(Education) How to Find FREE Technical Training in Los Angeles

*Thanks for checking out my blog. If you want amazing content that will change your life, income levels, education, fitness level and social status, subscribe at the upper right. My life coaching is powerful, effective, and fun. I can't wait to show you what you are capable of - Dr. Rob


My buddy Steve Simeone, who is an awesome comedian (http://awesomesteve.com/), not to mention an amazing guy, got me thinking the other day. There are SO many people struggling in the entertainment industry, who are trying to become actors and actresses, comedians, etc.....

They are in a weird holding pattern, waiting for their big break but cant commit to college due to time or cost.

So why not help them out? I compiled a list of all the apprenticeships, paid tech training, and free education in LA county plus a few searchable databases. Tech jobs pay a lot better than waiting tables or doing service industry stuff and can create that safety net financially while you are chasing your dreams. Some of these even start paying you WHILE you are in school. Take some time, take notes and search these programs, you might find the PERFECT training for a much better day job.

1. List of apprenticeships in Los Angeles:

https://www.dir.ca.gov/databases/das/results_aiglist.asp?varCounty=LOS+ANGELES&varType=%25&Submit=Search

2. LA Trade-Technical College Apprenticeship

http://college.lattc.edu/cmu/program/apprenticeship-programs/

3. Electrician Apprenticeship LA

http://www.ibewlu952.org/?zone=/unionactive/view_page.cfm&page=Apprenticeship

4. LA Water District Apprentice

http://www.mwdh2o.com/mwdh2o/pages/jobs/apprentice01.html

5. List of Apprenticeships LA

https://www.cacareerzone.org/training/list

6. Career Technical Education

https://adulted-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com/Perkins

7. Federal Database of Apprenticeships in LA

http://oa.doleta.gov/bat.cfm

8. Free Technical College Programs LA

https://www.lavc.edu/jobtraining/

9. California Apprenticeships

http://www.calapprenticeship.org/

Email me if you have questions or need help doing a search in your zip code. 

dragonsgold76@gmail.com - Dr. Rob

(Relationships) Can a Guy ‘Life-Hack’ a Girl’s Operating System?

This week, The Blue Dragon Enterprises Blog is happy to welcome a guest author! Linda Gross, an amazing author and blogger writes this week's relationship column. Enjoy!

Can a Guy ‘Life-Hack’ a Girl’s Operating System?

Baseball caps
Beards
Biceps
Body symmetry
Broad shoulders
Cologne
Jawline

Let’s define terms.  What is a “Life-Hack’?  Much like a phone-hack, “jail-breaking” your phone is where you break into your phone to override its functionality to one that you personalize.  The reader is asking if you can ‘Life-Hack’ your girl.  He is wondering whether a guy can override a girl’s pre-programmed desire.

Let’s have a look. 

1.       Baseball caps?  Who cares?  This is not part of her operating system.  It’s just trendy right now.  If girls say they like them, it’s not the cap, but HOW you wear it.  You have to wear it like you own it.  Bring out your inner rapper and act like your Lambo is parked around the corner.

2.       Beards?  Most women don’t like beards.  They are scratchy and they hurt.  Since most women like to kiss, this could be a negative.  Few men have beards that aren’t scratchy.  Maybe if you’re blondish, the hair would be softer.  Why do women say they like it?  If we are looking at a movie poster, i.e. from afar, a face we don’t have to kiss, it conjures up that you have been in the wild finding us food or killing the bad guys.

                                                  Liam Hemsworth, yes.  3 days is good.

                                                           Seth Rogan?  Not so much.


3.       Biceps.  This one is hard-wired.  In general, Mother Nature made men bigger, badder, stronger, faster than women.  Biceps represent strength.  In the event of a threat or danger, you look like you can handle the situation.  This makes a girl feel safe and protected.  Every guy can pump some iron at the gym.  Get to it.

