If you are looking for a job, you might come across employment ads that were placed by employment assistance businesses.
Although many of these firms may be legitimate, many others misrepresent their services, promote fictitious and out-dated job listings, or charge large upfront fees for services that often may not lead to a job.
Some ads might direct the potential client to call a 900 telephone number for job information. You will be charged either a flat fee or you will be charged by the minute for each 900 call, and the charge usually is much greater than the toll for an ordinary long distance call.
Other ads may ask you to visit the company’s place of business for assistance in résumé preparation, letter writing, and interviewing skills.
Choosing an employment service company
Do not judge an employment service company by its name.
Classified advertising and telephone book listings do not always make clear the differences among employment services. Many names are used loosely and interchangeably.
It is important to find out what services the company offers, how much those services cost, and who pays the fee.
Before you contact any employment service company, follow the suggestions listed below. In addition, before you pay or commit to pay for domestic or overseas job placement information, contact the company and have them send to you in writing what you will get for your money.
* Consider your needs carefully. What type of employment assistance do you need and how much are you willing to spend for that assistance?
* Know what a 900 number call to an employment listing service will cost before you make the call. Reputable companies will state these costs upfront. If you have fraudulent 900 number charges on your phone bill, ask your telephone company to delete them. Although the company is not legally obligated to do so, many times, if you have been a consistent and faithful customer, they will delete them.
* Before you sign a contract, ask any employment assistance company you contact if you or the employer pay for its services.
* When you are required to pay, ask the company if payment must be made before services are given and if you are required to pay even if you do not find a job.
* Look for an employment service company that regularly fills the sort of position you are seeking. Although only 10 to 15 percent of a company’s employment needs are advertised in newspaper or trade magazine classified ads, they are good sources for finding specialized employment agencies as well as employment positions.
* Realize that employment service companies can promise only to help you find a job; they cannot guarantee that they will find you an appropriate job that meets your talent or ability standards.
* Check with your local consumer protection agency and state attorney general’s office to find out whether they have received any complaints about an employment company that interests you. You also can ask these agencies about state laws governing employment service companies.
* Always read the contract carefully before you sign it. Do not feel you have to rush into any decision. You should thoroughly read and understand all provisions of the contract before you sign it. If verbal promises are made, make sure they appear in the contract, because the written contract is the legal document, not what is said or promised verbally.
There are six types of service companies that offer assistance in obtaining employment: public employment services, employment agencies, executive search services, temporary help services, executive counseling services, and job listing services.
Public employment services
The federally funded and state-operated public employment service, also known as the Job Service, operates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
There are some 2,300 points of service nationwide, of which approximately 1,700 are considered full-time, full-service offices.
The Employment Service provides its service free of charge both to employers and to job seekers. Openings range from entry-level positions to technical and professional positions.
The Employment Service provides access to the Interstate Job Bank, a nationwide source of job opportunities.
It also provides links to numerous employment and training programs in each state, including programs for the disabled, minorities, older workers, veterans, welfare recipients, and youth.
Employment agencies
Employment agencies or personal placement services work to fill specific positions available within companies.
Their purpose is to bring applicants and employers together. In many cases, the hiring company pays the placement fee.
In other places, where law permits it, the fee is either shared by the employer and the job seeker or is billed directly to the job seeker once his or her job has been secured.
Employment agencies are generally licensed in the state in which they do business.
Executive search services
Executive search firms or executive recruiters are hired by businesses to find the right person for a particular job within a company. These recruiters are sometimes referred to as headhunters.
The executive who is hired does not pay the fee; fee payment is part of the agreement between the hiring company and the search company and could be as high as an amount equal to one-third of the potential employee’s annual income.
Executive search companies usually subscribe to a code of ethics established by industry members, and some are licensed by the states in which they do business, as required by state law.
Temporary help services
Temporary help services are companies who provide workers to businesses on a temporary basis.
Businesses pay an agreed-upon wage to the temporary service for work performed by its employees. Workers are then paid by the temporary service firm, not by the temporary employer.
Executive counseling services
Executive counseling services or career counseling services assist job seekers more with career decisions rather than with job placement.
They may provide such services as skill identification and self-evaluation, résumé preparation and letter writing, and general information about companies in a particular geographical area or job field.
Fees could be $4,000 or more, and payment is often required before services are provided. You probably will have to pay this fee even if you do not find a job.
Placement is not guaranteed and executive counseling companies may or may not be state licensed.
Job listing services
Job listing services or advisory services sell information, sometimes through 900 telephone numbers, about obtaining employment in the U.S. or abroad. Information may include lists of job openings, general tips on conducting a successful job search or interview, and broad guidance in résumé writing.
Advisory firms often require an upfront fee, which usually is charged even if you do not find a job through the firm.
Be aware that some listing service and advisory companies may place ads that appear to offer jobs when, in fact, the firms are selling only employment information.
Free employment information
There are a number of free sources of employment information, in addition to newspaper and magazine classified ads.
* Job service offices usually post job vacancies. They also provide some counseling and referrals to other job resources.
* Local and county human resources offices and information referral services usually offer placement assistance. In addition, they can give you the names of other groups that can help.
* University and college career service offices usually limit their assistance to students or alumni, but some may let you look at their job listings. They may be a good reference for free job information.
* Local libraries also can be a good source of information. Ask the librarian to direct you to material that can help you write a résumé, conduct an interview, or compile a list of companies you might contact about job openings. Most libraries have a good selection of specialty magazines and newspapers in which you can search for a job in the classifieds, as well as Internet access in which you can search online.
Conclusion
As you begin a job search, there is no way to predict how it will go. Most likely it will require a focused and persistent effort on your part.
Although without a doubt the most effective method of finding a job is through your personal contacts—friends, family, or acquaintances—there are instances in which employment service companies can be helpful and effective, especially when you have exhausted all your personal contacts.
However, before you decide on a particular company, investigate it thoroughly.
http://www1.crown.org/library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=469
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Networking
The most effective method of finding a new job is through contacts—the people you already know or those who know the people you already know. These people can include family, friends, schoolmates, business associates, business contacts, social contacts, and church contacts. Personal contacts are the most worthwhile and beneficial source of job leads, because they know you and they might know potential employers. The process of identifying these personal contacts and qualifying them as job search assets is called networking.
Develop categories
As you identify your contacts, it is essential that you identify every individual who can possibly assist you in your job search. Then divide the list into categories. At this point, don’t evaluate their individual abilities; just list the names. You need to use a separate page for each category and list each individual under the appropriate category: current or past employer, organizations where you have worked (paid and volunteer—profit and nonprofit), customers and clients, vendors and suppliers, church, college and educational institutions, social or professional organizations, family, friends, semi-close acquaintances, neighbors and community contacts, other people looking for new jobs, and former work companions.
Qualify contacts
Once you have completed your lists, you need to qualify the contacts and identify which ones are likely to be the most valuable, sympathetic, or have an interest in you. Then decide which ones would not be negative but probably would not be an asset or would be better to postpone until later. When the contacts have been qualified, call them and set up an appointment (brief appointment) to discuss how you would like them to help you.
