The document discusses important questions for potential college students to consider regarding career preparation and readiness for the workforce. It emphasizes that a college degree alone is not enough, and students should see "career" as an action verb requiring adaptability. It stresses gaining experience through internships or co-ops to be able to demonstrate to employers how one's skills solve their problems. The document also notes that many future jobs have yet to be created and an entrepreneurial mindset is important for navigating rapid changes in technology and the global economy.

1. Critical Questions to Ask Every Potential College Student
Thomas Berger, the great American novelistonce said,
“The art and science of asking questions is the sourceof all knowledge.”
What are the critical questions weneed to be asking every potential
21st century college student?
First, what makes these questions so important?
The clueless studentresponsesto these questions must become the
catalyst to ignite a sense of urgency within them to thoroughly prepare
for constant change in their workforcebut also to focus on their future
career development.
Educatorsand career counselorsmusthave a sense of urgency to grasp
the changing needsof today’semployersand to respond quickly by
developingtools to teach the skills necessary and needed by employers.
Employersarethe driver of our economy. Now they must also be the
driversof our educational reform.
The beginning of quality improvement is the intentional vision we
cast for students as they strive for professional readiness to enter
the workforce.
All high schools and universities across the board from academics to
studentservices mustbuild partnerships to help students test newly
developed employability skillsmuch like a baby bird exercises its wings
for futureflight.
By buildinga strong nest of career development, internship
opportunitiesand mentoringrelationships, educationalinstitutions
mustmerge knowledgeand experienceto help students soar.

2. A key to a student’ssuccessful entry to employmentrests in the
combined and collaborative partnerships high schools and universities
build with employers.
Another key is the intentional choice of the studentto engage in the
opportunitiesoffered by employers whether it be a full-time, part-time,
paid or unpaid job.
Feedback is crucial
The purposeof feedback is not to remediate weaknessesor injure their
buddingconfidence. Itis to establish and build upon the natural
strengths of each student. A mentoringstyle of feedback will establish a
positive foundation of work experience for the 21st century student.
Intentionally customizinga co-op or internship experienceto learn from
a successfulmentor who validates their strengths could revolutionize
the way studentsview work.
Another way to say this is, every time we offer mentoring
relationships that affirm and build their natural strengths,we
become the talent managers ofour most motivatedstudents.
Career counselors are the forecasters for students, letting them know
what to expect as they enter college or the workplaceand build their
professionalidentity. Yet, certified career counselorsare not in the
school system to guide studentsthrough a maze of possible choices.
A guidancecounselor and career counselor are notthe same occupation.
Our greatest challenge and demand for career counseling
A recent pollof 305 graduatesof the 2014 class, indicated 67% reported
being employed. Of the 67% of employed students, 51% of this group is
workingin jobs that didn’trequiretheir degree.
Upon readingthis interesting statistic, I wondered how the other 33%
are doingand why are they not working.

3. Maybesome have gone to graduateschool or are on an overseas
adventure for a year. However, it is safe to say there are some who are
simply stuck in the mud of joblessness because of woeful
unpreparedness for lifebeyond graduation. At least 25% of young
adultsbetween the ages of 18 to 35 are still living at home.
Of coursethis may be dueto difficulteconomic challenges and family
dynamics. However, thereare likely some youngadultswho didn’t
consider the complexity of preparation for a job offer and don’t have the
income to sustain independence.
I wonder if these studentsever considered experiencingthe benefits of
a career counselor?
The highly importantquestions I pose are questionsI ask recent
unemployed collegegraduates who seek my services as a private career
counselor.
Many of them ask me, “Why didn’tI learn this in high school?”
A major reason they walk into my office is because their parentsfind me
when they type“desperately seeking career help” on an Internet search
engine.
For me, questions are the platform to engage youngadults in
meaningfuldialogueas they prepare to enter the workforce.
From each individualresponse, strategies can be developed and action
plans implemented to equip studentswith quality learning experiences
that build and affirm sustainable skills for the future.
Questions by their very natureprovoke conversation. If asked in a non-
defensive, non-judgmentalway withan open posture of acceptance and
rapport, questions help studentsinvestigate, exploreand better
understand theimportanceof being intentional and thorough in their
planningand preparation for professionalsuccess.
Recent labor statistics:

