Low GPA Job Searching Alternatives

With the job market where it is, job searching is going to become more difficult and if you have a low GPA (<2.5) you might want to try these alternatives:

Alternative GPA

Your overall GPA may be low but you could report other statistical information that might be higher such as your Upper Division GPA or your Major Core Class GPA. Though this does not reflect your total GPA it may be worth a talking point with a recruiter if you find these alternative GPA's to be higher than your total. Just remember to state what kind of GPA you're reporting on your resume.

Going Back to School

If your alternative GPAs don't fair much better than your total GPA you might think about picking up some classes at a local Junior College to help bolster your GPA. Though this takes more of your time and effort you can use this as an opportunity to take classes you wish you had in college or even get a certification that could make you stand out more as a candidate.

Temp Agency

Companies who are cutting back still need certain positions to be filled on a temporary basis but do not want to invest in a full-time employee. These positions could be available to you through a temp agency and could possibly turn into a full-time position with that company assuming the timing is right and you meet their needs. Treat this is as a paid internship as you get to work at different companies while still getting on the job training though not all the company perks or beneifts.

Take a Step Down

Not being able to find a job in your major is very frustrating but when times get tough you may want to think about being flexible and taking a position one step below. However before you make a decision like this, verify with the employer that there is an opportunity for you to be able to move around and finally get to the position you want. I have heard many times of engineers taking lab technician positions being stuck and having too leave the company. They learned valuable information about the industry but felt they needed to apply what they learned in school.

A Great College Credit Card

As a followup to finding the right plastic, I ran into a great website that reviews every conceivable credit card out there. I have been searching for a website that does in-depth reviews for quite some time and have found this site to be very informative. So informative in fact that it even had reviewed a great credit card for college students. The Citi mtvU Platinum Select Visa card is a great card as it awards for paying on time and even GPA scores. I would recommend this card to any college student looking to apply for a credit card for the first time. You can find the review for this card via the link below;

Citi mtvU Platinum Select Visa Card Review [via AskMrCredit]

College Loans Drive Careers

Since the state of our national economy has been of great importance lately, I felt it was appropriate to post an interesting article in regards to how college loans are affecting the way students are choosing their career paths.

High student loan balances are a factor in post-college decisions. Recent grads report that:

• 40% took a job offer that offered higher pay, but less career satisfaction, in order to help pay off their student loans;
• 47% say that their student loans impacted their decision to pursue a particular career
• 88% said they had to make sacrifices in their budget because of their student loan payments; 23% sacrificed continuing education or graduate school

I find it unfortunate that students are being forced into choices about their careers based on financial reasons alone and not what their passion is. I would recommend anyone in this situation to read Kiplinger's guide on How To Pay Off Student Loans as not to force you to make certain career choices.

Recent College Grads Say Loans Driving Careers [via Austin Business Journal]

Student Blogger Roundup

Another week of great posts from Student Bloggers:

Sometimes when we study for an essay exam we forget the physical fitness required to write in those wonderful blue books.

Writing?!?! Like With Pen and Paper? [via Relatively Journalizing]

Got some free time in college and strapped for cash? This is a great list of ways to make some extra spending dough.

Business Ideas for College Students [via Surviving Joblessness]

Attending office hours are a great way to keep your grades up and rebound from recent test failures.

5 Reasons Why office Hours are Your new Best Friend [via Surviving College Life]

Completing a PhD dissertation is a huge accomplishment and always worth mentioning.

Dear Dissertation Diary [via Out of the Basement]

Last but not least is the Student Bloggers HP giveaway. There's nothing better than winning a package of great electronics.

HP Freshmen 15 Giveaway [via Student Bloggers]

Getting Good Sleep

Getting good rest is a vital part of being energized and focused every day to tackle studying, club activities, and any other errand you have to run. I ran into a great list of ways to get better sleep and I'm glad it pointed out the Power Nap method. The Power Nap is a great way to get a boost of energy without wasting too much time sleeping or money on energy drinks. I use this method whenever I feel sluggish but still have a lot of work ahead of me.

