What have mentors--a teacher, a parent, a friend, a coach, etc.--in your life taught you? Write down 3 things you've learned, then think about how you can pass that on to someone younger than you.

Career

Become a mentor. 

Visit the U.S. Department of Education's website to learn more about its role in our government and the duties of the Secretary of Education. What are some policy issues that are important to you? 

Learn what a Secretary of Education does!

Watch this playlist, specially curated by TED staff, of inspiring teachers and how they have all made a difference in students lives. Which talk did you find most inspiring? Why? 

Watch TED Talks from inspiring teachers. 

Education Administrators, Postsecondary

Plan, direct, or coordinate research, instructional, student administration and services, and other educational activities at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges.

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Second Interest High-Point

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

First Interest High-Point

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Third Interest High-Point

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Education Administrators

Management Occupations

Other Management Occupations

Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel.

Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports.

Represent institutions at community and campus events, in meetings with other institution personnel, and during accreditation processes.

Participate in faculty and college committee activities.

Provide assistance to faculty and staff in duties such as teaching classes, conducting orientation programs, issuing transcripts, and scheduling events.

Establish operational policies and procedures and make any necessary modifications, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information.

Confer with other academic staff to explain and formulate admission requirements and course credit policies.

Appoint individuals to faculty positions, and evaluate their performance.

Direct activities of administrative departments, such as admissions, registration, and career services.

Develop curricula, and recommend curricula revisions and additions.

Determine course schedules, and coordinate teaching assignments and room assignments to ensure optimum use of buildings and equipment.

Consult with government regulatory and licensing agencies to ensure the institution's conformance with applicable standards.

Participate in student recruitment, selection, and admission, making admissions recommendations when required to do so.

Review student misconduct reports requiring disciplinary action, and counsel students regarding such reports.

Direct scholarship, fellowship, and loan programs, performing activities such as selecting recipients and distributing aid.

Coordinate the production and dissemination of university publications, such as course catalogs and class schedules.

Review registration statistics, and consult with faculty officials to develop registration policies.

Audit the financial status of student organizations and facility accounts.

Plan and promote sporting events and social, cultural, and recreational activities.

Direct and participate in institutional fundraising activities, and encourage alumni participation in such activities.

Advise students on issues such as course selection, progress toward graduation, and career decisions.

Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel, including support staff engaged in administering academic institutions, departments, or alumni organizations.

Formulate strategic plans for the institution.

Promote the university by participating in community, state, and national events or meetings, and by developing partnerships with industry and secondary education institutions.

Write grants to procure external funding, and supervise grant-funded projects.

Oversee facilities management for the university, including construction, repair, and maintenance projects.

Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.

Prepare reports on academic or institutional data.

Desktop computers

Laptop computers

Liquid crystal display LCD video projectors

Personal computers

Universal serial bus USB flash drives

Adobe Systems Adobe Dreamweaver

Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge

Blackboard

CollegeNET Schedule 25

Data entry software

Ellucian Colleague

Ellucian Degree Works

Enterprise resource planning ERP system

Facebook

FileMaker Pro

Fund accounting software

Human resource management software HRMS

Hypertext markup language HTML

IBM SPSS Statistics

Jenzabar EX

LinkedIn

Microsoft Access

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft Visio

Microsoft Word

Minitab

Nolij Corporation Nolij Transfer

Oracle PeopleSoft

Oracle PeopleSoft Financials

Sage 50 Accounting

SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports

StataCorp Stata

Student and Exchange Visitor Information System SEVIS

Student information systems SIS

SunGard Higher Education Banner Unified Digital Campus

Web browser software

YouTube

US Secretary of Education

Being the first in your family to attend college is daunting, but rewarding.
 
Follow the journeys of four young people-all first in their families to go to college-as they road-trip across the country to interview inspiring individuals who were also first in their families to pursue higher education.
 
After gaining wisdom and guidance from trail-blazing leaders-including Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, Grammy Award-winner John Legend, and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz-the Roadtrippers are emboldened to embrace the opportunities ahead and ask "why shouldn't I succeed?"

Arne Duncan

US Secretary of Education

Videos

Arne Duncan

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Education

Government

Teaching / Mentoring