[Life after college is hard. Like really hard. But it's not so hard that you should curl up in a ball and watch E! marathons all day long. Not only are we covering the experience from a first-hand perspective, but we're now covering it from a how-to-survive-it perspective. Every week, we're going to bringing the best advice to getting through your first post-grad year. Because sometimes, your grandmother's "just go to law school" advice just doesn't cut it.]

If I were to say “post-grad internship,” would you shudder in disgust or tackle me with five different copies of your resume and a cover letter proofread by Katie Couric?

Much like cilantro, the notion of working for a small stipend (or…gasp!…for free) tends to separate people into two groups. You’ve got those who wholeheartedly support it, and those who can’t run away fast enough. And, unlike happy hour at Dos Margaritas, there’s rarely tequila around the office to help you chase away the taste of shame that comes with being a post-grad intern.

Despite how it may sound, I actually do in fact think internships are a worthwhile endeavor, even after graduation. But you’ve got to be smart about where you accept a spot, if you can financially afford to do so, and all that jazz. So before you tell me I’m crazy for suggesting you throw away your first summer out of college working for peanuts…or before you jump into an internship that might not be right for you…see how things measure up for you in my handy dandy pro-con list: Read More »

[Life after college is hard. Like really hard. But it's not so hard that you should curl up in a ball and watch E! marathons all day long. Not only are we covering the experience from a first-hand perspective, but we're now covering it from a how-to-survive-it perspective. Every week, we're going to bringing the best advice to getting through your first post-grad year. Because sometimes, your grandmother's "just go to law school" advice just doesn't cut it.]

There are a million (give or take) articles out there on how to ace an interview and write a stellar cover letter. But there aren’t that many that tell you how to get the interview or how to make sure someone reads your cover letter. So today, we’re giving you a a few insider tips on making sure you get the interview.

Send emails at the right times. If you send an email on Friday (or heavens forbid, Friday afternoon), it will most likely get forgotten. There’s only one thing on someone’s mind on Friday…”how can I convincingly make it look like I’m doing real work when I’m just gchatting my friends for weekend plans.” On that same note, don’t send anything on Mondays, either. Everyone is catching up on their email and prioritizing the important stuff. Your stuff will be put a list to deal with later…and sadly forgotten.

Follow instructions. And double check that you followed instructions. No seriously, I’m constantly amazed at how many people don’t include a writing sample when we specifically ask for one. Follow the application instructions to a T. Don’t attach anything they don’t ask for and don’t forget anything that they did. Read More »

You’ve doubtlessly heard it by now. From parents, from professors, from older friends and siblings who’ve “been there.” It’s a sobering phrase that likely enters your mind right after you envision a post-grad summer of margaritas and beach hair.

Not so fast with those grand plans, girlfriend. As everyone knows, looking for a job is a full-time job.

But does it have to be? Absolutely, if you commit yourself to a crazy weekly plan like this one from the media gurus at Cynopsis. Waking up at 7:30 to do cardio and work on your flexibility? Talking to strangers for an hour every Monday, Wednesday and Friday? Videotaping mock interviews on Tuesdays and Fridays? No TV, even during lunch!? Read More »

So…big day is almost here.

You ready for the real world?

What are your plans?

If you’re cringing at the very thought of these questions then there’s only one possible explanation: You too are a college senior. You too are caught between college and real life, trying to enjoy the time you have left at college while also trying to make plans for what comes next. You too are frustrated and upset, and unsure. But most importantly you too are badgered daily, no hourly, about all those post college plans. They want to know everything and they want to know it now. But you don’t even know the answers yourself so how can you answer their questions?

Well, lucky for you, I’ve compiled a list of answers for all those pesky questions you’re constantly being bombarded with. They may not be truthful and they may get you a few strange looks but they’ll definitely shut them up.

1. Do you have a job lined up yet?

Currently I’m mulling over a few different offers. MTV wants me on their new reality TV show. But I’m also really tempted by my acceptance to Harvard Law. Then again can Boston compare to that loft they promised me in Manhattan if I went to work for Donald Trump? Eh, maybe I’ll just finally accept Ryan Reynolds’ proposal and spend a few months honeymooning with him. What do you think I should do? Read More »

Whether you’re graduating this spring or you’re hunting for a summer internship, you’re probably stressed about acing your interviews. To help alleviate some of that stress, we reached out to the experts from Excelle and asked them for their tips on making a great first impression. Check back every Thursday for more helpful career tips and articles!

By Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer

Too many job seekers stumble through interviews as if the questions are coming out of left field. But many interview questions are to be expected. Study this list and plan your answers ahead of time so you’ll be ready to deliver them with confidence.

1. What Are Your Weaknesses?

This is the most dreaded question of all. Handle it by minimizing your weakness and emphasizing your strengths. Stay away from personal qualities and concentrate on professional traits: “I am always working on improving my communication skills to be a more effective presenter. I recently joined Toastmasters, which I find very helpful.”

2. Why Should We Hire You?

Summarize your experiences: “With five years’ experience working in the financial industry and my proven record of saving the company money, I could make a big difference in your company. I’m confident I would be a great addition to your team.”

