While I was a triple-major, what the title also doesn’t say is that I spent six years working on my undergraduate degree and also transferred a few times.

When I finally landed at the University I graduated from, I was already 21 years old and ready to be done. As the youngest of three, with both siblings already having their degrees and as a first-generation college student, I was absolutely determined to have that little piece of paper and so dropping out was not something I was interested in or wanted to do.

Communications has always been a love of mine and has been a declared major for me from the start. It looks slightly different at every University/College but if we get specific, technically I graduated with a degree in Communications with a concentration in Broadcast Journalism. I completed an internship with a Fox-affiliated newsgroup, absolutely LOVED it, and will always be interested in a career with a news station.

American Sign Language Interpreting and American Sign Language Studies make up my other two majors – a little out of the ordinary, definitely, but ASL is something I fell in love with when I was young. I remember learning about Gallaudet University, the only Deaf University in the nation, and deciding that I wanted to go to school there. Deaf culture and ASL just really fascinated me and so when I decided that ASL interpreting was what I wanted to do, that lead me to the University I graduated from. I also completed an interpreting internship and again, absolutely LOVED it.

However, after I had graduated and completed my internships, I ended up actually applying as an Admissions Representative at several area Universities, Colleges, and Trade Schools. Seems a little out of left field huh? I had some decisions to make about my life leading up to that point and finally figured out that working in a College or University was actually what I wanted to do “when I grew up”.

After filling out application after application however, I was offered an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. To be fair, this opportunity had been offered to me earlier, but I wasn’t ready at that point to try it out. I needed to do a few things and figure some stuff out about myself before I realized that it was actually where I needed to be.

I’m currently working for the University I graduated from in the capacity of a “graduate assistant” – which yes, means I’m back at school, this time getting an MBA. This opportunity not only allows me to earn an MBA for free, but I also get the experience of working for a University and in the area I would love to have a career in (plus a few other great perks!).

I am still interested in both the fields of interpreting and communications, but those careers aren’t for me right now. Maybe they will be later on, but in this moment, I’m happy and excited for my future.

In essence, my undergrad, triple-major degree got me…back in school. However the opportunities that will arise from being back  far outweigh any negatives. Don’t be afraid to take chances, step out of the box, and work hard for what it is you want in life. I’m not the only person who isn’t currently using their college degree for their job and if you figure out that that is what is best for you…go for it!

Side note: The picture is actually of myself and one of my nieces and my nephew at my college graduation! They have me wrapped around their little fingers :) 

As I continue to watch my savings account grow and see the interest that has accrued on my loans decrease, it’s amazing how much better I feel.

I’ve already surpassed my goal of having an emergency savings of a $1000 because I’ve somehow managed to be much more frugal than I thought and it feels SO AMAZING!

I’m currently fighting an urge to figure out how I can make that amount in my savings increase even more – sometimes I get addicted to making money and I’m already working 15-hour days most days of the week on top of classwork (and I’m not where I am to make money, I’m where I am to get a Masters).

Surprisingly, even though I want to keep increasing the amount in my savings, I also have another habit that is now coming back into light after some hibernation – purchasing presents for people.

I love going to a store and finding that one perfect gift for someone. If I don’t have an idea of what I want to get them, it could take me hours (or days) to find what I hope they will really love. While I could definitely shop for myself all day, I find that getting someone something I think they will love, really makes my heart happy and makes me feel great.

However, although it’s a nice thing to do, I have previously fallen into the trap of using all of my money on things for other people that they really don’t need. Because of that, I’ve started asking some simple questions to really push myself to make sure I don’t go overboard on spending all of my money.

Here are my 4 STOP IT SALLY questions:

1) Why?

What is the reason I want to get this item for them? Is it their birthday? Is there an anniversary coming up, something I need to come to with a present? If it’s not happening for a few months, do I really believe that it is worth hanging on to for that long or am I sure I won’t find something better in the meantime?

