For adults who have made the decision to return to college after many years in the workforce, the possibility of earning college credit for work and life experiences may sound very appealing. In some instances, it is an excellent way to save money on tuition and shorten the time it takes to complete your degree.

In the higher education industry, we call this Prior Learning Assessments or PLA. There are five basic methods that one may use to earn credit for prior learning. Here, we take a brief look at each one and give some pointers on which one (if any) may be right for you. Be sure to check out the webinar at the end of this entry for an explanation by two of our PLA experts and faculty members: Dr. Sarah Kuck and Wendy Kennedy, both from Darton State College.

Assessment Methods:

1. CLEP - College Level Examination ProgramCLEP offers 33 exams in various academic fields. Students sit for this exam and can earn college credit in that field with an acceptable score. Some things to consider if thinking of taking a CLEP exam: schools do not always accept all CLEP exams. You should first check your institution's academic catalog to review which exams are accepted and the score required for credit.There are also several CLEP prep courses that you can take to “brush up” on your skills before taking a CLEP exam. For example, eCore offers a free Macroeconomics CLEP prep course that prepares you for the exam in that subject area. Visit the College Board website for more information on CLEP prep exams.

2. AP Credit - Advanced PlacementAP Credit is typically earned by high school students. Many high schools offer AP level courses with an AP exam at the end. Upon earning a successful score on the AP exam, students can receive college credit for that course. Again, parameters for earning AP credit vary by institution, so be sure to check with the college in which you intend to enroll on their AP guidelines. More information on AP credit in Georgia can be found here.

3.    Military Credit

Evaluation of military training and experience for college credit is based on SMART transcripts. SMART transcripts are provided by the military and are a recommendation from that branch of the armed services on how colleges and universities can award credit for various training and experience you may have earned during service. SMART transcripts typically go through a very strenuous evaluation process that is based on ACE. Most limitations to earning credit from military experience come from the Course Equivalency Model, which means that the institution is only able to award credit for courses offered at that school. For more information on this - check out the webinar below.

4.    Challenge Exams

These are institutionally based, and are commonly referred to as “Credit by Exam.” Any student who feels he or she is proficient in an academic subject can apply for credit by examination. Keep in mind that fees for challenge exam credit vary by institution, as do the guidelines for qualifying to take these exams. For example - some schools may stipulate that a student cannot sit for a challenge exam for a course that they have already taken, or for which they have already earned a grade.

5.     Portfolio

The last option for PLA, portfolio submission, is the most labor intensive and the one that is most commonly inquired about by potential and current students. It’s just what it sounds like - interested students compile a portfolio in order to petition for course credit. A proper portfolio should connect student learning to course learning outcomes, and needs to include both theory and artifacts that support the student’s assertions. The portfolio is then assessed by content experts from the chosen academic area, and a decision to award or not award credit is made. Compiling an adequate portfolio for credit is a large undertaking, and our experts advise that this should not be your first choice. Instead, consider the possibility of taking a CLEP or challenge exam if you truly feel like you are competent in a given area.

Are you a good candidate for Prior Learning Assessments? Do a self-evaluation to decide if this is the right route for you. Here is a good checklist to start with:

• Determine institutional parameters at your current (or future) institution. What exams do they accept? What scores are required?
• Evaluate your existing skills and knowledge. What knowledge do you already have that you may have learned in your current or past positions?
• Determine fit. What courses does the institution offer that may align with your existing knowledge.
• Lastly - discuss the process with the PLA coordinator or Registrar’s office at your institution.

Check out the webinar below for further information about the methods for PLA covered in this blog.

Adult Learners Webinars

10:29 AM

What you don’t do in the military: write resumes, interview for a job (normally), and you never negotiate salary and compensation. What you will do during your transition is write resumes, interview for a job and negotiate salary and compensation.

Can you imagine negotiating compensation for your next tour of duty? “Ma’am I am really interested in your offer but can you arrange for me to telecommute on Fridays and get me a free membership at the country club?” And that is not the only hurdle you may have to overcome…some employers have a few ill-perceived notions about you and the military:

You are rigid.

