IT Insights Blog — TestOut Continuing Education

Show of hands, how many nerds do we have in the room today? Everyone here is a nerd, got it. Perfect. So you'll all naturally remember the scene from one of those Lord of the Rings movies where wandering wizard Gandalf and elf queen Galadriel are talking about Hobbits. When asked by the Galadriel, “Why the Halfling?” Gandalf gives one of those quintessential, life lesson responses that wandering

Think back to the last time that you left a previous employer to take a new job. Something that probably won't appear in the rearview mirror of memory is big splashy news headlines announcing your decision to the world. You probably didn't turn on the television and find fired-up newscasters weighing the merits of your decision, or possibly running you down for turning your back on your former employer. Most of us don't become fodder for an energetic national discussion after making a decision to finally stop working for Company A and go find out what it's like to be employed at Company B.

I’m a firm believer that education is the ladder to a more bountiful and fulfilling life. People with little to no educational opportunities too often face lives of scarcity and struggle. Unfortunately, the cost of education continues to climb at an unprecedented rate. Consumer Report recently partnered with The Center for Investigative Reporting to conduct a survey on the student debt crisis. The 1,500 respondents painted a picture that isn’t pretty — student loan debt in the United States is almost $1.4 trillion, an amount that exceeds all credit card debt!

Paul Stanley, song writer and rhythm guitarist for the American rock band KISS, once said, “Credibility is someone else’s idea of what I should be doing.” It’s interesting that these words came from an artist who was a member of a band that prided itself on being different — really standing out from the crowd. I’m sure there were a number of “someone elses” who thought that KISS should be doing something different, and yet they were one of the most successful bands of their time, and are still one of the most recognizable rock bands to this day.

TestOut Continuing Education wishes you a very happy Independence Day! Enjoy your holiday revels! The IT Insights Blog will return on Wednesday, July 7.