4.       Body symmetry.  Psychologically speaking, this trait holds true for both sexes.  Symmetry represents good health, meaning good for breading.  If something is out of alignment and you can work on it, do so.  A strong body is a good body.

5.       Broad shoulders.  Yes. For the same reasons as Biceps.  Women favor strength that they don’t have.

6.       Cologne.  The global perfume market is worth about 30 billion dollars!  Yes, women are attracted to fragrance.  In a recent famous study, women were asked to rate the attractiveness of sweaty t-shirts worn most recently by men.  Women were drawn to men who have a scent different than their own.  Biologically speaking, divergent genetic makeup is nature’s way of preventing in-breeding.  Chemistry not only comprises whether you (emotionally) click or not, but also a person’s scent.  This strong chemical composition, otherwise known as Pheromones, magnetically bond us to people we are supposed to mate with to give the offspring an advantage in fighting disease.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/01/6/l_016_08.html

Out of 300 de-boarding passengers, I was eventually able to figure out where the scent was coming from and followed a guy from the concourse to the baggage area to find out what scent he was wearing.  Calvin Klein’s Obsession for Men.  It was like a drug.  I couldn’t not trail him.  Scent is very powerful for women.  I’d head over to the nearest fragrance counter to figure out what works best for you.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E7YJR4?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393177&creativeASIN=B000E7YJR4&linkCode=shr&tag=dt4m-20&linkId=RZYV7CTCQRUIFEXG

7.       Jawline.  Aside from this feature being very photogenic, this physical attribute connotes competency.  A baby’s face, which is usually round and pudgy, is still immature.  Conversely, men who have defined jawlines indicate maturity.  Of course, it has nothing to do with age, as genetically, some people are more blessed than others and their profile does not change with time.  That being said, women prefer a strong line.  A Princeton professor claimed he could predict congressional candidates with 70% accuracy by just rating their jawlines.

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S15/62/69K40/index.xml?section=topstories

I suppose if you have a weak jawline, you could cover that up with a beard, but then there is the danger of offending some women who do not like beards.

In summary, is it possible to jailbreak your girl?  Yes.  After watching how Jodi Arias honeymooned the jurors, yes, anything is possible.  Should you do it?  To maximize the cast of your net, I think each guy should do whatever he can to accentuate the positives and downplay the negatives.  Some aspects of the attributes are genetically there and you have to let those go. 

Overall, more important than the attributes is not what they are but how you play them.  CONFIDENCE trumps all.  Being 5’7” is not on any woman’s like-ability radar.  That being said, when Tom Cruise walks into the room, everyone notices.

The more important question is why would you want to change her genetic outlook?  Much like the phone, once you hack into it, you can’t go back to the original operating system.  Guys don’t like it when the girl has had her boobs altered, looks nothing like her pre-made up face, or takes her Spanx off to reveal a sack full of mush.  If you have to resort to deceit and games to get her to like you, then you haven’t done what it takes to get her to like you.  Forget your list above.  It’s 99% CONFIDENCE.  I’d chalk up the remaining 1% to “It’s not meant to be”.  If she isn’t attracted to you, it’s for a reason.  According to my principle, nature works best when it’s easy.  If you have to force a round peg into a square hole, you’re going to end up breaking the whole table. 

Follow your gut on whom you are naturally attracted to.  Nature isn’t stupid.  It has safeguards there for a reason.  The rest of your time, spend it on increasing your CONFIDENCE. 

For how to begin/increase your Confidence, check out my book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B0594II/?tag=dt4m-20

www.themensadvocate.com

Twitter:  @dt4m

Twitter:  @dt4m

Come Visit me April 18th and 19th, 10-6pm, at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Booth #2050, Indie Author's Table @USC.  Free Admission.

http://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/

A Parent's Guide for Getting Girls Into STEM Careers

A Parent's Guide for Getting Girls Into STEM Careers

As a kid growing up poor in Humboldt County, I had no idea what Engineering was. No one ever took me aside and said, "Engineers create things and get paid a lot of money and have awesome lives." The only messages I got were, "The police came by looking for your uncle again, don't tell them anything."

