Calling All Future Professors!

Here is some very intriguing and interesting information. Universities are fighting over a diminishing number of academically trained PhD's worldwide and many are having to go to alternative plans to fill their classrooms. The Wall Street journal provides to interesting insight on this situation:
http://online.wsj.com/articleSB10001424052970204224604577032232809553166.html?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_
careerjournal and I encourage you to take a look.

Anyone with a Master's Degree and a decent amount of professional experience might want to look at college level teaching if the corporate world is not offering great opportunities right now. While perhaps this was not a financially attractive option 3 or 4 years ago, I suspect that the current playing field might yield different results. An academic environment might not be the perfect venue for everyone but, if you are in need of a new challenge, this might be worth researching before ruling it out!

Doors

I have been watching a house along my commuting route that has been under construction for over two years and still is not finished. Yesterday, I noticed the siding is mostly in places as are many windows. The entry doors and garage doors are still missing.

This got me thinking. I wonder what creatures have taken the opportunity to wander around this shell while the doors were wide open. What have they observed and learned in their explorations? Once the doors are installed, the opportunity to learn is gone.

This recession has actually opened many doors for job seekers though not necessarily the front entrance. While opportunities are tough to come by, they are out there. If you have been struggling going the conventional route, tried some side doors or garage entrances. For example, if you have a sales background, checkout the retail warehouse clubs. On a recent jaunt, I discovered one such place with several stations selling high end products and services. Unless you check unusual resources out, you may being closing doors before they are actually shut!

ETC.

A few loose thoughts while I take a lunch break:

• Message to employers: If you are hiring a contractor for 3 months or less, don't reject candidates who have jumped around too much!
• Message to candidates: Make sure you demonstrate some of the required skill sets on your resume before submitting for a job!
• Message to job counselors at the Dept. of Labor: Take a minute to actually evaluate your client before handing out job hunting advice!
• Message to career counselors at institutions of higher education: Aim your students/grads at realistic opportunities to avoid them becoming frustrated and complacent!
• Message to everyone (including myself): Strive for excellence each and every day!