Calling your contacts
Networking is most often done by telephone. The telephone is especially effective because it eliminates unnecessary paperwork and provides immediate results. Phoning has the feel of informality, so many contacts will feel more at ease with you. Except for the phone call to set up a direct interview, your typical approach to most contacts should be one of asking them to help you because of your respect for their experience and knowledge, their position of influence, and their relationship with you. If they consent to help you, determine what kind of relationship they have with those to whom they refer you, and make sure that you can use their names as referrals.
Due to automated phone systems and voice mail, it may be difficult to get through to your contacts. Nevertheless, be persistent and patient. If you have to leave a voice message, be brief and give as little information as possible but enough information so that your contact will return your call. Don’t make receptionists or message recipients uncomfortable or put them on the defensive.
Using e-mail
You also can network by e-mail, but be sure your e-mail is clear enough not to be mistaken for junk mail. Be sure to keep an electronic copy of all correspondence. If a particular message brought a desired response, you might want to keep a hard copy also.
Normal Internet etiquette includes a response to inquiries within 24 hours of receipt. Even if the addressee does not observe this protocol, you should. Also understand that typing an e-mail letter in capital letters is not accepted etiquette. Also avoid e-mail slang.
Using letters
There are times, other than not being able to reach a contact by telephone or as a follow-up to a telephone call, that you may want to write a letter rather than telephone. Letters are generally more appropriate if the contact is a distant friend, an acquaintance but not necessarily a friend, or an acquaintance of your contact (whom you do not know personally). This being the case, there are some guidelines that need to be followed.
* Don’t include a résumé unless you have specifically been asked to do so by the person you are writing or the person who referred you.
* Ask for a brief appointment to discuss things like career opportunities in the industry. Avoid asking to talk to them about employment possibilities unless you know them well enough that you would feel comfortable asking them to speak or refer on your behalf.
* Briefly highlight three or four of your major accomplishments or credentials.
* If this contact is a friend of a friend, a friend of a relative, an acquaintance of your contact, a distant relative, or so on, you should mention the name of your referral, preferably in the first sentence of the letter.
Follow up
Regardless of the results, make sure you always send a thank you note or a thank you letter (a follow-up e-mail is not appropriate unless you send an e-mail requesting a mailing address) to each contact and to each person, company, or business that you contacted and who was referred to you by your contact.
Conclusion
Although there are numerous ways to search for a job, the method that has proved to be the most effective over the years is networking. In essence, networking is getting the word out to your acquaintances and to their acquaintances about you and the objective you are seeking with regard to finding a job. It may not be easy, but with persistence it can be successful.
http://www1.crown.org/library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=469
Develop categories
As you identify your contacts, it is essential that you identify every individual who can possibly assist you in your job search. Then divide the list into categories. At this point, don’t evaluate their individual abilities; just list the names. You need to use a separate page for each category and list each individual under the appropriate category: current or past employer, organizations where you have worked (paid and volunteer—profit and nonprofit), customers and clients, vendors and suppliers, church, college and educational institutions, social or professional organizations, family, friends, semi-close acquaintances, neighbors and community contacts, other people looking for new jobs, and former work companions.
Qualify contacts
Once you have completed your lists, you need to qualify the contacts and identify which ones are likely to be the most valuable, sympathetic, or have an interest in you. Then decide which ones would not be negative but probably would not be an asset or would be better to postpone until later. When the contacts have been qualified, call them and set up an appointment (brief appointment) to discuss how you would like them to help you.
Calling your contacts
Networking is most often done by telephone. The telephone is especially effective because it eliminates unnecessary paperwork and provides immediate results. Phoning has the feel of informality, so many contacts will feel more at ease with you. Except for the phone call to set up a direct interview, your typical approach to most contacts should be one of asking them to help you because of your respect for their experience and knowledge, their position of influence, and their relationship with you. If they consent to help you, determine what kind of relationship they have with those to whom they refer you, and make sure that you can use their names as referrals.
Due to automated phone systems and voice mail, it may be difficult to get through to your contacts. Nevertheless, be persistent and patient. If you have to leave a voice message, be brief and give as little information as possible but enough information so that your contact will return your call. Don’t make receptionists or message recipients uncomfortable or put them on the defensive.
Using e-mail
You also can network by e-mail, but be sure your e-mail is clear enough not to be mistaken for junk mail. Be sure to keep an electronic copy of all correspondence. If a particular message brought a desired response, you might want to keep a hard copy also.
Normal Internet etiquette includes a response to inquiries within 24 hours of receipt. Even if the addressee does not observe this protocol, you should. Also understand that typing an e-mail letter in capital letters is not accepted etiquette. Also avoid e-mail slang.
Using letters
There are times, other than not being able to reach a contact by telephone or as a follow-up to a telephone call, that you may want to write a letter rather than telephone. Letters are generally more appropriate if the contact is a distant friend, an acquaintance but not necessarily a friend, or an acquaintance of your contact (whom you do not know personally). This being the case, there are some guidelines that need to be followed.
* Don’t include a résumé unless you have specifically been asked to do so by the person you are writing or the person who referred you.
* Ask for a brief appointment to discuss things like career opportunities in the industry. Avoid asking to talk to them about employment possibilities unless you know them well enough that you would feel comfortable asking them to speak or refer on your behalf.
* Briefly highlight three or four of your major accomplishments or credentials.
* If this contact is a friend of a friend, a friend of a relative, an acquaintance of your contact, a distant relative, or so on, you should mention the name of your referral, preferably in the first sentence of the letter.
Follow up
Regardless of the results, make sure you always send a thank you note or a thank you letter (a follow-up e-mail is not appropriate unless you send an e-mail requesting a mailing address) to each contact and to each person, company, or business that you contacted and who was referred to you by your contact.
Conclusion
Although there are numerous ways to search for a job, the method that has proved to be the most effective over the years is networking. In essence, networking is getting the word out to your acquaintances and to their acquaintances about you and the objective you are seeking with regard to finding a job. It may not be easy, but with persistence it can be successful.
http://www1.crown.org/library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=469
Vocation and income
Anyone who thinks that career decisions are not related to income expectations is very naïve. Perhaps there are a few dedicated individuals who know in their late teens or early twenties exactly what they want to do for the rest of their lives, but they are in the minority. The vast majority of people who make career decisions early in life are motivated by income expectations.
The mere fact that someone is motivated by income expectations is not necessarily wrong. After all, earning a living is a necessity of life. What is wrong is making career decisions based primarily on future income considerations. It has been proven that people who choose career fields strictly because of the income potential generally will become dissatisfied with their jobs and will feel miserably trapped in career fields where they have little or no real interest—like most Americans today. In essence, income expectations have often overruled God’s vocational plans, and career decisions are based on projected income—not satisfaction.
Career satisfaction
How do you weigh income against career satisfaction? Does one always have to be chosen over the other, or can we be satisfied with our careers as well as with the income our careers generate? It is easy to fall back on platitudes like “Do what makes you the happiest,” or “Do what comes naturally,” but is that always the most practical advice?
A large part of God’s plan for our lives is that we have fulfillment through how we earn a living. Our work is part of our witness (see Proverbs 22:29). If we are committed to serving God through our careers, He will direct us into the career that not only provides for our needs financially but also gives the most peace, satisfaction, and fulfillment, based on our natural abilities and talents. God has equipped each of us to do one thing better than anyone else. Therefore, we must find what God has equipped each of us to do best and then do it!
