Using the internet to help college students with career planning - Education

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Nov, 2001 by James F. Malone, Randy M. Miller, Kim Hargraves

Distance career counseling is receiving approving nods from national experts within the professional career development community as well as students and career services professionals around the country. E-learning and its supportive counterparts may be at the beginning of their growth curve, but they have already proven to be a force that could change the face of education as we know it. Schools and other institutions are making investments in their technology infrastructures to keep pace with the demands of traditional student populations and the growing number of working professionals who are seeking to enhance their education and job skills. While this is a costly endeavor, it is an absolute necessity in what is now an increasingly competitive and mobile society.

On the flip side of this equation are companies whose demand for qualified and productive employees is unrelenting. So, while businesses undoubtedly recognize the importance of giving back to the community to support such efforts, they also have something greater at stake. Faced with rising costs for hiring and training employees, as well as the tremendous resources devoted to motivating employees, companies must support educational initiatives whose aim it is to foster intellectual assets and personal development.

Students, parents, and schools should work together to find the best online resources for career guidance and planning. Considering the billions of dollars spent on education each year, efforts devoted to mining the Internet may yield a mother lode of information and career riches that prove to be invaluable.

James F. Malone is director of career counseling, readyminds.com, a New York-based career counseling program for students. Randy M. Miller is CEO, readyminds.com. Kim Hargraves is a freelance writer.