The Importance of Networking and Social Media

Posted on August 3, 2012 by admin

Social media is a means for sharing information with, primarily, a broad audience. Anyone who has an Internet connection possesses the ability to create and send out information to the masses. Networking is an act of engagement between individuals who are linked to one another on a different level. Links may involve common interests, either personal or professional, but the communication is two-way. Back-and-forth communication forms the core of social networking. Through it relationships are built. Social media offers a means of transmitting messages; it simply delivers information “to” others.

The two-way communication of social networking enables strong, reliable connections. Social media, on its own, does not achieve this. It can take a lot of time and work to get individuals to communicate back through social media. This is not to say it doesn’t happen; it’s just that you will usually get a better response through social networking. So, even though social networking and social media may overlap, they are truly different. They should be used as separate tools to support your career development efforts.

The first step in developing your social network is to make a broad list of contacts you know. Obviously, the best place to start is family and friends, but it is important to not stop there. Next, go to classmates, co-workers, and colleagues — basically, anyone you have a connection with. Ever hear about someone getting an executive level job through the guy he got coffee from everyday? Such occurrences do sometimes happen. The barista knows someone who knows someone, and a link is made. Don’t discount a person just because he or she is not in your career circle. Expanding your social network does not mean using the computer. Of course you can use the computer as a tool, but just remember the difference between social networking and social media. The goal of building your social network is to use it to your advantage when researching information about a particular company or seeking employment. Use your network to gain leads. Remember that links do not have to be direct. Your neighbor’s yoga partner may have just opened a new company and need someone to develop their web presence. At times it can be that simple. The key is deciding to put the energy in to make it work.

To get your contacts organized, you can use a Rolodex card file or your home computer system. Many people list their contacts only on their mobile device or on their employer’s computer, but these tactics are not wise.

The hardest part of having a social network is, quite frankly, using it. It is a good idea to set some goals to use your network periodically to stay in contact either through phone calls or email and on special occasions. Most will use email, as it is the easiest, but remember not to follow what everyone else does. For example, if everyone is using evites, maybe you should do something a bit more personalized to stand out from the crowd.

Informational interviews offer another way to build networks, gain leads, and talk with professionals from your industry. Such interviews are with an employer, but not for any specific job opening. To do an informational interview, you first select organizations you are interested in. Do your research, and then contact them to see if they will grant you an opportunity to meet with them to learn more about the company. While there, you obtain important inside information about the organization and its practices, test out your interviewing skills, and add new contacts to your network.

When setting up your social network and developing your social media presence, you may run into questions regarding the division between the personal and the professional. There are a host of individuals who use social media outlets for both personal and professional purposes. Unfortunately, such mixing can lead to problems. Technology has led people to feel a constant pressure to be connected to what is going on in their personal circles at all times. However, the same thing is happening with professional circles. The smart approach is finding a balance between each and avoiding the pitfalls that commonly cause trouble. Many people convince themselves that they have social media outlets that are strictly personal and others that are professional. The truth is that media channels overlap, so this way of thinking will eventually cause problems, especially if social networking and social media are to play an active role in your professional career. It is better to understand what is at stake and use strict methods of staying in the middle of road. Only socialize in a manner that won’t lead to problems further down the road and which can be open to everyone. This is definitely a difficult issue to consider, but if you are serious about your career, it is important to develop an absolutely neutral image as it pertains to your social media presence. This way you do not have to worry about choosing sides or drawing a line between the personal and the professional.

One of the most popular social media tools for business is LinkedIn. It provides great ways to stay connected, broaden contacts, and answer questions. When setting up your profile, it is a good idea to use key words that will help people find you. LinkedIn keeps track of the number of times keywords appear in your profile. The more consistently you use your keywords, the better your ranking will be. With this in mind, you should use common keywords that people will use in a search to find you, especially in your headline right under your name.