Identifying strengths
Satisfied workers are those who match their interests and abilities with their job choices. If you know what you are best equipped to do and prepare accordingly, you can do well in any field, because success is 90 percent perspiration and 10 percent inspiration. However, most people don’t know what they are best equipped to do. They need help to identify their strengths, talents, and abilities and to adopt a longer-term perspective about their futures.
Crown Financial Ministries’ Career Direct assessment is an excellent tool that helps people identify their strengths and weaknesses in four personality dimensions: interests, abilities, temperament, and work values. The Career Direct assessment program is grounded on several biblical principles: Each person is uniquely designed by God (see Psalm 139:13-14); Each person has been given unique talents for a purpose (see Romans 12:6-8); Each person must develop those talents for excellence (see Proverbs 22:29); and Work is a stage for a person’s higher calling (see Matthew 5:16).
After strengths and weaknesses have been identified, people can decide how they need to enhance their talents and skills and in what direction they should pursue their career choices, based on their strengths and abilities.
Enhancement of strengths
Recent surveys suggest that only about 10 percent of workers who attended college are actually working in their fields of study. That means that most college students have no idea what they are going to school for and have no ultimate goal. Many, in fact, will study subjects that are not their fields of strength, because those fields are where the current jobs are available.
A college education is not the answer for everyone; God’s direction is. Finding God’s career direction for your life first is much more important than obtaining education and then trying to find a career that can utilize the education you received. God’s career direction will always complement your strengths, talents, and abilities. Once you have a good idea of what God wants you to do with your life, you can secure any additional training and education needed to enhance your strengths and abilities. Many times vocational/technical institutions, specialized correspondence courses, or on-the-job instruction will provide the training needed, rather than college.
The needed training comes from college, a vocational institution, or specialized courses. You must guard against going into debt to obtain the training or accumulating debt while being trained. Too many students have so encumbered themselves while learning that they have become slaves to debt, instead of being available to be used for God’s purpose. Being debt free allows you to be available to be used as God directs. If God is in control of your career path, He will supply the funds necessary for you to get the training you need without going into debt. Trust Him and seek His provision.
Conclusion
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6). When we give our careers and vocations to the Lord and seek His direction, He not only will give peace and satisfaction regarding career choices, but also through that career He will provide for us financially. By relying on Him and trusting His directives we will always choose the right career for the right motives.
http://www1.crown.org/library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=584
The mere fact that someone is motivated by income expectations is not necessarily wrong. After all, earning a living is a necessity of life. What is wrong is making career decisions based primarily on future income considerations. It has been proven that people who choose career fields strictly because of the income potential generally will become dissatisfied with their jobs and will feel miserably trapped in career fields where they have little or no real interest—like most Americans today. In essence, income expectations have often overruled God’s vocational plans, and career decisions are based on projected income—not satisfaction.
Career satisfaction
How do you weigh income against career satisfaction? Does one always have to be chosen over the other, or can we be satisfied with our careers as well as with the income our careers generate? It is easy to fall back on platitudes like “Do what makes you the happiest,” or “Do what comes naturally,” but is that always the most practical advice?
A large part of God’s plan for our lives is that we have fulfillment through how we earn a living. Our work is part of our witness (see Proverbs 22:29). If we are committed to serving God through our careers, He will direct us into the career that not only provides for our needs financially but also gives the most peace, satisfaction, and fulfillment, based on our natural abilities and talents. God has equipped each of us to do one thing better than anyone else. Therefore, we must find what God has equipped each of us to do best and then do it!
Identifying strengths
Satisfied workers are those who match their interests and abilities with their job choices. If you know what you are best equipped to do and prepare accordingly, you can do well in any field, because success is 90 percent perspiration and 10 percent inspiration. However, most people don’t know what they are best equipped to do. They need help to identify their strengths, talents, and abilities and to adopt a longer-term perspective about their futures.
Crown Financial Ministries’ Career Direct assessment is an excellent tool that helps people identify their strengths and weaknesses in four personality dimensions: interests, abilities, temperament, and work values. The Career Direct assessment program is grounded on several biblical principles: Each person is uniquely designed by God (see Psalm 139:13-14); Each person has been given unique talents for a purpose (see Romans 12:6-8); Each person must develop those talents for excellence (see Proverbs 22:29); and Work is a stage for a person’s higher calling (see Matthew 5:16).
After strengths and weaknesses have been identified, people can decide how they need to enhance their talents and skills and in what direction they should pursue their career choices, based on their strengths and abilities.
Enhancement of strengths
Recent surveys suggest that only about 10 percent of workers who attended college are actually working in their fields of study. That means that most college students have no idea what they are going to school for and have no ultimate goal. Many, in fact, will study subjects that are not their fields of strength, because those fields are where the current jobs are available.
A college education is not the answer for everyone; God’s direction is. Finding God’s career direction for your life first is much more important than obtaining education and then trying to find a career that can utilize the education you received. God’s career direction will always complement your strengths, talents, and abilities. Once you have a good idea of what God wants you to do with your life, you can secure any additional training and education needed to enhance your strengths and abilities. Many times vocational/technical institutions, specialized correspondence courses, or on-the-job instruction will provide the training needed, rather than college.
The needed training comes from college, a vocational institution, or specialized courses. You must guard against going into debt to obtain the training or accumulating debt while being trained. Too many students have so encumbered themselves while learning that they have become slaves to debt, instead of being available to be used for God’s purpose. Being debt free allows you to be available to be used as God directs. If God is in control of your career path, He will supply the funds necessary for you to get the training you need without going into debt. Trust Him and seek His provision.
Conclusion
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6). When we give our careers and vocations to the Lord and seek His direction, He not only will give peace and satisfaction regarding career choices, but also through that career He will provide for us financially. By relying on Him and trusting His directives we will always choose the right career for the right motives.
http://www1.crown.org/library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=584
Career Planning: Is it ever too soon to begin?
It apparently is not ever too early to plan for a career, considering the fact that our modern-day public schools are often forcing teens to make key education and career decisions at increasingly earlier ages—sometimes as early as 6th or 7th grade. Are our youth learning a biblical model for education and career decision making? If someone asked you how to solve career issues from a biblical perspective, could you show them how? Unfortunately, many of us would have no idea where to start—no clear process has ever been taught to us at home, at school, or in the church. What are the steps you can follow to discover how God has designed you, what His calling is for your life, and what is the spiritual nature of work?
The World’s Perspective
According to recent studies, half of the men and women who went to work this morning feel they are in the wrong career field—not just that they feel they would like a different job, but they feel they are in the wrong career altogether! Another study indicated that 52 percent of those working in the information technology field said they would rather be doing something in the liberal arts. These statistics merely reflect the fact that people base their career decision making on faulty foundations—the world’s perspective of determining a career. Some of these include choosing a job because: it pays well, it’s the first/easiest you can get, it’s offered to you, you have friends who work for the company, you’ve done that kind of job before, the job sounds good or has a good title, your parents do/did that job, or it will fulfill your parents’ unfulfilled dreams. Do any of these sound familiar? Unfortunately, they are all too familiar and the results are always the same—stress, unfulfillment, and eventual burnout.
