Life After College Option 4: Move Back Home

Yikes. I know that headline is very scary, but sometimes moving back home is just what some people need before they move forward with their lives. Moving home, while a bit of shock after being at college for four+ years, carries a lot of benefits with it.

- Free or reduced rent. The biggest perk of moving back home is that you get to live there rent free! You get a lot more bang for your buck as opposed to someone who is paying for a cramped efficiency. Some parents and children negotiate a rent plan, though- just to not feel like a moocher or to make their living at home seem more legit, or they offer to help out with utilities or some other household expense.

- Free food and/or laundry. Everyone can benefit from a fluff and fold and fresh smelling sheets on a regular basis, as well as having access to Mom's cooking and free snacks. Not having to worry about buying groceries or cooking meals for yourself can take a load off. But don't be irresponsible - offer to help with the cost of groceries, or at the least, buy your own. You can also use the access to the stove and oven as a way to learn some cooking basics if you have been living in a dorm.

- Time to save money. Take the time that you are living at home and get a job - even if it's part time - and start saving money for your next move (you can't live there forever, you know). Several post - graduates live at home because housing is just too expensive in their market. You can take the money you are saving and put it toward paying rent on an apartment or toward moving expenses to another city. Don't take this time for granted - or you'll end back up where you started - again!

Drawbacks of moving home:

- Living with your parents again: While the amenities of living at home are great, it can also mean a loss of both independence and privacy from your parents. They may feel that since you are in their house, you are going by their rules. That means no dirty shoes left around the house or unwashed dishes - or in some cases, staying out all hours of the night. In addition, you have to realize that they have grown just as comfortable living without you as you have living without them - it's an adjustment for both parties.

- Awkward run ins with other people living at home: The one thing I truly hate about going home for an extended period of time is running into everyone I ever came in contact with during my life. It seemed like that I ran into at least five people every time I ventured outside of the house during Christmas vacation - and they are always full of questions! While your life's decisions are really none of their business, there is nothing wrong with being courteous and simply saying, "I'm taking time off before I make my next move." Address it and go on. Although, you may be able to reconnect with old friends who are in the same situation as you and use that time to hang out and try new things.

Ways to make the transition easier:

Negotiate an agreement with your parents: It doesn't have to be a formal, signed agreement, but agreeing to mow the lawn or feed the cat for them is more than fair. Don't be unwilling to help them out - they are doing you a favor.

Explore your old stomping grounds: Take time to get reacquainted with your old surroundings. The Dairy Queen where you used to go after football games may be long gone, but there are always new haunts popping up - it just takes someone who's curious enough to find them.

Take a road trip every once in a while: even if you are from the most rural place, there is a big city to be found - just hop in! Take the time to plan a fun weekend - find new restaurants, shops, and local attractions- you may even find a new place to call home.

Don't seem like a slacker - If you are living with your parents "just until you get a job", make the effort to actually search for one and send out resumes. This will show them that you are indeed making an effort to move on with your life.

For more info:

Here's an article on how to make the transition easier: Moving Back Home

Watch Failure to Launch, a movie starring Matthew McConuaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker that focuses on a family's plan to finally get their thirty - something child to move out.

Also recommended: Blast from the Past .

Read one of my favorite books: At A Crossroads by Kate Williamson. The author chronicles her move back home, which went from only lasting three months to nearly two years.

Sunday Blogroll

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Michael Scott's ugly demise from last Thursday.

*Stay tuned for this week's concluding stories on the "Life After College" series .

MSN Money informs us on 5 Money Moves That Make You Miserable .

Forbes.com reports that where you go to school dosen't matter - as long as you do something worthwhile with your degree.

Learn to appreciate eating dinner for $0.99 a meal

Take a moment to enrich you future and figure out how to not live on Ramen forever - even though I can't say I won't continue to partake in some after I make my first million!

Life After College Option 3: Graduate School

So I realized that these posts have become very lengthy... I am going to try to not blab so much and get to the point! This post is provided by Epinions.com

Graduate school can help give you a competitive advantage in the workforce. If you get a chance to go, seize it! You may not get the chance again.

