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Fashion Inspiration for Today
“Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.”
-Yves Saint Laurent
{All photos via pinterest}
Captivated by Kate
The moment I learned that Kate Middleton was the lucky duchess-to-be, I couldn’t help but notice how incredibly flawless she was. Her hair is the perfect shade of brown, her teeth the whitest of white, and her body looks like she just stepped off the Victoria’s Secret runway. But what I love most about her is her sense of style. She exudes elegance, and carries herself with dignity and grace. Hats off to you, Kate. I’m truly captivated.
That is one lucky man.
All photos via {People}
Street Style
These ladies keep it lovely, whether heading to work or lounging at home- but most importantly, on the street!
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Create your panel
This is incredible. I am creating my panel the minute I get home from work today. I encourage you to do the same. Create your panel and support an amazing cause here.
Happy Day
Happy, happy day. I absolutely love when the work days fly by. I literally caught myself saying “It’s already 11?… It’s already 1?… It’s 4?!” multiple times today. Even though it seems like I’m more rushed to get things done, it’s nice to not even think to look at the time. With so many projects and new processes at work, I’ve been nothing but busy. That’s why it’s important to get yourself involved with a company that is constantly growing, improving, and striving to do more.
It seems that I’ve finally picked myself back up and fallen into my trusty routine. It sure is nice when things finally fall together. Maybe it’s the weather and the fact that I was able to wear tights to work today (yipee!). Or maybe it’s because I finally found that contentedness I’ve been searching for. Whatever the case, I hope it’s here to stay.
Happy happy clam I am.
Enough about me. What would this blog be if I didn’t have some pearl of wisdom to share?
Check out Investopedia‘s 7 Job-Hunting Tips for 2011. I like these because I feel as though they relate better to recent graduates:
- Keep your social networking alive, well, and professional.
If you’ve been neglecting your LinkedIn account and playing Farmville instead, it’s time to switch gears and look at social networking as one more step in the successful job hunt. It’s fine to have accounts for personal social networking, but spend less time on those and lot more time on the profiles you have that relate to your past, current and future career. Get involved in local groups on LinkedIn, update your professional blog daily and follow professionals in your field on your Twitter account. A neglected or unprofessional social profile can hurt your job hunt, but a regularly updated and professionally focused social presence can open many doors. - Find a job with Twitter.
Twitter is useful for far more than to-the-minute updates on the personal lives of your favorite friends and/or celebrities. Twitter can help land you a new job. First, follow influential folks in your field. Keep up with what’s going on. Participate. Be part of the profession even if you’re still looking for a job. Second, use a Twitter search tool to look for jobs, conferences and networking opportunities with people in your field. Twitter can be just a time-waster, sure; but it can also be a way to connect with people in your profession, build relationships – and maybe even end up with the job you want. - Polish up your resume.
Social networking is a powerful way to get the contacts you need, but most often you’ll still have to send in a resume for those job applications. Don’t send an outdated resume in after you’ve updated your online presence. Make sure that both your resume and your online profiles are current and the best representation of your work experience and education. - Get active even (especially) if you’re unemployed.
Local connections are one of the most powerful ways to find a job; plus you’ll only get depressed if you sit at home in your sweats all day. Join local organizations, volunteer and get involved in your community. Use your expertise to help other people out. Offer free seminars in your church or community organization, write articles for the paper or mentor someone who’s new to the field. Staying up to date in your field and active in your community gives you something to say when those potential employers ask, “So what have you been doing in the last six months?” - Look for ways to be an expert.
If you’re a recent graduate looking for your first job, then that whole “work experience” section of the resume is often a painful subject. You may not be able to fill it up with years on the job, but do what you can to establish some expertise in your area. Attend conferences and seminars, take classes and get certifications. Write articles or author a blog. Interview professionals in your field; visit places that are relevant to your field; contribute to journals, blogs, papers, online groups and professional organizations.
- Check out your freelancing options.
Downsizing isn’t a word most of us like, but it does have one potential benefit. More downsizing means more outsourcing, which means that many companies are looking to hire freelancers on a contractual basis to do all those jobs that still have to be done. Search local classifieds and job boards for listing for freelance, temporary or contract jobs, which are predicted to keep growing in number in 2011. Sure, it may not be how you want to work long-term, but it can help you stay afloat financially, keep getting that work experience and establish more connections in your network. When those companies do start hiring, you’ll already be a name they know.
