Career

Young adults are often frustrated by the challenges they regularly face as students. The disappointment of these students experience in their academic performance challenges their abilities to maintain a positive attitude toward school. Struggling their academic dissatisfaction creates a loss of interest in school; giving rise to irregular attendance.

The overwhelming feeling of discouragement felt by such people impairs their ability to appreciate the significance of a high school diploma. Seeing no advantage in completing secondary education, many succumb becoming yet another member of this growing segment of the population: the high school drop-out.

Although many students are aware of the negative implication it carries—a stigma, of sorts—to them, the risks associated with being labeled a “drop-out” far outweigh the benefits of continuing with their education. This contributes to America’s silent epidemic, resulting from an estimated 39 million Americans over the age of 16 who are high school dropouts and have no immediate plans of resuming their education.

Over the years, it has been speculated to what degree non-traditional students are impacted by relevant, technology-based curricula and whether these experiences have proven positive for adult learners. With the goal of obtaining their high school equivalency certificate, many high school drop-outs are returning to school after a one- to two-decade hiatus, as adult learners.

This literature review will assist in determining whether non-traditional, alternative GED (General Education Development) Preparation Course curricula designed specifically for the adult learner proves conducive to a high school drop-out satisfying the requirements necessary for receiving a high school equivalency certificate.

An attempt in addressing this topic is made by asking the question, “Can non-traditional adult learners determined to obtain a high school equivalency certificate effectively prepare for the GED with newly-designed GED Diploma Preparation courses?” and how such curricula will inspire high school drop-outs to pursue a GED Diploma and/or post-secondary education…free from the confines of a school campus.

For this purpose of this literature review, we will employ Kim and Joo’s definition of a drop-out, as an individual who is “absent from school for 4 or more consecutive weeks for reasons other than accident or illness”. Plenty of studies exist on the professional, social, and economic ramifications a high school drop-out experiences.

Maralani addressed sociological consequences such as stereotyping and discrimination and maintained that achieving a GED Diploma would shield high school drop-outs from harsh criticism. From reading Snyder’s account of stereotypes and their effects on American society, we also come to the realization that they are quite challenging to overcome. These stereotypes affect individuals or groups which are believed to share displeasing qualities.

An example of prevalent stereotypes includes using one’s formal education level to presume how much knowledge they possess—society often regards a high school drop-out as an under-educated individual who lacks follow-through and is only suitable for performing remedial work.

Annually, approximately 600,000 students enroll in educational programs focusing on GED test preparation. “In 1974, California became the last state to award a high school equivalency credential to civilians who passed the GED (General Educational Development) exam”.

The GED test was “originally created for the military” and “was focused on the basic skills and knowledge expected of “average” high school students”.

Heckman et al. conducted research on this subject and found that California boasted the highest high school graduation rates of any state in the union, prior to offering a GED certification program. “Introduction of GED certificates for civilians in California” they contended “increased the dropout rate”.

The prevalent under-education of students is alarming…and continues to become increasingly evident. “In a world in which education is becoming ever more important, finding solutions to the dropout problem is one of the most pressing issues facing America’s high schools”.

Increasing persistence has repeatedly been offered as a simple solution. However, “student persistence addresses a student’s commitment to complete a course”, thereby inferring that a dropout lacks commitment and determination. Lack of persistence, therefore, is exhibited when the high school dropout seizes to learn, rendering them under-educated; while their “average” high school student counterparts continue to gain knowledge.

Strucker , after working in adult education for more than 11 years teaching beginning and intermediate reading, noticed the under-education of American adults. What he referred to as the knowledge gap – “the result of academic content adult learners missed during their K-12 school years”, making it difficult for adult students to understand the curricula when returning to school.

Ed Sheeran was born on February 17th , 1991, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England with is older brother. When he was younger, he struggled with being bullied in school for having a stutter and choosing to wear oversized glasses. He didn’t have very many friends and was often left by himself. As he got older, his love for music grew with him.

