A Degree Doesn't Mean You're Done Learning

Graduating with your undergraduate degree is both extremely relieving and incredibly daunting. Am I ready for the world? Is graduate school in my future? How should I prepare for the next step in my education? Credentials aside, there is something to be said for those who take it upon themselves to continue their education on their own time. A determining factor in what to study is the subject on which you intend to focus in graduate school.

Those looking to work in a hard or soft science, accounting, or most fields concerning number crunching should consider brushing up on the ins and outs of Microsoft Excel. Learning how to create spreadsheets, analyze data, and implement equations into your cells to expedite information will keep you one step ahead of the game. It might also help to learn basic programming languages to write scripts for a study.

Maybe your future lies in marketing, sales, or some other area where presentation is one of the keys to success. Having just recently graduated, I remember multiple occasions in which a late night and a hasty PowerPoint presentation had me sweating bullets in hopes that I had done it well. Learning how to present your ideas efficiently in a well-organized presentation will not only showcase your competence, it will also make you feel more confident in your understanding of the material. Recent graduates may also greatly benefit from taking classes to learn how to communicate with difficult people and become more confident with public speaking.

Courses like these are great to take, whether you know what area you will focus on in graduate school or not. UNLV Continuing Education offers courses in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Communication, and many others depending on your interests. Should you still be up in the air on what direction you want to take, why not sign up for a course to help you decide? Hone in on your career path with the course “I Still Don’t Know What I Want To Be When I Grow Up” taught by Katharine Johnson, M.Ed.

To learn more about classes you can take to help you prepare for graduate school, take a look at the Job Search, Computers & Technology, and Communications sections of our catalog:

- http://continuingeducation.unlv.edu/catalog

Should I Update My Mobile Device?

Mobile device updates can be frustrating! As an Android phone and Apple iPad user, it seems that I am prompted to update something on one of my devices every day. Sure, I could set the device to auto-update, but the updates can’t all be necessary, can they? Let’s take a closer look to see what is commonly included in Operating System (OS) or application updates.

Security Updates

These are crucial updates that patch major security holes that could be exploited in order to gain access to sensitive materials on your device. These updates are essential and should be done immediately.

e.g. A few weeks ago Apple released an emergency update, iOS 7.06, to plug a major security hole which could allow an attacker on the same wifi network to capture data that should have been secured.

Should I update? Definitely! Do it now!

Bug Updates

Bug fixes repair functionality issues and optimize performance. Bugs are glitches in the program that are annoying but do not cause security concerns.

e.g. The recently released Apple iOS 7.1 fixed an annoying bug that caused apps like email and web browser to crash and erase any progress.

Some updates are device specific; if your device is not listed, the update might not be necessary.

Should I update? Sure, especially if the bug is affecting your device.

Feature Updates

These updates add or remove features or aesthetics to the application.  

e.g. iOS 7.1 updated the user experience with refinements to the look and feel. A Month view was also added to the Calendar, and tweaks were made to Siri and Camera.

Sometimes features require an update to permissions or agreement to new Terms of Service. Are you OK with the application accessing your contact list or posting updates on your behalf?

Should I update? While new features are nice, it is best to wait a little while. New features can also  bring new bugs.

Most updates are a combination of security patches, bug fixes and feature additions. It is important to identify which are critical. Remember, with any software upgrade there is always a chance of something going awry so make sure to back up your device before any update.

Learn More

Get the most from your iPad for work or play with iPad: Basics & Beyond. Explore different smartphone technologies and service providers with Smart about Smart Phones.

Wine & Cheese, What a Pairing!

I recently took a wine & cheese class through UNLV Continuing Education, Wine & Cheese of Italy & Spain. To start this off, I’m not a big red wine drinker, and I thought to myself “what have you gotten yourself into?” But I love cheese, all kinds of cheese, from soft to stinky. I’ve been to classes before where Chef Les Kincaid is the instructor. He is very generous with his portions, so I knew I would get my fill of cheese and wine.

This two-week course was held at Total Wine & More in Summerlin, with the first week focused on French wines & cheese and the second week on the Spanish ones. Chef Kincaid brought four wines and four cheeses each week. He kept the price point on the wines at $7-$12. Surprisingly they were all good, although I was fondest of the French Muscat we had. I could go on about the cheeses for hours (but I won’t). We tried everything from a French Brie by Mon Pere to a 12-month aged Manchego by El Trigal. My favorite of all was a French goat cheese that had three distinct flavors as you bit into the rind, outer edge and center cut of the cheese. The name of that one is Bucherondin by Serva Bella.

Chef Kincaid is very knowledgeable about winemaking and speaks extensively about how the landscape and weather affect the grapes along with why cheeses and wines from the same region complement each other so well. He talks about the proper temperature both red and white wines should be served at and that all cheeses should be served at room temperature. With the attention to detail that Chef Kincaid provides, I definitely got my money’s worth out of this class.

Here is the link to Chef Kincaid's upcoming classes with UNLV Continuing Education.


Post by April Reckling

Career Evolution Through Continuing Education

As a fresh college graduate I cringed at the question, “A history degree? What are you going to do with that?”

Twenty years later, I can happily answer, “Not what I thought.” Back when I was graduating, I never could have imagined the path my career would take.

I give a fair amount of credit for my ability to evolve and grow professionally to the numerous continuing education opportunities made available to me over the years. Grant writing, database management, group mediation, customer service, budget analysis, event planning, graphic design, and media relations weren’t taught as part of my history major, but I can now say I have a strong command of each thanks to conferences, seminars, classes, and other continuing education sources.

Coming out of college my first job was as a curator at a local history museum. On paper, I was going to do exactly what I had studied in school—exhibit research and artifact cataloging. In reality, though, the staff was small, money was tight, and I quickly had to learn how to write grants, plan events, lead programs, and balance a budget. Thank goodness for conferences, seminars, and mentors willing to liberally share their knowledge!

Making the leap from museum curator to city cultural program coordinator meant I was again thrown into the deep end. My history degree hadn’t taught me to plan concerts and theatre shows and Fourth of July. I had a lot to learn. I took advantage of every continuing education opportunity I was given. I took customer service classes, more grant writing courses, Microsoft Office training, and mediation training. I would have given almost anything for a class on nonprofit management and board relations like the ones offered at UNLV! I enrolled in some basic graphic arts courses so that I could start designing my own posters for concerts and community events.

My skills grew enough that when a communications position opened up within the department, I was ready. I completed a graphic design training program similar to the one offered through UNLV. I went to a “revenue school” to acquire marketing, budgeting, and other financial management tools.

Continuing education allowed me to guide my career in unexpected directions. Now that I am in a position where I help market continuing education opportunities, I love having the personal experience of seeing how training can be transformative.

My advice to those in every phase of their career would be to take advantage of training opportunities whenever you can. Conferences, classes, and cross-training all give you skills you can use as you move up or move on. Continuing education lets you steer your career in new, exciting directions. You, too, will be amazed by the unexpected path your career can take.

Post by Amy Tartaglia Johns