High school was awful for me. I lived in my hoarder grandmother's house, fell asleep listening to my cat eating mice alive, and thought about suicide often. I failed out, never took my SATs and ended up failing out of college twice. Through determination, the Air Force and the sheer power of being awesome, I earned a Doctorate in Education, made it to my dream city (San Diego) and have a pretty cool life.

The reason I'm sharing this is because I want great things for your children and I want to give you every resource to encourage your daughters to get high paying, successful STEM careers if that's their passion. I want you to teach them about facing challenges, standing up to barriers, and to NEVER give up on their dreams. (My doctoral dissertation was rejected three times). My goal as a professional life coach is to make sure that high school students have a much better shot at life than I did.I don't want them sleeping on the floor in college, unable to afford meat, or sleeping on a cot and eating moldy tuna fish sandwiches in grad school. (I have a bed and a dining table now,  its pretty awesome). My journey was unnecessarily difficult and I want better for your teens. 

By some weird twist of fate, I ended up teaching high school Engineering in San Diego for five years. I learned a lot and by the last few years, was really making impacts. I coached two robotics teams, mentored students, and helped many get to college despite being from low income families or having horrible life situations.

Keep in mind that STEM careers can be mistakenly thought of as boring or not feminine or even female friendly. It's important to expose girls to as much as possible. I have broken down the activities and resources by age. Remember that when teaching STEM, its important to use the following at first:

*hands on projects

*bright colors for diagrams

*working with friends or in groups

*association with real life events/concepts

*fun projects that mix creativity and design with STEM topics

*immersion and experiences related to STEM

My ADD was kickin pretty bad in high school because I was a tactile learner. If I had been able to build robots, work with my friends, and actually have experiences that were fun, I'd probably be working at NASA right now, instead of sitting at home drinking wine and listening to Deadmau5 on a Saturday.

It's important to create a learning experience that appeals to the senses, can be relatable to real life concepts and is half math, half hands on. Don't forget vocab words and you have a great lesson plan for learning STEM.

The two best resources I found have everything you will need. They are broken down by age and are a great reference point. They have a ton of info on getting girls excited about math and science.

http://www.mastersindatascience.org/blog/the-ultimate-stem-guide-for-kids-239-cool-sites-about-science-technology-engineering-and-math/

http://www.wise.iastate.edu/resources.html

Here is my personally created timeline:

A STEM teaching timeline for girls delineated by age

Age 6-9 (key goal is "new concepts")

Actions

Try to build projects with your girls that are varied in nature. One week could be a house and lighting, the next could be a garden, the next a basic chemistry experiment, etc......

Make sure to introduce new words related to the project and get them started on spelling.

This is also a great time to take them to zoos, science fairs, and botanical gardens.

Introduce them to kid friendly science web pages.

Projects

http://www.education.com/science-fair/elementary-school/

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html

http://www.roominatetoy.com/

Resources

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Childrens-Engineering/zgbs/books/16244041

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/29/shopping-for-a-girl-consider-science-and-engineering-toys/?_r=0

Age 10-13 (key goal is "experimentation")

Actions

Start finding girls science or robotics groups. If their school doesn't have one, HAVE THEM START ONE. If the school gives them any grief about it, set up a parent teacher conference. Contact me if you need any help with this stuff. I have a very good talent for negotiation.

"I don't think you heard me right, Vice Principal Johnson. Those girls are getting that science lab ASAP. And some sequined lab coats. I'd like mine in a large, please."

A math club is also a really good supplementary activity at this age and can get them on the road for STEM scholarships.

Projects

By this point, they should be upping the ante and working on programming, some coding, and component level wiring or mid level chemistry experiments.

