Life can get in the way of going back to school, but, hopefully, that shouldn’t keep you from investing time in something that can change your life for the better. We talked to our FastForward Career Coaches about hurdles their students have overcome when deciding to…
Matt has been a drone enthusiast for several years. The avid outdoorsman was fascinated by the vantage point that a flying quadcopter could give while out hunting, fishing or hiking – but he soon realized his drone use could go far beyond his weekend hobbies. “I…
For most of her adult life, Jennifer Merrill has made a living by helping students navigate the obstacles that often come with pursuing an education. Serving as one of two FastForward Career Coaches at Northern Virginia Community College, Merrill has worked in a variety of campus-related…
We could just say that being a FastForward graduate leads to a 25-50 percent increase in salary, which might be enough for some people to enroll. But the benefits of going through FastForward go well beyond your paycheck. We surveyed hundreds of FastForward graduates, and of…
“Everybody’s got the same equipment and machinery. What differentiates us from anyone else out there in the marketplace is our people.” – Jeff Stapel Shickel Corporation H.R. Manager Jeff Stapel knows that skilled, industry-credentialed workers give his Shenandoah Valley firm its edge in a very competitive…
Look, we know this is going to sound of preachy, but we need to have a serious chat for a moment about why you should take job interviews VERY seriously. According to a study conducted by the Society of Human Resources Management the average cost to…
Sherry Pinto, the FastFoward Career Coach at Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC), spends her days helping people who want better careers. “I had a guy come in last Friday who said he wanted a career and not a job,” said Pinto. “I think people are starting…
You know when a commercial brand like Timberland gets in on the conversation, there might be something to the chatter. The need for skilled workers is at an all-time high in Virginia. The National Skills Coalition has stated that almost every state has skills gap –…
Right or wrong, there are a lot of preconceived notions about “men’s work” and “women’s work.” There are still plenty of industries that are dominated by one gender or the other. But if you’re qualified for the work, your sex, age, religion, etc. shouldn’t matter. That’s…
Renee Michelle Chalmers has walked in the shoes of her students. She had a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees and held two jobs but she was still struggling to make a living wage. She was doing work that she loved, but she was underemployed and living…