The Biblical Perspective
Our mission at Crown Financial Ministries is to share with you the good news that we don’t have to operate under the world’s perspective of work. As Christians, we should understand that God has ordained each of us to fill a special role in His service. We have a calling…Which He has prepared for us in advance…For which He has uniquely designed us…And through this work, we can serve others, honor Him, impact the world around us, and win others to Him.
Conclusion
It’s never too late to teach our children about the biblical principles of work and stewardship of talents. Everyone needs a model to follow. The question is, will it be God’s or the world’s? Our youth need to be brought up with the realization that they are uniquely created by God and need to look prayerfully to Him for what His will is for their lives. It makes no difference whether they become doctors, custodians, lawyers, or preachers. What matters is whether they are following God’s will for their lives.
http://www1.crown.org/library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=339
The World’s Perspective
According to recent studies, half of the men and women who went to work this morning feel they are in the wrong career field—not just that they feel they would like a different job, but they feel they are in the wrong career altogether! Another study indicated that 52 percent of those working in the information technology field said they would rather be doing something in the liberal arts. These statistics merely reflect the fact that people base their career decision making on faulty foundations—the world’s perspective of determining a career. Some of these include choosing a job because: it pays well, it’s the first/easiest you can get, it’s offered to you, you have friends who work for the company, you’ve done that kind of job before, the job sounds good or has a good title, your parents do/did that job, or it will fulfill your parents’ unfulfilled dreams. Do any of these sound familiar? Unfortunately, they are all too familiar and the results are always the same—stress, unfulfillment, and eventual burnout.
The Biblical Perspective
Our mission at Crown Financial Ministries is to share with you the good news that we don’t have to operate under the world’s perspective of work. As Christians, we should understand that God has ordained each of us to fill a special role in His service. We have a calling…Which He has prepared for us in advance…For which He has uniquely designed us…And through this work, we can serve others, honor Him, impact the world around us, and win others to Him.
Conclusion
It’s never too late to teach our children about the biblical principles of work and stewardship of talents. Everyone needs a model to follow. The question is, will it be God’s or the world’s? Our youth need to be brought up with the realization that they are uniquely created by God and need to look prayerfully to Him for what His will is for their lives. It makes no difference whether they become doctors, custodians, lawyers, or preachers. What matters is whether they are following God’s will for their lives.
http://www1.crown.org/library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=339
Borrowing for education
Rising education costs
It has been projected by the U.S. Department of Education that by the year 2008 the cost for a four-year college education at a state school in America will range from approximately $35,000 to $40,000.
For private school, the costs very well could be doubled, tripled, or more.
If these projections are correct, and if parents intend to pay the entire cost for their children to attend a state institution, a family should begin to save as soon as possible.
Almost any family can set aside some amount of money, no matter how small. Whether a prospective student is in preschool or high school, it’s never too early or too late to start saving for college. Setting a savings goal and breaking it down into manageable installments is a good way to get started.
Paying for college expenses
The most economical way to attend college is also one of the most popular: have the children live at home, attend an inexpensive community college one or two years, and work part time to save money until they can transfer to a four-year school.
Although a proven method for funding college education is for the parent to pay half and the child to pay half, there are five other methods for financing college education that are common
with American families:
1. Children work and earn as they go. The majority of students who attend college or university work at least part time.
2. Parents and family help. Many parents pass along a portion of their inheritance by helping their children with education expenses.
3. Grants and scholarships. These are funds that do not have to be repaid.
4. GI Bill. The military offers substantial funding for education in exchange for military service.
5. Student loans. These should be the very last resort. Every other avenue of financing should be thoroughly explored before loans are considered.
It’s good for children to work and to help pay for their education. Proverbs 16:26 says, “A worker's appetite works for him.” If children are helping to earn their way, the education they are seeking often means a great deal more to them.
Working part time is a great way to assist with paying tuition and to have extra spending money. Many offices on a college campus hire students during the school year. In some cases the work requires that the student is awarded Federal Work Study (FWS). FWS is a federal student financial aid program that promotes part-time employment for qualified students.
One of the best places to start searching for a part-time job is at the school’s student employment office. The next place to search would be the classified sections of local and campus newspapers. Finally, asking friends and classmates if they are aware of job openings is often successful.
Grants and scholarships are the best type of college money, because they are usually tax free and do not have to be repaid. Both are offered by colleges, for-profit organizations, nonprofit organizations, private and personal resources, and government agencies. Federal and state grants usually are restricted to students who can prove that they have a great financial need.
Successfully locating, applying for, and receiving a scholarship requires time, energy, persistence, and patience. Beginning a search early will enable a student to learn about a variety of different scholarships well in advance of any application deadlines.
When beginning a scholarship and grant search, the student should begin at the local level. Check with school counselors’ offices, community organizations (Lions Club, Rotary Club), religious organizations, parents’ employers, labor organizations, or civic group organizations (scouting, YMCA). Next, investigate campus-based scholarships and grants before moving on into state and national offerings.
A thorough search of scholarship and grant opportunities includes research at a public or campus library, local and campus bookstores, and free Internet scholarship search sites.
Although fee-based scholarship search organizations should be avoided if at all possible, if all other efforts have been completely unsuccessful, the student might want to investigate one of the fee-based organizations.
A loan should be considered as an option only after all other financing possibilities have been exhausted and parents and children agree that a loan is necessary in order for them to attend college. They also should be certain that attending college will maximize their investment in the future and their growth intellectually, personally, and spiritually.
Even at that, they need to (1) borrow only what is absolutely needed for education expenses; (2) borrow for a short period of time; (3) pay back what was borrowed as quickly as possible; and (4) sacrifice as needed to get out of debt.
Conclusion
If it is truly God’s will for children to attend school, He will supply the funds—many times without having to borrow. It was Charles Finney, the great 19th century American revivalist who said, “God supplies where He guides. Where He does not supply, He does not guide.” This truth that was so real to Finney has not changed. It still holds true today.
The principle of borrowing does not depend on how or where the money is used. If money is borrowed, it must be repaid—usually with interest. Borrowing to attend school is certainly not a sin, but by borrowing, God’s plan for provision can very well be circumvented.
Many Christians finished school only to find that they are shackled with enormous debt that they incurred while getting their education. Sometimes it takes many years for them to get out of debt before they are able to go where God wants them to go and do what God wants them to do.
If attending a seminary or college is a need in your children’s lives, then God is able to provide the funds needed without having to borrow. “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”
http://www1.crown.org/library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=315
It has been projected by the U.S. Department of Education that by the year 2008 the cost for a four-year college education at a state school in America will range from approximately $35,000 to $40,000.
For private school, the costs very well could be doubled, tripled, or more.
If these projections are correct, and if parents intend to pay the entire cost for their children to attend a state institution, a family should begin to save as soon as possible.
Almost any family can set aside some amount of money, no matter how small. Whether a prospective student is in preschool or high school, it’s never too early or too late to start saving for college. Setting a savings goal and breaking it down into manageable installments is a good way to get started.
Paying for college expenses
The most economical way to attend college is also one of the most popular: have the children live at home, attend an inexpensive community college one or two years, and work part time to save money until they can transfer to a four-year school.