Top 10 Ways to Sleep Smarter and Better [via LifeHacker]

Staying Focused in Class

Let's face it, lectures are boring but paying attention is important towards doing well in any class. I have been guilty of nodding off, spacing out, and even skipping classes and I did horrible. When I finally realized that I needed to deal with my academic probation I knew that staying focused in class was vital part of being being successful in classes.

Taking Notes

If you find yourself just nodding away when the professor is lecturing, I would recommend taking notes regardless if the notes are posted online. Writing notes forces you to pay attention to your professor and keeps you awake in class. Additionally, you may pick up on material that aren't on the posted lecture notes and could find itself into a midterm or final.

The Front is for Achievers

People say that the front of the class are for nerds but I say the front are for those that want to excel and pay attention in class. If you really want to catch some sleep in a class you'll find a group of companions in the back, trust me I've been there. Sitting in the front of the class puts the pressure on to stay awake. You don't want the professor spotting you sleeping so it'll be harder for you to not pay attention. This is an even more effective method with small class sizes.

Leave the Laptop at Home

With so many distractions on the internet how can you possibly stay attention in class. Just by browsing the endless lecture halls on campus you'll notice that most people that have their laptops with them during lecture are either surfing the web, IMing their friends, or playing solitaire. The pen and paper is your friend when it comes to note taking so leave the heavy laptop at home and save your back some trouble.

How do you focus in class?

Weekly Internship Posting

Paid Business Internship
Mountbatten Internship Programme - London, UK

Summer Internship Job
Department of State - Washington D.C.

Internship
American Diabetes Association - Austin, TX

Quality Internship
Abbot Labratories - Lake County, IL

Internship
A-Line Pictures - New York, New York

Student Blogger Roundup

Another week of great posts from Student Bloggers:

I have made the mistake of sleeping through a college midterm before and I must admit it was a traumatizing experience. My advice? Set a clock radio and your cell phone. It also nice to coordinate with other dorm mates to wake each other up if you have the same exam. I Slept Through a College Test - Now What Should I do?!? [via Surviving College Life]

There's not much time to stay healthy in a busy college student's schedule and so avoiding the Freshmen 15 can be difficult. Exercise on a Time-Crunched Schedule [via Student Body]

While we're on the health track. Stay Healthy This School Year (Really) [via Surviving College Life]

Everyone hates math at one level or another. But if youre aiming to seek a career in science or engineering you're going to have to face dealing with math no matter what. Math Test Strategies [via Student Hacks]

If you're moving in with roommates for the first time this year, please heed this advice, try with your best effort not to be a jerk. Uncomfortable living situations with your roommate can create a very bad college experience. Living With Others: Be the genuine article [via The University Blog]

Finding the Right Plastic

As a follow up to an article about some great credit cards, I was directed to a site that does a great job of selecting the right credit card for you based on information you provide such as how much you spend a month, your credit rating, and what you spend on. It provides a list of credit cards that work well with your situation. If you're looking to either get a credit card for the first time or add another to help your credit score this is a good place to start.

BillShrink [via Lifehacker]

Salary Research Tools

It is important to know what your salary will be when you're job hunting but sometimes knowing what a future salary can be is an important decision factor for some when it comes to choosing the right career path. Below is a guide to online search sites for salary information.

www.salary.com

Salary.com provides a good range of data for many types of job titles and positions based on a geographic region. Base salary information is free while a more personalized job profile requires a nominal fee. It is a good way to get a general average of what a starting salary could be.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm Occupational Outlook Handbook

The U.S. Depart of Labor provides detailed job information such as Nature of the Work, Employment, Job Outlook, and Earnings information. I would recommend this site to anyone doing career research and wanted more information on the different types of jobs they could have post college.

www.Payscale.com

Payscale is similar to Salary.com but provides a lot more data that can be used to compare such as education level, years of experience, and location. You do have to create an account before accessing information on the website.