For most students, the next step is to find a good job. But for others, there’s another important decision to make: whether or not to attend graduate school. But is graduate school really worth the trouble? Does the selection of colleges make a difference? What can be expected in graduate school? Is it much different from undergraduate education? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of attaining an advanced degree.

Deciding Where to Go:
If you are considering attending grad school, the first thing you need to do is to find a college that has a reputable program, in your chosen field of study. This might require moving to another city or state. Just because your undergraduate university had a great program in your selected major, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the graduate program will also be a solid, accredited program. You might very well end up having to relocate to another state, to get the best education for your dollar.

Once you have chosen a school to attend, you then must prepare for taking the graduate admission test (GRE, GMAT, LSAT, etc.) Another important consideration is whether or not you want to remain in your undergraduate field of study, or move on to something different. If you switch your course of study, you will have to take several more classes.

What Can I Expect in Graduate School:
For the most part, grad school is better. First of all, students seem to be more focused and more interested in the subject matter. At the undergraduate level, you are forced to take many “general education” requirements, whether you like the classes or not. But in graduate school, your courses are all concentrated in your field of study, so there is less chance that a class will bore you, and less chance that you will lose interest. Every class you take has relevance to your selected course of study.


Is Graduate School Really Necessary?:
Before you decide to enroll in grad school, ask yourself a few questions. Do you really need to attend graduate school? Is it important enough to invest the time and money to complete the degree? Will it make a significant difference in your chosen career?

Depending on your field of study, obtaining a master’s degree can make a difference in your career. Those who have undergraduate degrees in fields like psychology, pre- med, biology, etc., can give themselves a competitive advantage with an advanced degree. In other fields, like computer science, the job market is such that an advanced degree isn’t that critical. Also, if you want to teach, at the college level, you will greatly improve your chances for getting hired with a master’s degree.

Another way that a graduate degree can be helpful is that it can give you a much- needed boast, to overcome circumstances beyond your control and help you to compete in the job market. As most people know, the main reason that people get good jobs is based on who they know, not what they know. I was talking one day, to a person in my company’s human resources department and he admitted to me that the way to get places in the company is to have the right connections. “Without any high- ranking friends or family to help you”, he told me, “you’re best bet is to get more schooling, to help even the playing field”. In other words, if your dad is the company CEO, there’s really no need to get an advanced degree. The high- paying jobs will come to you with minimal effort. But without any family or friends in high places, a master’s degree can help to make conditions a little more equal.

If you decide to work and go to grad school part- time, then it’s a good idea to find out if your company has a tuition reimbursement plan. Most of them do, and this can greatly reduce the cost of your schooling, and possibly even make it free.

Graduate school links:

UA Grad School
GRE information
Grad Schools.com

Life After College Option 2: Get an Internship

An internship is the best way to learn as much hands on experience as you can in your profession of choice. Although some interns end up performing basic tasks, such as sorting the mail and making coffee runs (done that) others get the opportunity to work one on one with a person, and even participate in projects and other opportunities within the company (done that too!)

An internship can be what sets you apart from another job seeker in the future. If your employer sees that you have had previous experience in the field, he will be that much more inclined to hire you than someone who dosen't. It means that you aren't a complete amateur and are willing to do more.

Internships are great for getting your feet wet in a new profession. If you are interested in learning about a new career in, say, public relations but you're a business major, an internship can teach you the ins and outs of the job and leave you with at the least general knowledge about your field of choice. Even if you don't choose to work in that area, you have at least had the experience, which makes you a more well rounded person :-)

Upsides:
- great experience
- meet people in your field
- network

Downsides:
- can be long hours
- many are unpaid
- competitive

The best ways to find internships are through who you know. Anyone can fill out an application online, but if you can have someone vouch for your character up front, then it makes you look more reliable than someone on paper. Talk to friends and relatives who can get you a link to the internship you want. Does your cousin know a guy who used to work as a page at NBC? Call her! Does your mom know the mom of a girl who works as a reporter for Rolling Stone? Get on it!

However, on the same sites that can help you find jobs, you can also find internships. Just remember to type in "internship" in the Search line. Also, if there is a company and/or organization in particular you are trying to work with, you can go on their website and contact them directly.