At the age of eleven, he was already writing his own songs. At the age 12 his eardrum burst open and he went into surgery. The surgery didn’t go as planned and left him with a lazy eye and severe speech problems. If he were to be talking, sometimes his mouth would freeze up and no words were able to come out. This made the bullying worse at school. He soon found out that this disadvantage didn’t seem to bother him while he was singing, so he continued to sing and write songs.

He started speech therapy, but it wasn’t helping as much as he hoped. He eventually gave up and decided to just deal with the stutter. He went back to writing his own songs, and suddenly his stutter was gone.

He continued to write songs, and eventually discovered YouTube. He created a YouTube channel and started posting videos of him singing some of his songs. At the age of fourteen, he took his guitar and some clothes and left to go to London to start his career as a music artist.

Living on the streets wasn’t easy for Ed. He hardly had enough money to buy food and he always had trouble finding good places to sleep at night. He often found himself sleeping on the sidewalk and under benches. But he didnt let that stop him from singing for other people. He sang in small venues and made his own album. Ed continued to post videos and soon a rapper, Example, found him and invited him to work with him. Ed happily accepted.

After working with Example for a while, Ed started reaching out to more people, but he got no responses. After about two weeks, he finally got a call back and was invited to the stage. He was nervous but sang to the big crowd and after all his songs were sung, he got his very first standing ovation.

James Foxx was very impressed with Ed and let him work in his studio, even letting him sleep on his couch for a little while. After he made it to #2 on iTunes with his new releases, Ed was invited to work with Atlantic Records in their studio. While working with them, he released his new album “+”. It sold over 100,000 copies and became the second best selling album in the United States.

Ed started co-writing with bigger artist like One Direction and Taylor Swift. He even supported Taylor Swift with her 2013 arena tour. His next big success was when his song “I See Fire” was in the movie “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and his album “X” was ranked as #1 in the United States.

In 2016, Ed decided to take a break from performing so he could work on his new album, “Divide”. In January, he released his two new songs from the album, “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill”. He later released the album and it immediately went viral, with 56.7 million listeners in less than 24 hours. He later released his song “Perfect” which reached #1 on the Billboard Pop Songs.

In December, 2017, Ed was announced to be a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services of charity and music. After he received the honor from Prince Charles, Ed couldn’t help but cry about the occasion.

His grandfather had died the day he was honored, four years ago, and he felt that he made his grandfather proud. A few weeks after the occasion, he announced that he was going to be getting married to his girlfriend, Cherry Seaborn, right before the new year began.

Ed was often accused for stealing, or copying, others music. In 2017, he was brought to court for copying, note-for-note, the chorus in a song called “Amazing” which was written by X Factor winner, Matt Cradle. He was accused of stealing other songs later on, but was found not guilty.

Ed performed in a gig in Bristol, which ended up raising $40,000 for a charity event. Tickets were given out to people who attended the charity event’s Give it up for One25 campaign, by giving something up for 125 hours. They hit the 40,000 dollar fundraising mark and were able to help out some of the people who were struggling out on the streets.

Ed likes to give away old clothes and things to the homeless and charity shops around his home county. He decided to give away some clothes to the St. Elizabeth Hospice charity in February 2014. In 2016 he donated over thirteen bags of clothes to other charities, and even more after that.

In 2014, Ed made his acting debut, a cameo role as himself on New Zealand soap Opera. In 2015, he appeared as himself in Undateable on NBC. Later that year, he performed as a character he says was a lot like him in Home and Away when he was visiting Australia. He also performed in other things like Foy Vance’s “Make it Rain”, “Sons of Anarchy”, “The Bastard Executioner”, and “Bridget Jones’s Baby”.

In 2019, Ed announced that he was going to be taking a break to possibly start a family with his wife Cherry Seaborn. He said that being on the “Divided” tour was one of his biggest accomplishments, but it was time for him to move on and start a family of his own.