2) How Much Is It?

Depending on the event I’m getting it for and how much I really think they would appreciate it, the amount I spend on people varies. I’m trying to get in the habit of setting a limit for each person when I go shopping for them, but if I find something outside of the set amount, I rely on my other questions as to whether or not I really want to spend the money on the item.

This one especially reminds myself that although I love where my bank accounts are right now and I feel like I have a bunch of money, that money can disappear really quickly if I spend it on everything I see.

3) How Will They Use The Item/Where Would They Put It/Etc

Sometimes all it takes for me to realize that I’m not being practical about a gift for someone is trying to figure out how they would incorporate it into their lives. If it will take up too much space or doesn’t match the décor perfectly and you can’t figure out if it will or won’t work, then it’s not worth it.

4) Will They Miss It?

Most likely, no. Especially if it’s some little trinket or doesn’t really have a practical use; if you can’t really imagine them with it or using it, then they probably won’t.

I’ve gotten better about asking myself these questions and have turned down many items because they don’t work for these four rules. As long as I keep pushing myself not to spend the money and realize that if I don’t buy this cute little statues for a coworker, it’s not the end of the world. They won’t even miss it – they don’t know it even exists.

What about you? Have any bad spending habits or have one similar to mine?
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Photo by Stefano Mortellaro

The group I will be running Tough Mudder with after we had completed the Autism Awareness 5k!

Today’s post is from our regular Tuesday contributor, Sally.

Back in January, I somehow signed up to do a 5k in St. Louis in April. It’s a family affair every year, as my dad comes down from Minnesota and runs the half, while many times one of us children will attempt the 5k. This time was different though as my sister has been running consistently over the past year (we usually only run for a few months and then stop), so she insisted that I do it too.

Side-note, my sister and I attempted to do the half one year. We finished, but I’m pretty sure some of the marathon runners finished before us. I wish I was joking.

At the same time, my friend was telling me about how she and her boyfriend had signed up for the Tough Mudder, an event that raises money for the Wounded Warrior Project, that was going to be in Kansas in May.

Now, there’s quite a bit of difference between a 5k and the Tough Mudder. A 5k is a 3.1 mile-long run. The Tough Mudder is 12 miles with 40+ obstacles along the way. Again, I’m not quite sure what happened, but that next week, my friend and I were at the gym setting up times to come in and work out with the school’s strength and conditioning coach in order to prepare for the 5k and the Tough Mudder.

Our gym facilities are free to students, faculty, and staff, and we are also able to use the personal trainers in the gym to help us with workouts or nutrition plans. A lot of people on the campus don’t realize it or feel awkward working out with student-athletes, so although they’re technically paying for the use of the gym through their tuition and fees, they will then also go to the local Y in town and pay to have a membership with them.

I am, of course, all about the “free” and have only ever worked out at the Y one time, which was for a Zumba class. It was still free to do, because the first time you visit the Y, you get to check everything out without having to pay. I enjoyed it, but spending the extra money a month for a membership and having to drive to the facility, was definitely not something I was or am willing to do.

So every morning around 5:45, I wake up, get ready, and head to the gym to workout with my friend. About a month into it, a few other 5ks popped up in the area that I had the opportunity to do. One was the ColorDash, which benefitted the town’s human society (we raised $10,000 dollars!), and an autism awareness run, which a group of students put on for a class project.

I didn’t think I would enjoy running as much as I am, but I also didn’t realize how many 5ks and other runs were set-up as fundraisers for different causes. While I am on a budget, if there is one thing I am willing to spend my allocated “fun” money on, it’s definitely to donate it to a good cause, especially if I get to become a little bit healthier in the process!

Do you run for fun or to raise money for a cause? Or do a different kind of exercise to raise awareness or money for something?
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Photo by Jamie Lanagan

This post is also part 2 in a 2-part series on getting started on LinkedIn.