Although a proven method for funding college education is for the parent to pay half and the child to pay half, there are five other methods for financing college education that are common
with American families:
1. Children work and earn as they go. The majority of students who attend college or university work at least part time.
2. Parents and family help. Many parents pass along a portion of their inheritance by helping their children with education expenses.
3. Grants and scholarships. These are funds that do not have to be repaid.
4. GI Bill. The military offers substantial funding for education in exchange for military service.
5. Student loans. These should be the very last resort. Every other avenue of financing should be thoroughly explored before loans are considered.
It’s good for children to work and to help pay for their education. Proverbs 16:26 says, “A worker's appetite works for him.” If children are helping to earn their way, the education they are seeking often means a great deal more to them.
Working part time is a great way to assist with paying tuition and to have extra spending money. Many offices on a college campus hire students during the school year. In some cases the work requires that the student is awarded Federal Work Study (FWS). FWS is a federal student financial aid program that promotes part-time employment for qualified students.
One of the best places to start searching for a part-time job is at the school’s student employment office. The next place to search would be the classified sections of local and campus newspapers. Finally, asking friends and classmates if they are aware of job openings is often successful.
Grants and scholarships are the best type of college money, because they are usually tax free and do not have to be repaid. Both are offered by colleges, for-profit organizations, nonprofit organizations, private and personal resources, and government agencies. Federal and state grants usually are restricted to students who can prove that they have a great financial need.
Successfully locating, applying for, and receiving a scholarship requires time, energy, persistence, and patience. Beginning a search early will enable a student to learn about a variety of different scholarships well in advance of any application deadlines.
When beginning a scholarship and grant search, the student should begin at the local level. Check with school counselors’ offices, community organizations (Lions Club, Rotary Club), religious organizations, parents’ employers, labor organizations, or civic group organizations (scouting, YMCA). Next, investigate campus-based scholarships and grants before moving on into state and national offerings.
A thorough search of scholarship and grant opportunities includes research at a public or campus library, local and campus bookstores, and free Internet scholarship search sites.
Although fee-based scholarship search organizations should be avoided if at all possible, if all other efforts have been completely unsuccessful, the student might want to investigate one of the fee-based organizations.
A loan should be considered as an option only after all other financing possibilities have been exhausted and parents and children agree that a loan is necessary in order for them to attend college. They also should be certain that attending college will maximize their investment in the future and their growth intellectually, personally, and spiritually.
Even at that, they need to (1) borrow only what is absolutely needed for education expenses; (2) borrow for a short period of time; (3) pay back what was borrowed as quickly as possible; and (4) sacrifice as needed to get out of debt.
Conclusion
If it is truly God’s will for children to attend school, He will supply the funds—many times without having to borrow. It was Charles Finney, the great 19th century American revivalist who said, “God supplies where He guides. Where He does not supply, He does not guide.” This truth that was so real to Finney has not changed. It still holds true today.
The principle of borrowing does not depend on how or where the money is used. If money is borrowed, it must be repaid—usually with interest. Borrowing to attend school is certainly not a sin, but by borrowing, God’s plan for provision can very well be circumvented.
Many Christians finished school only to find that they are shackled with enormous debt that they incurred while getting their education. Sometimes it takes many years for them to get out of debt before they are able to go where God wants them to go and do what God wants them to do.
If attending a seminary or college is a need in your children’s lives, then God is able to provide the funds needed without having to borrow. “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”
http://www1.crown.org/library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=315
Friday, May 18, 2007
Scholarship Essay One
CRABIEL SCHOLARSHIP WINNER - won $3,000 scholarship
Like Mr. Crabiel, I literally work tirelessly in many academic and leadership roles. I sleep no more than six hours a night because of my desire to expertly meet my many commitments. Throughout my life, I have worked as long and as hard as I possibly can to effect beneficial changes in both school and society.
During the summer of tenth grade, I took a number theory course at Johns Hopkins University with students from Alaska, California, and Bogota, Colombia. Similarly, during the summer following eleventh grade, I was one of ninety students from New Jersey selected to attend the Governor's School in the Sciences at Drew University. At Drew, I took courses in molecular orbital theory, special relativity, cognitive psychology, and I participated in an astrophysics research project. For my independent research project, I used a telescope to find the angular velocity of Pluto. With the angular velocity determined, I used Einstein's field equations and Kepler's laws to place an upper bound on the magnitude of the cosmological constant, which describes the curvature of space and the rate of the universe's expansion.
In addition to learning science, I recently lectured physics classes on special relativity at the request of my physics teacher. After lecturing one class for 45 minutes, one student bought many books on both general and special relativity to read during his study hall. Inspiring other students to search for knowledge kindles my own quest to understand the world and the people around me.
As president of the National Honor Society, I tutor students with difficulties in various subject areas. In addition, I am ranked number one in my class with an SAT score of 1580 and SATII scores of 750 in math, 760 in writing, and 800 in physics. In school, I take the hardest possible courses including every AP course offered at the high school. I am the leading member of the Math Team, the Academic Team, and the Model Congress Team. In the area of leadership, I have recently received the Rotary Youth Leadership Award from a local rotary club, have been asked to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and the Constitution in Washington D.C., and wrote the winning essay on patriotism for South Plainfield's VFW chapter. Currently enrolled in Spanish 6,I am a member of both the Spanish Club and the Spanish Honor Society. In addition, I recently was named a National Merit Scholar.
Besides involvement in academic and leadership positions, I am active in athletics. For instance, I lift weights regularly. In addition, I am the captain of my school's varsity tennis team. So far this year, my individual record on the team is 3-0.
Working vigorously upon being elected Student Council President, I have begun a biweekly publication of student council activities and opinions. Also, the executive board under my direction has opened the school store for the first time in nearly a decade. With paint and wood, we turned a janitor's closet into a fantastic store. I also direct many fund raisers and charity drives. For instance, I recently organized a charity drive that netted about $1,500 for the family of Alicia Lehman, a local girl who received a heart transplant.
As Student Liaison to the South Plainfield Board of Education, I am working to introduce more advanced-placement courses, more reading of philosophy, and more math and science electives into the curriculum. At curriculum committee meetings, I have been effective in making Board members aware of the need for these courses. In addition, my speeches at public Board meetings often draw widespread support, which further helps to advance my plans for enhancing the curriculum.
I have also been effective as a Sunday school teacher. By helping elementary school students formulate principles and morals, I make a difference in their lives every week. The value system that I hope to instill in them will last them their entire lives. I find teaching first-graders about Christ extremely rewarding.
Clearly, I have devoted my life both to working to better myself and to improving civilization as a whole. Throughout the rest of my life, I hope to continue in this same manner of unselfish work. Just as freeholder Crabiel dedicates his life to public service, I commit my life to helping others and to advancing society's level of understanding.
Scholarship Essay Two
WINNING NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR ESSAY
Nothing in all the world is comparable to reading Ayn Rand beneath New York's skyline or to studying Nietzsche atop a mountain summit.
Since childhood, the studies of philosophy and science have interested me profoundly. Having read many books on relativity, quantum mechanics, existentialism, religion, capitalism, democracy and post-Aristotelian philosophy, my quest for knowledge has only intensified. Certainly, the purpose of my life is to discover a greater understanding of the universe and its people. Specifically, I plan to better grasp the interrelationship among forces, matter, space, and time. In addition, I hope to find a unified field theory and a convincing explanation for the birth of the universe.
