The unemployment rate may be at historic lows, but finding a job is still challenging for many. In a 2023 Job Seeker Survey, 70% of over 1,500 job seekers indicated that “they needed to exert more than the average amount of effort to find a job in this economy,” and 67.7% “felt their current job search was more difficult than their last one.” In a tough job search, know that you are not alone, job search burnout is real, and it may be difficult to avoid. In addition to remaining positive, what are some practical steps you can take to revitalize your strategy?  Assess & Tailor ..read more

  The emergence of artificial intelligence, lack of career growth, or a need to enhance earning potential are a few drivers that may steer you towards building new skills. However, lack of time or resources may prevent you from returning to school. Check in with your Career Advisory Board (C.A.B.); they may have some resources or ideas to support you with building new skills. Also, consider the following methods to expand your expertise. Take a Course You do not need to formally return to school to benefit from the education a course provides. Consider different learning platforms that o ..read more

  “Press Forward. Fear Nothing.” This is Xavier University of Louisiana’s tagline for its Centennial celebration and campaign. The university has currently raised $100 million in its procession forward to the next century of excellence in education.  In March of 2024, the only Catholic HBCU in the nation met this monumental milestone towards its $500 million Centennial Campaign, twenty million of which was provided by an anonymous donor. Another portion was from MacKenzie Scott who included Xavier as one of the 120 organizations to which she donated $1.7 billion of her fortune. Xavi ..read more

  Photo by Markus Winkler So – you know that you are an excellent candidate for the job in which you are applying, but you might be a little lost on how to convey this to the hiring committee. Here’s the trick: introduce yourself as an asset to the organization by tailoring your cover letter to the job description. Not tailoring your application to the job description is one of the biggest mistakes hiring managers see. Imagine – you’re sifting through 200 applications, and 80% of them make no connection to the job you’re hiring for. Who are you more likely to call back for an interview ..read more

  At work we do not always get to choose with whom we collaborate. Sometimes, conflicts between colleagues can cause tension and stall productivity. Avoidance and creating distance might not be options when an assignment has a deadline. So, what do you do in those situations when you have a poor relationship with your colleague?  Be Respectful Instead of reflecting negative energy or letting a grudge dictate your behavior, demonstrate respect towards the colleague in the following ways: Be respectful with your tone and word choice Be polite, kind, and courteous Lend a helpful ..read more

  Photo Source Have you checked your financial pulse recently? Visionaries and founders of Earn Your Liesure, Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, are inviting you to Invest Fest 2024, from August 23-25, 2024, to help improve your financial fitness. In its fourth consecutive year, the financial conference is a rich experience combining investing, entrepreneurship, pop culture and entertainment. The National Urban League recently published a Personal Finance (P-Fin) Index report that revealed that “African Americans scored comparatively low on questions related to comprehending risk, investing ..read more

  Virginia State University’s (VSU) College of Engineering and Technology became the first HBCU to host the FIRST Chesapeake District FIRST Robotics Competition Championship. The prestigious event consisted of fifty-four high school teams battling in head-to-head robotics competitions.  Designed to support student engagement in real-world engineering, the FIRST robotics challenge in 2024 was presented by Haas. The teams collaborated to raise funds, create a team brand, build industrial-size robots programmed to play a challenging game. This year’s event included a Tech Mixer that fe ..read more

  On April 26, 2024, the National HBCU Black Wall Street Career Fest will bring Arkansas’ HBCUs together and support students’ career success for a third year!  This year’s event will take place in Little Rock, AR with more capacity than it’s ever had before. The event has consistently grown over the course of three years, calling for larger accommodations. The event will connect students with Black-owned businesses as well as employers from diverse industries. Representatives from additional organizations including law enforcement, the military and post-baccalaureate programs will ..read more

  Representative Greg Murphy, himself a urologist, has introduced an 8-page bill to ban, what he calls “race-based mandates at medical schools and accrediting institutions”. The bill, titled the EDUCATE Act (Embracing anti-Discrimination, Unbiased Curricula, and Advancing Truth in Education), has 40 co-sponsors. It might surprise some people that the co-sponsors of this bill are all Republicans from the party that claims to care more about life than everyone else.  While introducing the bill, Murphy said, “Medicine is about serving others and doing the best job possible in every cir ..read more

  On March 21, 2024, more public servants met the threshold to benefit from President Biden’s ameliorated Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Through the updated program, the administration canceled $5.8 billion in student loan debt for 77,700 borrowers who have served as teachers, firefighters and nurses. In a White House statement, President Biden explained “These public service workers have dedicated their careers to serving their communities, but because of past administrative failures, never got the relief they were entitled to under the law.” Almost 400,000 additional b ..read more