Camus’s Political Writing/Career Through his political writing, Camus expresses a variety of philosophical ideologies that are in many ways similar to those expressed in “The Stranger. ” In the writing, Camus explores various ideas that are reflective of how society appears to him. * 1943 Joined a French resistance called the “Combat” who opposed the Nazis. Had an underground newspaper; Camus became the editor, under the name “Beauchard,” criticized French collaboration with the Nazis ”Now the only moral value is courage, which is useful here for judging the puppets and chatterboxes who pretend to speak in the name of the people… – written in the newspaper The content usually tried to convince people to act with strict moral principals This is where he developed his idea that though human life may seem pointless since everyone must meet death at one point in time, it is still sacred; and each person must be responsible for their own actions and consequences. the content of newspaper likely expressed his ultimate distaste towards the actions of the Nazis and the violence erupting due to their ambition for power. Innocent people falling under their control and abuse. his goes with Camus’s ideology that men should be responsible for what they make of themselves in the universe. However, he strongly opposes the Nazis likely because they are not held responsible for the genocide; they instead, are encouraged and feared, not held accountable for the millions of deaths they’ve caused. Meursault knows that death is the ultimate consequence to murdering the Arab; he has no personal, or emotional ties with the dead man; he accepts this truth; his insensitivity actually provides a means for him to accept the idea of existentialism.

This gives the impression that Meursault sees the murder as a consequence and the cause of his current problems. Also, only during his trial and imprisonment, Meursault recognizes that he is responsible for his own life, and realizes his mortality. Through writing, it can be seen that Camus’s personal political beliefs are rather left wing, though not communism. He is a socialist. Explores the morals of humankind, and his support for anti- totalitarian government. The idea of exercising control over the freedom and will of others. This is somewhat reflective of the society that Camus chooses to portray in “The Stranger. Most people conform to society, and thus society as one has specific beliefs and ideologies that are accepted by the general population and deemed as “normal behaviour. ” However, Meursault is an exception; thus, he is called “The Stranger” to the society, an outlaw. He does not care about what other people think of him, or his actions. His actions are ultimately rejected, and thought of as heartless to the rest of society. * Shortly after World War II, he publishes “Neither Victim nor Executioner” in Combat which expresses key moral questions, in a variety of essays.

Relates to the idea of genocide and murder, this piece of writing mainly expresses: 1. People are living in a “murderous world” and that they must “reflect on murder” and know and accept the consequences that come with it. It can be seen that Camus is a moralist, and strongly believes in justice. Similar to his ideology in “The Stranger” in the way that Meursault, who murdered the Arab, was actually held guilty and responsible for his actions. When Meursault was put before the judge and the public official tells him to turn to Christianity, he disagrees even though his life depended on it.

This displays that Meursault values emotional honesty over protecting his own life. He accepts his punishment, and the consequences that come with murder. 2. People should “carefully weigh the price that they must pay” and Camus is debating the idea of whether through world war, conflicts will actually be resolved once and for all; that if even after “several generations of sacrifice,” they will not come closer to a world society. In “The Stranger,” Meursault shows utter indifference to the man he had murdered.

He did not consider the possible consequences before he shot the man, and simply instinctively kills the Arab without much consideration for what he himself would end up as. Camus explores the idea of existentialism; the role that man plays, and that he is responsible for his own actions, in the midst of a meaningless and empty world. From the ideologies expressed in “Neither Victim nor Executioner,” it seems as though Camus purposely made Meursault blind towards weighing the price he would have to pay upon murdering the Arab, and thus places focus on the process of his realization.

The war can be thought of as a parallel to the physical fight that Meursault and the Arab engaged in; the ultimate conflict was not solved through murder and physical action. Society still remained the way it was, and instead of Meursault changing the views of society, he was instead forced to submit to it. * Camus wrote for “L’Express,” from 1955-1956. This was a French magazine that opposed the war in Algeria, and also the use of torture. Similar to this, “Reflections on the Guillotine” was an essay written by Camus, expressing his opinions against capital punishment, and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

The absurdity of the society is reflected in its creation of a standardized justice system which uses capital punishment through the guillotine to give meaning to Meursault’s murder and actions. In order to highlight the true meaning behind the murder, society uses capital punishment to bring the matter out. The absurd overcomes rational thinking, and Meursault views death with happiness at the end, simply because he has found a genuine sense of acceptance towards the “gentle indifference of the world. ”

What is your academic or career goal? In 400 words or less I plan on going to college to pursue my major and become very successful in the future. I am ambitious. I choose to build a career in finance and accounting. I have chosen this career because Math is required for business. I have chosen the business field because I enjoyed my business classes the most. When I took business and finance, I learned things that I can use when I am out on my own in the future. I am determined to do whatever it takes to accomplish my dream Job.

