education

Do you know what a MOOC is? It may sound funny, but it can be a seriously valuable resource for you. MOOC stands for massive open online course. Basically, these are free or inexpensive online courses available to anyone—and they are being offered with increasing frequency by many big-name schools, including Harvard and MIT. You don’t get college credit for the courses, but it’s a good way to learn new skills or information, and may also be a way for you to do a trial run if you are considering going back to school as a paying student.

If you are a recent or soon-to-be college graduate, you know how valuable your diploma will be in the workplace. There are lots of statistics about how much a college degree can increase someone’s lifetime earnings. And these days it’s often nearly impossible to get an employer’s attention without a degree. But while the degree is important to employers, does your college major really matter?

• What to Consider Before Taking Job with Long Commute [USNews.com]
• Industries that Need Workers [WSJ.com]
• How to Navigate a Career Transition [Psychology Today]
• Networking Mistakes You May Be Making [Forbes.com]
• Should You Go Back and Finish Your Degree? [Bnet.com]

• Four Psychology Lessons for Job Seekers [Bnet.com]
• Survey: Experience and Education Most Important in Keeping Job [Yahoo.com]
• Merit Alone May Not Get You That Promotion [CNNMoney.com]
• Multitasking May Make You Less Productive [Mashable.com]
• Hiring Managers Share Resume Tips (and Funny Mistakes) [CareerBuilder.com]