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Tag: Graduating

  • What Does Summer Mean To You?

    What Does Summer Mean To You?

     

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    Summer. This usually is associated with summer break, a time of no school and hardly any responsibilities. However, this “free time” is a great time to do new things or give back. Why waste your summer lazing about a house? It is the perfect time to get out there and be productive! There are many ways you can be productive during the summer, so let us start with our top three ideas.

     

    1. Try out a new hobby that can earn you some extra cash

    There are many great hobbies out there that can let you earn a little extra cash. For instance, making jewelry. One teen managed to $100,000 dollars over the course of three years by selling jewelry on Etsy. Not interested in jewelry? There are loads of other crafts that you can try, like painting or woodwork.

     

    1. Help those who really need it by donating or volunteering

    Volunteering or donating not only helps other people, but it helps you as well. Not only do you feel great when helping out other people, but it looks good on a resume or college application. Don’t have a lot of time to volunteer at a soup kitchen? Try gathering items from neighbors, friends or local thrift shops to donate to causes like Carry The Future. If you plan on creating and selling items online for extra money, you can also include flyers to Give Back Box to encourage your customers to give back as well.

     

    1. Explore and adventure

    How often have you traveled? Whether it be the seas or across the nation, traveling lets you experience and learn new things. Fly, take a road trip, or if you want to be a little different you can hop on a train. No matter where you will go you will broaden your horizons and grow as an individual. Just remember to send souvenirs back home to friends and family!

     

    Want a productive summer?

    So, what one are you going to do? Will you create unique items to sell online, donate to charities, or go on an adventure? Well, whatever you decide to do, whether you do just one or all three, you will have an amazing and productive summer.

     

    Don’t Forget

    While you are busy being productive this summer and perhaps earning a little cash, you may find that you need to ship something somewhere, like a product to a customer or an item to a charity. We want to help you save money when shipping items. eShipNOW is free to sign-up and will give you access to discounted shipping rates from top carriers. After all, if one of your goals this summer is to make/save money, this is just one way we can help you.

     

    Have a GREAT summer!

     

    By: Ashleigh Cue

  • Tips For All You Soon-To-Be College Graduates

    Tips For All You Soon-To-Be College Graduates

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    Preparing for Graduation

    Graduation time is quickly approaching and many students are anxiously awaiting their graduation walk or the parties that follow. However, there is still some time to do some very important things before you leave your college behind you. Here are some advice and preparation tips for students that are soon to graduate.

     

    Connect with Professors

    Believe it or not, your professors are professionals in the fields you are about to enter into. They have connections with other professionals in the working world. Therefore, if you have not already, you will want to talk with and connect to your professors. They may even be able to help you get interviews with companies that would not usually look at a newly graduated student. Also, connect with them on LinkedIn. If you do not have a LinkedIn, I suggest you get one. It is the social network for working professionals.

     

    Ask for a Recommendation

    This is important because employers will want to talk to people (not family or friends) for references. They may even want to see a letter of recommendation. If you are planning on attending a graduate school, then you are going to need letters of recommendation for your application. Most ask for about three, but it would not hurt to have more. Don’t hold this off until after graduation. Ask your professors if you can use them as a reference and/or if they would be willing to write a letter of recommendation while you are still fresh in their memory, not six months down the road.

     

    Attend a Career Fair

    Most colleges have career/job fairs. This is a great way to start looking for a career, since it may take a while. On average it takes a college graduate three to nine month to get a job. This is also a great way to ‘put-a-face-to-a-name’ for the companies attending. Also, don’t forget to take advantage of your university’s career center. They usually will have counseling, job listings or other resources that could help you land a job.

     

    Start Thinking About What Happens Next

    College graduation is a huge life event. The majority of students are coming out with college debt from student loans and are having to think about finances. Many will return home to live with their parents. If this is you, then you are probably thinking about what all you need to do to move. Luckily, there are options to make that easier and more affordable. For instance, eShipNOW can help you ship your personal belongings back home at discounted shipping rates. If you don’t plan on renting a trailer or driving back home it is a great option that can help.

     

    Relax

    This is another important one and one I am sure most of you will enjoy. Relax! You have just completed years of college education and probably are suffering from senioritis. You are almost done! Midterms are over and the only other thing you need to worry about are finals. Take a break and enjoy the last remaining weeks of college life!

     

    By: Ashleigh Cue

  • You Have Graduated, Now What?

    You Have Graduated, Now What?

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    You have just graduated or are about to. You are closing one part of your life and moving on to another. The first thing you will probably do after graduation is find a job. After all, that is one of the end goals you have when getting a college education. So, what are the next steps?

     

    Resume

    The first thing you are going to need is a resume. If you already have one you will want to make sure it is up-to-date. Resumes are recommended to be about one page. At the top of the page, you will want your name and contact information: email, phone number, address, etc. There is no set format for resumes and you will want to tailor them to match the job you are applying to, but here are some key things you may want to include: a career objective, your skills, the college you graduated from with GPA (if you did really well), any work/internship experience, and any awards/societies/honors/extracurricular activities you may have.  

     

    LinkedIn

    LinkedIn is a social network for working professionals. If you do not have one, you will want to create one. Not having a LinkedIn profile could hinder or hurt your job prospects. When updating or creating a LinkedIn account you will want to connect to all of your classmates and as many of your professors as you can. Do not use the generic connection invite, make it personal; let them know how you know them. See if you can get fellow classmates, or better yet professors, who would be willing to write a recommendation on LinkedIn. Lastly, try to fill out as much information as possible and use a professional profile picture.

     

    Online Portfolio

    Having an online portfolio or personal website not necessary for all career fields, but it can definitely help. It will help you stand out. It increases your online presence and visibility, as well as lets your employees see a bit of your personality. This is also where you can show off your projects, work samples, letters of recommendations, writing samples or anything else. You do not need to know HTML or CSS to have a great online profile. There are several tools such as WordPress, Weebly or Wix that can help you build and manage an online portfolio.

     

    Cover Letter

    The cover letter is important. It states why you are applying to the job, what you can bring that would benefit the company and will show your interest. You should not reuse the same cover letter when applying to multiple jobs. Like your resume, you should adjust and tailor the cover letter to best fit the job you are applying to.

     

    Applying for a Job

    Once you have all of the above it is time to start applying to jobs. Most job applications are online and are as simple as uploading the files and submitting it. However, should you need to send any documents you can always send them via eShipNOW, which will help you save money on shipping. It can also be used to ship personal belongings to a new home if you get a job that requires you to relocate.

     

    The Last Step – The Interview

    Now here is probably the most nerve-wracking – the interview. Look up some top interview questions beforehand and start practicing what you are going to say. It also doesn’t hurt to go to the location of the interview prior to see how long the drive is and to actually locate the building. Know what you are going to wear the day prior and make sure it is professional. Lastly, relax and be honest during the interview. Do not lie just to get the job. This can cause problems down the line for not only you or your employers.

     

    Final Thoughts

    The key to finding that great job is preparation. This is why it is important to start right after or right before graduating. You can take a little breather after graduating if you can, but don’t let summer pass by without working on this. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, your are preparing to fail.”

    By: Ashleigh Cue