My education is important to me; with this I will be able to become more successful in life. I would like to receive a scholarship from you. Please consider my scholarship needs. I desire a successful future. Please help me give something back to society. I believe that you can see my need. I believe that one can only succeed if they believe too. Thank you for your time and consideration. By going to college I will be able to have good education. This education will change me In a positive way.

By continuing on In recruit of a degree in business, I will develop into a positive Influence and a contributing factor for the betterment of society. With my enthusiasm for higher education, I will be able to obtain a great lifestyle. I know that In order for me to be successful, I must work my hardest. For me, failure Is never an option. I will continue to Influence my present and future family, as well as my surrounding community. It Is my duty to exemplify positive morals, strength, and how to be a successful black man In society. This Is essential for the success of future generations.

It’s no secret to the that I have experienced a considerable amount of obstacles during my career and personal life trajectory. Although the struggle of my life’s current challenges is far from being over (for now at least), my character has undergone a profound level of transformation that’s completely changed the way I work and engage in situations that I simply didn’t desire to be in.

In my opinion, it doesn’t matter if you’re an entrepreneur, a musician, a CEO or a plain Jane. Rising to the occasion, especially during times of career difficulty, should be incorporated into the mentality of those who crave growth, development, and success. It’s effortless to remain stagnant when you’re not happy, but it takes strong character to utilize how a transitional phase can work for you.

For example, I worked several jobs that didn’t require education or a special skillset after graduating college. It was easy for me to feel above it all, and simply show disinterest behind close doors. I felt, my education shouldn’t be in vain, and my fearless travels gave me a niche others may not have. However, after coming across , it triggered a light bulb moment for me.  She wrote: “Being able to rise up to the occasion is, often, what sets the winners apart from the losers.”

As a writer, I believe our readers have the ability to interpret the author’s experiences and knowledge in their own way. For me, Fida’s words were not only encouraging to those who need to rise up, it offered a lesson in showing up, even in the face of adversity. Although I’m in a place that seemingly isn’t beneficial to me, it shouldn’t have the ability to take away ever since I can remember. Character is so much more then what jobs, cars, and education can give you. Character is partially who you become when the vision you have for yourself hasn’t materialized, and the uncertainty of your future becomes a blur.

I recently met two entrepreneurs who are both in the startup phases of their business. One is working part-time as a coffee barista, while the other drives for a mobile taxi app. It was evident the success of their business was priority one. However, both entrepreneurs demonstrated the utmost appreciation for the jobs they had to work, in order to bring their dreams to life. Not once did they verbalize dissatisfaction or unappreciative demeanor for their current situations. Instead they gave 100% to their enterprises, from my observation, and welcomed the sacrifice of working service jobs in order to help align with their entrepreneurial goals.

Where you are now may not be ideal, but, even when the situation may not be worth winning.  Instead of complaining or not giving it your all, attempt to make it work for you in the time you have in order to prepare for the next phase. Success could be right around the corner, but keep in mind success is materialistic, and your character ultimately belongs to you and the spirit you’ve continuously built it on.

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Pundits predict that those entering the business world will switch careers as many as six times in their lifetimes (maybe even more); that’s “careers,” not jobs. I don’t know where the pundits got their numbers, and I don’t really care. Truth be told, I don’t know how one even becomes a pundit, but I suspect it pays less than a rodeo clown makes.