This is a great collection of pictures of projects for middle school level kids

https://www.pinterest.com/utwep/stem-activities-middle-school/

This is a complete review of several robotics kits that are good for kids

http://www.razorrobotics.com/robot-kits/

This is a great physics project for middle school girls:

http://www.docfizzix.com/

Chemistry sets

http://www.walmart.com/c/kp/kids-chemistry-kits

Resources

This is a big one. Danika Mckeller, (yes, Winnie Cooper) wrote a couple of AMAZING math books for girls. I have the whole set. They are beautifully designed and make learning math concepts MUCH easier. (Plus I learned how to fix a broken high heel and to find a foundation that matches my natural skin tone.) They can be found here: http://www.danicamckellar.com/math-books/

If there is one recommendation I'd STRONGLY make today, it is to GET THESE BOOKS FOR YOUR DAUGHTERS. They are amazing.

 

Age 14-18 (key goal is "immersion/exposure")

Actions

As your girls enter high school, a few actions should be taken simultaneously:

*Arrange a meeting with an Engineering mentor, it should be either a female college engineering student or a younger female engineer. Girls need to see someone that is near their age, and as someone they can emulate. The most important thing is that they see someone they would want to be like.

*Take your daughter to a nearby college that has an engineering club. Engineering students LOVE to mentor high school students and tell them about their experiences.

*Work with your daughter's teachers to make sure that at least one tech related field trip is part of the school year. They should visit a tech based company and get to see firsthand what engineers, techs, and scientists do.

*Sit down with your daughters and explain about the A-G requirements for entering college at a state school. There are classes that HAVE to be completed to get to a 4 year school. These are the requirements for California, a quick google search can be used for your state if its different:

*Have your daughter sign up for the Society for Women Engineers. They have scholarships, resources, and mentoring.

*I cannot stress enough how awesome Engineering an Empire is. Its a series of historical documentaries about various civilizations that has CGI and historical reenactments. Get it off Amazon. My students LOVED this series and its hosted by Robocop's Peter Weller!!

  

Projects

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc

Resources

www.engineergirl.com

https://www.nsf.gov/news/classroom/engineering.jsp

Dr. Rob's Final Thoughts

Thanks so much for reading my article. It is my hope that you push your daughters to be high achieving performers in their field. Remember that there are always loopholes in life just in case things go sideways. Especially in tech fields.

There are lots of "fringe jobs" that few people know about that pay really well, even without a technical degree, or with a 2 year degree.

I am a technical writer for a turbine company. I don't have a technical degree and never passed Pre Algebra.

I do the EXACT same job as engineers that have Mechanical Engineering degrees and make just about the same pay. How is this possible?

military aviation background

writing background

So just remember, things are not always linear in life. If your daughter has a high aptitude for technical subjects, but takes English or Journalism instead in college, she can STILL be a technical writer and start off at $22-$32 an hour.

PS: Here is one last "easter egg" to help your daughters succeed. My BEST articles from the Blue Dragon Enterprises Blog for fast reference:

How to Create an 80k Job

http://bluedragonent.blogspot.com/2015/03/3-ways-to-create-80000-jobno-really.html

The Best Teen Career Article of 2015

http://bluedragonent.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-best-teen-career-article-of-2015.html

How to Lifehack College

http://bluedragonent.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-to-lifehack-college.html

Girl Power, Getting Your Daughter into Tech Careers

http://bluedragonent.blogspot.com/2015/04/girl-power-secrets-to-getting-your.html

Remember, if you ever have questions, feel free to ask, if you need to hire a professional teen mentor, I'm always available and general inquiries about your teen's education are FREE.

My website:

www.bluedragonent.com

My email:

dragonsgold76@gmail.com

My free Teen Book:

http://www.bluedragonent.com/teen-juggernaut.html

Here's to your success, (and don't forget to please subscribe to my Blue Dragon Enterprises Blog)

Dr. Rob

Girl Power (The Secrets to Getting Your Girls Into Science and Tech)

I have had a lot of interactions with parents of young girls lately and the conversations have been amazing. Many parents are giving up the "princess kits" and investing in robotics and science based toys and games. This is a great start and a step in the right direction.

