Marty Nemko's Blog, page 305

The Tutor: a short-short story

As my PsychologyToday.com contribution today, I wrote a short-short story that explores whether one should choose a career as a researcher.

The Gift: A short-short story about how much to sacrifice

As my PsychologyToday.com contribution today, I offer a short-short story about a person deciding how much to sacrifice for a stranger.

Harvard, Schmarvard

Recently, I wrote What Colleges Don’t Tell You , an attempt to help the college- and graduate-school bound make a more eyes-open decision about whether to attend college.

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I assume you’ll be going to college or graduate school. I address two important, too often unasked questions: 

Should you attend the most selective institution possible?

Should you take a gap year to reenergize and gain real-world experience?

The New Job Search Principles

In recent years, I've noticed that the old job-search tactics are working less well. Three new ones are more helpful. I describe them in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

Quicker: Most of your tasks really don't need to take that long

As my PsychologyToday.com article today, I give many examples of how many of life's time-sucking tasks needn't take that long. 

What Colleges Won't Tell You: There's much you should know before going or sending your child to college.

Most people today believe that college is a must—if not for the learning, as the hunting license for a decent job. So they don’t look too closely at what colleges provide vs. other post-secondary options, such as apprenticeships or the military.

Many respected entities have tried to warn students about college. For example, the cover story of the August 2016 issue of Consumer Reports was headlined, "I Kind of Ruined My Life by Going to College."

The Great College Degree Scam, in the prestigious Chronicle of Higher education’ reported that 60 percent of the increased number of college graduates from 1992 to 2008 work on jobs require high school diploma.

In my private practice, I suggest that certain students would be wise to at least defer college, but the college-is-a-must meme has been too deeply implanted by high school counselors, the media, and the very-convinced parents: “You earn a million dollars more! (A canard—see my article below.) Besides, what would I tell my friends, that my child, who could have gotten into a brand-name college isn’t going to college at all, or ‘just’ to a community college?”

Despite that, as we approach the May 1 deadline, the date most colleges require prospective students to plunk down their commitment money, I believe I should take a shot at giving you pause. I do that as my contribution today to PsychologyToday.com. 

Career Care: Maximizing your chances of keeping your job and of getting promoted

There are obvious ways to improve your prospects, for example, being smart, expert, and hardworking, but you already know that. My PsychologyToday.com article todaylists less obvious ways to maximize your prospects.

19 and Reclusive

As today's PsychologyToday.com contribution today, I offer an interview with a 19-year old who is reclusive.

“I’d Rather Not Be a Recluse”

As today's PsychologyToday.com contribution, I offer the latest in a series of profiles on reclusive people.

The Scarfmaker

As today's PsychologyToday.com contribution, I offer the latest of my short-short stories. This is about a male retiree who thinks about taking up knitting.