Regardless, six careers are a scary prediction: It’s tough enough managing one career, let alone six, but I don’t worry about it. I’ve had something like 30 jobs in my life (I started working when I was 13 or 14 and sometimes worked three jobs at a time). These included two paid gigs as a clown and jobs as the world’s frumpiest model, a fry cook, a communications specialist for an inflatable restraints manufacturer and, well, suffice it to say, the list goes on and on.

In short, my career has been resilient. What I’ve found is that in general it’s easier to find a job than it is to lose one. Don’t believe me? Stop by a chain coffee shop and order something simple. Over the years I’ve learned to stress less and less about jobs, because I have always thought of myself as a business enterprise rather than an employee.

Here are some tips for running your career like a business:

1. Remain independent. 

It’s easy to get so dependent on a company that you mistake your fear of unemployment with loyalty or a career path. These days, a career path within a single company is more like a financial death march. Many companies are particularly adroit at repeatedly swindling you out of your pay and benefits while convincing you that you’ll never have it this good again. They’re also repeatedly telling you that “everyone’s doing it.”

Well, I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid and the neighborhood bully was picking on me, I took no comfort in the fact that he was picking on other kids, too. By thinking of yourself as a company, you begin to see your current employer as an important customer; but you don’t feel as if you are owned outright. You know that no matter how bad it gets working for that employer, you choose to remain there, and that is very liberating.

So, don’t worry too much about who gets the credit. People worry too much about who gets credit for a good idea. In my experience you’ll never will be sorry for making your boss look good; and nobody will believe that your boss suddenly got smarter the day you started working for him/her. Along those same lines, people get fixated on blame; but who’s at fault isn’t as important as how you contribute to fixing things and making sure it doesn’t happen again.

2. Brand yourself.

Know what you stand for and make what you stand for known. A person who stands for nothing has nothing to offer. Personal branding will make or break your career, so you’d better spend some time reflecting on exactly what you want the world to perceive you as, and recognizing that when it comes to branding, everything matters

This ranges from how you “show up” for events like meetings, to your email, to interaction with colleagues, to how you dress and the language that you use. And while we’re on the subject of language, stop butchering the English language arbitrarily making a word plural, changing a noun into a verb (or vice versa). And talking “street” may in some very rare cases impress someone in the local watering hole but it’s poison in corporate America.

Read This: The Brand Mapping Strategy by Karen Tiber Leland

3. Be flexible in your beliefs and continuously learn.

Politicians who change their minds are reviled as flip-floppers, but isn’t changing your mind (when you’re confronted with irrefutable proof that what you believe is wrong) a good thing? Society dangerously reveres those who are staunch and unyielding in their beliefs. It’s wise to listen to a variety of opinions and learn from as many people as you can, but never mistake stubbornness for conviction or conviction for wisdom.

4. Read.

Knowledge is power, and the best way to get knowledge is still reading. Read, but read with hard eyes and a skeptical heart. Seek out things with which you disagree and dismantle the arguments they make only after you have truly heard them; as you do this, keep an open mind. Understand that your deepest held values of today may embarrass and shame you tomorrow; it’s a natural part of growth.

5. Trust your judgment.

Balancing between trusting what you know is right and listening to advice from people with more experience can be precarious. You have to trust your gut while at the same time considering that people have legitimate concerns that they are raising. Don’t fret. Copernicus, Einstein and Jobs all had their detractors, so if people think you don’t know what you’re doing is misguided, you’re in good company

Hang In there. Life’s lessons are painful, and unless you find yourself scared, stressed or in some way unsettled by life’s lessons, you probably aren’t learning or growing too much. The most important values you will have in life typically come out of the crucible of fear and anxiety.

A lot of women reach a plateau in their career due to taking familial responsibilities or lack of growth at workplace. What does it take to shake up things and start growing again in your 30s?

“My promotion is overdue and my annual compensation is 30% below the market average,” told my 32 years old friend who I have known as a super achiever in college and high school. Not only did she crack leading companies for placements right after college but also scored high on GRE exam required for applying for higher studies abroad.