Welcome to the second post in this series! If you would like to read the first one, you can do so here.

Now that you are at least set up with an account, it’s time to really jazz up your profile and make sure it’s perfect for perspective employers to view it! I wrote a post a while back that included suggestions and tips on how to improve your LinkedIn profile – David also wrote a post about 10 skills that people should include on their profile. While you may spend quite a bit of time on how everything looks and sounds for when people view your page, you’ll note that it’s worth it when companies begin to contact you.

Once you have your profile exactly how you would like, it’s time for you to take matters into your own hands. You’ll notice that there are a few different tabs at the top of the page – Home, Profile, Network, Jobs, Interests. While ‘home’ and ‘profile’ are pretty self-explanatory and ‘interests’ allows you to customize your LinkedIn experience a little more, let’s concentrate on the other two.

1) Network

We can’t stress enough how important it is to network with people. Everyone does it and honestly, the majority of people that you know most likely are in the job they are in because they knew someone in the right place, at the right time.

LinkedIn allows you to add contacts from your email addresses, or you can add people by looking them up by name. Once you have connected with someone, LinkedIn now offers a “relationship” and “contact info” tab with each person, where you can keep specific information (that only you can see) for every contact. You can write down notes, their birthday, anything that might help you remember something about them and give you an advantage on the fact that you remembered something specific about them – it can also help ease a conversation if you have some talking points to pull from as well!

If you can’t remember someone’s name or just have no idea where to start when it comes to adding connections, look under the network tab for ‘find alumni’. Once you click on it, possible connections will come up from your main university. You can always change that if you want to look at a different college, as well as edit to more specific years/where people work/etc. Pretty snazzy and easy!

2) Jobs

As with many other job search sites, you can enter a company or job title you are interested in and off you will be taken to several possibilities. I have my profile settings set so that after I search within a specific job title or company, LinkedIn will then email me with job openings that have the same job title and similar openings in that company. I find that extremely useful because if I am not able to get on LinkedIn for a few days, I don’t miss out on applying for a job that I otherwise might have. I can save job postings, save my previous searches, and look at where I’ve applied before – all of which are amazingly beneficial, especially if you’ve been looking at new jobs for awhile and things are starting to run together.

Once you have clicked on a job posting that you are interested in, you’ll see that like many other job search sites, there is an explanation about the position, what the company is looking for, information about the company, and similar positions at other companies that you can check out too. My favorite part though, is that you are able to contact the person who posted the job – utilizing this point of contact may help you tip the scales in your favor, even if it’s simply to tell them that your application is on the way and let them know how excited you are about applying for the position. Every bit helps.

I hope these two posts have allowed you to see more of what the LinkedIn experience can offer for you – and we only skimmed the surface. Set up and spend some time on your own LinkedIn, you might be amazed at the opportunities that come from it!
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Photo by Nan Palmero

This blog has talked about how important LinkedIn is quite a few times before and almost every time we mention it, I’m surprised by how many people say that they don’t have an account. It’s a free service that, while requiring some of your time and attention, isn’t as demanding as one would think.

Through LinkedIn I have had some really great opportunities come my way, including being able to touch base with potential employers for when I am done with my Masters. While graduation is still a year away and there is not a lot I can do right now, I’m getting the ball rolling, feeling more comfortable about the future, and it’s all thanks to this social media site.

I know you can have a great experience on this site as well, but first things first:

1) Signing Up

All you need is your name, email address, and password. Might I suggest an email that you check frequently and isn’t your totally awesome one (ahem…MysticAG) from elementary/middle school? While this is a social media site, it’s geared towards the career world. If you want potential employers to look closer at what you have to offer and be interested in you, then your profile needs to reflect the kind of jobs you are interested in. Even down to your email address.