At a minimum, you will want to complete your profile and summary in full. As you are putting together your profile, LinkedIn will tell you the percentage that you have completed. It is important to fill this out in its entirety. Do a search for other people in your industry to ensure that the industry keywords you selected for yourself will place you in a category among them. Also, if someone is trying to connect to you, they need to know your first and last name. You can give people an easier way to connect to you if you fill in the last name field of your LinkedIn profile using your last name and then your email address (e.g., LastName emailname@xzy.com).

If you are freelancing and are doing volunteer work or are playing an active role in a group that is industry-related, then it is a good idea to add all relevant projects or information and add in keywords for each of them. Getting recommendations for work that you have done is a good thing, if the sources are credible. If you don’t have any recommendations, don’t be afraid to reach out to individuals you feel can help build your professional presence.

The goal is to set up social media channels so that you maximize their benefits without investing a huge amount of time. If you do not take enough time to set them up properly, leaving your profiles with poor functionality and little depth, then you really can’t expect to get a whole lot out of them. What’s worse is when potential employers gain the wrong impression about you when they view your profile. It’s also a good idea to do a web search of yourself, since employers can easily do a similar search. If what comes up does not reflect on you in the way you’d like, then you might consider taking steps to improve the situation.

In sum, invest the time needed to clean up and strengthen your social media presence so that it reflects your professional profile in an appropriate manner and allows you the ability to cast a large net, build relationships, and seek out opportunities.

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Interviewing Skills and Negotiation

Posted on July 27, 2012 by admin

When it comes to interviewing skills, you will hear the word preparation over and over again. It can at times get used so much that it loses its impact.

For the most part, all interviewing guidelines are pretty much in line with each other:

  • Know the company, their needs, your role, and why you want to work there.
  • Know your goals, strengths, and accomplishments.
  • Be familiar with and practice answering standard interview questions.
  • Be familiar with the process of salary negotiation.

If you have been granted an interview, this means the prospective employer most likely has weeded out most of the applicants. Their main focus, of course, is to see if you “fit” their needs. The situation is hard for you, the applicant, because in most cases you don’t know what those needs are. Everyone offering advice may be shouting the word “preparation” from their rooftops, but the majority of interviewees go into interviews still looking like deer in the headlights.

Breaking the preparation factor down to the core is about knowing who you are and, as much as possible, knowing who your interviewers are. You may be thinking, “I understand this point and am fully prepared.” The honest truth, though, is that most don’t understand. If they did, then you would not see so much written about the subject of preparing for interviews. You would also not see the overwhelming number of stories about individuals who have blown their interviews. That said, there is good news in knowing that this sorry trend will most likely continue. If you are one of the ones who actually prepares for interviews and hones skills, then you will be somewhat ahead of the curve.

Remember that you should do the following to prepare for an interview:

  • Know your personal brand and use your self-promotional material to support it.
  • Master the art of communication and use it to make meetings work.
  • Determine how to be a solution provider for your prospective employers.
  • Give people what they want. Make your interactions about them in order to get what you want.

Over these past modules, we put you in the driver seat and dove deep into the subject of who you are, who you want to be, and how you are going to get there. Your professional career will be a journey, and the work you do along the way will provide the means by which you continue growing. The goal is to stay in control and enjoy the ride. The interview really is just a test drive. Think about driving a car. You aren’t just given a license. You first study the rules of the road. Then, through a form of education, you learn how to drive and prepare for the big test drive. For all intents and purposes, that test drive is an interview to see if you are qualified to meet the requirements of the road. Those who prepare and pass the test drive are better prepared for success.

For many individuals, the topic of negotiation centers on salary. Most job seekers use salary guides to determine a salary range before going into an interview. They determine the salary they need to make in order to live and keep a slightly higher number in their mind. Prospective employers have usually settled on a salary range before granting anyone an interview. Because the salary range has already gone back and forth internally for approval, it most likely is set and won’t change for anyone being interviewed. However, prospective employers may not have decided upon a set figure within the salary range. Negotiations usually involve job seekers trying to sell themselves into the higher end of the salary range.