Yet, here she is, in a tier 2 city in India – wondering where did she go wrong. And this is not her problem alone. Many women take a break from their career to raise kids and even when they don’t, their focus shifts to marriage and family after a certain point, making them less attractive for regular employers. As a result, the promotions are hard to get and there is always some excuse to deny raises at par with their male counterparts.

But, thanks to the Internet, this does NOT mean that your career should be over. Dealing with a lot of career women around me, I know that they are as driven, if not more, than men in their age group. From personal success, I can tell you that there are lot of good ways to channel this drive into meaningful careers in your 30s.

Here are five ways you can break out from this plateau and reinvigorate your career outside regular corporate jobs:

1. Freelancing

Think of the key skills you used in your last job and try to find opportunities where those can be applied. Ideally, you wish to pick a skill that you can deliver as well as enjoy delivering.

Be it tax planning, accounting, running affiliate marketing for a startup, there are ton of stuff that freelancers are making money in right now. And some of the most profitable margins occur in service based businesses. Were you into HR? You can start your HR sourcing freelancing business and help companies recruit online. Were you a CA? Then, there is no reason for you to not help people file their taxes right from your home!

Get started on Upwork or Fiverr and find a niche that you can start building a portfolio in. There are many websites to help you get right back into the game.

2. Writing & Blogging

As someone who was blogging for more than 8 years, I wrote my first novel in 2014. Agreed that books are not the best way to make money, it eventually got me taken seriously and now I contribute articles regularly to big dailies.

Coming to the financial aspect, it was my reference book for engineers who wish to pursue their Master’s from USA that made me money off writing. However, I had already established a tight knit audience of students through my counseling business that knew me and trusted me. Book, then, became an additional point to establish my credibility and now adds to my passive income.

Even if you are not someone with patience for writing a book that can take months or years, you can still try your hand at creating content in your area of expertise. Food blogs with recipes, do-it-yourself fashion ideas, blogs for how to raise kids etc can be a good place to start and many women have made serious brand by doing these.

3. Remote Working

Gone are the days when one had to swipe card at a company to register attendance. Companies, especially startups, are more interested in getting stuff done and they would rather pay for talent than degrees and physical presence.

The fact that virtual assistants are so much in demand is a testament to the power and efficacy of ‘remote working’. While freelancing also involves remote working, it involves finding clients regularly for your work. Here, we are talking about being hired by an employer as a full-time or part-time employee but who can work remotely.

Web designing, development, testing, administrative assistance and many other opportunities are available for remote employees.

4. Turning Hobby Into Business

Remember the adorable Sridevi from English Vinglish and her laddoos business?

While service based businesses are easier to kickstart due to lower investments requirement, one can always try her hands at a product or e-commerce based startup. There is no dearth of role models in this regard as many Indian women have taken the very problems they were facing to heart and found a solution that might work for the masses too.

In my own network, I am seeing women coming up with baby friendly clothes, handcrafted bags, jewelry, hand printed scarves and what not. If you have a product that you wish to try selling, use Zepo or Shopify to get your online store up and running in no time!

5. Certifications & Higher Education

A graduate or postgraduate degree remains one of the popular ways to switch gears in your career. While MBA is the most prominent choice to help advance the career in early 30s, one can also look at some other less expensive degrees.

With Information Systems ruling almost every industry now, there is a surging demand for people who do not need to be expert at computer science but who can run most common software and make the business processes more efficient. This gave rise to courses in MS in MIS (Management Information Systems), Data Analytics and other programs in the west.

If you are not looking for a part or full-time course, there are also a huge number of online courses available at your disposal through sites like Coursera, edX & Udemy.

If you feel rusty and are looking to catch up on the skill sets that are most in demand today, do a certification or full course in growing fields to add to your resume. Some areas worth checking out can be digital marketing (including google analytics, SEO, adwords, social media marketing etc), data analytics (excel or programming heavy), project management professional certification etc.

As you can see, we are living in an age that facilitates growth right within the confines of your home. The only thing you need to get started is to ‘think big and believe in yourself’.