During the summer of tenth grade, I took a number theory course at Johns Hopkins University with students from Alaska, California, and Bogota, Colombia. My attendance of the New Jersey Governor's School in the Sciences is another accomplishment that exemplifies my dedication to knowledge. During the summer following eleventh grade, I took courses in molecular orbital theory, special relativity, cognitive psychology, and I participated in an astrophysics research project. For my independent research project, I used a telescope to find the angular velocity of Pluto. With the angular velocity determined, I used Einstein's field equations and Kepler's laws to place an upper bound on the magnitude of the cosmological constant, which describes the curvature of space and the rate of the universe's expansion.
In addition to learning science, I recently lectured physics classes on special relativity at the request of my physics teacher. After lecturing one class for 45 minutes, one student bought many books on both general and special relativity to read during his study hall. Inspiring other students to search for knowledge kindles my own quest to understand the world and the people around me.
Also, as president of the National Honor Society, I tutor students with difficulties in various subject areas. Moreover, I am ranked number one in my class, and I am the leading member of the Math Team, the Academic Team, and the Model Congress Team. In the area of leadership, I have recently received the Rotary Youth Leadership Award from a local rotary club and have been asked to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and the Constitution in Washington D.C. Currently enrolled in Spanish 6,I am a member of both the Spanish Club and the Spanish Honor Society.
As student council president, I have begun a biweekly publication of student council activities and opinions. Also, the executive board under my direction has opened the school store for the first time in nearly a decade and is finding speakers to speak at a series of colloquia on topics ranging from physics to politics. Directing fund raisers and charity drives also consumes much of my time. For instance, I recently organized a charity drive that netted about $1,500 for the family of a local girl in need of a heart transplant.
Consistent with my love of freedom and my belief in democracy, which is best summarized by Hayek's Road to Serfdom, I have recently initiated an application to become the liaison to the local board of education. Also, in keeping with my belief that individuals develop strong principles and ideology, I teach Sunday school three months a year and have chaperoned for a local Christian school.
Outside pure academics and leadership roles, I lift weights five times a week for an hour each day. In addition, I play singles for my school's varsity tennis team. Because I find extraordinary satisfaction in nature and have dedicated my life to its understanding, I enjoy mountain climbing. Among the notable peaks I have reached are Mt. Washington, Mt Jefferson, Mt. Madison, Mt. Marcy and Mt. Katahdin. Unquestionably, my life's aim is to dramatically raise the height of the mountain of knowledge so that my successors may have a more accurate view of the universe around them.
Scholarship Essay Three
Fulbright Application Essay
On one hot late-summer day when I was in high school, my parents came back from a shopping trip with a surprise present for me: the legendary board game, Diplomacy. At first I scoffed at such an old-fashioned game. Who would want to waste glorious sunny days moving armies around a map of pre-World War I Europe, pretending to be Bismarck or Disraeli? But after playing the game once, I became absolutely riveted by the nuances of statecraft, and soon began losing sleep as I tried to craft clever diplomatic gambits, hatch devious schemes, and better understand the game's ever-changing dynamics. As my friends and I spent the second half of the summer absorbed by the game, my parents grinned knowingly. How could I resist being fascinated with Diplomacy, they asked me, when I incessantly read about international affairs, and liked nothing more than debating politics over dinner? How could I resist being fascinated, when I had spent most of my summers in Greece (and, much more briefly, France and England), witnessing first-hand the ways in which countries differ socially, culturally, and politically?
Though my passion for foreign policy and international affairs undoubtedly dates back to high school, I never had the chance to fully develop this interest before college. Once I arrived at Harvard, however, I discovered that I could learn about international relations through both my academics and my extracurricular activities. Academically, I decided to concentrate in Government, and, within Government, to take classes that elucidated the forces underlying the relations of states on the world stage. Some of the most memorable of these classes included Human Rights, in which we discussed what role humanitarian concerns ought to play in international relations; Politics of Western Europe, in which I learned about the social, economic, and political development of five major European countries; and Causes and Prevention of War, which focused on unearthing the roots of conflict and finding out how bloodshed could have been avoided. Currently, for my senior thesis, I am investigating the strange pattern of American human rights-based intervention in the post-Cold War era, and trying to determine which explanatory variables are best able to account for it.
Interestingly, I think that I have learned at least as much about international relations through my extracurriculars in college as I have through my classes. For the past three years, for instance, I have helped run Harvard’ s three Model United Nations conferences. As a committee director at these conferences, I researched topics of global importance (e.g. the violent disintegration of states, weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East), wrote detailed study guides discussing these subjects, and then moderated hundreds of students as they debated the topics and strove to resolve them. Even more enriching for me than directing these committees was taking part in them myself. As a delegate at other schools’ conferences, I would be assigned to represent a particular country on a particular UN committee (e.g. France on the Security Council). I would then need to research my country’ s position on the topics to be discussed, articulate my view in front of others in my committee, and convince my fellow delegates to support my position. Trying to peg down a country’ s elusive ‘ national interest, ’ clashing over thorny practical and philosophical issues, making and breaking alliances — - Model UN was basically a simulation of how diplomacy really works.
Thankfully, I have also found time over the past few years to cultivate interests and skills unrelated to Model UN and foreign policy. One of the most important of these has been community service. As a volunteer for Evening With Champions, an annual ice-skating exhibition held to raise money for children with cancer, and as a teacher of a weekly high school class on current events and international affairs, I have, whenever possible, used my time and talents to benefit my community. Another more recent interest of mine is the fascinating realm of business. Two years ago, my father’ s Christmas present to me was a challenge rather than a gift: he gave me $500,but told me that I could keep it only if I invested it in the stock market — - and earned a higher rate of return than he did with another $500. Since then, I have avidly followed the stock market, and become very interested in how businesses interact and respond to strategic threats (perhaps because of the similarities between business competition and the equally cutthroat world of diplomatic realpolitik). A final passion of mine is writing. As the writer of a biweekly column in the Independent, one of Harvard’ s student newspapers, I find very little as satisfying as filling a blank page with words -— creating from nothing an elegant opinion piece that illuminates some quirk of college life, or induces my readers to consider an issue or position that they had ignored until then.
Because of my wide range of interests, I have not yet decided what career path to follow into the future. In the short run, I hope to study abroad for a year, in the process immersing myself in another culture, and deepening my personal and academic understanding of international affairs. After studying abroad, my options would include working for a nonprofit organization, entering the corporate world, and attending law school. In the long run, I envision for myself a career straddling the highest levels of international relations, politics, and business. I could achieve this admittedly ambitious goal by advancing within a nonprofit group, think tank, or major international company. Perhaps most appealingly, I could also achieve this goal by entering public service and obtaining some degree of influence over actual foreign policy decisions -— that is, becoming a player myself in the real-life game of Diplomacy.
http://www.jobseekersadvice.com/career_education/articles/scholarship_essay_examples.htm
Like Mr. Crabiel, I literally work tirelessly in many academic and leadership roles. I sleep no more than six hours a night because of my desire to expertly meet my many commitments. Throughout my life, I have worked as long and as hard as I possibly can to effect beneficial changes in both school and society.