You don’t understand profit and loss.

You have had unlimited resources.

Leading is easy because you just give orders.

These misled perceptions can create barriers, but a well prepared and focused resume will dispel all of these notions and set you up for success.

In the latest installment of the eMajor College to Career Webinar Series Randy Blackmon, retired U.S. Navy Captain and eCore/eMajor Senior Enrollment Manager, discusses this and other tips to help military members transition to the civilian workforce.

career military Webinars

11:38 AM

Dress appropriately for the interview. 

Much information is available regarding interviewing and how to be a top notch interview candidate, but one must avail toneself of the most relevant information. Knowing the phases of the interview process and some key strategies will help you better prepare and will ultimately put you on the "short" list with potential employers. Seems simple, but you have to be diligent with all 3 phases of interviewing (before, during and after).





Before:
Preparation is twofold. Thoroughly research the organization, specific department, and the job role. This requires significant time and energy. At the same time, you will be doing some self-reflection to determine if this is a proper fit for you. Prepping the resume for EACH  job that you apply to will help you define and determine your skill sets to see where you may be lacking for the industry or job, and can also help you appropriately articulate your strengths. You know your resume is done well if you get called for an interview. You should spend ample time reviewing interview questions so that you are comfortable with how to "sell yourself."

During:
Ask yourself if you "look the part," during the interview. Are you equipped with Skype, conference calling, or other possible mode of connection with the interviewer if that is part of the process?  Have you paid special attention to proper grooming, hygiene, dress and manners for the face to face interview? Are you leaving a positive impression on everyone you have encountered in the process, including the administrative assistant who checked you in?

After:
After-the-interview practices can carry you over the top as a candidate and can, in some cases, salvage a poor or botched interview experience.  The same day that you have a phone or face to face interview - sit down and pen a hand-written thank you. Purchasing a box of 10 generic thank you cards at the Dollar Store to have on hand for all professional encounters will demonstrate proper etiquette and gratitude for time each person spent with you. The thank you should be sincere and mention specific talking points discussed during your call or face to face meeting. With a quick website search - you can locate the correct spelling of the persons' names with whom you spoke, their titles, and a mailing address.  An email can also be sent and is absolutely better than no acknowledgement at all.

For more detail on these and other interviewing tips click here to view the 15 minute archived webinar. The internet is full of great material that covers all aspects of the phases of the interview process. Plus, be sure to check in with your home institution's Career Services Department for direct assistance with resume assistance, interviewing practice, employer networking opportunities and career fair information.

Success can be yours! "Success is where preparation and opportunity meet." Bobby Unser

career Webinars

9:15 AM

If you are currently, or soon-to-be in the market for a new job, then you have probably heard the saying – it’s all about networking. Employers today receive stacks and stacks of resumes for open positions, making it harder and harder to stand out as an applicant.  Sure, you may have impressive work experience and a killer cover letter, but odds are that there is at least one applicant in that stack who already has name recognition within the company – and that person is much more likely to get an interview. When searching for a job – it’s all about who you know. If you don’t know the right people, and the right people don’t know you – then you need to change that. The way to do that is through networking.

Ten years ago, networking had a completely different meaning than it does today. Sure, joining and being active in professional groups is great, but today we have a much more powerful professional networking tool right at our fingertips – LinkedIn. To a beginner, LinkedIn can be a bit overwhelming. You may have already created an account, even added “connections,” but are still unclear about how this platform can actually help you get a job. The key is – you have to be strategic in your approach. Here is my four-step process to effectively using LinkedIn in a job search.

Step 1: Start with a complete, professional profile.

This is NOT the first impression you want to
give employers on LinkedIn.