During an interview, try not to worry too much about the issue of salary ranges. Move all that stuff to the back burner. Take advantage of the interview opportunity, and put all your efforts into the conversation with the prospective employer. Focus on your people skills, and use the techniques of persuasion to convince the interviewer that you are the right one for the job. If you are successful, there will be a point at which the prospective employer will disclose their offer. Typically, the offer will be close to the lower end of the approved range. The ball will then be somewhat in your court, and you have several options.

First, determine how the offer squares with your pre-determined salary needs. If the offer meets those needs, then you can either accept or push for a higher range. You might think: Why settle? Push for more. Before making that decision, you should consider how much you want the job. If the salary offered surpasses your requirements, you may want to agree to the lower salary offer for a couple of reasons. First, you most likely will be competing against other applicants for the position. If you are indeed qualified and also comfortable with the salary terms, it may work to your advantage to accept. Your stance may set you apart from others who may be pushing for higher terms. If all applicants being interviewed have qualifications on par with one another, you may get the job because you are simply saving the company money. Second, assuming that your interests in the company are career-focused, discuss long-term growth potential. If you are confident in your abilities, then the initial salary won’t really matter. Your goals are more for the long-term anyway. The job is the opportunity you need to get where you want to go.

There is a monkey wrench that can be thrown into the above scenario that you should be prepared for. A prospective employer may do a preemptive strike and ask you first what your salary expectations are. Such a move is actually quite smart on the part of prospective employers. They are trained to do it so that they can see what you are thinking and thereby weigh their options. In some cases, you may give them a salary range far less than they were thinking. On the flip side, you may present a range that is unreachable for them, in which case they may choose another applicant over you. If you are invited to share your salary expectations, be sure not to sound cocky when answering and act as if you knew the question was coming.

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Effective Communication During Job Search

Posted on July 19, 2012 by admin

By ACS.org Staff

Adopting techniques that optimize your ability to communicate will help you with everything from getting your foot in the door with an employer to selling your capabilities in interviews to pitching concepts and landing projects. In other words, effective communication can pay huge dividends.

Projects involve many individuals. If you are in charge you will have two huge responsibilities: managing the project and managing the communication between all parties associated with the project. The latter is often more difficult. It requires back-and-forth communication with non-experts, executives, and others, many of whom may not understand the process involved in taking a project from concept to completion. Some individuals, depending on their position and role, may misinterpret messages or, worse, cause a project to fall off course. This is a common frustration among artists. At times artists feel as if they are spending more time explaining their efforts than doing the actual work for the entire project. Understanding this challenge up front and taking steps to be proactive in communicating effectively will improve overall efficiency and save a lot of time in the end. Even though such proactive steps may require an investment of time, they will help to keep everyone on the same page.

Effective communication typically involves:

  • expressing yourself well
  • understanding feedback
  • controlling situations

Bear in mind that the people you come in contact with may come from all around the world. In such situations, language and cultural challenges are likely to surface. Even more challenging are emotionally tense situations that result from individuals communicating in a written style that parallels their personality and matches the way they speak or feel. Personal style is best saved for in-person meetings or phone calls; its use should be carefully monitored in written form. Start out by simply choosing your words carefully. Many written styles or tones can be used to effectively covey ideas; but clumsy, weak, or rushed expression can bog things down and distract intended readers.

Ineffective communication is mainly caused by:

  • wordiness
  • inappropriate words
  • the use of jargon
  • vague or negative expressions
  • condescending statements
  • a lack of detail
  • inattention to the reader
  • lack of commitment
  • spelling errors

A good rule of thumb is to always consider your readers. It sounds obvious, but communicators often get caught up focusing on themselves. Work to communicate in a clear, concise manner that does not leave readers scratching their heads. All too often people clog their emails with meaningless jargon, thereby erecting barriers to communication. Organize your ideas in an appropriate flow using a structure that readers can follow.