During the summer of tenth grade, I took a number theory course at Johns Hopkins University with students from Alaska, California, and Bogota, Colombia. Similarly, during the summer following eleventh grade, I was one of ninety students from New Jersey selected to attend the Governor's School in the Sciences at Drew University. At Drew, I took courses in molecular orbital theory, special relativity, cognitive psychology, and I participated in an astrophysics research project. For my independent research project, I used a telescope to find the angular velocity of Pluto. With the angular velocity determined, I used Einstein's field equations and Kepler's laws to place an upper bound on the magnitude of the cosmological constant, which describes the curvature of space and the rate of the universe's expansion.
In addition to learning science, I recently lectured physics classes on special relativity at the request of my physics teacher. After lecturing one class for 45 minutes, one student bought many books on both general and special relativity to read during his study hall. Inspiring other students to search for knowledge kindles my own quest to understand the world and the people around me.
As president of the National Honor Society, I tutor students with difficulties in various subject areas. In addition, I am ranked number one in my class with an SAT score of 1580 and SATII scores of 750 in math, 760 in writing, and 800 in physics. In school, I take the hardest possible courses including every AP course offered at the high school. I am the leading member of the Math Team, the Academic Team, and the Model Congress Team. In the area of leadership, I have recently received the Rotary Youth Leadership Award from a local rotary club, have been asked to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and the Constitution in Washington D.C., and wrote the winning essay on patriotism for South Plainfield's VFW chapter. Currently enrolled in Spanish 6,I am a member of both the Spanish Club and the Spanish Honor Society. In addition, I recently was named a National Merit Scholar.
Besides involvement in academic and leadership positions, I am active in athletics. For instance, I lift weights regularly. In addition, I am the captain of my school's varsity tennis team. So far this year, my individual record on the team is 3-0.
Working vigorously upon being elected Student Council President, I have begun a biweekly publication of student council activities and opinions. Also, the executive board under my direction has opened the school store for the first time in nearly a decade. With paint and wood, we turned a janitor's closet into a fantastic store. I also direct many fund raisers and charity drives. For instance, I recently organized a charity drive that netted about $1,500 for the family of Alicia Lehman, a local girl who received a heart transplant.
As Student Liaison to the South Plainfield Board of Education, I am working to introduce more advanced-placement courses, more reading of philosophy, and more math and science electives into the curriculum. At curriculum committee meetings, I have been effective in making Board members aware of the need for these courses. In addition, my speeches at public Board meetings often draw widespread support, which further helps to advance my plans for enhancing the curriculum.
I have also been effective as a Sunday school teacher. By helping elementary school students formulate principles and morals, I make a difference in their lives every week. The value system that I hope to instill in them will last them their entire lives. I find teaching first-graders about Christ extremely rewarding.
Clearly, I have devoted my life both to working to better myself and to improving civilization as a whole. Throughout the rest of my life, I hope to continue in this same manner of unselfish work. Just as freeholder Crabiel dedicates his life to public service, I commit my life to helping others and to advancing society's level of understanding.
Scholarship Essay Two
WINNING NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR ESSAY
Nothing in all the world is comparable to reading Ayn Rand beneath New York's skyline or to studying Nietzsche atop a mountain summit.
Since childhood, the studies of philosophy and science have interested me profoundly. Having read many books on relativity, quantum mechanics, existentialism, religion, capitalism, democracy and post-Aristotelian philosophy, my quest for knowledge has only intensified. Certainly, the purpose of my life is to discover a greater understanding of the universe and its people. Specifically, I plan to better grasp the interrelationship among forces, matter, space, and time. In addition, I hope to find a unified field theory and a convincing explanation for the birth of the universe.
During the summer of tenth grade, I took a number theory course at Johns Hopkins University with students from Alaska, California, and Bogota, Colombia. My attendance of the New Jersey Governor's School in the Sciences is another accomplishment that exemplifies my dedication to knowledge. During the summer following eleventh grade, I took courses in molecular orbital theory, special relativity, cognitive psychology, and I participated in an astrophysics research project. For my independent research project, I used a telescope to find the angular velocity of Pluto. With the angular velocity determined, I used Einstein's field equations and Kepler's laws to place an upper bound on the magnitude of the cosmological constant, which describes the curvature of space and the rate of the universe's expansion.
In addition to learning science, I recently lectured physics classes on special relativity at the request of my physics teacher. After lecturing one class for 45 minutes, one student bought many books on both general and special relativity to read during his study hall. Inspiring other students to search for knowledge kindles my own quest to understand the world and the people around me.
Also, as president of the National Honor Society, I tutor students with difficulties in various subject areas. Moreover, I am ranked number one in my class, and I am the leading member of the Math Team, the Academic Team, and the Model Congress Team. In the area of leadership, I have recently received the Rotary Youth Leadership Award from a local rotary club and have been asked to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and the Constitution in Washington D.C. Currently enrolled in Spanish 6,I am a member of both the Spanish Club and the Spanish Honor Society.
As student council president, I have begun a biweekly publication of student council activities and opinions. Also, the executive board under my direction has opened the school store for the first time in nearly a decade and is finding speakers to speak at a series of colloquia on topics ranging from physics to politics. Directing fund raisers and charity drives also consumes much of my time. For instance, I recently organized a charity drive that netted about $1,500 for the family of a local girl in need of a heart transplant.
Consistent with my love of freedom and my belief in democracy, which is best summarized by Hayek's Road to Serfdom, I have recently initiated an application to become the liaison to the local board of education. Also, in keeping with my belief that individuals develop strong principles and ideology, I teach Sunday school three months a year and have chaperoned for a local Christian school.
Outside pure academics and leadership roles, I lift weights five times a week for an hour each day. In addition, I play singles for my school's varsity tennis team. Because I find extraordinary satisfaction in nature and have dedicated my life to its understanding, I enjoy mountain climbing. Among the notable peaks I have reached are Mt. Washington, Mt Jefferson, Mt. Madison, Mt. Marcy and Mt. Katahdin. Unquestionably, my life's aim is to dramatically raise the height of the mountain of knowledge so that my successors may have a more accurate view of the universe around them.
Scholarship Essay Three
Fulbright Application Essay
On one hot late-summer day when I was in high school, my parents came back from a shopping trip with a surprise present for me: the legendary board game, Diplomacy. At first I scoffed at such an old-fashioned game. Who would want to waste glorious sunny days moving armies around a map of pre-World War I Europe, pretending to be Bismarck or Disraeli? But after playing the game once, I became absolutely riveted by the nuances of statecraft, and soon began losing sleep as I tried to craft clever diplomatic gambits, hatch devious schemes, and better understand the game's ever-changing dynamics. As my friends and I spent the second half of the summer absorbed by the game, my parents grinned knowingly. How could I resist being fascinated with Diplomacy, they asked me, when I incessantly read about international affairs, and liked nothing more than debating politics over dinner? How could I resist being fascinated, when I had spent most of my summers in Greece (and, much more briefly, France and England), witnessing first-hand the ways in which countries differ socially, culturally, and politically?