For more competitive internships, the two key words are "early" and "persistent". Applying early WITH YOUR STUFF TOGETHER stands out as opposed to waiting at the last minute. The only drawback is that the waiting period is longer since you turned it in so early. Unless otherwise posted, there is nothing wrong with making a call to find out the "status" of your application once the due date has passed.

They key to making your internship last is to MILK IT FOR ALL ITS WORTH. This means take advantage of every networking opportunity, every opportunity to do actually big-person work, offering to get the coffee (pick up a doughnut too!), going to lunch with the staff, and even scheduling some one on one time with a person you admire. Make an impression, but don't make it fake.

- If you're lucky, your internship may have a job position open for you, or at the least an extended internship.
- Once it's over, SEND A THANK YOU NOTE TO YOUR COORDINATOR, and keep in touch with those you worked with; you never know when you need a recommendation, plus it's just courteous :-)

More internship help:

Wet Feet

The Intern Files

DC Internships

Happy Hunting!

Life After College Option 1 - Get A Job

So, in case you didn't know (or didn't bother to read the bottom of this blog), I'm graduating in May. This means I am done with the University. Finished. Outta here. Deuces!

But I'm not the only one! So for those of who who read yesterday's blog entry (I know you did!) it has just hit you that there are only seven weeks of school left and you have no clue as to what you REALLY want to do with your life.

This week, I am starting the "Life After College" series and am hitting you with a list of ideas to explore before shaking hands with our own next door neighbor, President Witt.

So, here goes...



Option 1: Get A Job.



Yes, the economy is in the toilet, but that dosen't mean you can't get paid. Several people are realizing that they aren't ready to tackle another stint in school or don't have the money are just aren't planning to go back period. So for those people who are ready to get into the real world, it's time to get a job.

The first thing to do in the process is to get your resume ready. We all have the little rinky dink one we did in high school or the one we wrote out on the back of our notebook that reads "Past Experience: Who Cares?" But it's time to get serious and get our resumes in order. Thankfully, the University has a Career Center right on campus. The center, located on the third floor of the Ferg, has consultants that will help you do resume critiques, mock interviews, and job searching. The website provides several helpful documents tailored to your major, including cover letters and guidelines on how to succeed after college.

After that, it's time to go job hunting. In this day and age, most would say that all of the available jobs are online. While there are several available, that is not always the case. A very good friend of mine who was a former Staff Assistant in Washington DC recommended going on "Informational Interviews." This type of interview is when you call up a company or organization you are interested in working for and ask to schedule a meeting for "a little of their time - no longer than twenty minutes." This gives you the chance to get in some face time with the staff and drop off your resume and discuss your future plans - even if they don't have any openings at the moment. The point is that someone who took the time to introduce themselves stands out a lot more than someone who forwarded a resume online. It's always good to put a name with a face. So for instance, if you wanted to work for a nonprofit organization that focused on children, you might call and set up an informational interview with The Ronald McDonald House to get a foot in the door. It works!

Of course, time is not always on our side, and for that we turn to our trusty job search engines: Monster , CareerBuilder , and (my personal favorite) Craigslist . On some of the sites, you create a profile and upload your resume so employers can find it faster. On Craigslist, it's up to the browser to follow the directions on the post.

Once you land your interview, it's important to look the part. This means the dreaded "s" word... a suit. Just a simple, black one with a white collared shirt is fine...as long as you project in your personality that you mean business. Business suits have become relatively cheap for both men and women these days - everyone from Target to TJ Maxx sells them for next to nothing.

Remember that most entry - level jobs don't pay much, so don't expect to make 100 grand out of the gate...unless you're just that in demand. Also, it may take time to find a job, so start as soon as possible.

For additional information, consider reading THE job hunter's bible, What Color Is Your Parachute? This guide provides need - to - know info on finding the right field for your interests, how to land a job, and how to keep it.

Have the Princeton Review help you find out What job is best for you

Get started composing an A+ resume.

Networking is just as important in getting your name out there. Consider joining LinkedIn, a professional networking site where you can make connections and find job opportunities.

And for goodness' sake, Send a thank you note!