First things first – you have to have a complete profile to be taken seriously on LinkedIn. Think of your profile as your digital resume – it is the first impression you are giving to potential employers, and it should reflect your PROFESSIONAL brand. Just like your real resume, you don’t want to leave the crucial parts empty. The main components of the LinkedIn Profile are:

•  Profile Photo: Starting at the top, you need a professional – looking photo of just you. Again, this is not the appropriate place to use your St. Patrick’s Day photo, or a photo of you and your kids. Remember – you are branding yourself professionally. The photo should be high resolution, and in a professional setting.
• Contact Information: Some people are hesitant to post contact information on social networks. But, if you are trying to appeal to potential employers, you want them to be able to contact you if they see something they like. Even if you only share an email address, you should have something here. Another great tip – you can customize your profile’s URL so that it is easier to share in job applications. Once you get your profile completed, you are going to want to share it as much as possible!
• Employment History and Education – You can use the same information from your resume here. Several Companies and Universities have LinkedIn Pages, so link to those in your profile so that the logos will show up, and other employees/alumni will then be included in your “network.”
• Recommendations– This a way to enhance your resume by asking coworkers and supervisors in previous positions to write a recommendation specifically related to your work at that company.
• Optional Areas: You can also add areas for volunteering, projects you’ve worked on, certifications, specific interests you have, and many other things.

Step 2: Build your Network through Groups

Once you have your profile completed, it’s time to start building your network. You’ve already done some networking by connecting with others at companies you’ve worked at and schools you’ve attended. Another great way to extend your network is by joining groups. You want to join groups that are relevant to you both by your background and your professional interests – so if you are seeking a job in Human Resources, look for HR industry related groups to join. This will help you to stay in the know in that industry, and will also extend your network to include people already working in the field. Also, if there is a specific company you want to work for, look for groups related to them that you can join.

Step 3: Join the Conversation

You have an awesome profile, have joined very relevant groups, and have 300+ connects. You’re done, right? Wrong! Just like a physical networking group, if you sit in the corner and don’t speak to anyone – you will not be noticed or taken seriously. You have to be active and participate in conversations. A good way to do this is to subscribe to different “channels” through LinkedIn Pulse, which will funnel articles and blog posts to your news feed. You can then comment and share as appropriate. You can also subscribe to companies of interest, who often post news and updates to LinkedIn, that you can then interact with.

To subscribe to channels: Interests – then Pulse. Discover, will show you recommended people and channels to follow. Stories will show in your news feed, making it easy to comment, like, and share. This will position you to your connections as knowledgeable within the industry. Plus, it will actually help you to become more knowledgeable about current events and topics within your fields of interest.

Step 4: Find and Utilize Meaningful Connections within your Network

When you go to any networking event, you should go with a goal in mind – “I want to meet someone that works at XYZ company,” or “I want to introduce myself to someone working in XYZ industry.” The same is true on LinkedIn. Think about – where you want to work, what type of profession you are seeking, then we’re going to see who in your network has an “in” and can help you get there. To do this, we’re going to use the University Pages, and Advanced Search.

•     University Pages: The great thing about established colleges and universities is that you are automatically adopted into a vast network of students and alumni who are quite often willing to help fellow alum get a “foot in the door.” LinkedIn does a great job of helping these networks to connect digitally through their “Youniversity” section. To find yours, go to Interests – Education. Here you can search people connected with your school and look at them by industry, location, company, and in several different ways. If you have a connection to a company you’re interested in – reach out to that person!

•       Advanced Search: This feature searches for people within and connected to your network, so it is important that you have  already made those connections through groups and companies. The advanced search option givse you the ability to search your network by current and previous company, among many other things. Results will either be 1^st connections, 2^nd, or 3^rdconnections, or by a group you have in common.  If a prominent 2^nd or 3^rdconnection shows up – Click “shared connections” to see who you know that can introduce you to that person. REMEMBER – If you click on someone’s name and actually view their profile, they will see that you looked at them. So just be aware of that before you click onto a profile.

So now you have it, 4 steps to finding your “in” through LinkedIn. You can view our previously recorded webinar at the link below for a walk-through of LinkedIn and how to specifically access some of the functions mentioned above.

I hope you found this helpful, and I encourage you to log on, buff up your profile, and start networking!

Access a walk-through of these 4 easy steps here. 

Jessica Blakemore

Associate Director of Marketing for Collaborative Programs
jblakemo@westga.edu 

career Webinars

9:02 AM