A postsecondary education is important, especially in this ever-changing workplace where automation and technology are playing a larger role in most all professions. Learn more about scholarship opportunities available in Oklahoma and how to increase your changes of earning free tuition.
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Engineer / Corporate Manager / Entrepreneur – Mentor, Tom Naugle
Engineer / Corporate Manager / Entrepreneur Mentor, Tom Naugle Tom’s business career is a good example of what you can achieve with hard work, persistence and the ability to motivate and manage people. Tom paid for his education himself and started working to save for college while he was in high school and then continued to work during the summers while he was getting his BS in Chemical Engineering at Oklahoma State. After graduating, Tom began his business career as an engineer working for two chemical companies before a mentor encouraged him to apply to Harvard Business School and get an MBA. That degree opened the door to a position with Cooper Industries where he first worked in the corporate planning department and then went on to manage several of their divisions. He successfully turned around one failing business and improved the profitability of others before he was recruited...
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Careers to Avoid
This article talks about several jobs where there are projected to be limited growth opportunities and also mentions jobs where there are excellent future growth prospects. We have recommended this article to show YPNG members the range of salaries as well as the likely future demand for certain skills that should be part of the research any member does as part of deciding on a career pathway. Any career that you are considering should be measured against these kinds of future growth prospects. The importance of knowing the likely demand for any career is why future prospects are discussed in all YPNG’s Mentor articles. Fed up with your current job and ready to seek greener pastures? A career change can allow you to follow your passions, pursue your dreams, and expand your horizons. But beware of transitioning into one of these careers, whose low median annual salaries and declining...
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Use All Four Years of High School to Prepare for College
A short article on how early planning beginning in high school can make it much more likely a student will be successful in college. Tips for what to do to prepare in each year of high school as well as tips on how to improve your scholarship resume. Test scores suggest a high percentage of high school students are not ready for college. Only a quarter of the 1.8 million graduates who took the ACT college entrance exam in 2013 met readiness benchmarks in all four core subjects – English, math, science and reading. That figure dropped from 31 percent in 2012, according to annual reports by ACT Inc. Students who hit the mark on the test have a 75 percent chance of passing a first-year college course in that subject. Those who fall short are more likely to struggle in college and many will waste time and tuition dollars on remedial courses. Read the full...
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Benefits of Attending a Community College for Two Years
This article make a persuasive argument why for many people it is a good financial decision to attend a community college for two years and then transfer to a four year college. Community colleges also offer an opportunity for high school students with marginal grades to improve their transcripts and allow them to get into a better college than they would be able to attend if they applied out of high school. The article even gives you a plan that shows you how you can earn a four year degree without incurring any debt. There are many reasons to go to college. Whether you are a recent high school graduate or an established professional going back to school to advance your career, community college may be your best option to start. No matter your age, attending a public or private university is expensive. However, the total cost of a four-year degree can...
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The Book of Majors 2016 by The College Board
For anyone doing research on a particular college major and colleges that offer a strong program in that major, this books is invaluable. The 2015 edition covers every college major identified by the U.S. Department of Education—over 1,200 majors are listed in all. This is also the only guide that shows what degree levels each college offers in a major, whether a certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate. Read More
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LeBron James on Committment
Commitment is a big part of what I am and what I believe. How committed are you to winning? How committed are you to being a good friend? To being trustworthy? To being successful? How committed are you to being a good father, a good teammate, a good role model? There’s that moment every morning when you look in the mirror: Are you committed, or are you not? ~ LeBron James
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How To Choose a Career
Brian Harris is a prolific author who has written extensively about how to choose a career. This is an inexpensive book that you can buy on Amazon for download for $3 that combines a self evaluation of your personal interests with a career aptitude test. Doing a self evaluation of both your interests and your abilities can help you better focus on careers where you will likely be the most successful. Read More
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The $140,000-a-year welding job Two-year degree and special skills
This is an article that points out some areas where technical training can provide young people with careers that pay as well those requiring college. Many welling programs can be taken in low cost or free community colleges with work/study or apprenticeships where you earn while you learn. Read more.
