This will be a short post because there isn't much to say about Sumry except that it is AWESOME! The site markets itself as the way to get your resume noticed while allowing you to tell your entire story, not breaking yourself down into bullet points on a single piece of paper. There is one catch though -- the service is $3 per month and drops to $2 once you find a job. However, I would say that it is absolutely worth it! I had so much fun making my own Sumry and have since used it to apply to one job (I'll let you know later if it seemed to help or not). Having said that, I chose to submit my Sumry alongside my traditional resume rather than alone because I felt that both documents reflected different attributes of my candidacy for the job. Overall, Sumry is a great (and cheap!) service that could help benefit you in the job search, I would just be careful how you use it.
Ok so I admit that learning how to do your own taxes isn't exactly part of the job search. But, I can't be the only one terrified of the imminent day when I have to be able to do this on my own. I was kindly reminded of this fact after receiving an email reminding me that I needed to begin saving receipts in order to complete my tax return next spring. And I don't even have a job to make said taxable income yet! That said, it's best to begin figuring this sort of thing out now. I hadn't even thought about this part of post-grad life. These helpful tips have kick started my quest to understand taxes. I am planning to get a program (like TurboTax) to help me next year, but LearnVest** also has some great articles and tools, like the Ace Your Taxes Bootcamp, that I may also utilize. As a new graduate, there are some tax breaks (credits? deductions? I don't understand the difference yet.), like moving expenses, that I will be able to utilize. This is obviously going to be a learning process and I plan on continuing to research how to do my own taxes. Though, I can always go to H&R Block if I get in over my head. **If you are further along in your tax abilities, LearnVest has some great articles and tools to help with financial planning. One such tool is a 7 step program to help individuals improve their finances. The site seeks to help people become "financially fearless." I'd love to use this program once I get a grip on the essentials.
Strap in everyone... this may be a long post! The past few weeks of my job search have continued to be a whirlwind of decisions. Being a planner, I have been finding it very difficult to not know where I might end up next year. Without knowing my location, how could I plan my big move? Prepare for the cost of living and my potential budget? Or research local hot spots for the inevitable nights I go out for drinks with my coworkers? So, I have made the decision to narrow my job search to (drumroll please)... Charlotte, North Carolina. The decision came easy after learning my cousin planned to move to Charlotte and we quickly began discussing where we should live, what kind of jobs we both want, our hopes for our uncertain futures. But, the more I researched the city, the better I felt about my decision: Charlotte is listed as one of the best cities to find a job with a low cost of living. More bang for my buck! So how has this decision affected my job search? Inspired by a classmate, I decided to make a profile on CollegeFeed. The premise of the website is simple enough: make a profile (similar to LinkedIn), their staff will review it, tell you to make any necessary changes, and then if you are approved they will send your profile to hiring managers at companies which match your interests. The process was very helpful. By adding in the review process, something not provided by LinkedIn, I was pushed to ensure I was truly "telling my story" to potential employers. It's also nice to know I have at least one person looking at my information and sending it to companies that may be interested in my skill set. Full disclosure though, I made my profile before making the decision to narrow my job search to Charlotte. The good news? Many of the companies partnered with CollegeFeed are nationwide employers, so there is a possibility that something could be available in Charlotte. Regardless, I highly recommend CollegeFeed to aid college seniors in their job search! As you may have guessed by now, I am all over the place in my job search. Though I have narrowed by interests to business management, hospitality and event management, the opportunities within those fields are endless. So, I decided to begin looking into the many management training programs offered by numerous companies throughout the country. These programs are offered in many different industries and often employ some sort of rotational aspect in order to teach trainees the full spectrum of the company's jobs and duties. Once I came across these programs I decided to research more about the companies offering them. I found that a lot of the companies offering these programs have received recognition as some of the best companies for new college graduates. A very encouraging sentiment. A took a leap and applied for one these programs and within a few days I received an email saying I had been selected for a phone interview. The interview is scheduled for Monday and after researching more about the company culture and potential career growth, I am thrilled to be moving forward with the application process! Finally, last week I decided to step outside my comfort zone and reach out to a GW graduate alumni who works in the event industry in Charlotte. I decided to cold email her asking if she would be available for a short informational interview. My roommate, a business student, ensured me this is a completely normal and encouraged thing to do so I put aside my nerves, composed the email and sent it off. To my surprise, she responded the next day saying she would be happy to have a chat and we set up the phone call. Words cannot describe how nervous I was! I had never done something like this before and the anticipation was overwhelming. But, my nerves were unnecessary. The phone call went well and I learned a lot about the event planning industry from someone who had been very successful in such a career. I have never been happier with myself for doing something that made me uncomfortable. I am considering applying for an internship with her company, but have not yet done so. Overall, it was a busy few weeks for me. I am excited to see where all these steps take me next. If you made it this far into the post I am impressed! So here is a little humor to get you through your job search. UPDATE: As of March 30 I have decided to open my search back up to include markets outside of Charlotte, NC.
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