3 girls getting lessons in AWESOME

A few years ago, I wrote a book for charter schools called Charter X (available here:http://www.lulu.com/shop/rob-garcia/charter-x/paperback/product-21857508.html). It is a guide for charter schools to write better assignments that are fun and engaging, how to assess kids for the right careers, and an entire chapter on helping female students get into STEM careers. I would recommend Charter X for any parent as well because it has valuable guides on steering your girls into careers based in interests, aptitude, and hobbies.

Anyway, I have enclosed the chapter for girls for FREE, and I hope it helps.

"An essential component of the Charter X philosophy is your female population. Some people will be bothered that I devoted an entire chapter targeting one gender. Those same people will probably be bothered that I woke up today. I’d rather spend my time focused on the fact that only 14% of engineers are women and that only 4.8% of Fortune 500 companies are run by women.

We hear about the inequalities in pay between genders, but to truly understand why it occurs, I think it takes a deeper understanding of the issue.  It’s not groundbreaking that the highest paying jobs right out of college are all engineering or science/mathematical based. Yet women represent a small amount of these careers.

From the Women in Technology website: “Forty percent of today’s women and minority chemists and chemical engineers say they were discouraged from pursuing a STEM career (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) at some point in their lives.  U.S. colleges are cited as the leading place in the American education system where discouragement happens (60%) and college professors as the individuals most likely responsible for the discouragement (44%). The U.S. K-12 education system falls short, too.  On average, the survey respondents give it a “D” for the job it does to encourage minorities to study STEM subjects and a “D+” for girls. (Bayer Facts of Science Education XIV survey, March 2010)

In my research, I came across an amazing Doctoral dissertation by Carol Heaverlo that focused on the phenomenon of female loss of interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) careers from 6^th to 12^th grade. This paragraph sums up several of the main issues succinctly:

“Despite this call to action, young girls and women are still confronted with obstacles on their pathway to education

and careers in STEM. From a lack of female role models and mentors, engrained societal gender stereotypes reinforced by friends, family, and community, lack of confidence due to internal feelings of Inadequacy (Imposter Syndrome), to differential teaching practices in the classroom (Besecke & Reilly, 2006; Buck, Plano Clark, Leslie-Pelecky, Lu, & Cerda-Lizarraga, 2008; Buck, Leslie-Pelecky, & Kirby, 2002; Cleaves, 2005)

In her dissertation, Carol included a study that was conducted that listed the factors that added to Hispanic student’s participation in STEM careers. I think it is relevant because they are non gender specific.

1) support of their family members;

2) high ability student;

3) interactive curriculum;

4) pre-college coursework that prepared them for rigorous math and science

courses in college;

5) teachers that showed an interest in and a desire for the students to learn;

6) small class size; and

7) living in a small community where there is usually a commitment to “place and being not found in a larger city.” (p.143) (Brown, Whitman, 2011)

            These factors are definitely worth examining. In my time in the classroom, I encountered many parents whose career planning for their daughters consisted solely of finding them a husband before they got “old” at 22. 

That’s it.

            Let that sink in for a moment. This type of patriarchal and antiquated expectation is definitely a factor in why our girls

lose the desire for technical careers. I will use this chapter to list resources and techniques to help build up our girls into confident, professional, young women.

Exposure

            One of the best things you can do as an educator is foster exposure to STEM careers for female students. This can be done in a variety of ways such as guest speakers that are female engineers, and reading books that are female based. It’s very important to find engaging speakers that female students can identify with and want to emulate.

            Field trips to engineering companies are another great way to create interest. These can be arranged by calling ahead and finding out what they offer for high school tours.

Changing Gender Attitudes

            It’s very important to support your girls and make sure that if any male students make comments about their future, their intelligence, or their career choices, that you intervene and put an end to those kinds of comments. It’s absolutely crucial to support female students and to create an attitude within them of resilience, success, and vision. I can’t imagine how many potential female scientists, engineers, or doctors gave up their dreams because some guy in a science class said something stupid to them that shook them up.