Choose words and figures of speech that keep readers comfortable. You don’t want readers to misinterpret your message. Nonstandard expressions sent by email, for example, tend not to transmit personality effectively. If not handled carefully, they can easily lead to problems. Always, under all circumstances, write with warmth and in a professional manner as one human to another. Even when you receive messages that are poorly constructed or use negative forms of expression — and you will — never lose your cool. Don’t engage the negative. Maintain your level of professionalism. Find the core of the issue buried under all the jargon and respond in a manner that can connect with the reader and diffuse the situation. Nine out of ten times, focusing on the issue at hand rather than engaging negative comments will resolve the situation.

It goes without saying that spelling is a fundamental skill that should be learned at an early age. Many individuals — and you know who you are — lack a sense of the importance of spelling. Modern society and advanced technology have provided tools to help ensure that words are spelled correctly. But this state of affairs can also be a pitfall. Most technologies do not retain the ability to spell words correctly on their own. Messages are constantly sent out riddled with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Effective communication has thus declined in the digital age. Abbreviations and misspelled words show up in cover letters, résumés, and proposals. While such usage may be deemed acceptable in some social circles, they will seriously damage your efforts in the professional world.

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ACS Offers Resume Development Tips

Posted on July 18, 2012 by admin

When it comes to résumé development, there is so much opinion out in the world that it is hard to know where to begin. With this in mind, it is best to start with the basics and go from there. The main purpose of a résumé is to get an interview, so the main priority is to make sure the content contained in the résumé is the best it can be. Within the creative industry, many individuals consider the aesthetics to be more important than the information on the page. However, this opinion is akin to the suggestion that a meal’s presentation on a plate is more important than its taste. Trust in the fact that if a meal tastes bad, the person eating it is not going to care about the quality of its presentation. Have you ever been served beautifully presented sushi that was not fresh? Not a pretty picture. So take a look at your current résumé. Remove the aesthetics and take a closer look at the substance you are communicating. Does the content do the following?

  • focus on accomplishments
  • highlight strengths
  • use recognizable keywords
  • make use of formats designed for search engines
  • allow for customization according to who it is sent to
  • capture additional related skills and affiliations

The bottom line is that if you are sending out your résumé, it is going to wind up in a stack, in some cases with hundreds of others. You want to ensure that you do all you can to set yours apart from other applicants’. But be careful. This is usually the point at which some individuals confuse doing something that sets them apart with doing something outside of the box. Such confusion typically leads to résumés being tossed into the garbage. If you add things like, “I’m an avid omnivore” to stand out, the tactic may work, but not in the way you intended it to. There are literally hundreds of examples of this kind of thing, but 99 percent of them do not work out in your favor. If you want to be taken seriously, then use content that reflects you as a professional. Even if you think the main contact would appreciate seeing unique conceptual approaches or word play, keep in mind that in most cases your résumé will get filtered by more than one person. Chances are that not everyone will appreciate the set up. It is imperative to look over your content in raw form and evaluate its strength on its own. If it does not have the overall depth you feel it needs, then question yourself about why. Be honest about what you are lacking, and use the knowledge you’ve gained in past modules to make it stronger. This does not mean to fill your résumé with fluff. It means taking a closer look at all the materials you created to define your career path up to this point and determine what you can do to add the depth needed in a manner that reflects your professional strengths.

Sending out résumés in PDF format is becoming more and more acceptable. However, PDFs aren’t accepted everywhere. If you are sending one, never scan the document. Scanning basically involves taking a picture of the document; the process does not allow the software to search for keywords. When exporting a PDF, make sure you embed the fonts. The truth is that Word file formats, even though not too popular with creative individuals, are still the most widely accepted for résumés.

At this point, you should be focused on just two things:

  • the strength of the content within your résumé
  • maximizing the overall reach and acceptance of your résumé through its format

Now that we have the résumé nuts and bolts in place, we can consider the aesthetics.

