CEO Advice To Job Seekers

picture by Carlossponz

Gregory T. Lucier is the CEO of Life Technologies, a successful biological research company in Carlsbad. Last year his business did $3.7 billion in sales. He talked about the culture of philantrophy in his company, that it's more than giving money. He also talked about what motivated him to give back to his community -- he recently donated $3 million to the Smithsonian Institution. Of particular interest is his advice for college grads on getting a job in this tough economic climate and learning from people's biggest career mistakes. If a prospective employer asked you to talk about your biggest career mistake, what would you say? CEO Says Giving Isn't About Money Alone appeared in the "U-T San Diego" on May 29, 2012.

College Success – Money by Kelli Turpin

College Success – Money

 

College is expensive.  You know that.  You’re here because you’ve decided that you want it and you’re willing to make the time to do it well.  Now we need to talk about how to finance it.

I’ve got good news and bad news about money.  The good news:  Just like time, you have full control over how you spend your money.  You can choose to spend it on the things that matter to you, the things that are important to your family’s survival, or you can choose to waste it.  Unlike time, money is infinite – there’s no limit to how much you can make.  The bad news: Unlike time, no one is allotted a certain amount at the beginning of each day.  You have to use your time to earn money.  There are several ways to do this.

Employment Rate/Temp Jobs

Okay, City's graduation took place on May 18, 2012, and some of the grads may be looking for work. What's it like out there? Are there jobs in San Diego? A bit of good news -- according to a recent article, San Diego County's unemployment rate dropped to 8.7%, the lowest it's been in three years. San Diego employers added 2,600 jobs in April, and the state Economic Development Department indicated there have been 300,000 new jobs added in CA the last two years, so there may be hope for job seekers. Local Jobless Rate At 3-Year Low ran in the "U-T San Diego" on May 19, 2012. 

Also, "U-T" writer Jonathan Horn advises job seekers to consider temp work because the country has added 21,000 temp jobs in April and 744,000 temp workers since 2009. Lynn Reaser, chief economist at Point Loma Nazarene, conveys why this is such a growing field of employment: "Hiring an employee represents a significant investment, and many smaller firms in particular at this point are still reluctant to take on that investment." Read Temp Jobs Growing As Economy Rebounds to get insights on temp work in San Diego. The article appeared on the "U-T" website on May 18, 2012.

Umoja Community

"The Umoja Community is a learning environment that helps to engage, connect, educate, support, and encourage you through programs of Math, English, and Personal Growth. The Umoja Community will prepare you for successful transfer to 4-year colleges and universities. We offer course materials, discussions, and activities that focus on the African-American culture, literature, and experiences."

Fall 2012 program requirements:

Math 34/38                                                                    
English 43
PERG 140
Tutoring Lab

For info about Umoja, contact Counselor/Coordinator Erin Charlens, Ed.D. at 619-388-3796 or e-mail at echarlen@sdccd.edu

UCSD Will End TAG

Picture by Allan Ferguson

UCSD is ending its Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) for transfer students. The last term for UCSD TAG admission will be fall 2014. The reasons cited: too many applicants and decreased state funding. San Diego Community College District Chancellor, Constance Carroll, says this decision will hurt local transfer students and reduce diversity. Michael Cash, Associated Student president at City, feels this is a blow to the students who need TAG the most: "On top of the increase in the GPA requirement, this is a further kick in the face. We have a lot of lower income students coming from urban challenges," Cash said.

As a community college counselor in San Diego since the early 1990s, I've seen the UCSD TAG go from a 2.8 GPA to 3.0 to 3.5 and now, it's being eliminated altogether. There's no doubt in my mind this is affecting local transfer students and blocking their access to education. Tell us, from a student's perspective, what you think. Give us your opinions and comments on our counseling blog.

UCSD Ends Community College Transfer Guarantee appeared in the "U-T San Diego" on May 2, 2012. This article was forwarded by City counselor, Tandy Ward.

Also, here's another recent article that points to lower enrollments among UCs and CSUs in the past five years. The trend has affected community college students as tuitions have increased and students have increasingly looked to transfer out of state. "Californians' Enrollment In UC, CSU Declines, Study Finds" appeared in the "LA Times" on May 10, 2012. The article was forwarded by VP of Student Services, Peter White, and Counseling Department Chair, Cathi Lopez. Here is a link to the study this article cites.

Puente Project

Do you want to transfer to a 4-year college? Interested in reading Chicano/Latina literature? Want to develop leadership skills to help your communities? Check out the Puente Project. Puente students enroll in English 49 and PERG 140 as a learning community (team-taught, peer-supported education) in the fall and receive counseling, career guidance, mentoring, university field trips, community events, individual English tutoring, and more. Puente is nationally recognized for helping students succeed in school and beyond.

Program requirements:

• Eligibility for English 49
• Intent to transfer
• Minimum 2.0 GPA
• Work less than 20 hours a week
• Commit to the Puente Project for 1 year

Contact Puente Counselor Luis Perez at (619) 388-3668 or e-mail lperez@sdccd.edu