            I read about an amazing young woman named Maria Castro that CNN’s Soledad O Brian profiled. Maria grew up in a low income family in Phoenix, Az and dreamed of being an engineer. Her grades were good but her family wasn’t supportive at all. In fact, her father told her teacher that “it was just a matter of time until she fails.” Instead of accepting that pessimistic assessment of her talents, Maria petitioned for a specialized accelerated math class to be created at her school.

She became captain of a robotics team and enrolled in honors classes.

            When I read about this in 2011, I sent a small check and my first book to her with a personal note to not give up. I was thrilled to hear from her a few months later. She had gotten accepted into Arizona State and was pursuing a dual major in technical fields. Maria has the kind of attitude that we need to foster in young women. The ability to see what can be, not what is.

STEM From a Female Perspective

            One very valuable resource I have found for encouraging female students is a series of books written by Danica Mckellar (Winnie from the Wonder Years). They are very cleverly put together and designed well. The covers are deliberately designed to look like fashion magazines and her ability to break down mathematical concepts is easy to read and well researched.

            These books cover everything from middle school Pre-Algebra all the way up to high school Geometry. I purchased a few and was really impressed with the work she put into them. Definitely work purchasing for your school library.

            Another resource that is helpful is engineergirl.org. It has articles about female engineers, links to other engineering sites, and is designed in a format that will appeal to female students.

            Many organizations, like the Society for Women Engineers, offer scholarships and resources for females that wish to become engineers.

Chapter Summary:

• Girls should be encouraged to pursue engineering and technical fields

• Every effort should be made to provide resources for them to gain exposure to these careers

• The greatest drop off of female interest in science and math occurs in middle school

• Educators should try and set up a positive support structure that encourages young women to explore STEM careers"

Thanks for reading this. Remember to subscribe to this blog (I promise there are AMAZING articles on wealth building, weight loss, supercharging intelligence, and more, check the archives!!) 

If I can ever help or give advice, hit me up at www.bluedragonent.com. Thanks!! 

Dr. Rob

4 Reasons Why Science Babe Should be Every Young Woman's Role Model

As some of you know, an amazing event took place this week with the publishing of an article called, "The Food Babe Blogger is Full of Shit."

Yvette Guinevere, the Science Babe, who holds a B.S. in Chemistry and an MSc.  in Forensic Science, called out Vani Hari, the Food Babe as a charlatan and accused her of building an empire on fake science, scare tactics, and duplicitous practices. 

"Damn the winds, full speed ahead, I spy a delicious catfight." - Napoleon

There is no way on God's green earth that I am going to take sides on this. But one thing that I will address is that we can all agree that Science Babe is the type of woman that every young woman should aspire to emulate. Here is my rationale:

1. She has a healthy self image

2. She provides value to society

3. She can formulate a doctoral level argument that is hilariously clever

4. She has a tremendous self drive

I taught high school Engineering for five years in a low income school. I had a freshman class every quarter in 6 week Intro to Engineering courses. Too often, I would see talented girls that could end up being scientists, doctors, and engineers giving up and just doing enough to barely pass. They didn't see the value of pushing themselves for a scientific or technical career. 

Couple this with an overbearing father that wants them married at 19, shows like the Kardashians that teach them that it's better to be a furry backed, knuckle dragging, slow reading moron socialite than a working professional and you start to see why only 20% of women pursue tech related degrees (fastcompany.com, 2014). 

We need to focus on helping young women reach their potential. "Marrying a hot, rich guy" shouldn't be a career goal. I'd love to see high school girls rejecting the "selfie generation" culture and embracing the "She EO" culture. 

