Technology Degree May Guarantee You A Job

A technology degree is a course of study that readies you for a career that involves information. This sort of degree can be very flexible, as it can prepare you to enter a number of fields, including design, healthcare, business, computing, engineering, or telecommunications. Unlike a Bachelor of Science degree, which also prepares you to enter these fields in many cases, a technology background often gives you hands-on experience and practical skills as well as an intellectual understanding of your field.

To make this educational option even more flexible, there is more than one technology degree to choose from. An associate’s degree of certification, for example, can allow you to enter an information technology career in less than two years, in many cases. A bachelor’s degree in system design, communications technology, or web development, to name just a few can give you a great career as a manager, engineer, or designer. An MBA or technology degree combined with a business focus can allow you take on plum management jobs. A doctorate in technology can allow you to pursue an academic teaching career or can prepare you for an upper-level position that involves creating systems.

The popularity of technology degree options is not just popular today because these degrees are so flexible. For a number of years, tech jobs have seemed like a sure bet. Students flocked to take degrees in technology subjects because tech jobs were waiting for graduates and degrees allowed students to take on a number of well-paying and fulfilling careers.

Even today, some students assume that a technology degree is a sure way to get a good career or at least a good job after graduation. While technology degrees remain as flexible and as valuable as ever, though, it is no longer true that they absolutely guarantee a job. Tech jobs are slightly less abundant now and many students pursuing the same career options have created a competitive job marketplace.

Nevertheless, engineers, managers and other professionals with these degrees are still in demand, and will likely always be. Anyone with a true interest in technology courses will still have many options open to them. At the same time, though, the different environment means that students will want to take a slightly different route in order to ensure a good job after completing their schooling.

Students wishing to pursue a technology course of study should, first of all, select a course of study they truly enjoy. This creates a greater chance of career success and ensures that any subsequent career is fulfilling. There is simply no point in preparing for a tech job if that is not what you want. Students will also want to select their degree program carefully.  Programs of study that offer practical study and experience as well as challenging instruction are more likely than more basic studies to prepare students for a tough job market. Students may want to take a course of study that prepares them for all working environments. For example, students interested in management may want to hone business and computer skills to make themselves attractive to employers. 

Networking with professionals already in the field and starting the job hunt early can mean that graduates with a technology degree may find a wonderful job waiting for them after graduation day. Most schools have career centers that can help with career planning, and local professional associations are a great place to meet professionals. Today’s students cannot afford to assume that a degree alone will guarantee a job. The best employment opportunities will go to those graduates who think ahead and plan for a successful career.

The Importance of Car Information

You recall your first car?  Was it a hunk of junk or a nice one? You may have resorted to the local newspaper for your car information in order to find that inexpensive, little jalopy. Or perhaps you were lucky enough to receive one is the gift or be able to afford one yourself.  No matter where you searched, one thing was for sure; you wanted a good deal. In the past, this could often prove a difficult task.  If it was bought from a dealer, he could make up any outrageous price that he wanted to, and if you went to an individual that had a car for sale you could end up with a junker and not know it until a month later and then you would be totally out of luck. This is really that big of a deal now a days. A deluge of car information is at your fingertips online.

I still remember my first car like it was yesterday. It was a 1978 Fiat Spider convertible.  I got it from a college kid for $1100. It was a pretty decent first car. I mean I wasn't expecting a Porsche for $1100. It was one of those cars that you couldn't just let sit around not using it.  You had to start everyday so it would turn over when you took it out for a spin. I recall one instance where I had not started it for three consecutive days.  Big mistake, but fortunately I could always pop the clutch. While this wasn't the greatest car in the the universe, I definitely knew one thing, the seller provided all necessary car information upon my test drive so there wasn't any confusion. He has all the paperwork in order including service and maintenance records.  It would be nice if everyone was as prepared.

If you're heading out to a dealership to find that new family van, or sports car, it's always a good idea to do your homework online first.  The Internet is a vast reservoir of knowledge and information.  It truly is a priceless resource. The car information online will save you plenty of like work. You know that you want a safe vehicle, and you know you want to avoid getting ripped off. Well, with the car information found on the World Wide Web, your worries should be subsided. The dealers no longer have the upper hand, that now belongs to us, the consumer. But the advantage is only hours if we choose to use it. 

When you step into that dealership, you know what the vehicle sells for. The Internet will prevent you from being ripped off by exorbitant pricing.  With your PC you can check out the numerous car sites in your area to see who's offering what. There are even online sales that can be found on auctions such as Ebay and other state and federal auction sites run by government agencies. The buyer is now the one in charge when purchasing that new car. With car information so accessible, finding that ride of your dreams is a synch.

The Irish Driving Scene.An Instructors Perspective.

The Irish Driving Scene.An Instructors Perspective 

The Driving Environment 

Today’s motoring environment is very different to that of thirty or even fifteen years ago for a number of key reasons and we will examine these to get an idea of the kind of skills needed to survive in today’s world and stay accident free.

For the first time in over one hundred and fifty years our population has exceeded 4 million and continues to increase steadily.