Though my passion for foreign policy and international affairs undoubtedly dates back to high school, I never had the chance to fully develop this interest before college. Once I arrived at Harvard, however, I discovered that I could learn about international relations through both my academics and my extracurricular activities. Academically, I decided to concentrate in Government, and, within Government, to take classes that elucidated the forces underlying the relations of states on the world stage. Some of the most memorable of these classes included Human Rights, in which we discussed what role humanitarian concerns ought to play in international relations; Politics of Western Europe, in which I learned about the social, economic, and political development of five major European countries; and Causes and Prevention of War, which focused on unearthing the roots of conflict and finding out how bloodshed could have been avoided. Currently, for my senior thesis, I am investigating the strange pattern of American human rights-based intervention in the post-Cold War era, and trying to determine which explanatory variables are best able to account for it.
Interestingly, I think that I have learned at least as much about international relations through my extracurriculars in college as I have through my classes. For the past three years, for instance, I have helped run Harvard’ s three Model United Nations conferences. As a committee director at these conferences, I researched topics of global importance (e.g. the violent disintegration of states, weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East), wrote detailed study guides discussing these subjects, and then moderated hundreds of students as they debated the topics and strove to resolve them. Even more enriching for me than directing these committees was taking part in them myself. As a delegate at other schools’ conferences, I would be assigned to represent a particular country on a particular UN committee (e.g. France on the Security Council). I would then need to research my country’ s position on the topics to be discussed, articulate my view in front of others in my committee, and convince my fellow delegates to support my position. Trying to peg down a country’ s elusive ‘ national interest, ’ clashing over thorny practical and philosophical issues, making and breaking alliances — - Model UN was basically a simulation of how diplomacy really works.
Thankfully, I have also found time over the past few years to cultivate interests and skills unrelated to Model UN and foreign policy. One of the most important of these has been community service. As a volunteer for Evening With Champions, an annual ice-skating exhibition held to raise money for children with cancer, and as a teacher of a weekly high school class on current events and international affairs, I have, whenever possible, used my time and talents to benefit my community. Another more recent interest of mine is the fascinating realm of business. Two years ago, my father’ s Christmas present to me was a challenge rather than a gift: he gave me $500,but told me that I could keep it only if I invested it in the stock market — - and earned a higher rate of return than he did with another $500. Since then, I have avidly followed the stock market, and become very interested in how businesses interact and respond to strategic threats (perhaps because of the similarities between business competition and the equally cutthroat world of diplomatic realpolitik). A final passion of mine is writing. As the writer of a biweekly column in the Independent, one of Harvard’ s student newspapers, I find very little as satisfying as filling a blank page with words -— creating from nothing an elegant opinion piece that illuminates some quirk of college life, or induces my readers to consider an issue or position that they had ignored until then.
Because of my wide range of interests, I have not yet decided what career path to follow into the future. In the short run, I hope to study abroad for a year, in the process immersing myself in another culture, and deepening my personal and academic understanding of international affairs. After studying abroad, my options would include working for a nonprofit organization, entering the corporate world, and attending law school. In the long run, I envision for myself a career straddling the highest levels of international relations, politics, and business. I could achieve this admittedly ambitious goal by advancing within a nonprofit group, think tank, or major international company. Perhaps most appealingly, I could also achieve this goal by entering public service and obtaining some degree of influence over actual foreign policy decisions -— that is, becoming a player myself in the real-life game of Diplomacy.
http://www.jobseekersadvice.com/career_education/articles/scholarship_essay_examples.htm
Education Online Search
Education Online Search is a free college and career education portal, to help you learn about careers and the schools offering education and degrees for the fields you choose.
You'll find a collection of more than 400 career articles and education articles to guide you through many aspects of your search, including career descriptions, financial aid tips, advice for adult learners, info on standardized college tests, and more.
You'll also find a directory of colleges which let you fill out a simple online form to request detailed school and financial aid information.
Careers
careersMaking your career choice can be one of the toughest decision you have to make. It’s hard to know what field will bring you satisfaction over a long career. This selection of articles describing dozens of careers is intended to provide you with a helpful start in thinking about which career might best for you. You'll find information on salaries, skills you'll need, required education and training for each career, overviews of day-to-day activities and responsibilities, and employment prospects.
Financial Aid
financial aidMany students require financial aid to afford to go to college. Obtaining financial aid is not easy. Navigating through the myriad of choices, following the right steps and processes, and finally getting the money in hand can be a challenging exercise. These articles have been selected to help you better understand how to manage the challenging financial aid process. Please refer to the article on Federal Financial Aid for an overview on obtaining financial aid for students just starting college.
Testing
testingUnderstanding the alphabet soup of college and career tests can be confusing – MCAT, MAT, TOEFL, GRE, LSAT, … which ones should you take? How should you prepare? Here you will find articles that explain each of the major tests, who should take them, how to register for them, what you need to do to prepare, and more.
Special Topics
special topics in educationGoing to college right after high school, or going later as an adult – either one can be challenging. Integrating studies from overseas, or having to deal with a difficult instructor only make it tougher. The articles provided shed some light on how to deal with these challenges.
Home Schooling
home schoolingLong before going to college, more and more people are selecting or creating their own elementary or secondary school curriculum. Education-Online-Search.com offers several articles describing home schooling and the most important issues to consider in undertaking it yourself.
Directory of Colleges by Program
colleges by programA directory of schools and colleges in 100+ programs of study. The schools offer easy online forms letting prospective students request information with no obligation. Explore multiple programs, and request info from as many schools as you'd like.
http://www.education-online-search.com/
You'll find a collection of more than 400 career articles and education articles to guide you through many aspects of your search, including career descriptions, financial aid tips, advice for adult learners, info on standardized college tests, and more.
You'll also find a directory of colleges which let you fill out a simple online form to request detailed school and financial aid information.
Careers
careersMaking your career choice can be one of the toughest decision you have to make. It’s hard to know what field will bring you satisfaction over a long career. This selection of articles describing dozens of careers is intended to provide you with a helpful start in thinking about which career might best for you. You'll find information on salaries, skills you'll need, required education and training for each career, overviews of day-to-day activities and responsibilities, and employment prospects.
Financial Aid
financial aidMany students require financial aid to afford to go to college. Obtaining financial aid is not easy. Navigating through the myriad of choices, following the right steps and processes, and finally getting the money in hand can be a challenging exercise. These articles have been selected to help you better understand how to manage the challenging financial aid process. Please refer to the article on Federal Financial Aid for an overview on obtaining financial aid for students just starting college.
Testing
testingUnderstanding the alphabet soup of college and career tests can be confusing – MCAT, MAT, TOEFL, GRE, LSAT, … which ones should you take? How should you prepare? Here you will find articles that explain each of the major tests, who should take them, how to register for them, what you need to do to prepare, and more.
Special Topics
special topics in educationGoing to college right after high school, or going later as an adult – either one can be challenging. Integrating studies from overseas, or having to deal with a difficult instructor only make it tougher. The articles provided shed some light on how to deal with these challenges.
Home Schooling
home schoolingLong before going to college, more and more people are selecting or creating their own elementary or secondary school curriculum. Education-Online-Search.com offers several articles describing home schooling and the most important issues to consider in undertaking it yourself.
Directory of Colleges by Program
colleges by programA directory of schools and colleges in 100+ programs of study. The schools offer easy online forms letting prospective students request information with no obligation. Explore multiple programs, and request info from as many schools as you'd like.
http://www.education-online-search.com/
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