The Resistance Five Tell-Tale Signs That You Are Getting in your Own Way

As an admissions advisor, I speak at length with a lot of different people from different backgrounds, and unique stories to tell. The one common thread that I find however, is the fact that a lot of people generally talk themselves out of making all the right moves for all the wrong reasons.

The other day I ran across a very interesting book by an author by the name of Stephen Pressfield called "The War of Art". This self-help book basically enables you to break through the blocks and win creative battles. Although this book is more geared towards artists in mind, it can be applied to all professionals.

Resistance by definition according to Pressfield is self-sabotage. We as human beings tend to set ourselves back through a series of actions that do us no justice. Although when there are a set of actions that need to be put in place for success, we tend to put them off because of the fear of failure. There are 5 tell-tale signs that resistance has taken over a prospective student's decision to go back to school. These tell-tale signs come in the form of excuses.

Excuse # 1- I am too old to go back to school.

There is absolutely no age limit for going back to school. The fact of the matter is, there are a lot of people who go through life differently. At my school, a large number of our students are adult learners. As the old adage states, better late than never!

Excuse # 2- College is too expensive.

Think of your education as an investment in you. If you fail to invest in you, how can you expect someone else to? Let's face it, in today's turbulent economy its essential to have a degree in order to remain competitive.

Excuse # 3- I work full-time, and don't have time for classes.

There are a few schools who know and understand this fact, and cater their class schedules accordingly. My school offers classes mornings, afternoons, and evenings. If there is a will, there is a way. If you can find 12 hours in the week you can go to school.

Excuse #4- I wasn't a very good student in high school, I probably wouldn't do well in college.

At my school we are very much career-focused. With a hands on focus, with smaller class rooms, there is no limit to the amount of knowledge you can gain! Never underestimate what you can do!

Excuse #5- What if I can't get a job after I graduate?

At the end of the day, you are responsible for finding your career. However, while searching for a school, you should keep career services in mind. My school has a great career services department, whom of which I am proud to say works tirelessly to assist our students.

If you can relate to any of the 5 statements above, then you may be fighting against your own resistance. If you would like to know more about this book, or get a copy from me simply comment or send me an email requesting it!

Recession Increasing Burn Out in Employees

The national survey, by CareerBuilder.com, was conducted May 19 to June 8, included more than 2,600 hiring managers and human resource professionals and nearly 5,300 employees.

Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America, says employers saw a rise in worker productivity during the recession primarily attribue the increase to the fear of losing a job and the effects of downsized staffs on individual workloads.

In addition 73% are seeing the increase sustain today, while 14% state productivity has increased even more.

"The recession produced consequences for not just those who were laid off, but for those who were asked harder as a result of leaner staffs," Rasmussen says in a statement.

Looking at burnout from the worker's perspective: 77% of workers say they are sometimes or always burned out in their jobs, and 43% say their stress levels on the job have increased during the last six months, while only 8% say their workloads decreased.

This survey was conducted by Harris Interactive.

When you are working dead-end gigs, or jobs that don't require much background experience or expertise, it is easy to fall into the burn-out trap. A great way to avoid this is to make yourself indespensible by having the right skill set, and educational background. This will not only add more job security on your behalf, but it will allow you to work smarter, and not harder. If you don't want to end up as another burn-out statistic, I suggest you look at what you have to offer, and figure out how to upgrade yourself.

Education, hands down, is one of the best ways to make you indespensible, as well as give you the opportunity to go after the career positions that add more to your bank account and less stress. As an admissions representative at ITT Technical Institute in Kennesaw, GA, I feel its my job to help people avoid the dead-end-burn-out gigs, and start a career that is more fulfilling.

Feel Free to contact me anytime if you need any advice on personal brand building, and continuing your education.

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Author: Charmaine Alexander is an admissions representative for ITT Technical Institute in Kennesaw, GA, and is dedicated to helping people obtain a degree in technical fields such as Information Technology, Electronic Technology, and Computer Drafting and Design.

Heres To Brand YOU!!!

With the economy being in such a turbulent climate to say the least, it makes securing a satisfying career position even harder. A lot of people are settling for less-than-desirable positions, and a barely-there pay check to match. A great counter action to this problem is to position yourself against the fierce competition that you must face in the job market. In order to position yourself correctly, you have to think of yourself as a brand. Like your favorite retailers, and clothing brands, you must make yourself indispensable to any employers. Below are 5 great starts to building your personal brand!

1. Know Your Unique Selling Points

What makes you different? Better? Do you do things faster than your competition? Do you provide superior quality? Are you very sociable and emotion-oriented? Do you have a knack for making complex things simple? Do some soul-searching, and ask a few friends and colleagues what single quality stands out to them.

2. Competitive Analysis

Use your competition to your advantage. Look at how other people offering similar services portray their brands. Then build on them to create an even more compelling one for yourself. For example, if you’re an artist, browse artist galleries on the web to see how they’re showcasing their abilities. Then take the best qualities of each one and mix it with your own style.

3. Impressions are EVERYTHING

 Strengthen the association between your face and what you excel at with everyone you meet. You want your name to be seen in a positive light by as many people as possible. That means every time you post a comment on a blog or forum, every time you send an email, every time you complete a project or presentation, put your name on it. Anonymity is not your friend. Take pride in all your work and connect it back to your brand. The more people come across these “digital breadcrumbs,” the more you convince them that you can deliver on your brand promise. So include your name, your tagline (what you do and who you do it for) and your contact info in all your work.

4. Build up your credibility

In whichever field or industry you’re in, aim to be the best you can be and to offer the best you can give. Make use of every opportunity to learn and hone your skills. Become the expert whom people in your professional field go to for help and advice. A great way to do this is to look to see if you can update your skills acquired from post-secondary school, or look into continuing your education completely. A degree in your designated field as well as industry experience can make a world of a difference to your brand. As always feel free to contact me for more information about continuing your education, I am always here to help!

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Author: Charmaine Alexander is an admissions representative for ITT Technical Institute in Kennesaw, GA, and is dedicated to helping people obtain a degree in technical fields such as Information Technology, Electronic Technology, and Computer Drafting and Design.