Living Frugally - Having Trouble Making Rent?

Yes the economy is bad and for those not having to deal with an over priced mortgage, they may find themselves finding it harder to pay the rent every month.  I found an article at one of my favorite blogs that offered up an interesting way to drum up some extra funds.  Throw a Rent Party!  That's right, get some good music, drinks, food, and sell tickets at the door and you got yourself a rent party.  This was a novel idea back in the 1920's and 1930's but hey that's when we were in our last Great Depression right?

How to Raise Rent One Glass at a Time [via Lifehacker]

More Than Just the Salary

For those new grads, or soon to be new grads, there is more to the job offer than just the salary.  Here are the other things worth considering:

Vacation/Sick Time

At a minimum, companies will ofer 2 weeks of paid vacation that needs to accured.  There has been a recent trend in certain industries such as biotech who are providing a starting 3 weeks of vacation.  The amount of sick time a company gives is also variable ranging anywhere from 4 to 10 days and can be either be combined with vacation time or treated seperately.  

Medical Insurance

It is important for any young new graduate to get medical insurance and if a company is offering you a job without one, which is now a rare occurence, I would walk away.  The details of medical insurance can get confusing so we won't get into the details but make sure you are covered for medical, dental, and optical.  

Retirement/401 K

Many companies provide retirement benefits for their employees and some even provide matching where for every dollar the employee invests, the company will put in a certain amount.  This matching can range anywhere from 1% to 100% up to a certain amout of your salary.  

Holidays

We all like time off during the year and like sick time, the amount of holidays is variable for every company.  It can be as few at 7 and can be as many as 14 depending on the company operations.  Companies also offer floater holidays where you can take certain days off during the year up to your choosing.  

Telecommuting/Flex Schedule

In order to keep employess happy, companies are allowing employees to work at home and have more flexible schedules.  An example of a flexible schedule is the 9-80 where you work 9 hours a day Monday through Thursday and you get every other Friday off.  

Weekly Internship Posting

Summer Internship

ABC - Hollywood, CA

Paid TV Research Internship

Sony Picture - Westwood, CA

Environmental Regulatory Internship

Bayer - Baytown, TX

Technical Support Internship

IBM - Austin, TX

Audit Internship

RSM McGladery - Dallas, TX

Student Blogger Roundup

Another week of great posts from Student Bloggers:

I always felt that anyone can improve their essay writing during the course of their life.

How to Write Better Essays [via Student Charade]

Hoping to figure out what you spend your money on?  Here are some good tips!

College Money Tip #1: Where it All Begins [via Poorer Than You]

Sometimes the dorm just doesn't cut it.

Our Deluxe Apartment in the Sky [via Stringless Kite]

Racking up too many minutes on your cell phone?  Here are some great tips on making calls and while saving money.

Cut the Cost of Calling Home [via The Student Finance Blog]

Have you always wondered what you would do after graduation?

Things I might do... Later [via I Write With Pictures]

Beyond the GPA

Applying for a job, internship, or graduate school is very similar too applying for college where your GPA is very important but it won't get you all the way either.  As job pools get more competitive, it will be more important than ever to diversify yourself as much as possible.  

Volunteering

Someone that is willing to put in their own free time to better the lives of another is a valued characteristic by any recruiter.  This is a great oppurtunity to give something back to the community while padding your resume.  

Clubs

Being active in any club on campus allows you too socialize, destress, and network with others.  The best part of clubs though is the leadership potential that it offers if you get involved at that level.  Being a leader of club shows management potential and some well rounded characteristics compared to a GPA score.  

Tutoring

If you can teach it, then you've really learned it.  The best way to gauge someone's understanding of academic material is the ability to teach others.  Many campuses provided tutoring oppurtunties to students who have exeled in certain classes and sometime even pay on an hourly basis.  

VOTE!

Red Sprouts is taking a day off today for the most important day of the year. I encourage each and every one of my readers who are registered to get out and VOTE!

Cooking at Home

Many college students waste money on a weekly basis eating out and not getting the nutrition they need to maintain their physical and mental well being. Let's face it, there is no healthier or economical way to eat other than at home assuming that you're not eating Ramen on a daily basis. This is a good article on how to get started eating at home more often. It may seem that eating at home is time consuming which it can be but with proper planning it does not have to be.

Learning To Eat More Meals at Home [via Get Rich Slowly]

Weekly Internship Posting

Finance Internship
Burger King Brands, Inc. - Miami, FL

Wildlife Management Internship and Naturalist Internship
Kellogg Biological Station - Augusta, MI

Fitness Internship
CHD Meridian Healthcare, LLC - USA

Finance Internship
Scottrade - Blaine, MN

Management Internship - Culinary
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts - Lake Buena Vista, FL

Student Blogger Roundup

Another great week of posts from Student Bloggers:

Need a guide for student cooking on a budget?
Student Cooking - The Guide [via The Student Finance Blog]

Don't ever cheat!
Cheater's Make me Sad [via Undead Journal]

You think your tuition is high? Check out this list.
Top 100 Colleges By Highest Total Cost [via Campus Grotto]

Why you should probably do more than just smoke pot!
Potheads Go Boom In the Night [via Tales From Your Favorite Resident Assistant]

Everyone should try something new.
I'm Tired of Going to Basement Parties [via Coffee_girl]

Networking 101

Everyone has heard this buzz phrase, "It's not what you know, its who you know" and it is a very true statement indeed. Your grades and major can only get you so far but networking with people can get you a step closer to the job and career you desire.

Why Network?

When you're finally in the work place you'll soon realize that you don't go walking around with your major and GPA tattooed on your forehead. Interacting with people at your company is an often over looked aspect of your job and it can either make or break your career. Same goes in college. The more people you get to know and get along with in the job industry the easier it will be to find a job. A recommendation from someone working in the company will go a long way.

Where do you Network?

As a college student, there are many opportunities to speak with professionals. Heck, most professionals come to you and actually are looking for the opportunity to talk to college students to get a sense of the next generation of their work force. Many academic student groups organize either career nights or an informational session where a professional comes in and talk about their careers. Look to your university's career services to put these events together as well. Career fairs are also a great place to speak with recruiters and if you start early, you'll get to know them real well by the time you're actually looking for an internship or a job.

How do you Network?

So you've finally gotten the chance to walk up to someone and start networking but you're thinking, what do I say without looking stupid? First and foremost, don't forget to introduce yourself. It's a simple way of getting the conversation going. Find out more about their job and talk about some the class projects you've worked on or what would interest you in a career. What you're going for is finding the right chemistry and hoping that they sense it too. If they offer you a business card and opens up the opportunity to email him or her in the future for career advice then you're in the prefect position to develop a relationship.

Granted not all networking situations work out and don't expect to get business cards from everyone you meet but stay determined and network as much as possible. You'll gain good experience learning to interact with people out of college and hopefully a leg up on everyone else.