As we all know, a college education is a huge financial investment. Doesn’t it make sense to have your child explore their interests before exploring which colleges they want to apply to? It is imperative that when they do select a college, it offers courses and majors that are of interest to them.

The Strong Interest Inventory is an easy online assessment tool that provides students with a personal, detailed description of career paths that may interest them, based on the manner in which they completed the assessment. It provides advice on potential college courses that coincide with the student’s interests. In less than an hour, your student can go online, take the assessment, and then within the week meet with a professional counselor to review the results. This meeting can take place via Skype, phone, or in person.

Given the difficult economic condition we are in now, students must make informed decisions when planning their future. The more preparation, the better they will fare. The Next Step College & Career Solutions provides services that will help students take their first step in planning their academic and professional future. Take a peak at our website to determine if you agree that your high school student will benefit from this streamlined investigative process. (www.discovermynextstep.com)

I have a feeling that this experience is not mine alone. I am sure lots of people find ways to negotiate with themselves about their work. When they should do it, when they permit themselves time away, when they need to return to their daily responsibilities. So, should this make me feel better? Eh, maybe, not really! It’s  just time to bite the bullet and get back on the horse.

So here I am. With nothing really to say except that I am back. I am ready to take my next step and continue with the goals I set out for myself 15 months ago when The Next Step was just an idea. I suppose my goal with this blog is to reach out to anyone who might feel stuck, whether from the wonderful interruption of a vacation, writer’s block, a career plateau, or from boredom.

My personal admission hopefully serves to help you take your next step from wherever you may be stuck. It just might be the push you need; I think it is already helping me!

Why it often takes tragedies to propel us into action is frustrating. The time to move ahead, the time to pursue our dreams and our passions is before it is too late. I don’t mean to preach. It’s just that I have seen too many people wait too long to take action, wait too long until it is close to impossible to fulfill their dream.

So my message is simple. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Don’t be afraid of failure. Most of the learning we experience occurs as a result of having failed something we tried to succeed in. If things don’t work out, we have to be open and willing to make changes. We learn how to make adjustments, how to re-think our plans, how to re-invent our ideas and find new ways to actualize them.

Failure is not what we aim for, it doesn’t feel good; but it’s not the end of the world. Don’t be so afraid to pursue your dreams. If you don’t try, you will never know how good you could have been fulfilling the dream you fantasized about.

Anyone can do anything. Isn’t that what we’ve all been told? There is professional help available to guide you. There is even help available through online counseling services. Online assessment tools are easy to use and may be just what the doctor ordered for you to take your first step towards reinventing your future.

• Take advantage of the Career Counseling Center at your college or university. Let them assist you in preparing your resume and cover letter. Career Counseling centers typically have an inventory of alumni who reach out to new grads for employment opportunities. The Career Center can also help you make contacts, network, research potential career options, and get you started

• There are many websites that provide valuable information regarding career opportunities. Check out www.onetonline.org.  This website is the nation’s primary source of occupational information. It is possible to research various careers, the skills and education required for that job, the job forecast, and the average salary for the job.

• Another very useful website is www.brazencareerist.com. This is another website which provides information regarding how to get a job, write a resume, prepare for an interview, etc.

• Research online. Talk to people who are in professions that interest you. Ask them questions about what their job entails. Be specific and really investigate what each day is like for them. Ask them if you might be able to shadow them for a day. Network, network, network! You never know how a connection with someone might help you in the future.

• Take advantage of internship positions. This is a fabulous thing to do during your summer break or even as a new graduate. Many companies offer internship programs to recent graduates, which can lead to full time positions.

The most important thing is preparation. Professional counselors are available who can help you figure out your next step. There are assessment tools available that can help you gain information about your personal interests, the best work environment for you, and your personality style. The Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory are assessments that can be easily accessed online and you can even meet with a professional counselor to review these assessments. Help is available and the time to start your job search is now.