Demographics 

The age of our population is quite unique and according to the 2002 census there are approximately 640,200 people in the 15 – 24 age bracket  who are in, or approaching, the age at which they will want to drive. Lets be clear on this point …every person in today’s Ireland will aspire to drive and own a car in this prosperity environment, for career, family and social reasons .In the past until you had the potential to be able to own a car it was quite common not to bother to learn to drive. Those that needed to get to work from a distance tended to rely on neighbours and friends or relatives to be the ever present chauffeur. It’s very common today for an exodus from the city limits out to the open country to live, with huge numbers of houses, sorry mansions; being constructed at seemingly breakneck speed. The draw of the country air and the sweet sounds of birds in the morning seems to be an irresistible magnet for the city dweller. A car or three is taken for granted. Of  course , we  are a nation of keen gardeners now and the regular trip to the garden centre could not be undertaken by public transport because it doesn’t exist in most rural areas. All of this means that we have a far greater number of cars and drivers on the road than thirty years ago and at different times of day due to many variations in working hours. So there is hardly a time when you are unlikely to meet another vehicle. Six am during the working week can be just as dangerous as five thirty rush hour.

Learner Drivers 

Current numbers of learner Drivers are estimated at 350,000 and this continues to be swelled by the increase in our immigrant population, both expatriates and non-nationals setting up home here for the first time. The waiting list for a Driving Test has reached an all time high due mainly to these demographics, but also to the relatively small number of Driving Examiners

. This situation is being addressed at the moment with the probability of an outside agency being drafted in to undertake a further 40,000 Driving Tests over the course of a year .While it is unfortunate that all drivers have to wait such a long time in order to sit their Test it is an opportunity for them to learn some very essential skills and to prepare well for the Test.

It is very common for candidates to leave their lessons to the last moment which very often produces a negative result. Worse still, is the mistaken belief that the longer one is driving the greater chance of passing the Driving Test. Without professional lessons the chances of passing the Test are pretty remote; but more crucial will be the lack of basic skills leading to accidents which can and should be preventable .Passing the Driving Test, while certainly a milestone in a person’s driving career, is only the beginning of a life –long process not the end.

Professional Tuition

Safe Driving for Life can be achieved, with the correct mind set and the knowledge that good basic driving skills are the foundation for the learning process and need to be provided by Professional Instructors and not relatives or friends. Practise with Mum or Dad is very useful but only in conjunction with proper Tuition. Being able to move a car down the road and perhaps change a gear or two and even steer out of trouble is not the level of skill needed to stay alive and is about as far from the required Driving Test standard as we are from the Moon.(about 250,000 miles, sorry 400,000Km at the last count).I am not suggesting that we need to drive a quarter of a million miles

New Technology 

The development of technology over the last number of years has had a big impact on the driving environment both positive and negative. Better roads and road markings make the driving experience much more pleasurable especially on major thoroughfares; however despite the millions of Euro spent on the main road infrastructure, Irish country roads will probably remain as they have always been, difficult and full of danger for the novice or Tourist Driver.

Legislation, most of which has emanated from Europe, has contributed to better maintained cars, that are more Eco-friendly and more easy to drive. Having said that, a car will quite easily go off and do its own thing if the driver has not got the ability to control it under all kinds of weather and road conditions.

Cars are much better insulated than years ago so the impression of speed is nothing like what it was thirty or forty years ago when you really knew you were travelling at 70mph.Wind noise and vibration kept you alert and aware! Even small family cars today have the ability to travel at 100mph (or 156kph) without too much coaxing .Back then a much larger capacity engine of say 1500 cc had a top speed of around 75mph (120kph).This ease of speed gives new and novice drivers the opportunity to far exceed their capabilities without realising it .

Employment

In today’s Ireland we have virtually full employment and many sectors are suffering from a lack of skilled employees, the commercial driving sector being one of many. More jobs and the need to get to those jobs on time has created a society that is flush with prosperity and awash with an ever increasing number of new cars on the road. The opportunities now being created for younger people with full Driving Licenses are many. Indeed most occupations now require you to have a full driving license and it certainly looks good on a C.V. especially if you are in the younger age bracket. So get to it all you young ones and don’t leave it till later on in your career…. Do it now!

Accidents

 Most of these new cars on the road are being piloted by Learner Drivers, a good proportion of   whom, do not take driving lessons professionally.

Unlike most of the rest of our European Neighbours, we do not yet have mandatory tuition for learner drivers, although it is being proposed. Therefore we have a situation whereby learner drivers can buy a car and just head off into the wide blue yonder without the necessary skills to control what is essentially a lethal weapon. Our Accident statistics bear out this point and it would be of great benefit to the whole community to see a reduction in these horrific figures

Recent E.U. Directives have extended the scope of the Driving Test and not before time. There has to be at least a basic knowledge of instruments and equipment before you can pass the Driving Test today but there are still many areas of driving expertise that do not come within the remit of the Irish Driving Test. An emergency stop; country road driving; high speed carriageway experience and a greater emphasis on hazard perception would go a long way to improving standards on today’s roads by being incorporated into the Driving Test.