4.  At least 500,000 jobopenings remain unfilled dueto current skill
gaps primarily in the manufacturingsector
 Over 8,549,000 workersareunemployedasof April2015
 The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projects
1,855,000studentsatthe bachelor's degree levelwill graduate as
the Class of 2015.
 A 2013 reportreleased by the Center for College Affordability and
Productivity found thatthe number of college gradswill grow by
19 million between 2010 and 2020, whilethe number of jobs
requiringthat education is expected to grow by less than 7 million
Over all, the Labor departmentalso reports that national unemployment
rates have fallen to the lowest levels since our last recession in 2008.
Suffice it to say, graduating college seniors are enteringa job mazeof
great challenges.
They face:
 Significantly lower wages than they anticipate. Our salaries have
not significantly increased with the cost of living expenses.
To strengthen this reality, a recent report by the EconomicPolicy
Institute, indicated entry-level wages for graduatesare expected
to be no better than they were15 years ago.
What will make the differencefor students to successfully land a job
offer rather than remain unnoticed as a perpetualjobseeker?
How can we educate our studentson how to negotiate and achieve a job
offer representingthe fair marketvalue of their skill set?
Students pursuingcareer developmentassistance, co-op opportunities,
internship experience duringtheir collegiate years, position themselves
above and ahead of their peers.

5. In addition, when those studentsengage in meaningfuldialogue with
mentorsand employers, these highly importantquestions brace them
for a fast changing, agile and turbulentjob market.
Question #1 has two parts:
Part 1:
What does the word career mean to you?
Part 2:
Do you know the wordcareer is now transforming from anoun to
an action verb?
A career is defined as “an occupation undertaken for asignificant period
of a person'slifeand with opportunitiesfor progress.”
Today “a significant period of time” now means an average of three
years or less in a particular work role.
The average worker changes jobs at least 10 to 12 times.
Most of us in this room are doingwork today that wasn’t written in the
job description of our original offer. Such is the 21st century workplace
of shifting paradigms related to emerging business strategies, new
productsand servicesfor a consumer base whose demographics
constantly change and trend.
Add that to our surgingglobal market with innovative technology
creating a complexrevolution of the workplaceand those who work in
it.
Using the word career as an action verbindicates weare willing, open
and adaptable to the force of change and the impact it will have on our
work life includingthe processes, systems and organizationalstructure
we putinto place.
The noun career is derived from the French word that means
“racetrack”.

6. You know when a career becomes justa job. It happenswhen we
believe the racetrack justgoes round and round withno finishline in
sight.
When we see the word “career” as an action verb werun the race with
endurance, strength, fortitude, cooperation and the wisdom of
professionalswho go before us.
Especially, when change happens.
Change is the most consistent thing in work and life.
How are we preparingour futureworkforcefor the inevitable
turbulencethey will experience?
Keep in mind; wecannot preparestudentsfor change we’renot
prepared for ourselves.
Therefore, wemust also ask, how are wepreparingfor the same
turbulence that may occur in our own career?
Career as an action verbdescribes us as determined runnersatfull
speed.
Wetoo face challenges to adaptand change strategies to meet the needs
of studentsand the employerswho will hire them.
A studentwho understands career asan action verb will do the
followingaction steps:
 Learn how to makecareer decisions based on their natural
strengths, interests, skills, valuesand temperament
 Be intentionalabout gaining experience and provingits value
 Have a mentor to guide them through career exploration and the
job search process
 Connectto a vast array of employersand industry expertswhile
learningbest practices for their chosen profession