Be prepared, do your research, network like crazy, talk to people, ask questions, and get your resume and cover letter ready. This is an exciting time in your life and is truly the beginning of your journey. Take the first step towards your future. Now is the time!

Yesterday our focus was on learning about ourselves. I decided that the staff needed to feel empowered and informed about themselves and so I administered the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory to the entire staff.

Prior to taking the actual inventory we did many activities that helped illustrate how unique we are. How differently we perceive ourselves and interpret the world around us.

The staff eagerly took the assessment, which took about 35 to 45 minutes to complete and score. Once figuring out their personal type, they were able to locate their 4-letter code on the chart of the various 16 personality types.

It was such fun for them to read about the characteristics associated with their type, and not surprisingly, they all were amazed at how accurate the description of their type reflected their personality.

We shared our types, talked about how different types might get along…or not! We discussed the importance of understanding type as educators, realizing that in each classroom there is a high likelihood of a multitude of types.

We talked about types in the workplace and how understanding our own type, in relation to others, can help us to work together in a more cohesive and compassionate manner.

Everyone seemed to enjoy this journey towards self-discovery. The Myers-Briggs is a wonderful and incredibly reliable assessment tool that has value in many different situations.

Whether you are a student searching for what type of college will best fit you, a recent graduate trying to figure out your career path, an empty nester planning for your second half, or someone interested in making a career change, the Myers-Briggs provides valuable information that will help you discover yourself with greater depth and clarity.

But, procrastinating about the future is never a good thing. We all know how quickly time goes by. I can remember my children waiting for the school bus for their first day of kindergarten and now they are college graduates, employed, and living on their own! Wasn’t that yesterday?

The more people I talk to, the more they agree that time is zooming ahead at warp speed. So my message to you is, don’t procrastinate about your future. If you are thinking about making a career change, if you are considering reinventing who you are and what you do, NOW is the time.

There are many online resources available to help the best procrastinator step out of his or her shell and begin exploring options. A great place to begin this search is with self-exploration. If you can uncover what your interests are, what your personality type is, you will have taken the first step in what could be a very exciting future.

Personality Type Indicators such as the Myers-Briggs and interest inventories such as the Strong Interest Inventory can provide you with a tremendous amount of information about yourself. This information can be reviewed with a professional counselor who can help guide you towards taking your next step.

Don’t procrastinate any longer. You have no excuse! You can begin online, from the comfort of your own home. Find out as much as you can about yourself, and then get off the couch and start your next chapter! You can do it, even if you are a procrastinator!

January just might be the right time to take the first step towards exploring different possibilities. Where to begin? That is always the question. The first step in this endeavor should include talking to as many people as you can who are in fields that you think you might find interesting. If you have no idea what you want to do, or what would be a good professional fit for you, consider meeting with a career counselor who can work with you in your exploration process. There are many assessment tools that you can take to help your search. Personality Type Assessments such as the Myers-Briggs can help you discover more about who you are and how you tick. Interest Inventories, such as the Strong Interest Inventory can help you discover your personal interests and how they can be translated into a profession. You can even take these assessments online and work with a counselor via Skype or phone if the counselor you find is not in your immediate area.

Taking the first step is usually the hardest part of the journey. Use the energy that January brings and start the New Year off by giving yourself the gift of self-discovery. Begin to evaluate and accumulate information about yourself that you can use in the future. Information that can change your life and bring you a greater sense of personal, financial, and professional fulfillment.

Each New Year provides an opportunity for change. If you are thinking about making changes reach out to a career professional that can help you take your first step. Life is a journey; 2012 can be the year that you begin your new journey towards your next step.

But now, the door is shut, it is not revolving, and the nest is empty. I write this post from the solitude of my bed with my companion Oscar the cat by my side. Honestly, I have been dreaming about this day for the past few weeks. Dreaming of the moment when I knew for sure that no one would be looking for me to plan a family dinner, an outing, a shopping extravaganza, movie night, laundry to be taken care of, or any of the other countless responsibilities that comes with being the momma of the gang.

