Every Young Professional Needs an Elevator Intro Speech

7-07-2010

You find yourself in the following position. You’re at a networking event and a hiring manager from a company you’d love to work for is making his way around the room. If you play your cards right, you’ll have a chance to shake his hand and try to wow him. But what do you say? How do you make a great impression and stand out from the crowd? This is where your elevator intro speech comes into play. Here are five steps for crafting a solid elevator speech.

Networking for Career Success – 4 Strategies for Job Seekers

6-06-2010

Career networking. If the very words make your stomach drop with dread, take heart. You’re not alone. Most people view networking as something ominous. But with unemployment rates still soaring, networking is something you can’t afford to ignore. In fact, as many as 75 percent of people get jobs through networking contacts. Check out four career networking strategies that can help you find your next gig.

3 Ways to Keep Your Next Networking Event Flowing

2-02-2010

Flow is the most important part of attending a networking event. Nothing is worse than feeling stuck with a less-than-interesting conversational companion all evening. But even if your new connection is the most interesting person in the room, you aren’t maximizing either of your efforts by clinging to each other all evening. Learn three great ways to manage your transition out of a conversation, good or bad, with style and finesse.

Networking Tips for LinkedIn

1-01-2010

Dear WCF, I work for a Fortune 500 company and joined LinkedIn about six months ago to increase my circle of industry contacts. Recently I attended a networking event and had a pleasant conversation with “Joe” who is in the same field. Joe is currently unemployed, about ten years older than I am, and looking for connections too. So when I got home I e-mailed him saying that it was nice to meet him and while I didn't have any contacts for him right now, I'd like to stay in touch via LinkedIn in case I run across any in the future. To my surprise he responded that he didn’t feel he knew me well enough to recommend me and refused my invitation. Was I out of line?

Networking Tips for the New Year

1-01-2010

The term networking can turn some people off, let alone the act itself. Whether you’re nodding in agreement or not, at least one piece of information below will hopefully be useful to you. It might help to think of networking as meeting new (and often times interesting) people. Here are some tips to help you dust off your networking (a.k.a. people meeting) skills in 2010: networking can be learned, helps you find a mentor, requires homework, and is a two-way street.

Twitter 103 – Using Twitter to Promote Yourself

11-11-2009

You know the basics of Twitter and how to build your Twitter network. This third and final post offers some questions and answers to help you use Twitter to promote yourself effectively. For example, what should you tweet about? How many followers should you have? How can you promote yourself with a Twitter bio? ...and more!

Twitter 102 – Use Twitter to Build a Network

11-11-2009

Welcome to Twitter, Part II. Earlier this week, I wrote about the basics of Twitter and how to get started with this social media phenomenon. If you’re following along, you’ve hopefully created an account (using your real name) and attached a photo to your profile. Now, it’s time to figure out how to effectively communicate and network via Twitter. This post  helps you decide how you want to use Twitter and covers ways to build your network with Twitter's help.

Twitter 101 – How to Use Twitter

11-11-2009

Facebook and MySpace are all about sharing and connecting with friends. LinkedIn is geared towards professional connections and networking. YouTube is the video sharing site that offers you the option to create your own “channel”. Digg and Delicious are social bookmarking sites where you can share and find content from any online source. And now there’s Twitter, the social media “microblogging” site that has taken the world by storm. But how do you use it?

How to Use Social Networking to Find a Job

10-10-2009

Dear WCF,

I know that connecting with as many people as possible is important in my job search. I’ve joined LinkedIn to expand my contacts, but I’m still not sure how to use social networking in terms of finding a job. Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help, Job Seeker

Top Ten E-mail Timesavers/Productivity Enhancers

9-09-2010

Are you always looking for ways to find a few seconds here and there in things you're already doing anyway? Well, e-mail is something you're doing every day, so it's a great starting point! There are a number of “handy strategies” when it comes to managing your e-mail, and using these tips from Randy Dean can make a massive difference in your productivity AND your sanity. Check out ten of the very best tips from Randy's recent Amazon.com e-mail best seller, Taming the E-mail Beast: 45 Key Strategies for Better Managing Your E-mail Overload.

Make Your Grad School Application Stronger with 5 Tips

8-08-2010

You’ve decided that going back to school makes sense for your future career goals. You’ve looked into programs and selected a few schools to apply to. Now you just have to get in. The grad school application is your opportunity to present an accurate and compelling picture of who you are, why you’ve decided to go back to school, and what you want to accomplish in your future career. Check out five tips to help you prepare a kick-butt grad school application.

