Parent's Guide to College and Careers: How to Help, Not Hover

by Cooke, Barbara

• ISBN13: 9781593577858
• ISBN10: 1593577850
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-05-01
• Publisher: Jist Works

Summary

You have good reason to be concerned about your kids' education and career decisions. A changing economy and burdensome college loans can make-it-difficult for young people to launch an independent life. This upbeat handbook gives you down-to-earth advice on constructively helping your child with college and career planning without micromanaging or hounding.

Author Biography

\Barbara Cooke, M.A., is a career counselor who has helped many peopleùincluding college students, career changers, and displaced workersùidentify satisfying careers and strategize to find good jobs. Ms. Cooke coordinates the academic advising, counseling, and employment services offered to students and the community as the lead counselor at Metropolitan Community CollegeùMaple Woods in Kansas City. She is a blogger and presenter and served as a regular contributor to the Kansas City Star on college costs and career planning.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Preparing for College—and Beyond!	p. 3
Are You a Helicopter Parent?	p. 4
What Is the "New Economy?"	p. 7
Partnering for Success	p. 9
Getting Involved in Your Child's Career Planning	p. 9
Defining College Goals	p. 11
Getting Real About the 21st Century Job Market	p. 15
How Informational Interviewing Can Help with Career Goals	p. 17
What Does the Job Market Look Like?	p. 19
Identifying Your Career Connections	p. 23
Assessing for Strengths; Researching and Interviewing for Information	p. 31
What Is a Career-Interest Inventory?	p. 31
Personality Type and Satisfying Careers	p. 32
Finding Web Resources for Career Planning	p. 37
Turning Talents and Skills into Jobs and Careers	p. 43
Finding a First Career	p. 43
The Skills Pyramid	p. 48
Adaptive Skills	p. 49
Functional Skills	p. 51
Specific-Content Skills	p. 52
Choosing a College Major	p. 57
Simplifying the Process	p. 57
Specific-Content Majors	p. 59
Transferable Skills Majors	p. 60
Liberal Arts Majors and the Economy	p. 62
Key Points in Choosing a College Major	p. 65
Going Away vs. Staying at Home	p. 75
Is Your Child Ready to Go Away to School?	p. 76
Academic Preparedness	p. 76
Social/Emotional Preparedness	p. 77
Financial Preparedness	p. 78
Calculating College Costs	p. 93
Reality Check on College Borrowing	p. 93
Cost of Attendance (COA)	p. 100
Gift Aid	p. 100
Self-Help Aid	p. 100
Out-of-Pocket Expense	p. 101
Current Family Income Available for College	p. 101
Loans Needed to Pay for College	p. 102
Other Things to Consider	p. 104
Navigating Through High School	p. 121
High School Diplomas and College Readiness	p. 121
Earning College Credit in High School	p. 123
Understanding How College Credits Apply to Degrees	p. 124
Taking a Different Path	p. 133
Lost in the Middle	p. 133
Looking at the Structure of the Job Market	p. 135
Professional Jobs	p. 135
Technician Jobs	p. 135
Operative Jobs	p. 135
Identifying Alternatives to a Four-Year Degree	p. 136
Moving On from College	p. 145
Going Back to Step	p. 146
Helping a College Graduate Regroup	p. l49
Networking for Ideas	p. 150
Identifying Your Values	p. 151
Evaluating Grad School as an Option	p. 155
Summary	p. 165
Avoiding the Five-Year Plan	p. 165
Out of College and Into the Workforce	p. l69
Appendix: College-Related Acronyms	p. 173
Index	p. 175
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