2) Potential Contacts

Once you have entered in the preliminary information to get the ball rolling, LinkedIn will prompt you to complete 7 steps so that your profile isn’t simply a blank page. The first step they would like you to participate in is helping you to find potential contacts on their site. They do this by having you sign in to your email address and then pulling your contacts from your email. You are not automatically connected to these people and are not required to add them; they’re trying to expedite the process of you searching for contacts by yourself. If you are not interested in having them pull your contacts list, you can skip that step and go on to the next one.

Again, remember that this is going to be a professional profile of yourself and what you have to offer in the career world. I’ve found that most people are much more strict about who they connect with on their site and who they don’t. People they may feel comfortable having as a friend on Facebook may not make the cut to be added to their LinkedIn profile for various reasons. Do not be afraid of being selective in who you add…but be careful at the same time that you don’t limit your potential growth on the site!

3) The Beginnings of Your Profile

This part is fairly simple – input your zip code, figure out which one of the three options (student, job seeker, employed) you are, than either enter your title, where you went to school or what you are looking for, respectfully. When you move forward to the next page, it’s going to email you a confirmation email, so you will need to open your email and click the link. After, it’s going to prompt you to connect with people you may know. Again, be selective, but get yourself off on the right foot by having solid connections who may add to your potential.

4) The App

As anything these days, LinkedIn does have an app that you can download to your phone. Obviously, this allows you the ability to access it fairly easily and if you have your phone and a connection, at any time that you want. I personally do not have the app installed on my phone, but I’m not actively searching for a job. Probably within the next few months I will get it, so that I can start browsing various job postings while needing to kill some time.

5) Sharing Your LinkedIn Profile

Sharing your LinkedIn profile on your other social media sites allows people to note that you are searching for a job and should keep you in mind when they hear of something. It can be a bonus because you’re reaching out to so many more people, but if you don’t want a lot of people to have access to certain information about yourself or are looking to have it be more private, this is definitely something you want to consider before doing.

6) Basic v. Premium

As with many sites, you have the option of upgrading to a better service when you pay a certain amount every month and LinkedIn is no exception. I personally do not have the premium service so I can’t tell you what the difference between services is, but if it’s something you really feel would benefit you, check out reviews online about it or ask around and find out if someone you know has it and what they think about it.

Look for the second half of this post on Thursday; we’ll look over what to include in your profile again, and delve into utilizing the site to look for jobs.

Do you use LinkedIn? Why or why not?
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Photo by Nan Palmero

One of the number one complaints I hear from current and soon –to-be graduates is how much they wish they had more experience in the area they want to get in to.

Many times they point out that there’s a cycle that seems to come into play, where the company won’t hire you unless you have experience, but how are you to gain that experience since they won’t hire you?

The first answer that comes to my mind would be internships.

It still amazes me how many degree programs, through-out the Midwest at least, do not require an internship to graduate. Part of it may be that they want students to come to the realization that they need to do one before graduating, but on the part of the University as a whole, I personally believe it is their job to prepare the student for a career and what better way to do that than require them to complete an internship.

Briefly, internships are positions that are offered by businesses and organizations that allow a person to gain first-hand experience and knowledge about a career in that field. They usually last a few months, tend to be unpaid, but many times will lead to some awesome networking opportunities and quite possibly, a job with that company.

They are also really great for realizing what you do and don’t want to do for a career. Since you get to experience, for quite a few weeks, everything that a person in that position does, you gain a better insight for whether you would be happy doing it long-term or if it would be a better stepping-stone. Or maybe it allows you to realize that that position is something you never want to do. No matter what, you can still use the experience on your resume and utilize it to your advantage when talking about what you handled/dealt with/created/etc during an interview.

Don’t be afraid to take advantage of your internship. If you’re interested in another part of the company, ask to follow them for a few days so you can see what it is exactly that they do and why they do it. If you ant to go a little more in-depth with a certain program, tell them you want to spend more time learning it. If they aren’t showing you something you would be interested in checking out or trying, let them know that it would be something you would like to do. Depending on the person who supervises you and the company, you may be able to do a lot more and try many more things than you would if you were a full-time employee in a specific position at that company.