Organize and Manage Your To-Do List to Get More Done

8-08-2010

Does your to-do list seem to grow by three items before you can cross off one? If you’re like most over achieving young professionals, your to-do list is out of control at work and perhaps even in your personal life. Traditional time management seminars offered by corporations may give you a few tips that serve as a time management band-aid, but it’s going to take a larger overhaul to get organized and maximize your productivity. Check out six steps to help you get and stay organized.

Prepare for the GMAT in 5 Steps

3-03-2010

Imagine yourself sitting in a classroom full of fifty other young professionals in an MBA program, discussing interesting topics like marketing strategy and entrepreneurship while you’re earning an advanced degree and opening doors for a new job or higher pay. But wait! Before you can get there, you’ll need to take the GMAT as part of the application process. No one likes standardized testing, but it’s one of those necessary evils. Here are five steps to help you prepare for the GMAT.

Planning a Move

2-02-2010

You have a job offer in hand – the only problem is that it’s 1,000 miles away. Planning a cross-country move can be exhilarating, frightening, and everything in between. Between finding an apartment long distance and figuring out how to get your stuff to your new home, moving can become a full-time job. Read on for What College Forgot’s simple tips for making a major move as seamless as possible.

Tax and Legal Questions for Starting a Business

2-02-2010

Starting a business requires some knowledge of tax and legal issues. This article covers the following questions: Should I hire a lawyer and/or accountant? What type of entity status should my business have? What kind of effort is necessary to set up each entity type? What liability protection do I get with each entity type? How is each entity taxed? Should I incorporate as an LLC or S-corporation? Should I incorporate in another state? What tax forms will I need to file annually?

Creating a Personal Development Plan in 3 Steps

1-01-2010

Success isn’t created solely by what you do during the work day. What you choose to do outside of your normal work hours is what will separate you from your peers and open the door for new opportunities. If going to a happy hour and watching television for three hours a night is your typical weekday evening, you’re missing out on many opportunities to advance yourself personally and professionally. This article challenges you to further your after-hours personal development in three quick steps.

Going Back to School – the Basics of Getting an Advanced Degree

12-12-2009

You spent four grueling years getting your college degree. You swore you’d never set foot in a university again, but now what should you do with your life? You may be struggling to determine your next career move – whether you’re a recent college graduate or you’ve been in the workforce for a couple of years. Grad school may seem like the gleaming light at the end of the tunnel, but is it? Should you really go back to grad school?

Is Now a Good Time for Business School?

10-10-2009

Not surprisingly, business school applications skyrocket during a recession. Layoffs and limited job opportunities create a desire to ride out the downturn in b-school. 2008 and 2009 business school application volume increased accordingly. But will this pattern continue for 2010 applications?

How to Use RSS Feeds

10-10-2009

College forgot to teach me how to keep up with current events (aka, read a newspaper). It’s still a challenge for me to find time to visit relevant news and blog sites. However, a little invention called RSS – really simple syndication – makes this task much easier and a lot more fun. Simply put, RSS is a dynamic Web feed that’s updated when new content is posted to a site. All you have to do is sign up for an RSS reader and then subscribe to your favorite feeds. These 4 steps walk you through how to set up an RSS feed.

Getting Ready for an International Trip

9-09-2009

I depart for Italy in just under four hours, and I’m still taking care of last minute errands. While these “to do’s” are fresh on my mind, I thought I’d share them. Here’s a list of things to remember whenever you’re planning a trip abroad.

Preparing for and Taking Graduate School Entrance Exams

8-08-2009

Taking a graduate school entrance exam is an important part of preparing for most graduate programs. At most graduate schools, your performance on one or more of these exams significantly affects your acceptance into a graduate program. For this reason, the thought of taking a graduate entrance exam can seem intimidating, but if you’re well prepared, taking the test can be a painless process. This article helps you learn how to successfully prepare for and take a graduate school entrance exam.

How to Choose a Health Insurance Plan

7-07-2009

Choosing a health insurance plan can seem like a daunting task. You need health insurance to protect you financially when an unexpected injury or health problem arises, but choosing the right policy involves research and comparison shopping. There are endless options at a number of price points from dozens of companies. This article helps you better understand health insurance and how to choose the best health care plan for you.

How Do I Start a Business?

7-07-2009

Half of all start-ups fail within the first five years according to the Small Business Administration. While there are no fail-proof ways to ensure your start-up’s success, you can arm yourself with information and resources to give your business a fighting chance. To help you think about the right things before you start a business, this article offers basics, steps, and tips for starting a business.