Archive for June, 2008
June 26th, 2008
Recently, I’ve been reading about Ed McMahon’s trials and tribulations regarding the threatened foreclosure of his mansion. On Larry King, in explaining how he got into the situation, he said that without working he had more money going out than coming in.
Is this really an adequate excuse for an 85-year-old millionaire (or former millionaire). With so many struggling to live on social security how can someone who made millions in his lifetime, not have saved a little bit of it for his retirement?
In JA’s first grade programs, we teach the differences between needs and wants and the purpose of savings. Again, this is a first grade lesson.
Most of us will not become millionaires, but all of us will come to a time when we retire or can no longer work. We must not only prepare ourselves for that day, but also teach our kids the purpose of savings. Ask your children if they want a video game today or a car tomorrow? A car today or college tomorrow? It’s all about the priority of needs and wants.
June 23rd, 2008
I glanced at the top of the Business Rockford website today and noticed the little tidbit of information which says 45 percent of college students have an average credit card debt of $3,066.
Scary thought.
For someone making $7 an hour at the college book store or $4 an hour plus tips at a local restaurant, a number like that can be quite daunting. Considering the interest rates for those credit cards that college students qualify for are not all that great, the minimum payment could be rather considerable on such a small income.
I’ll be the last person to say that we should teach our youth that all credit cards are bad. Emergencies happen. Books are needed. Sometimes the car needs a repair. But we must teach our youth, and probably even ourselves, the difference between needs and wants. The more you spend your money earlier on wants, the less you will later have for needs.
Kids learn from example. What are you teaching yours?
June 19th, 2008
A comment you hear from many in this community is that our youth are not getting the proper training for the jobs that they want, thus we end up with a weak hiring pool.
There are a number of ideas of the root causes of this problem ranging from bad parenting to the lack of support in schools and everything in between. In the meantime, we continue to suffer from students simply not being prepared.
As I have recently been getting ready to send one of mine off to college in a year, it has occurred to me that, perhaps, one of the big reasons our youth have this issue is because their future is so big. What is a next step? It’s like trying to get from Rockford to Anchorage without knowing which way to pull out of your driveway.
We need to work with our youth to let them know what that NEXT step is. It’ll be different for everyone. Is it getting an idea of what kinds of careers appeal to you? Is it learning how to compare schools? Or is it just doing everything in your power to ensure you are in school each and every day.
The next step is the big one. You’re not going to get any further without that one. The final destination is almost impossible to see with each step blocking the view. Like dominoes, as each one falls, the pathway becomes clearer.
June 12th, 2008
I think the Human Service Department’s program summer job program for teens is a huge step towards preparing our youth for the world of work (zhttp://www.rrstar.com/homepage/x513606232/Rockfords-human-services-department-has-jobs-for-teens).
By teaching them the skills now, they will be ready for full time work when they complete their education. What do you think? Do you remember your first job?
June 12th, 2008
Our first submission for What it Takes comes from Megan Nilson, who is a Administrative Assistant/Five Star Coordinator at Jack Wolf Chrysler Jeep.
Title: Administrative Assistant/ Five Star Coordinator
Description: My job contiunally changes. Duties include answering and
directing all incoming calls as well greeting customers and directing them
to the appropriate department. Through out my years of employement I hav
been allowed the flexability to create an excel based sales and service
customer follow up program. I designed and implemented follow-up postcards
for the sales and service department resulting in a higher percentage of
repeat customers. My job also includes scheduling all five start classes
for the entire dealership. I also have created a monthly news letter
distributed to over 130 employees to promote empoyee unity and team
spirit.
Skills: The skills required to be successful in the administrative field
include the ability to successfully multi-task and priorities duties.
This is a position that requires strong organizational and personal
skills.
Advice: Advice for others seeking to enter this field would be to
continue to take computer classes to keep you up to date on the latest
programs and internet abilities. Learn how to manage your time
effectively.
Thanks to Megan for providing her information. Remember, we are looking for input from others who are willing to share their jobs and what it took to get them there. This is a great resource to our youth who are looking for a map to get from where they are to where they want to be. Submissions can be made at http://rockford.ja.org.