I loved having the kids home. I loved the activity in the house. I loved visiting with all of my kid’s friends. I loved going out for family dinners. I loved our holiday celebrations with extended family.

Now the moment has arrived. Now the quiet is screaming through the house. Now Oscar the cat can sleep peacefully by my side without being chased away. It is what I have been looking forward to during the chaotic past few weeks. But now I must admit that I am feeling a little blue. I know the feeling is temporary. I know the feeling is normal and in some odd way it is a good feeling. It is good because it comes from a place of love. Love that is too big to describe. Love that is my true reason for being.

I loved it all…but I also love the well-earned breather. The time to reflect, be grateful, be quiet, be peaceful and begin to plan how to shift back into what is now my day- to- day life. My routines, my work counseling empty nesters, college students and recent grads, my childcare business, and some new projects I have been working on are all calling. Tomorrow I will jump back in, full steam ahead!

It is not only your grades and extra curricular activities that should dictate your college application list, but rather a combination of your own personality style, personal interests in addition to grades, extra curricular, etc. So how do you do this? There are many professional counselors that can assist you in this process. There are many simple online personality assessments and interest inventories you can take that will help you learn more about yourself and more about what type of school would be a good fit for you.

Don’t get trapped into following your peers and creating the same list as everyone else, just because you have heard certain schools are the “hot” or most popular schools. Selecting a college is going to be one of the most important decisions you make. You must realize that you are going to college to become educated, but also to prepare yourself in the best way possible for your future.

Taking the time to first really understand yourself can be the most important step you take in your college search process. Online personality type indicators such as the Myers-Briggs, and personal interest inventories such as the Strong Interest Inventory, should be the first step in your search. Once you know who you are and what your interests are, you can begin your search and explore colleges that meet your needs.

It is an easy, streamlined, and simple online assessment tool that can provide you with a tremendous amount of information about you. Information that will prove to be vital as you take your next step and begin your collegiate experience.

I schlepped out of bed in my gotkas (translation: sweats, comfy ugly clothes), washed the chicken, dried the chicken, seasoned the chicken, and put the chicken in the oven to roast. I took out the pre-made latkes (I only felt a little guilty for cheating on this part and not making them myself), prepared the salad including his favorite hydroponic lettuce, craisins, feta cheese, hot house cucumbers, and just the right amount of olive oil and white wine vinegar.

He started to nudge me wanting to know when it would be ready. I told him around 7:00. He bellowed, “ugh, I’m going to Andrew’s house to watch the Ranger game and it starts at 7:00”.  So I told him to go. I told him not to bother to stick around for the holiday meal that I had made after dragging myself out of bed so he could have a Hanukkah dinner. I had to explain that the chicken was raw. Eating raw chicken is generally not a great idea and is also quite a health risk. He could either leave and spend Hanukkah with the Rangers, or wait and eat with us, and then go off to his beloved Rangers.

Finally the meal was ready to eat. While I scurried to find the menorah and get the candles set, he had already filled his plate. While hurrying to sit down to eat I asked him to do the Hanukkah prayers, which he sang out while carrying his plate to the table. By the time I finally sat down to join him and his father, he was sopping up the last of the sour cream with his last latke and was on his way out the door. Happy Hanukkah!

For a college student, returning to an empty nest, this was a decent holiday dinner! He stayed, said the prayer, ate the food, and if you asked him, had a holiday meal with his family. If you ask me, he inhaled the holiday meal, I doubt he even tasted the carefully placed craisins, and didn’t even thank his momma for all the hard work!

But, being the third child in the family, I am accustomed to what happens as the birdies re-enter the house during the holiday times. It is great to see them, but I must admit it’s great when they return to the nest they have created for themselves back at college.

It may be hard for first time empty nesters to deal with the lack of time your college student will want to spend with you. My best advice is not to take it personally. It is just a developmental stage. They will move through it eventually and go on to the next.