HigherEdJobs.com - Articles

Educational Legislation Through the Eyes of a Congressman

rss@higheredjobs.com (Andrew Hibel) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:42:41 EDT

The second session of the 111th Congress does not suffer from a lack of legislation.It is obvious that any health care legislation from this Congress will affect all careers.The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act may not receive the media attention of its health care counterpart, but it may be no less important to careers in higher education.It appears on Sunday, March 21, these two bills will collide and be jointly voted on...

How’s my career health?Good, I think...

rss@higheredjobs.com (John Ikenberry) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:09:00 EDT

How healthy is your career? If you're like me, it's been a while since you asked yourself this question. Nevertheless, it's a question every higher education professional should ask themselves.

In Peter Weddle's book, Work Strong, he makes an interesting analogy between physical health and career health...

How Do You Measure the Health of Your Faculty Career?

rss@higheredjobs.com (Andrew Hibel) — Mon, 1 Mar 2010 08:35:53 EDT

Peter Weddle's case for and method of evaluating the health of your career are excellent.However, there are many different career paths faculty members take.These paths often vary based on discipline, institution and desires.Most uniquely, faculty may have tenure as a part of their employment.As I read through Work Strong, I found myself wondering how many different ways faculty measure ...

You Gotta Work Strong to Work

rss@higheredjobs.com (Peter Weddle) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:45:58 EDT

Ask almost anyone in the workplace today, and they will tell you they are doing a good job.While they might acknowledge that their work isn't perfect, they take pride in what they do and the contribution they believe they are making to their employer.So, why do so many of us get hit with what seems like a layoff out-of-the-blue?What's behind the pink slip so many of us never saw coming?The answer lies in the changing definition of security...

Peering into the Looking Glass

rss@higheredjobs.com (Peter Weddle) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:05:35 EDT

I've been "in transition" several times in my career, so I understand just how lonely, frustrating and... well, demeaning that experience can be.And yes, today's difficult economy is certainly a cause for the difficulties many people are now confronting.That said, however, I think it's also true that a significant number of people who are unemployed today are suffering from career illnesses of which they are unaware or, worse, are ignoring...

How Do You Do Scientific Research and Teach?

rss@higheredjobs.com (Andrew Hibel) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:45:10 EDT

Most scientists agree that being a successful researcher is a very challenging career. We know careers in Academia can be challenging.What happens when you try to do both?This month we chat with one of the leading Tuberculosis researchers in the world, Dr. Scott Franzblau at the University of Illinois at Chicago.Dr. Franzblau shares his insights on funding his institute's scientific research, working in Academia and how to best position yourself to participate in the research process...

Perhaps the Grass is Greener in Academe

rss@higheredjobs.com (John Ikenberry) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:20:23 EDT

Peter Weddle paints a pretty grim picture of the 21st century employer in his book, Work Strong: Your Personal Career Fitness System. While I agree many corporate employers engage in inhumane activities that show little regard for their employees, I believe most colleges and universities are more compassionate toward their employees...

Re-imagining Ourselves as Career Athletes

rss@higheredjobs.com (Rob Freedman) — Tue, 9 Feb 2010 11:29:42 EDT

The first chapter of Work Strong, "How to Keep (Bad) Employers from Kicking Sand in Your Face," discusses the bullying nature of the modern American workplace.Peter engages the reader in a discussion about how best to work with or around these bully employers.Peter challenges the modern American worker to stand up for themselves and realize that nobody is going to be a better advocate for you and your career than yourself....

Will Technophobes Go Extinct in Higher Education?

rss@higheredjobs.com (Rob Freedman) — Tue, 9 Feb 2010 10:11:06 EDT

When reading about Apple's announcement of the upcoming release of the iPad, I was reminded of a quote by John Dewey; "If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow." The iPad presents itself as a potentially powerful tool for both professors and students in Higher Education...