A résumé displaying no sense of creativity can be just as damaging for a designer as one with poorly constructed content. This is especially the case when the individual goes on and on about a passion for creativity. Even though creative extremes are not needed, designers should use a smart grid, an easy-to-read font, and a balance between content and white space that enhances communication.

With regard to fonts, please keep in mind that even if you are able to read 6-point type, the person receiving the résumé may not be able to. It’s probably best to have someone not close to your résumé project take a look at the legibility of the type. At times creators can become too consumed by the work to judge point size from an outsider’s perspective. Most of these issues — we’ll call them challenges — mark where artists push back, but working around them ensures your creativity is appreciated. A content-rich résumé that is easy to read and uses creativity to support the overall flow is going to benefit you.

When you are working in the field of design, you will learn that most challenges have to do with adhering to guidelines which you feel will affect the quality of your work. Welcome to the professional world of design! Most successful artists first study the guidelines, rules, formats, budgets, or whatever they feel is confining their approach. They then use their creative ability to not only adopt these limitations but also handle the execution in a way that allows their efforts to stand out in positive ways.

You may be thinking, “Hey, this is just a résumé.” But think about the majority of the résumés you have seen on the Internet or elsewhere. There are beautifully laid out designs that offer no depth of content; and, at the opposite extreme, there are résumés packed with content that have no style. Make your résumé one of the few that satisfies both needs.

On a side note, if you are meeting someone in person, always bring a printed version of your résumé, even if you have emailed it before the meeting. The interviewer often will not have it printed it out when you arrive. If he or she has printed it out, your résumé may, quite frankly, look different than you intended it to, depending on his or her printing equipment. In addition, you should be taking advantage of the emotional effect a good printed piece can have when printed properly. Don’t use generic copy paper. You deserve better than that. There is nothing worse than meeting someone who has been honing their craft for years only to present their résumé to the interviewer on garbage paper. Most artists typically have huge respect and love for ink on paper. It’s really odd that some choose not to hold their professional documentation to that same high standard.

Lastly, and with much love, this statement needs to be shouted: USE SPELL CHECK! You probably just rolled your eyes and said this does not apply to me, but so did the individuals that had their résumés tossed in the garbage due to needless errors. If a contact name, title, or company name is spelled wrong, it’s over. Before sending out your résumé, it is a good idea to get a second pair of eyes to double-check your spelling.

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Job Search Strategies

Posted on July 18, 2012 by admin

The previous modules have provided guidelines to help you map out a direction for your individual career. Combining that knowledge with the tools needed to get your foot in the door will enable you to target career opportunities. Whether that opportunity is in a specific location, position, or company type, you have the tools needed to find them. You possess the knowhow to research them and gain an understanding of their business needs. By understanding their needs, you can determine how to become a solution provider for them and gain the edge needed to get ahead of other job seekers. It sounds simple, but the majority of individuals don’t do it. Ever wonder why when 500 hundred people apply for an open position only 20 people get interviewed? That is because over 90 percent of applicants don’t prepare properly. Don’t let yourself be one of the 90 percent who get tossed aside. A huge number résumés are thrown away due to spelling errors. The people who make the mistakes think the same thing that you’re likely thinking right now: No, that doesn’t apply to me. But yes, it really was them. They did not double-check their work, and guess what? They are not going to get to interview for the position they sought. Often, this lesson goes in one ear and out the other, but don’t let it happen to you.

Finding a job takes time, so don’t get discouraged. It is important to take advantage of all opportunities including:

  • job searches engines and classified ads
  • online jobs and job fairs
  • listings, resources, and directories

The important thing is to take advantage of all avenues. But be sure not to lose control. Using a variety of job search methods is definitely more effective than simply relying on only one or two methods. However, avoid situations in which you are simply responding to every offer with no strategy whatsoever. Job search time is just that: time. Make the most of it. Nothing is more irritating for an employer than calling an applicant just to find that he or she has no recollection of even applying to the organization. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know how that situation ends. Percentages can work. Say you spend 60 percent of efforts on targeted avenues, 15 percent on social media efforts, 15 percent on networking, and 10 percent on untargeted positions. You can determine the right mix. You don’t have to be rigid with the percentages, but at the same time you need to maintain your focus and not lose sight of your goals.