- Tap into your social network.
Don’t be reticent when it comes to letting people know that you’re looking for work. No, you don’t want to attack your friends and family members with a day-to-day account of your job hunting exploits, but simply mentioning that you’re looking for work in XYZ field can be helpful. Chat up strangers and you never know what kind of connections you’ll make. There’s a reason it’s called social networking. (The CFA Institute provides members with a variety of ongoing career and networking benefits.
The Bottom Line
Finding a great job is about more than practicing interview techniques, crossing your fingers, and hoping that your persistence really will pay off. It’s about using the resources at your fingertips, in your community, and in your network. Get smart with your job hunt in 2011, and you could be the one handing out tips for 2012.
Keep ‘em comin’ Texas and South Carolina!
I despise being the bearer of bad news. But let’s face it. Not everything can be good all the time. And someone has to do it.
The most we can do is embrace the negative while reminding ourselves to look for the positive. There’s a little bit of positive in everything if you search hard enough. If you can’t find it, take another gander.
On January 25th, the Labor Department stated that the unemployment rate rose in 20 states and fell in 15. It was unchanged in another 15 states. This rate is eerily close to the rate last November, which goes to show that the job market is barely improving, even though the economy is growing. Hiring is expected to pick up this year, but unfortunately the unemployment rate is likely to remain high.
Employers aren’t helping the situation either- as of last month, they have added little to no jobs. The number of jobs on employer payrolls fell in 35 states in December, while only 15 states have reported gains. Not looking too hot, huh?
On the bright side, good ol’ Texas and South Carolina reported the largest net job gains in December. Texas added 20,000 positions and South Carolina gained 9,000. Yep, you’re welcome!
It may be wise to steer clear of Nevada though. Due to the massive housing bust, they now hold the nation’s highest unemployment rate at 14.5%. California reported the second highest rate at 12.5%, followed by Florida at 12%. (I know, I was shocked by this as well.)
On the up-side, North Dakota had an extremely low unemployment rate in December, at 3.8%, one of the nation’s lowest! Nebraska and South Dakota weren’t far behind, with rates of 4.4% and 4.6% respectively.
Now, this isn’t meant to be a downer post. This is more of a what-job-to-choose-and-where-to-live realization post. Just because unemployment rates are extremely low in Nevada, California, and Florida doesn’t mean you won’t land a job there. Likewise, just because Texas and South Carolina added tons of jobs doesn’t necessarily mean landing one will be a piece of cake. You just never know.
In order to convert this message from a mostly negative one to a positive one, just remember one thing. While some states are suffering, others are not. Just be smart when it comes to which one you choose. Trust me, you’ll be happy you did.
Come on, economy. Show your new grads some love!
I can’t believe it is already mid-September. I feel like just yesterday it was August, and I was packing my life up to move to Texas. Not to mention the fact that I’ve been working in my new position for almost a month now! How wild is that?
After reading a large number of Yahoo articles, I found a few that were quite interesting. My focus for this post will be on the economic pain that was supposed to ease in July, yet didn’t. For the sake of your eyes and mine, I am mostly going to summarize this article because it can be quite confusing with its “fancy” AP Economic Stress Index. I haven’t lost you already, have I?
Who should read this post: Those of you still looking for a job because you may be looking in the wrong states! Read more below to understand why and where you should be looking.
First of all, this AP Economic Stress Index is basically a tool economists use to calculate economic stress for particular states by looking at three rates: unemployment, bankruptcy, and foreclosure rates. This index is on a scale of 1 to 100. So, just like in elementary school, a higher score means MORE economic stress. As a rule of thumb, a county is considered to be under economic stress if its score exceeds 11. (Hahaha)
For July, about 42% of counties were found to be stressed. If you’ve been looking at these states for job openings, you may want to think again and refine your search:
“Nevada, with a score of 22.1, was again the most stressed state. Put another way, 1 in 4.5 Nevadans in July was either unemployed, owned a home in some stage of foreclosure or had filed for bankruptcy. Rounding out the top five-most-stressed states were Michigan (17.44), California (16.88), Florida (15.94) and Arizona (15.41). (Trust me, I too was upset when I read this. Bummer.)
The healthiest state was North Dakota with a stress score of 4.24. Its score dipped slightly from June, aided by a lower unemployment rate. Next best were South Dakota (5.05), Nebraska (5.92), Vermont (6.29) and Wyoming (7.13).