Publish, Perish or Ponder: What will Faculty look like in 2017?

rss@higheredjobs.com (Andrew Hibel) — Thu, 4 Feb 2010 08:48:15 EDT

I found myself pondering a lot about faculty while reading this month's Work Strong section. I thought about our interview with Professor John Thelin and his advice about working in Academia. He said "Consider your work in higher education ...

What's Going On in the World of Work?

rss@higheredjobs.com (Peter Weddle) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:51:05 EDT

Consciously or unconsciously, many-maybe even most-Americans see the world of work as an orderly system.They believe if you do X, you can expect Y to happen.Or to put it another way, if you invest the time and effort to get a doctorate, you should be able to get a good job-or at least a job-in academia.

As many of us have discovered, however, that's not at all the way things happen...

The End of Endings

rss@higheredjobs.com (Peter Weddle) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:25:10 EDT

January is a fitting time to think about beginnings.They are, of course, a big part of our lives.Each year, we tear the December page off our calendar and begin a new passage around the sun.Many of us also use the same demarcation point to begin diets or physical fitness programs or family dinners every week.Universally, beginnings are hopeful times, which is why it's so strange that we exclude them from our careers...

How to be Successful at a Higher Education Interviewing and Career Services Event

rss@higheredjobs.com (Andrew Hibel) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:44:15 EDT

When six different student affairs associations worked together and created The Placement Exchange to offer an annual interview and career services event, we immediately became a supporter. Chicago will host the third annual Placement Exchange from March 4th through the 7th.For the cost of a couple of weeks of lattes in registration fees, a candidate can possibly network or interview with scores of student affairs departments...

Put Your Ph.D. to Work

rss@higheredjobs.com (Jenna Spinelle) — Tue, 5 Jan 2010 14:50:14 EDT

Only half of all Ph.D. recipients will find jobs in education, according to a 2006 study by the National Science Foundation. With shrinking budgets and hiring freezes now plaguing universities large and small, finding a faculty position is seemingly more difficult than ever.While the employment picture may look grim, there are strategies that can help make an application and interview stand out from other candidates...

A Chat with Our Soul

rss@higheredjobs.com (Andrew Hibel) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EDT

We end our chats in 2009 with the most intimate chat of all, our own Chief Information Officer and Co-Founder, Eric Blessner.Eric is truly the soul of HigherEdJobs.com as he is the person ultimately responsible for making sure your experience is all it can be.His dedication to crafting a unique academic job board experience has been his passion since the site opened in 1996. Eric shares with us his philosophy on academic job searches, his favorite HigherEdJobs features, and shares a few secrets of job search success with us this mont...

The American Dream

rss@higheredjobs.com (Peter Weddle) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:09:34 EDT

The American Dream.While it is a quintessentially American aspiration, each of us has a unique vision of just what it is.For some, the dream is a chance to build a successful business.For others, it's a home of their own.And for still others, it's the opportunity to shop until they drop.As alluring as all of these visions are, however, I would respectfully suggest that they are outcomes of the dream and not the dream, itself.The American Dream is actually a state of mind...

Things We Wish We Had Known

rss@higheredjobs.com (Peter Weddle) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:13:51 EDT

The positive growth turned in by the American economy in the third quarter of this year suggests that maybe, just maybe this Great Recession is now in our rear view mirror.As it fades away, of course, the tales will begin about what we did during this terrible time.While recounting those legends is surely important, so too is sharing the insights we've acquired from our experience...

Social Media in Higher Education Careers

rss@higheredjobs.com (Andrew Hibel) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:56:20 EDT

Twitter.Blogger.LinkedIn.A few short years ago, none of these Social Media sites would have been at the top of your list as career tools.However, many people today include them on their lists but still are not sure how exactly they fit into their academic job searches, let alone their careers.We spend some time this month with Rick Klau who heads up Google's Blogger product.In addition to learning about Rick's "Niner" love and how he was a blogger for a future President, we were privileged to get Rick to share his deep knowledge about how people communicate on the internet and his insights into how it can help you in your career and job search....