3. Why Do You Want to Work Here?

The interviewer is listening for an answer that indicates you’ve given this some thought and are not sending out resumes just because there is an opening. For example, “I’ve selected key companies whose mission statements are in line with my values, where I know I could be excited about what the company does, and this company is very high on my list of desirable choices.” Read More »

The following post is written by Josh Olson from UNC, one of our many friends at Uloop, a student powered marketplace. Read more great posts in their blog.

I once heard a story from the time of the Dot Com boom about young computer science majors, fresh out of college, who sat around their phones taking calls from giant conglomerates. The conglomerates and corporations would offer them six-figure salaries. And the programmers, for fun, would reply with words like, “$300,000? Frankly, I’m insulted” and then hang up with a bang, knowing that half-a-dozen more calls would come.

These may not be quite as heady times as those were. But the tech industry is still where most of the available jobs are. This becomes important as we are coming out of a Great Recession. So here are six reasons to consider getting a job in tech (even if you’re not a techie).

1. Supply and demand.

The Tech industry is one of the only industries with more demand for labor than there is supply. While the unemployment rate dances between nine and ten percent and companies everywhere are figuring out how to do more work with less personnel, the tech industry is currently one of the only industries that is hiring.

2. New markets.

New markets in the tech industry are popping into existence and exploding, like the Big Bang. And, historically, new industries are where people become rich relatively easily. For instance, consider the iPhone (or Droid) app industry: every major company wants an iPhone app; they are willing to pay top dollar; and yet there are not nearly enough programmers who know Objective C (the programming language of the iPhone) to meet the demand. This means that iPhone programmers command huge salaries (see reason 1). Read More »

Whether you’re graduating this spring or you’re hunting for a summer internship, you’re probably stressed about acing your interviews. To help alleviate some of that stress, we reached out to the experts from Excelle and asked them for their tips on making a great first impression. Check back every Thursday for more helpful career tips and articles!

In most job-filling situations, the employer has the luxury of choosing from several well-qualified applicants, all of whom could probably do the job. That’s when the little things, like the common but often unrecognized mistakes described here, almost always come into play. Make sure you avoid them, so they don’t cost you a shot at the job.

1. Using a Cutesy Email Address for Correspondence

Example: cutiepie@domain.com, or — far worse — something like sexkitten@domain.com.

You Might Think: It’s a clever, memorable email address everyone will get a kick out of.

The Employer Will Probably Think: I can’t believe someone would actually list this email address on her resume, let alone use it to correspond with me. Will she do the same thing on the job if I hire her? Yikes! Read More »

2010 is coming to an end and guess what? The economy still sucks. There are no jobs. The employment rate for college grads is down. Again.

In a depressing market like that, people need to step up their game to get ahead of their competition. You gotta prepare. You gotta know your ish. You gotta do whatever you can to prove to that hiring manager that you’re a better candidate than the 300 other recent grads sitting vying for the same job (from their parents’ living rooms).

But how do you do that?

Monster.com has you covered.

Being that Monster is one of the biggest job searching websites in the world, they’ve helped millions of people find the jobs of their dreams. Now, to say thanks, those people are sharing their tips for success with the people who need it most. And they want you to do the same.

Are you a recent grad with an awesome new gig?
A current student who found a sweet summer job on Monster.com?
Or maybe the perfect internship for next semester?

Share your tip on Monster.com’s success site and you will be entered to win a brand spanking new MACBOOK AIR! Yes, it’s true. Here’s how it works: Read More »

The following is a guest post by our (nerdy) friends at Hack College, the #1 tech site for college students. Check ‘em out.

As hopefully all of you know, LinkedIn is a professional networking website that allows those looking for jobs, especially college students, to create profiles and look for business and career opportunities. It’s a really fantastic service, and if you haven’t signed up yet, you definitely should. LinkedIn caters to 80 million users worldwide and is an easy-to-use tool that may help you find a job or career after college.

To add to its professional networking services, LinkedIn recently added a new feature to its site called Career Explorer. The new feature will allow college students to essentially map out their desired career path and visualize how they can attain this path. Students are able to look at career paths that those before them have taken in order to understand what steps they must take to get to their goals.

On LinkedIn’s press page, the chief executive officer of LinkedIn Jeff Weiner said,”LinkedIn is about connecting talent with opportunity at massive scale. Career Explorer is the latest example of how we make that possible by providing one of our fastest growing demographics, students and recent college graduates, unique and valuable insights enabling them to develop the optimal career path. We’re excited to be launching this product in partnership with PwC, one of the largest and most forward thinking recruiters of new graduates.” Read More »

I am the perfect product of a 20-something generation.  I am 23 years old, I’ve graduated college, I’m single and I live at home with my parentals (wow, typing it in a sentence just made me realize how pathetic it all sounds).   I’m doing a bit of freelance blogging and slowly looking for jobs (by slowly I mean sifting through jobs that don’t give me a heartbeat and leaving my energy for the ones I truly love).  Living the dream can be a slow and patient process, but I have the drive to let the dreams settle in.  I want to find that perfect job.  I want to do something I love and as long as it’s going to take me – I am willing to let it ride.

And according to a recent New York Times post, that makes me (and the rest of us) lazy and immature.
Read More »