 

                                        More of this

Less of this

I place a person's worth on the desert island theory. A person's worth is attributed by what skills they could bring to a survival situation. If I were stranded on an island with Science Babe, she would immediately be testing potable water for toxicity, making me gather heavy objects like tree trunks and rocks to make a shelter, and gathering flint and combustibles so we could make signal fires. We would probably survive and I could get back to my Macho Man Randy Savage DVDs. 

If I were stranded with the Kardashians, none of them would talk to me because of my inability to ever procure VIP at the Viper Room, and no pliable chance at an athletic career. Khloe would pace the island restlessly, looking for small animals to consume alive, and Kim would use up her battery life taking selfies of her "island adventures." The point is, I would fucking die because none of them have any type of goddamn skill, talent, or value to any living person with an IQ over 15. 

There is hope out there. 

There are groups like Reality Changers that help first generation low income students get to college. There are girls like Maria Castro, who despite financial issues and little family support, got herself into ASU to study dual tech majors. I read about her on CNN and sent her some money, a copy of my book, and a personal note telling her how awesome she was. 

Maria's story: http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/05/12/soledad.education.latina/

So how can we help girls like Maria? Volunteer at high schools, support female robotics teams, donate to the Society for Women Engineers.............and most of all.............CARE.

If any girls are reading this and need help in creating a success plan or need a professional mentor, check out my life coaching website at www.bluedragonent.com. My teen book, Teen Juggernaut, is FREE for download. I don't charge teens for life coaching. 

So in hindsight, Science Babe, my doctoral hat is off to you, I applaud your success in your field, and I hope you inspire thousands of young women to study hard, achieve huge goals, and to move forward in life. You truly are amazing. 

Dr. Rob

"Big, bad, stupid lookin" - Dragnet

The BEST Teen Career Article of 2015 - Share With Every Teen You Know...

Happy Sunday Blue Dragon Army! I hope your week has been amazing. I have been busy finding the best resources and content to get you the life of your dreams. This week's article is specifically geared towards teens. Both high school students and college students can benefit from this content.

I wanted to specifically talk about how things have changed between your lives and mine. Specifically, the resources available, the job market, and the opportunities that you may not even know about. This will be a little longer than my usual blog posts but I promise, it will be worth it. I only bring you $100 pieces of info. That's my promise. So let's get started.

3 Things That Adults Have Incorrectly Taught You

1. You have to go to college to make something of yourself.

This is completely ridiculous. There are literally thousands of millionaires out there that never went to college because they didn't need it. They started their own businesses, worked hard, and achieved the American Dream. Now let me clarify, a college degree will increase your earning potential, but only certain ones. A liberal arts degree or Russian history won't hold a lot of value unless your life goal is to teach liberal arts or Russian history. The highest return on investment for degrees are Engineering, Mathematics, Nursing, Chemistry, Finance, and Computer Science. I am not saying to avoid college, I am saying that there are plenty of opportunities out there to make a lot of money if you choose to not go. 

There are also so many free programs out there to train you in a vocational skill, that college isn't always your best option. Go on my website at www.bluedragonent.com and download my FREE book Utopia, to learn more. 

2. Only adults can write a book, start a company, or get in really good shape.

Don't ever let your age be a limiting factor in your goals. I taught high school freshmen and I turned to them all the time for computer help and some math stuff. Just because you are young doesn't mean you can't learn and achieve just like adults. Here are the steps for the three things listed:

Write a Book

Get a piece of paper, write down your chapter ideas, develop your content, look at similar books for design ideas, and upload when finished to lulu.com. Its free. Then when people buy it, you get a check. Pretty cool, huh?

Start a Company

You need a business license (about 25 bucks, google it and your town), a website (wordpress or godaddy) and some business cards (vistaprint). Congrats, you're a CEO. You know what's awesome about owning your own company? THERE IS NO SALARY CAP. Your parents get a certain amount that they are paid, when you have your own company, your sales are determined by YOU. Google teen entrepreneurs to see exactly how some enterprising teens have created million dollar companies. My book for teens, Teen Juggernaut, also talks about opportunities for teens. Its also on my website for free. 