7. Today, career as a noun is no longer a one-time decision determined in
college, but an intentional process of making wisechoices when it
comes to work opportunities.
Studentsneed to be empowered to see work notas a ladder to climb but
as a trellis to support their professionaland personalgoals of
achievement, growth and contribution.
If we don’task them this highly importantquestion of how they see
career as an action verb or challenges their views if they only see it as a
noun, studentsare likely to stray off the narrow coursethey may run in
circles.
Question#2
Can you describe how you’re a solutionto the employer’s problem?
Graduatingseniorsfor the most part, lack an accurate perception of
what it takes to land a job offer.
The necessary time, energy, follow-up, and resilienceto find the right fit
is much longer and more complicated than they anticipate.
College graduates also instinctually believe the job is solely about the
skills they’ve learned and now offer to the employer withoutany
consideration of the employer.
Their flawed assumption of the minimalamountof effortand due
diligence it takes to get a job rapidly undermines their confidenceand
momentum.
Most will throw a last minuteresumetogether, apply online to multiple
posted openings and wait in the vortexof anxiousness for their
cellphone to ring.
The majority believes their educationalachievement is enoughwithout
any consideration to what an employer needs, or how experiential
learningis highly valued as they progress in school.

8. Students don’t instinctively recognizea job openingas a gap, dilemma
or problem in the employer’scurrentworkforce. In addition, students
lack the ability to identify and describe their skills with high outcome
results as a solution to the employer’sneed.
They may craft a stellar resumewith a 4.0 GPA, butunlessthey connect
their education, experienceand skills to the employer’sgap, they’ll
continueto kick the can of applyingfor countless jobs and settling for
underemploymentor no job at all.
The experientiallearning of a co-op, internship or career counseling is
critical for studentsto see themselves as a solution and be able to
describe exactly how.
The feedback received by the employer can realistically preparethem to
land a job offer.
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve helped many college graduates in 15 years of
privatepractice. Usually, their stories have similar patterns. They work
for minimum wage and cannot break into their dream jobs. Their
nightmare experience of futile job search typically correlates to the
disparity between their earned degree and lack of work experience to
back it up.
Their inability to conducta thorough analysis of labor market
information and industry trends to see how they fit into a company’s
futuredoesn'teven crosstheir minds.
They are clueless about how to identify employerswho need their skills.
The studentswho seek my services failed to seek career counseling,
pursueaco-op experience or internship in college that offered a
gateway from classroom instruction to the world of work.
They never utilized the services or career readinessprograms their
university provided to assist them.
The light bulb moment for the unemployed collegegradsI help usually
occurs when they hear these words:

9. “The best resume you willwrite is not about you. It’s about the
employer and how you’rea proven solution to a gap.”
A studentcan only become the solution for an employer when he or she
knowsthe problems to be solved with the experiential learning gained
in the classroom and tested in the workplace.
A recent NACE survey indicated the top fiveskills employersare looking
for in college graduates. These skills include:
1. Ability to make decisions and solveproblems
2. Ability to verbally communicatewith personsinsideand outside the
organization
3. Ability to obtain and processinformation
4. Ability to plan, organize, and prioritizework
5. Ability to analyzequantitative data
How are we preparingour studentsto be the solution to an employer’s
gap?
Studentsbecome valuable solutions through the means by which
universitiespreparethem.
From there, students are challenged to communicatetheir valueby
describing the high quality outcomes they offer throughout their
professionalendeavors.
Question#3
Do you know your college degree isn’t an automatic ticket to a job?
Career experts agree that at least 80% of today’s job market demandsa
highly specialized skills-set typically offered in a vocational-technical
setting such as a community college for the industrialor manufacturing
trades supportingour economicalinfrastructure. These jobs include
automotivetechnologists, construction workers, electricians, plumbers,
and protective services such as police and firefighters.
Today’sjob opportunitiesfor college graduatesare fiercely competitive.
One reason for this is the over supply of graduatescompared to the
number of job openingsrequiringa bachelor degree.