The national unemployment rate remained the same from June to July, at 9.5 percent. So did the foreclosure rate (one in 62 homes) and the average state’s bankruptcy rate (1.2 percent).
The government stated the unemployment rate for August ticked up to 9.6 percent. Most economists say it will take years for the rate to drop to near 5 percent, where it was when the recession began in late 2007.
Economic stress fell mostly in the Western states of Alaska (7.96), Colorado (11.07), Montana (7.9) and Wyoming; the Plains states of Nebraska and North Dakota; and the Southeastern states of Alabama (11.73), Louisiana (9.17) and Tennessee (12.33). The main reason for the improvement was seasonal job gains.
The states that endured the sharpest month-over-month increases in stress were Michigan, New Jersey (12.79), California, Connecticut (10.71) and Rhode Island (13.44). These states have struggled with high unemployment and foreclosures.
The most stressed counties with populations of at least 25,000 were concentrated in California and Nevada. Leading the way, as it has for more than a year, was Imperial County, Calif.(34.28), followed by Yuma County, Ariz. (30.6); Lyon County, Nev. (26.89); Nye County, Nev. (25.66); and Merced County, Calif. (25).
The least-stressed were Ward County, N.D. (3.16), followed by Burleigh County, N.D.(3.68); Brown County, S.D.(3.9); Buffalo County, Neb.(4.16); and Ford County, Kan. (4.47).”
Economic conditions likely will stay static until after the November elections. Then, the stock market may respond positively to the results and kick-start the economy. Come on, economy. Show your new grads some love!
Information Credit: Mike Schneider and Martin Crutsinger
Photo Credit: http://www.somaticvision.com/img/apple_green.jpg
You’ve tried everything, now what?
Maybe finding a job just isn’t in the cards right now. You’ve done everything I’ve said on this blog (and more, I hope!), yet your fate is still undetermined… also known as unemployed. Don’t worry because that’s completely normal. I do believe that starting a career takes a lot on your end, but a lot of it may also be due to a little thing I call LUCK. I think my situation is a prime example because of a couple of reasons. I do attribute a lot of my success to the preparation I put in beforehand. I had started applying for jobs way early during my last semester of college. After not receiving a number of phone calls, I took a break and decided to enjoy my last semester as a college student. After I graduated, I restarted my job search. After getting a couple of offers, I realized that those particular jobs were not exactly what I wanted to pursue. Okay, now get this! The company I happily work for now was one I didn’t even apply for! Somehow, out of the millions of resumes and cover letters floating around in cyberspace, THEY found ME. So yes, I did prepare as much as I could to be a top candidate for any position… but in the end, I was lucky and fortunate to have been located on the internet and contacted for a position. 
So even if a career isn’t quite working in your favor right now, you still have another option. Yep, you guessed it! Graduate School. (By the way, I plan on going to Graduate School, I just think the picture to the right holds some truth.)
From medicine to education to business to law, going to a prominent institution for your Master’s Degree or P.h.D may be very beneficial to your future career (and your resume!) This article by Brian Burnsed from U.S. News & World Report really covers what a lot of recent grads may be feeling:
In the wake of 2008′s housing crisis and the recession that ensued, college graduates are finding it harder than ever to penetrate the job market. Many now find themselves competing against recently laid off workers who possess a decade or more of experience. Though it’s been nearly two years since the onset of the financial meltdown, the country’s unemployment rate still hovers near 10 percent. Rather than wade into such a treacherous job market, many have opted to try their hand at graduate school. Plus, many who were laid off are opting to apply to grad school either to enhance or change the direction of their careers entirely. The combination of these factors, plus changes in financial aid, has caused a precipitous rise in graduate school applications at many institutions. In 2009, for instance, Duke University saw a 33 percent hike in applications and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology saw a 15 percent jump.
Little has shifted at the top of this year’s rankings of major graduate programs. Harvard University once again took the top spot in medicine and tied Stanford University for first in business. Yale University continued its near two-decade-long streak as the nation’s best law school. Stanford not only tied for the top spot in the business rankings, but ranked highly among law schools, finishing third. Also making the top five in both categories is the University of Chicago, which moved from sixth to fifth in the law school rankings.
