by Jon Cleary,  International Student Officer at Coleman University  August 21, 2009

 Which one are you? It is a very important question if you are trying to decide if you should enroll in the Curriculum Practical Training (CPT) Program here in the United States.

 Why is this question so important? It is important because of the current state of not only the U.S. economy but the global economy. If you listen to any of the news outlets that cover the U.S. economy it would be very hard to believe that anything is going good for the economy here in the United States. Everyday we hear about job cuts by a number of companies. Every week we see the news reports of current unemployment increases. We have watched the national unemployment rate climb from 5% two years ago to 9.4% today.

  I can easily understand “WHY” many of you have chosen not to take advantage of the numerous opportunities available to International Student participating in the CPT program.

  Let me help you put the current state of the U.S. Economy into perspective though. Let me present a completely different point of view because I am a “GLASS HALF FULL” person.  I believe not in the collective but in the “INDIVIDUAL”. I believe in “YOU”.

  With the unemployment rate at 9.4% that tells me that 90.6% of those people that want to work are working. Think about that 9 out of every 10 people are working. This is where we have to think to ourselves, “Is the glass half full or is it half empty”.

  If you believe that the “Glass is half full” then you believe that you will be one of the 9 people that find a job and that you will be working. I do not want you to be unrealistically optimistic here. Take a look back at those things that you have attempted over your lifetime. Do any of these sound like you;

·         You worked hard in high school and managed to maintain good grades.

·         You applied for and were accepted into a good school.

·         You went to a university and worked hard to achieve your Bachelors degree.

·         Either during or after school you held a job and did well at that job.

  These are all signs of a “Winner” and it is my contention that patterns are set very early in life. We learn to succeed by succeeding and once we have learned how to succeed we never forget. So if you are a “GLASS HALF FULL” person and are use to working hard to succeed I really encourage you to enroll today. Be confident in you abilities and your willingness to work harder than the next person to succeed. Join us here today and continue your growth through the CPT Program.