10. A 2011 study by Harvard called Pathways to Prosperity concluded
roughly half of all Americansreach their mid-20swithoutthe skills or
credentials essential for today’sdemandingeconomy.
Studentswho gain exposureto the world of work from a co-op
experience duringtheir university years aremuch morelikely to have
deepened their understandingof career optionsbest suited for their
skill-set.
Studentswho experience a co-op experienceor internship also discover
the ticket to a job is not the degreeas a stand-alone, but includes the
experience learned in a workplacesetting while achieving the degree.
Employerstoday need workerswho achieve quality outcomes for their
company or organization with a solid return on their hiring investment.
These outcomesincludeperformance, outstandingcustomer service
and time efficiency.
How are we preparing studentsto articulate the skills employers’need
with the results that provethe fair market valueof our graduates?
The National Association of Colleges and Employers2013survey of
employersreinforced that internshipsand cooperative education
programsare an essential componentof their college recruiting
programs.
Co-op hiring was anticipated to increase by 5.8%.
Employersmadefulltime offersto 56.5 percentof their interns. This
rate rose 10% from the previous year.
A college degreemust be coupled with job experience to position our
graduates ahead and abovetheir competition.
Question#4
Do you know at least 25% of the job opportunities that will be
available to you ten years from now, have yet to be createdtoday?

11. This question is the lighthouse for a sea of opportunitiesfor our
students.
A global economy combined with rapidly expandingtechnology has
formed the womb of an unseen yetformidable workplaceon the
horizon for today’s 21st century student. The world is now their
customer and no longer are they confined to a brick and mortar space.
Galaxies yet to be explored, emergingenergy solutions, healthcare
challenges, science and technology’s discoveries are all convergingat
warp speed. Combinethis with an exponentialexplosion in the world’s
population to create an endlessstream of new opportunities.
How are we preparing students to be adaptable and ready for such an
amazingfuture?
Let’s revisit the definition of entrepreneurship.
The Latin origin for the word can be translated as “to carry one’s
weight”.
Wemust instill an entrepreneurialspiritinsideour studentsfrom the
very beginningof their educationaljourney.
Studentsneed to understand exemplify thedefinition of
entrepreneurship isto work, volunteer, pay taxes and build their lives
upon community principles.
Every student can learn to become an entrepreneur withor without
venturecapitalism.
This is such a simple question but so imperative to consider.
As weall know, students focuson the immediate demands of papers,
projects and tests and typically do not think ahead to what is crucially
important.
They need forecasters to preparethem and preventpotential fallout of
unpreparednessfor the world of work that is in frontof them. You have

12. the opportunity to be an influencethey will alwaysremember when
they look back at the processof getting their first “real” job.
You have the privilegeof igniting a senseof urgency to become a
solution to the employersneedstoday. Remember, every encouraging
word you share to challenge them is a seed wellsown.
In conclusion,
Remember, there is power in the questions we ask to ignite new
thinking and new waysof approachingthe word “career”.
Students who see career as an action verb, and can demonstrate how
their skills are the solution to an employer’s problem, are well on their
way to a journey of professionalachievement.
Students who recognize their diploma is not enough to land a job offer
and understand the value of a co-op internship not as an option but as a
choice are positioned for a bright future.
There are many variables impacting a student’s ability to find and
sustain meaningfulemployment. Somevariables such as a volatile job
market or many challenging economicconditions are clearly beyond
their control. Yet, the most important variables are within their control.
Makingthe decision to learn about career readinessand the importance
of learningmoreabout their naturalstrengths is crucial.
I began with Thomas Berger’squote, “The art and science of asking
questions is the sourceof all knowledge.”
I want to end with this addendum to his original words:
“The art and science of asking highly importantquestionsfor 21st
century students servesas fuel to ignite their sense of meaningfulwork
and futuresuccess.”

13. All of uswho mentor and guidethem mustbe willing to share our
knowledgein a jointeffort to empower their entrepreneurialspirit.”
Wouldn'titbe amazingfor every studentto be so excited they couldn’t
wait to carry their weight?