University of Phoenix Bridges Gap Between Education & Careers
February 13, 2013
In today’s world and economy, many moms are looking for ways to bring in additional income. Maybe you’re working in an office, or from home. Perhaps you’re looking to go back to the workplace. But sometimes you find yourself in a rut, unable to further your career for whatever reason, or doing work you just don’t love. University of Phoenix has some amazing tools that can help you find a career you’re interested in pursuing, and show you the best path to success, with its new Phoenix Career Services tools.
This online service is a comprehensive suite of services, tools and resources aimed at closing the skills gap in the American workforce. It works to help students build a career plan and develop skills and competencies required for their desired careers.
Phoenix Career Services, which includes innovative career interest and job market research tools, helps prospective and current students make informed decisions regarding the career paths and degree programs they choose by surveying their interests first and cross referencing them with job openings and employment activity in their specific geographic area.
Here are just a few of the amazing tools I’ve had the opportunity to explore:
- Career Interest Profiler: This interactive, quick assessment offers potential and existing students a way to identify their professional interests and related careers to better focus their career search. After taking the assessment (which consists of a series of interests that you can freely change the order from greatest to least) I got the following results and possible career matches:
- Job Market Research Tool: The goal of this tool is to provide potential and existing students with current and recent job and labor market information. With this information students can understand the demand and typical salary information for their best-fit career. They can also see common career paths – which were culminated from thousands of career transitions. So for San Diego, a social media strategist displays the following information:
- My Career Plan: Once a student is enrolled at University of Phoenix, she can complete the development of her personalized roadmap with a detailed plan for her academic journey. This plan includes helping the student understand how her coursework can prepare her to pursue her desired career, which is informed by what leading employers are seeking in their workforce. My Career Plan building activities include:
- Career Interests Profiler
- Competencies
- Work Culture Preferences
- Reasoning Abilities
Additionally, students can build their competencies through Competency Development Tips and manage their career through Career Development Tasks provided through the career plan.
In addition to Phoenix Career Services, University of Phoenix also has developed a Financial Plan. This helps interested students estimate tuition and fees for their entire degree program and build a personal plan for how they will pay for it. The Financial Plan displays the estimated monthly payment for any loans built into the plan, so that the student understands the implications of his or her borrowing prior to enrolling. You can even explore options to help you finance your education such as employer reimbursement programs.
The Social Moms community has this to say about the new Phoenix Career Services and higher education:
- Sunshine and Sippy Cups likes the focus of University of Phoenix. “The tools make sure that you choose a field that you love, and that you have clear goals in mind for what you’ll be using your degree for once you graduate. Everything you do is focused on helping you find the perfect career for YOU. Because, while I loved my experience at University of Phoenix, I’m not going to lie – going back to school is a lot of work. I got pregnant partway through, and remember taking Advanced Algebra exams while bouncing a fussy baby on one knee. But, when you know WHY you’re going to school, and are excited about what you’ll be doing afterwards, it’s much easier to keep that momentum and motivation, knowing it will all be worth it!”
- SheScribes feels the site is the perfect tool for exploring her back-to-school options. “I am grateful for Phoenix Career Services. The various services they offer have helped me to not only explore different career and degree options, but have also opened my eyes to what kind of jobs are available with certain degrees, salaries, available jobs local to me and so much more. Best of all, these career interest and job market research tools are open to EVERYONE, not just University of Phoenix students or alumni.”
- Midwestern Moms says it’s important to keep your skills fresh. “I have always been a strong advocate for higher education. Even now that I work from home, I am able to run my own business because of the education that I’ve received. I feel it is important to keep my skills fresh since I work with technology and social media. In my career, things are constantly changing and I feel that furthering education helps me adapt so that I will be able to continue to grow my business.”
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