If you already know exactly what you would like to do, I would still recommend having an internship or two (or three!) on your resume in order to show a company or organization that while you may not have the exact experience that they are looking for, you have at least the basics, and background knowledge to feel confident and assured that you can do the job they’re looking to fill.

I had two amazing internships and wish I had done a few more. What about you? What are your thoughts on internships?

Editor’s Note: DC here and I just wanted to reiterate everything Sally said in this post. I was lucky enough to land an internship at a great company the Summer before my last semester of college. After the Summer was over, I continued to work about 24 hours a week. When I graduated that December, I started full-time right away. Needless to say, internships can really open doors.
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Photo by the Tax Haven

I recently returned from an absolutely amazing trip to Austin, TX where I had the privilege of standing next to one of my best friends while she said “I do” to the man of her dreams. While I had never been to Texas before, I have listened to quite a few conversations between the bride and several of my sorority sisters on how great of a place it is and was excited to be able to experience it for myself.

I had the pleasure of being picked up from the airport and getting to stay with a beautiful friend who is also a sorority sister and was a bridesmaid in the wedding as well. When I say she’s a beautiful friend, I mean that she’s salt of the earth. One of the many reasons I love getting to spend time with her is that she makes no qualms about needing to do her own thing, which includes a lot of self care. And as she works with traumatized children every day, self care is something that is extremely vital for her.

In fact, I think self care is something that is vital for all beings. Even doing something for yourself once a week can have a positive impact on your health and well-being. Here are a few ways of self care that one can do:

Massages

Getting a massage every month or once every couple of weeks could be just the thing to put you back on the right track. For the area I live in, the typical price seems to be about $50 to $60 for an hour-long massage. So about a dollar a minute for something that could really make a difference for how you feel and if you get them once a month, something you can look forward to.

Exercising

Okay, for some people, this is their worst nightmare. I can definitely understand! But the benefits you get from working out consistently are amazing – you feel more confident about yourself, your body physically feels better, your skin becomes healthier and looks it too! Try a few different ways to work out until you find one that’s best for you such as swimming, tennis, running, biking or the myriad of other work outs that exist. This gives you time to focus on your body and making sure it’s healthy; working out has a positive impact not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally as well.

Reading/Audio Books

Not everyone likes to read, but if you do or have a faint memory of enjoying reading back when you had free time, reading might be the perfect self care for yourself. Giving yourself 30 minutes before bed every night or taking some alone time at lunch to read a few chapters, may be what you need. Listening to audio books on your daily commute can help combat the ‘work blues’ or prepare you for the chaos you will find when you get home from work that day. This is also something that you can choose how much money you spend doing it, thanks to local libraries.

Animal Therapy

If you have ever owned an animal or own one now, then you’ve probably noticed that they somehow just make you feel better. Now, I’m not suggesting that you run out and get an animal if you don’t have one because animals require a lot of care and you need to put in a lot of thought before you own one (David’s wife Victoria wrote a great article about that here); but what I’m saying is that animals can give you the therapy and happiness you need. If you don’t own a pet, get some face time with a friend or family member’s, or go to the shelter and volunteer to take the dogs for walks. There’s nothing like a nice walk with a dog whose love and joy at being with you in the great outdoors can’t fix.

Self care is something I definitely feel is so important for people to give themselves. One of my favorite ways I take care of myself happens when I lay down for bed at night – I relax all of my limbs one-by-one and do deep-breathing techniques. When I wake up the next day, I feel much more positive. Whether it’s journaling, getting your nails done, one of my suggestions above, or something else that helps you reconnect with yourself, try to do it regularly. And an important thing to remember is that while you might not think you have time to do some self care, that’s exactly when you need it most.

What are ways you take care of yourself? Do you believe that self care is something important to do for yourself?
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Photo by The U.S. Army