Sunday Blogroll

Get ready for the new week - there are only seven more Mondays until Graduation!

Apparently it's true: money- or rather financial security is the key to happiness.

Watch what you Twitter - apparently you can Twitter yourself out of a job.

Hungry? Check out this blogger's series she did on recession dinners. Looks tasty!

Brush up on your recession vocabulary.

No matter how you ended up working at your current job, chances are you weren't fired from the last on by eating a tuna sandwich.

Spring Break...

it's ON, therefore I'm OUT.

Have a good one! I'll be back with new posts next week.

Entertain yourself with free TV from Hul8

Or download a free audiobook on Audible

Or you could plan your summer vacation on Fodors

Or find new songs to listen to by trying Pandora

Or... sit back, relax, and listen to your thoughs...

I will be watching the first season of this while catching up on my schoolwork...



Deuces!

Sunday Blogroll

Dress like Keira Knighley for under $100

Pamper yourself with these products found here all under $10

Research the difference between an IRA and a 40l K

According to Consumer Reports, Now is the time to buy computers and TV's at the best price

Got time on your hands over Spring Break? Try making this "ghetto pizza"

Credit Line Increase!

So, I hold two credit cards: one from Old Navy and one from Citi. The Citi card is the one I use the most, for gas and whatnot. The Old Navy Card I rarely use anymore, mostly because I'm never in that area. Today, I checked my account to make sure my online account payment had gone through, when I saw the button that said "Request A Credit Line Increase." I thought, "Hmm... maybe I will." It is a commonly circulated fact that if your credit line increases, your credit score goes up. However, that is only contingent on how much of the credit line you use. The lower your debt to credit line ratio is, the higher your credit score will be. Well, my credit card has never had more than oh, let's say $125 on it at any given time. When my original credit line was $500, that would have been 25%. When it increased to $800, it would have gone to 16%.

Long story short, I asked for - and was granted an increase - to $1100!

Yay!

I have read that your ration should be no higher than around 35%. But I am going to keep it as low low low as possible.

What about you? Have you ever asked for a credit line increase?

What would you do with an extra $100?

One of my favorite magazines, Real Simple asks a reader what they would do with an extra $100.

Here's my layout:

$25 - Sushi (and a generous tip) at Bento
$40 - a pedicure and brow was
$30 - coffee, a slice of cheesecake, and a new book from Barnes and Noble
$5 - a 3 pack of 5 gum and a Coke Zero :-)

What about you?

Sunday Blogroll

Need a reason to get to the gym? Apparently, skinny people are richer than fat people. Wow - REALLY?!

For those of you who say "I'm quitting school" at least once a week, you may way to hang in there a little bit longer

Graduating in May? Here are five tips for finding your first real job!

If you find yourself often staring blankly into your refrigerator, looking at the same box of baking soda and old celery, maybe taking the time to plan your meals could help you avoid that situation.

On that note, if bad times have left you reaching for Ramen , find a new best friend in this classic food staple.

Get excited - Spring Break is next week!

Get in the mood with this guy:

Sometimes, it's all about the little things...

In my ear: Gwen Stefani's debut album Love, Angel, Music, Baby. I found it this weekend at a CD store at home for...$5.99.

Ahh, life is good.

Someone's eating on like, five cents a day... again.

So, apparently the newest food trend is trying to eat on as little as possible. In her blog Less Is Enough Rebecca Currie is out to prove that you can eat just as nutritiously on $1 a day as you can un-nutritiously. She is surviving on a lot of carbs and grains and has lost some weight in the process, but has gained with it the frustration of eating on $1 a day, natch.

The more and more I read articles and blogs centered on this topic, my thought process has gone from "interesting" to "attention seeker." After a while, this isn't cute or triumphant anymore so much as it is just annoying. Really? $1? *sigh*

Would you go this far to prove a point? What do you think of such an extreme form of forced frugality?

Sunday Blogroll

See how this couple eats on Thirty Dollars A Week

Save money on Friday and Saturday and go cash only over the weekend!

If you're comfortable with that idea, maybe complete no-spending days aren't far behind.

Find out how a job at Starbucks saved one man's life.

Give your room a new look for Spring and decorate on a budget.