| If you are someone who has difficulty stringing two | | | | rather than tactile and bodily-kinesthetic and spatial |
| words together to form a coherent sentence and | | | | reasoning aptitudes that are important in building and |
| doesn't know much about history or geography – | | | | mechanical trades. Nonetheless, according to Dr. |
| but you can disassemble and rebuilt a modern | | | | Howard Gardner, these types of intelligence are just |
| automobile engine blindfolded – technical colleges | | | | as important as any other of the eight that his |
| may be just the thing for you. Not everyone is suited | | | | research identified back in the 1980s. |
| to sitting in a cubicle in sterile corporate office wearing | | | | It is true that most such trade schools offer two-year |
| a white button-down shirt and tie; some prefer to work | | | | degree programs rather than four-year ones, but you |
| with their hands, with machinery, with wood and | | | | can be sure that those two years will be challenging |
| concrete and stone. That is what vocational schools | | | | and will keep you thoroughly engaged. Career colleges |
| are all about – and more. | | | | are no different than other institutions; you will have to |
| In fact, if you are considering career colleges such as | | | | provide a high school transcript or evidence of having |
| a vocational technical school, you're probably ahead of | | | | successfully completed a GED program. |
| the game already. Many people who choose trade | | | | Another prevalent myth is that employers are not as |
| schools already know what their aptitudes are and | | | | impressed with a certificate from a technical school as |
| have a clear career path in mind. This is not always | | | | they are with a degree from a traditional university. It's |
| the case for those who choose traditional colleges and | | | | true that a machinist certification is not likely to get you |
| universities over technical colleges. | | | | a job as a financier with AIG or Goldman-Sachs (and |
| This pretty well dispels the myth that people who go | | | | why would you even want to work for them |
| to technical colleges are there because they couldn't | | | | anyway?), but rest assured, those in industry will be |
| "cut it" academically. In fact, nothing could be further | | | | highly impressed with evidence of such training. |
| from the truth. Today's technical school is every bit as | | | | Technical schools are for those who are craftspeople |
| demanding as a four-year university. The reason that | | | | at heart, who enjoy working with their hands and take |
| career colleges such as trade schools have not | | | | pride in a job well done. Yo owe it to yourself to check |
| enjoyed the same status is because our society and | | | | out the opportunities that technical colleges have to |
| culture has traditionally focused on linguistic intelligence | | | | offer today! |