Get in Really Good Shape

Don't eat fast food or frozen food. Have veggies and brown rice with every meal. Cut down on sugar. Have a regular exercise regimen or activity you can do a minimum of three times a week. Remember that every item you eat with flour will increase your weight, increase your chance of diabetes and is hard for your body to digest. 

3. You have to be a certain age to accomplish huge goals.

All you need to make your goals come true is a plan, a list of resources, and smart people that will help you. You have access to the smartest people on Earth using the internet. Don't let your fears or shyness keep you from making a plan and being awesome. 

Jaylen Bledsoe was 13 and founded a company that went on to be valued at 3.5 million dollars.

Hart Main started a candle company at 13 and made it into Fast Company magazine. He has been featured in several news outlets.

Farrah Grey started his first company at age 7 and was a millionaire by 21. 

Zora Ball created a mobile video game app......at age 7. 

My entire life has been about taking chances and doing the things I have always wanted to do. I started a skateboard company, a clothing line, wrote seven books, and love helping others reach their dreams. START YOUR DREAMS TODAY. Trust me. 

3 Amazing Resources For Teens

1. Lulu.com - Lulu is a self publishing site that lets you create your own books, upload your own cover, or choose one of theirs, and then when people buy them, you get a check in the mail!! It really is this easy. Think about it, you no longer have to deal with publishing companies, or collect rejection letters. 

2. Stanford's Income Based Tuition - I just read this last week. Stanford, one of the most prestigious schools in America, has recently offered free tuition if a student's parents make less than $125000 a year and free room and board if it is less than $65,000. This is a huge opportunity for low income students to get a free, high quality education.

3. The Federal Gov Apprenticeship Database - For those that would prefer to learn a high tech skill that pays well, the Dept of Labor has every paid apprenticeship program listed by state! You can look up any career field that interests you and start getting paid as soon as you are accepted. Regular raises and plenty of job opportunities. The link is here: http://oa.doleta.gov/bat.cfm

3 Little Known Careers That Pay Well

UAVs, drones, unmanned aircraft, whatever you call them, are the future. We will need people to fly them, fix them, and create operator and maintenance manuals for them. As you can see from this chart at www.cognizant.com, UAVs are going to be a big part of American life. 

Here are the three careers that are worth looking into:

1. Technical Writer - Usually has a Bachelor's degree in English or Journalism, or military experience related to Aviation or machinery. Tech writers make between $24-$46 an hour depending on experience. They create the manuals used by maintainers or operators of UAVs.

2. UAV mechanical technician - This is a high paying job that will always be in demand. You can get an entry level position with an Associate's in Electronics or a military background. The pay is between $14-$30 an hour depending on experience. UAV mech techs install electronic components, troubleshoot mechanical issues, and use electronic equipment to make sure the UAVs are working properly. They are also known as FSRs (Field Service Reps) if you are job searching.

3. Enlisted Sensor Operator - This is a very coveted position. An enlisted Airman, Soldier, or Sailor runs the sensors that are used in a UAV for weather and flying conditions. Usually military trained, this position pays roughly  $80,000 on the civilian side. 

Dr. Rob's Final Advice For the Week

Thanks for reading this. For those of you that don't know me, I grew up in a low income household and failed out of high school and two colleges to go on to earn 6 degrees including a PhD. I am a professional life coach in San Diego and love what I do. 

You are at an important time in your life, focus on finding a field that you love. Don't worry about the Kardashians, reality TV, Angry Birds, or Facebook. Concentrate on creating an amazing life for yourself, and always try to help others. Remember that no one owes you anything, and hard work DOES pay off. 

I am always available if you have life questions. Never forget:

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. 

Dr. Rob

PS: I do ask one tiny favor, please subscribe to my blog (upper right corner) so I can keep giving you the BEST in free, high level content. Feel free to share, use, or distribute my content.