No matter how your career services curriculum is designed, make the distinction between career planning and the actual process of marketing skills for gainful employment. They are both essential elements of a complete career services education and training program. Cutting right to the chase, without personal marketing skills the chances of earning jobs a person really wants in the pursuit of their career are quite limited. Most of the advice about seeking employment is still oriented around big companies. Unfortunately, the Fortune 500 has been responsible for a net loss in jobs over the last twenty years. All the growth... Continue reading

To be effective it must train people to built their own ship instead of waiting for one to come in. It must train people how to market themselves successfully in all circumstances. The learning component must help people identify the best job search strategies for their personal goals; to know exactly what to do and when to do it; stay motivated in the face of frustration and rejection. To be successful it must include an outreach program to prospective employers and search firms to ensure a continual flow of job leads, and a coaching component that supports people to Develop... Continue reading

I have made a very exciting career move on two fronts. First, I resigned my position as School Director and Director of Career Services at New Horizons Computer Learning Center, but have entered into a General Contract of Services with New Horizons to provide career services to their students through my new company, FindJobsQuickly, LLC. Second, I accepted a position as director of a start-up career school, America’s Mortgage Institute (AMI) in Cherry Hill, NJ. Initially, I will be taking AMI through a 3 state licensure process to enable the school to recruit and train individuals from New Jersey, Pennsylvania... Continue reading

One hundred percent placement is an elusive idea, akin to 100% employment, but for the 4 month period from June through September, 2010, we achieved it at New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Greater Philadelphia! And what makes it even more astonishing is the fact that most of it came from self-directed job search efforts. This is what my career services program attempts to achieve, and at least for this 4 month period, we have been successful. My program is based on an ancient Taoist principle: “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to... Continue reading

My original goal for the Career Services Department at New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Greater Philadelphia, was to achieve a 93% placement rate, or what I prefer to call, an employment success rate. This rate is the aggregate for those who completed their programs from June through September 2010; 100% for those who completed their programs in the months of August and September. I believe this employment success rate is due mostly to the cutting-edge job search skills programs I've created that enables our students and graduates to integrate pro-action with right action. I'm very proud of this program,... Continue reading

When I was hired last June by New Horizons of Greater Philadelphia, my principle responsibility was to increase the employment success rate of our graduates substantially. I am very proud to announce that the aggregate employment success rate for those who completed their programs from June through September 2010 is 86%, and 100% for those who completed their programs in the month of August 2010 alone. This will certainly have a major impact on the credibility of our training programs. Continue reading

What's the one letter that always gets opened? FedEx. Smart marketers know this and send sales letters for big-ticket items via express delivery. To make sure your cover letter gets read, send it FedEx 2-Day to the decision maker (never HR) at an employer. It costs less than $10-15 in most cases. Can you do this for every job? No. Can you do this for your dream job? Yes, if your dream job is worth $15. Continue reading

We all have one; or more than one. It's that place where we can get hurt, the one we seek to defend. For some people, it's the fear of making that first phone call to a hiring manager. For someone else, it's not knowing what to say at an interview. For someone else, it's being confronted with the problem of finding a job you really want--but the effort just seems too great. The key question is this: how much does the act of protecting the soft spot actually make it more likely you will be hurt? It turns out that... Continue reading

I just received this blog entry from Seth Godin. Seth Godin is an American entrepreneur, author and public speaker. Godin popularized the topic of permission marketing. I can't think of better justification for teaching, learning and practicing cutting-edge job search skills. One way to approach your work: "I come in on time, even a little early. I do what the boss asks, a bit faster than she expects. I stay on time and on budget, and I'm hardworking and loyal." The other way: "What aren't they asking me to do that I can do, learn from, make an impact, and... Continue reading

Borrowing from the works of Mark Joyner, a high school dropout who went on to earn millions, and adding from my experience working with thousands of adult job seekers: To be successful, you must Input Time, Energy or Money to do so. There is no other way to be successful. Success doesn't just fall in your lap. Success doesn't come from wishful thinking or believing you're entitled. Success comes as a direct result of deliberate actions you take. No matter how impoverish you may be; no matter what bad hands may have been dealt to you; no matter how bad... Continue reading

I believe without a doubt that the greatest measure of an effective career school program is the level of success achieved by our graduates…not whether it turned a huge profit. Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of turning a profit; it's what enables us to sustain our businesses and grow. But it's how we achieve that bottom line that builds our credibility in the marketplace. And there's nothing that builds credibility for a career school better than successful graduates. Find job opportunities for graduates, and never worry about profits again. Continue reading

In today's market, one of the single biggest competitive advantages is a compelling student experience. And one of the most compelling experiences is gainful employment. A strong job search (placement) assistance and career development program is a career school's greatest asset. It creates a compelling reason for prospective students to visit the school without the need to create banal marketing messages and spend enormous sums on marketing and advertising. It creates compelling reasons for students to stay in school increasing retention rates and profits. It ensures consistently high placement rates. It creates a strong referral base, again minimizing marketing and... Continue reading

I'm very pleased to announce that I accepted the position of Director of Career Services at New Horizons of Greater Philadelphia headquartered in Wayne, PA. As a key member of a three-member management team, my role is to build a strong career development and job search skills training program at their two campuses in Wayne and in Philadelphia. I look forward to the challenge to bring leading-edge and essential student success programs to this world-renowned computer training organization. Continue reading

After living and working in Massachusetts and New York for many years in career education, and as an independent consultant and trainer, supporting our children's pursuit as national and international figure skating competitors requires I make a new start within computing distance of Northern Delaware. (Our 17-year-old twin ice dancers, Danielle and Alex, will begin training this season at the University of Delaware's Ice Skating Science Development Center in Newark.) As you can see from my résumé, my well-developed competencies in admissions and sales management and training, regulatory compliance, and the development of effective placement assistance programs make me a... Continue reading

After living and working in Massachusetts and New York for many years in career education, and as an independent consultant and trainer, supporting our children's pursuit as national and international figure skating competitors requires I make a new start within computing distance of Northern Delaware. (Our 17-year-old twin ice dancers, Danielle and Alex, will begin training this season at the University of Delaware's Ice Skating Science Development Center in Newark.) As you can see from my résumé, my well-developed competencies in admissions and sales management and training, regulatory compliance, and the development of effective placement assistance programs make me a... Continue reading

Hi…this is my first entry and I trust one of many over the years to come. I’ve been involved with several businesses in my professional career as an owner and manager, and the one that continues to evoke my greatest passion is the career school business. But this blog is really not about me, it’s about our industry and how to prosper as a result of career school graduates achieving job search success in this 21st century marketplace. And I believe without a doubt that the greatest measure of an effective career school program is the level of success achieved... Continue reading