Reinvented recruiting technology should also be factored into your job search. Be aware that search engines and spam filters can prevent intended recipients from seeing the written information you sent them. Prepare your documentation carefully, keep track of who you contact, and follow up.

The Internet is obviously hugely popular when it comes to job searches. It puts millions of jobs at your fingertips. However, it puts those jobs at everyone else’s fingertips as well. For this reason, the Internet can get both a good and a bad rap. The trick is to really just know how to use it properly.

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Researching Career Opportunities

Posted on July 17, 2012 by admin

Successful research starts with three basic steps:

  • identifying key employers you want to work for
  • researching them and seeing if they are a good fit for your chosen career path
  • contacting them

This sounds straightforward, of course, but don’t confuse the goal with the process. The goal is to simply identify an employment opportunity, understand what the employer does, and find out who you need to contact to get hired. The process is a different story. It requires you to spend a great deal of effort conducting quality research, which involves gathering information on the employer’s:

  • products, services, history, and culture
  • mission, goals, financial statistics, and organizational structure
  • employment issues, work environment, advancement opportunities, and benefits

Do not just rely on a company’s website for information! Thorough, quality research involves:

  • identifying contacts within the occupation, job, or employer
  • identifying outside contacts who have a connection to the occupation, job, or employer
  • researching ahead of time and being well versed in what an employer does before speaking with them
  • understanding the industry associated with the occupation you are pursuing
  • talking with people currently working in the field
  • making connections through letters, by phone, or in person
  • studying appropriate attire for the occupation, job, or company
  • using a editable, styled résumé and tailoring it to the specific occupation, job, or company
  • always trying to get referrals
  • joining a club related to the industry in which you want to develop your career
  • seeking volunteer work in the industry
  • using your college’s career services office to find leads
  • using new contacts to continue to build your network

The quality of your research and the time you spend on it can make or break your job search. Strengthening your research skills will help you not only with your job search but also with many other situations in the future. When it comes to job hunting, knowledge is power. Any potential employer is going to value an applicant who, in addition to demonstrating interest in and enthusiasm for the organization, has invested time in understanding them, their business model, their industry, and the ingredients of their success.

Log on tomorrow for “Job Search Strategies”.

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The Job Market: Perception Versus Reality

Posted on July 15, 2012 by admin

When it comes to the job market, many individuals realize that an inability to find employment or project opportunities has little to do with their level of experience or interviewing skills. Yes, in a tough job market new-hire positions are hard to come by. But at the same time, it is important to understand that there is constant opportunity for work. The reality is that even if the job market as a whole has shrunk, people come and go out of positions each and every day. Positions open up every day. You have to look at yourself as the one person who will rise to the opportunity.

Ask yourself: Are there reasons you don’t deserve a job? Is there something wrong with your attitude, attire, talent, or personal drive? Do you not have something to contribute to a company? Do you understand how best to become a solution provider for the companies you wish to connect with and work for? If you answered no to the first three questions and yes to the last one, then you have what you need to provide an edge and get ahead of the competition. Believe in yourself, do the work, and trust that opportunity will present itself. But you need to be honest about the work. Many will talk the talk but not put their best foot forward. The information shared in these modules is meant to provide direction and help you avoid common pitfalls. The goal is for you to identify skill sets that bring your talents to the forefront, control your career direction, and find professional fulfillment.

Think about the following complaint that people express all too often: “I want to see a movie, but there are no good movies out there.” But is this gripe really valid? Let’s play out the logic in an imagined conversation:

Person 1: What about a comedy? There is a new one that just came out.