Harvard and Stanford also place in the top five in the rankings of schools of education. Vanderbilt University once again ranks No. 1 in this category. MIT repeats as the top-ranked engineering school, with the top five remaining unchanged from last year: Stanford, University of California—Berkeley, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign.
Also, this year, U.S.News & World Report has refreshed its rankings of Ph.D. programs in various scientific fields. These rankings, updated every four years, include biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, earth science, mathematics, physics and statistics. The California Institute of Technology headlines the new rankings, with top billing in three categories: chemistry, earth sciences and physics. Stanford also measured well against its peers in the sciences, having the top Ph.D. program in both biological science and statistics. Other schools that took the top spots in the new rankings are Carnegie Mellon University (computer science) and MIT (mathematics).
In an effort to add more color to our coverage of graduate programs, we’re introducing Q&As with admissions officials at business and law schools across the country. These features are designed to give potential applicants a chance to read how the schools describe, in their own words, what they look for in students and how to approach the application process on a school-by-school basis. The Q&As will feature schools of different sizes and in different regions across a wide spectrum of our rankings. This will give students of all backgrounds and varied interests more confidence as they take on the often daunting applications to these professional programs.
Photo Source: http://www.sfnewshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/gradschool1.png
Finance: Learn it, live it, love it.
Finances. We all know it isn’t fun, unless of course you majored in it. But even then, you probably still don’t thoroughly enjoy it. This article has been one of the most (if not THE most) helpful when it comes to financial decision making.
After countless hours of studying, late nights, final exams and some parties, it’s now time to head out into the “real world”… or at least that’s what everyone has been calling it as long as you can remember.
When moving on to the adult phase of your life, be sure to take care of your financial situation. Your actions now will have significant impact on how the rest of your life shapes up financially.
Many older adults look back and say the number one thing they wish they would have done differently was learned about money management while they were young. Here’s your chance to jump start your finances!
Financial Tips for New Grads
- Get health care coverage immediately. If it hasn’t already, your parent’s health care coverage will probably end with your graduation. Get a quote for an individual health insurance plan or sign up with your new employer’s plan. Going without coverage could have a devastating effect on your finances if you have a severe illness or accident. Make this the first thing you do… and don’t put it off!
- Get your own home and auto insurance. Now that you aren’t a student, you’ll need to get your own auto and renters insurance policies. Start by calling your current insurer, you might be eligible for a discount based on the length of time you’ve been with the company, but don’t forget to shop around to save on insurance premiums.
- Save money for your future self. Join the retirement plan at work. If you are young and your company offers it, you may want to explore the Roth 401k at work. In addition to your plan at work, begin saving money on your own for both retirement and other goals. Now may be the perfect opportunity to save a lot and use the reverse savings strategy before you have lots of financial obligations (kids, house, etc.)
- Start an emergency fund. Earmark some of your first dollars from your new job to build up a savings account to serve as an emergency fund. You never know when an emergency will hit, but it is inevitable.
- Learn about taxes. What? I know, this isn’t a fun one. However, hopefully you’re going to go from a poor college student to a highly paid worker. With that luxury comes higher taxes. Educate yourself about taxes, and you’ll be able to take advantage of incentives and deductions to cut your tax bill. Pay particular attention to the student loan interest deduction and the savers credit for retirement savings contributions.
- Begin payments on student loans. Begin paying your student loans right away. Your future self will thank you.
- Handle credit cards wisely. Use credit cards carefully to earn cash rewards. Always pay your balance in full every month. If you ran up some credit card debt while in school, begin paying it off aggressively. To save interest while paying it off you may want to transfer the balance to a 0% balance transfer credit card or explore other ideas in how to payoff credit card debt.
- Create savings goals. Before you commit your paycheck away, create savings goals. As a new grad, you may want to focus on retirement or a down-payment for a house.
- Spend money slowly. It can be very tempting with a new job to buy a new car and rent a fancy apartment. Not so fast! Wait a few months to see how your finances work out.
- Follow your heart. Did you meet the man or woman of your dreams at school? If so, and you are planning a wedding in the future, don’t forget to keep these money-saving tips in mind! Especially when planning a wedding or buying the ring!
This isn’t necessarily fun stuff, but it’s stuff you have to know. Keep things in perspective: at least now you won’t look like an idiot when filling out your tax forms!
Thank you to mydollarplan.com for this amazing article!
Photo Credit: http://jerryong.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/money-tree.jpg
