As I was listening to Howard Figler's Careerwell Tele-interview on, "The Role of a Liberal Education in the Development of Career" I was looking up community college courses on writing and publication. Mr. Figler has a wealth of knowledge and information about career development. The "Career Counselor's Handbook," and "The Complete Job Search Handbook" are just two of the many books and articles he has written. I had been looking forward to hearing the interview, and I was very impressed with his discussion about getting a well rounded education. He said that the courses you take in college are more important than the degree you receive. It really made sense.
Then Mr. Figler began talking about taking courses you want to take rather than the classes you think will lead to a degree and land you a job. I thought that is great except that we are in a recession. Can we afford to follow our passion and take courses in areas we are interested in? I thought about the fact that I have always taken courses that I thought would lead to employability rather than courses I want to take. I always wanted to take courses in English and Anthropology. In fact, whenever I have a chance to take a class for the fun of it, I take a class in literature or writing. Now I am starting a publishing business and looking for English classes. After coming full circle, I realize it does make sense to take classes you enjoy.
After getting an AA degree in Business, a B.A. in Psychology, and an M.S. in Career Counseling, I am coaching clients on writing and entrepreneurship. While listening to Figler it suddenly hit me that I always thought studying English was impractical, and now here I am looking looking for English courses. As I was telling myself that I had always taken the practical route, I realized that what Mr. Figler was saying was exactly right. I am finally seeking a career I am passionate about.
If you missed Howard Figler, you missed an excellent Careerwell Tele-interview. You can sign up now for the December Careerwell Tele-interviews at www.careerwell.org.
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