TEM #012: From cubicle to cap and gown.

September 15, 2023

It’s Friday, Friday! (cue Rebecca Black, who has a surprisingly decent singing career now)

This week’s highlights:

• Your education affirmation

• Benefits to working before graduate school

• Action steps for the next week

• Extreme ironing as a sport ⛰

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Education affirmation.

“The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself.” – Wallace Wattles

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On the Blog.

5 Reasons Employees Go Back to School (and Why Employers Pay for It) 💸

Employees with graduate degrees can bring a fresh perspective to their work, think more critically about issues facing the company, and have strong decision-making skills as a result.

If you’re ready to make a big change in your career - whether leveling up or pivoting to a new focus - employers value commitment to education.

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Application Action Steps.

Choose your own adventure 🚁

1. Thinking about school in the future?

   • Take a step beyond thinking about going back to graduate school, it’s time to put pen to paper (or rev up a new Google doc)

   • Spend 15 uninterrupted minutes this week free-writing why you want to go back to school

   • Is it to move up in your career? To pivot to a new one? To please a family member or mentor?

   • There are no wrong answers, this exercise will simply give you the chance to think about your why before you need to determine the when
     

2. Actively applying later this year?

   • It’s mid-September, applications will be due in the coming months

   • Take 15 minutes to check in with yourself and see how you’re feeling about the process

   • If you have any concerns or anxiety, what are they stemming from?

   • Is it imposter syndrome thinking you don’t have what it takes to apply? (false, you totally do - I promise)

   • Are you worried about letters of recommendation or a personal statement?

   • If any of these are true, reply to this email - I’d love to give you the encouragement I needed in the application process

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Fun fact.

Extreme ironing is a sport.

Since 1997, people have competed by “ironing” during adventurous activities.

From rock climbing to scuba diving and snowboarding, extreme ironers even have their own world championship.

If someone can iron while spelunking, you can definitely get into graduate school 💪

Image credit: Wikipedia

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Quick Question

I’m developing a quiz to help people decide when to go back to graduate school - what was your deciding factor to apply?

Hit reply with your response, I appreciate the insight you’ve shared the past few months!

Have an amazing weekend,

Dr. Jena

p.s. Have a coworker, friend or mentee thinking about graduate school? Forward this email so they can sign up here for The Education Mindset and get on track to apply.

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