Person 2: Yeah, but I don’t care for the lead actor.

Person 1: Okay, then what about the new epic adventure?

Person 2: Yes, I definitely want to see that, but isn’t it over two and a half hours long.

Person 1: Well, what about that other film that is winning all the awards?

Person 2: That would be cool, but the theater is way across town.

Person 1: The only other one I see is the new one that just came out?

Person 2: Hmmm. We could do that, but it is probably going to be crowded. Plus, I don’t think it’s worth paying theater prices. I’ll just wait for the rental.

Person 1: You know what? You are right: There are no good movies out there.

The point of this story is simply to highlight how what one thinks is happening can be very different from reality. In this case, there are always movies to see. You may not believe there is anything that fits your personal needs or desires at a given moment, but that does not mean that the opportunity does not exist. The same is true for jobs. The fact of the matter is that even though it may be hard to find a good job, it does not mean that the jobs don’t exist. If finding one were easy, then everyone would have one.

The tools you will use to get your foot in the door include:

  • résumé
  • website
  • portfolio
  • social networking
  • company research

Check back on Monday for advice on “Company Research.”

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Looking For a New Career? Consider Teaching

Posted on July 2, 2012 by admin

Good teachers are always in demand. If you are considering teaching as a profession, you will find a wide spectrum of opportunities. These may involve either a full-time or a part-time commitment. Teaching positions can offer great flexibility, with class schedules available on a daily basis, in the evenings, or on weekends. Some positions are seasonal. Some involve the classroom environment, while others make use of video or the Internet. Choosing where, what, and whom you want to teach can open a range of options as well.

Why not consider a career in Education? Courtesy of iStockphoto image by Nancy Louie

People choose to enter the teaching profession for a variety of reasons. Some enjoy working with others. Some have a passion to educate and thrive on exercising their ability to convey knowledge. Some wish to pursue academic interests. Others relish the flexibility.

Those who want to teach but do not have standard certifications may find opportunities at independent schools that don’t require any certification. Many design professionals pursue these opportunities to share their industry knowledge and experience with students and gain supplementary, part-time work.

When examining potential teaching positions, be sure to evaluate the commitment requirements for the position, the subject, the grade level, and the facilities. By broadly exploring such factors, you can better pinpoint a teaching position that fits your talents and complements or shapes your career.

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U.S. Senate Reaches Deal to Keep Student Loan Interest Low

Posted on June 26, 2012 by admin

The United States Senate has reached a deal that would allow for the Government to Subsidize student loans at the low interest of 3.4 percent instead of the normal rate of 6.8 percent.

The deal will cost about $6 billion, but would offer a tremendous amount of savings for student who take our government subsidized loans.

The Washington Post reports:

The extension would be paid for by raising premiums for federal pension insurance, an idea acceptable to businesses because rules will also be changed on how companies calculate their pension liabilities. The pension proposal came from [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid.

Meanwhile, part-time students would be limited in the number of years they can receive subsidized loans, a suggestion from Republicans.

Senators said they must now decide whether to link the student loan deal to a two-year measure to extend highway funding, which also expires July 1. Talks continue over the bill.

 

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List of The Most Unhappiest Jobs in America

Posted on June 26, 2012 by admin

CareerBliss.com recently release its latest list of the most “Unhappiest Jobs in America,” based on information from over 100,000 employee reviews between the months of February 2011 and January 2012.

Here’s the list:

1. Security Officer

Most people cited a lack of reward and career growth for the lack of happiness.

2. Registered Nurse

Nurses cited compensation, growth opportunities, and workplace culture as the three things they are most dissatisfied with.

3. Teachers

Teachers are the least happy with compensation, growth, opportunities, and the company they work for.

4. Sales Engineer

Sales engineers’ biggest gripes were a lack of growth opportunities, their company’s culture, compensation and support.

5. Product Manager

Product managers voiced unhappiness with the range of growth opportunities, compensation, company culture and support.

 

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