Community Colleges

rss@higheredjobs.com (Lisa Rabb) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:04:35 EDT

According to Shirley Robinson Pippins, senior vice president for programs and services at the American Council on Education (ACE), the perception of community colleges is changing...

How to Deal With What Used to Be Called Failure

rss@higheredjobs.com (Peter Weddle) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:37:36 EDT

Most of us go into a job search thinking we may be a little rusty, but confident that, basically, we know what to do. Then you do it, and the galling indifference and humiliating rejection begin. Employers don't acknowledge your resume submissions, executive search and staffing firms don't return your calls, and recruiters act as if you are damaged goods. It's hard not to feel as if you're a failure.And yet, you're not. Let me say that again: You are not a failure.You are not a loser or a deadbeat or a flop.Your belief that you are (or your concern that you may be) is based on two misconceptions...

Beginning a Career in Student Affairs

rss@higheredjobs.com (Andrew Hibel) — Fri, 9 Oct 2009 10:42:06 EDT

It is important to remember that we have the honor of shaping the lives of the students who attend our colleges and universities.In pursuit of furthering this honor, many new professionals choose student affairs as their entrance into a career in higher education.It is one of the most popular job posting and search categories on HigherEdJobs.com.We had the opportunity this month to take an in-depth look at the process of a new professional's job search in student affairs with one of the leaders in the field...

The Vacuum in Our Careers

rss@higheredjobs.com (Peter Weddle) — Wed, 7 Oct 2009 15:35:28 EDT

We're all familiar with bubbles.There was the dot.com bubble in the 1990s and the housing bubble in the early years of this century.They were overheated investments that ultimately fell flat.In our careers, however, we've done exactly the opposite.Most of us have invested little or nothing in our careers, and the resulting vacuum is strangling our future.That sucking sound we hear is our future imploding...

The 3 Goals of a Career Activist

rss@higheredjobs.com (Peter Weddle) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:27:20 EDT

Job security has joined the pay phone and carbon paper.It's no longer a part of the world of work.Employers may promise it, but they can't deliver it.The global marketplace is just too dynamic, too unpredictable.Does that mean there is no security in the workplace?Absolutely not.The kind of security you can achieve, however, is unlike that historically promised by your employers...

Community Colleges

rss@higheredjobs.com (Andrew Hibel) — Wed, 9 Sep 2009 16:51:09 EDT

After being the centerpiece of the education platform of a winning presidential campaign, community colleges have stayed at the forefront of higher education discussions for many months now.Our conversation this month explores current topics at community colleges including enrollment, faculty recruitment and, of all things, a situation comedy...

Coming to America

rss@higheredjobs.com (Lisa Rabb) — Tue, 1 Sep 2009 08:54:28 EDT

When Flavia Benedito, a language tutor educated in Brazil, immigrated to the United States a few years ago, she applied for several positions to no avail. With a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Language and Secretarial Science from Universidade do Sagrado Coracao, and a master's degree in International Business from Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba, the problem wasn't that Benedito wasn't qualified for these jobs...

The World of Work AGR

rss@higheredjobs.com (Peter Weddle) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:17:32 EDT

If you're looking for a job, you're probably doing so with two strikes against you.I realize that's a harsh statement, but sadly, it's almost certainly true.Why?Because most of the people in the job market today conducted their last job search prior to December, 2007, the date today's Great Re...

In Search of (Personal) Excellence

rss@higheredjobs.com (Peter Weddle) — Tue, 4 Aug 2009 14:57:13 EDT

We've all heard of the alpha male and female.The dictionary defines them as the dominant person in a group, the one everybody emulates and follows.The term was originally coined to describe behavior in wolf and dog packs, but for most of the 20th Century, it also accurately depicted the way we interacted in our careers.One person was on top, and the rest of us brought up the rear...