees have distinct advantages. An associate degree in nursing (ADN) certainly costs less, but a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree gives graduates the advantage of a broad fouryear education, and is increasingly preferred by hospitals. “The American Nurses Association has
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stood behind the concept of BSN education for the nurses of the future since 1965,” said Judith Curfman Thompson, CEO of the S.C. Nurses Association. “The ANA position has always encouraged easily accessible education to assist in obtaining the BSN degree.”
General and Operations Manager As this is a broad category, the education level varies accordingly, and the general rule of thumb is that if you want more, you need to learn more. While a bachelor’s degree in business or finance could qualify you for a managerial position, Tom Halasz from the USC Career Center said many students choose to continue on to an advanced degree in management, broadening their opportunities in the process. Midlands Tech also offers a number of opportunities for students aiming for careers in management, and they attract many who are already employed but are hoping to
Nursing As people live longer, health care demands increase, and trained nurses rarely lack for employment. Students can pursue a career as a March 26-April 1, 2014
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move up the ladder in their companies. Some businesses even invest in their employees by sponsoring their technical school education. The school offers two-year degree programs in management and marketing that allows graduates to apply for entrylevel positions that don’t require a four-year management degree. “Most of our students are already employed and they come to us basically to improve their promotability in their current jobs,” said instructor Edwin Breazeale. These courses do not currently transfer to a four-year college, Breazeale said, although the college is hoping to change that. Midlands Tech also offers a Supervisory Program, which focuses on communication skills, developing and retaining talent, and decision-making among others. This certificate program costs about $1,500 and can be completed in about six months.
Elementary and Secondary School Teachers These teaching positions require a full university education, which includes both classroom instruction and student teaching. If you’re interested in becoming an elementary school teacher, however, Midlands Tech does offer a variety of options that are transferable to a university degree.
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You can start with a 27-hour certificate, costing about $5,000, in early childhood education, which will also allow you to work in a child care facility. You can also continue your education by pursuing a double major with an associate arts degree. “A lot of students do that,” said Instructor Sandra Hackley, MTC’s interim department chair for business and public service. “They get the certificate and start working in a child care setting, then can continue on to get an associate degree or bachelor’s
degree.” Students with an Associate Degree in Early Care and Education can work in or direct a child care program, become lead teacher in a Head Start program, or become a teaching assistant in public school. Hackley said there are a number of scholarships for early childhood education, and that some students working in a child care setting can get a scholarship that would take care of almost all the costs. The traditional route for becoming a high school teacher is to pursue a bachelor of science degree that focuses on a specific field of study and includes instruction in classroom teaching. Halasz points out that some states, including South Carolina, also “have alternative certification where, depending on work
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experience and previous education, you can be certified in another way.”
Auditing and Accounting As is true with university degrees in business, Halasz said that accounting has become more education intensive, and that it’s not unusual for students to go on to pursue a master’s degree. Midlands Tech offers a two year associate degree that allows graduates to get an entry-level start as a bookkeeper, or to work in the accounting department of corporations, nonprofits or government offices. Instructor Harvey Smith said he encourages students to continue to pursue their bachelor’s degree at a four-year university after they finish the program.
Construction Manager Program This job requires a technical school education, and the program at Midlands Tech teaches students about residential construction practices and prepares them for the S.C. Residential Contractors Exam. The ten-month program costs about $1,700. Many of the students are already in the construction business, and either want to move up to a managerial position or start their own construction business.
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Rules of the LinkedIn Road By Katie Alice Walker
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et’s face it, your online activity and manners are just as important to whether you make it or break it in nearly any career field as your behavior and attitude in the workplace. In today’s world of “liking” and “sharing,” it can be difficult to keep all of your interactions, emails and conversations within various social networks as professional as possible — particularly when Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media sites are regularly used in both a personal and a professional capacity. And what about LinkedIn, the social media site for professional networking? Just as it is on other sites, it is imperative to keep all comments and communication on LinkedIn as professional as possible — perhaps even more so, because the primary purpose of the site is professional networking. Employers are on LinkedIn for recruiting. Chances are you’re on LinkedIn to learn more about your profession and develop your network of contacts. Whether you’re using LinkedIn for research, keeping up with colleagues in your industry or new business opportunities, what you say or type there can follow you for much longer than a face-to-face interaction in the cubicles at your office — so it’s definitely a place where you should know the rules. Like most social media tools, LinkedIn is constantly changing. There’s a very fine line between what’s a good idea and what’s annoying. Here are some rules of the road to keep in mind.
Update Your Profile
Before you dive in, make sure your profile is up-to-date and engaging. When asking others to connect with you, be sure they’re able to find out why they should want to connect with you. Are you your employer’s top salesperson? Do you speak another language? Have you recently added another certification? Do you have meaningful volunteer experience? All of these facets of your career are accomplishments worth noting on your LinkedIn profile and will help potential employers and connections when they’re searching for specific skills in their connections. Think of your profile as an online résumé of sorts, and you’d never distribute your resume without your top accomplishments listed. LinkedIn isn’t the place for unprofessional photos of yourself. If you’d include the image you’re planning to post with a résumé, it’s suitable for LinkedIn — although there’s a whole debate over whether people should submit photos with résumés at all. If you do post a photo, think of it as a professional headshot. Make sure you are wearing professional attire and that the image only contains you. This isn’t the place for wedding photos or family shots.
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Connecting with Other Professionals
Connecting with other professionals is as easy as sending a request, but sending a very brief personalized request with a reason why you should connect is best. Did you work together a decade ago? Did another colleague mention that the two of you work in the same field? Be sure to note that. Otherwise, someone who doesn’t recognize your name might ignore the request — or worse, consider it an intrusion. Whatever you do, don’t send a blanket request to multiple people. Just don’t. LinkedIn will give you the option to request a connection with all of your contacts, but recipients will find it annoying and it will not likely result in solid connections. Instead, expand your network organically by searching for current colleagues, former coworkers and even classmates from college sharing your major. Take the time to make meaningful connections based on similarities in your profiles.
Posting Content on LinkedIn
Posting content that’s relevant, useful and easy to digest is key. Posting informational articles, links and videos is much better than posting self-indulgent content that only pats yourself on the back. Make sure that you’re adding value to a professional conversation — much like you’d want to in the workplace or at a business-networking event. As for the nuts and bolts of posting, make sure your links are active and not broken: Again, a professional arena is not the place to show carelessness. A broken link might as well be a misspelling on your cover letter; some people might forgive the mistake, but others will write you off immediately.
Endorsements
LinkedIn allows people you have connected with to endorse your skills and act as references for those looking at your profile. Don’t rely on the endorsements for attention. Instead, think about participating and writing recommendations for others whose skills you truly find commendable. LinkedIn, like other social networks, is most beneficial to those users who actively participate in the community. Don’t give up on it as a useful business tool until you’ve actively participated.
First, Do No Harm
Most importantly, remember that nearly anything online can go viral in a nano-second. If someone requests to connect, and you respond rudely or inappropriately, there’s a chance for it to be posted and shared, leaving others with a very bad taste for you, no matter how talented and accomplished you are. Similarly, someone could take a request from you that they consider inappropriate and post it elsewhere online. So, be engaged — but also be careful. Used well, LinkedIn can be an excellent professional tool. Just make sure you keep it professional. facebook.com/freetimes
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