What Is Your Career Development Plan?

To succeed in your career you need to take an active role in your learning and professional development. No one else will do it for you. This post is more instructional than most, but it is a topic I feel strongly about and one that is close to my heart. Planning and mapping is something my peers under utilize that can really help pave the way for self growth, achievement and happiness

The information I am relaying to you I learned from a book that changed the direction of my college career for the better, and I am confident when applied to my life as a young professional, will bring equal amounts of greatness. The book is titled "Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time"  By Keith Ferrazzi (it sounds like a desperate dating book, but I assure you it's not. I just advise taking the book sleeve off when reading it in public to avoid weird looks.) The book provided me valuable networking insight, and career development strategies, one of which I am sharing with you in this post.

So how do you set a professional development strategy? Just like companies and teams set quarterly growth targets and business development goals, set aside some time to take a holistic look at where you are now versus where you want to be 6 months to 1 year from now. Working through the areas below will give you focus, help you be more proactive about setting your own direction and will make you an incredible asset to any team.

The first step or "The Vision" is to help articulate the big picture for where you want to be one year from now. Step two serves to further narrow your focus in terms of knowledge, skills, talents and experience.


Step One: The Vision

Before getting into specific tactics and details, spend time with the big picture. Whether you are an entrepreneurial spirit working on a start up, or if you work for someone else, think about what really excites you. What 2 or 3 key improvements would truly put you ahead of the pack? What key development areas, if you were to make significant progress in, would make you most excited and engaged with your work and add value to your team or company?

Step Two: The “What”
There are four key categories that your professional development strategy should focus on: knowledge, skills, talent and experience. Only the first two are within your direct control, but all four are worth exploration.

Knowledge – Knowledge is directly within your control. Learning more about a subject takes time, but it is generally a very straightforward process. Blogs, books, podcasts, videos, interviews, classes–the resources available to you are endless. Commit to learning and being a sponge for knowledge; it will set you apart and make you an invaluable resource to any team.

• Key Questions to ask yourself: What will it take to become an expert in your field, or in one specific area of your field? What topics of focus would be most beneficial to you? What knowledge or expertise do you want to have one year from now? 

Skills – Skills are things that you are good at; things you have picked up over time that transfer to job related success. Some examples of general skills include time management, project management, and prioritization. You may also have specific skills related to your job or industry, such as marketing, sales or web development. While some skills may come more naturally to you than others (see talents), you can generally improve your skills through repetition, attention, self awareness and feedback.

• Key Questions to ask yourself: What skills do you already have? Make a list of ten. What new skills would take you from average to an absolute rock-star? 

Talents – Talents, or gifts, are skills that come naturally to you. Talents light you up, give you energy, make you feel like you are “in the zone” when you are fully utilizing them. You may be talented at organizing information. Someone else might be talented at singing. Personally, I am talented at organizing, motivating people and simplifying complex problems. Tapping into your talents and your natural strengths will make you infinitely more successful in your role, happier and more engaged. There are several online assessments that will help you uncover your natural strengths; one I have tried in a few of my classes is the Myers Briggs Personality type test.

• Key Questions to ask yourself: What skills or tasks come naturally to you? When do you feel most “in the zone”? What talents are you under utilizing? How can you better use your talents in the job you have now? 

Experience – Experience comes with on-the-job learning, and unfortunately we can’t manufacture it. Particularly for us post graduates “lack of experience” can be an exasperating reason for not landing a job or position you want. Even without years of experience under your belt, you can work to understand what types of experiences you will need to be successful later on in the future. Schedule lunches, or meet for coffee with people who have the experience you need or want. Ask what they have learned in their role, what surprised them, and what you can do to get to where they are in the future.

• Key Questions to ask yourself: What job related experience are you lacking and how can you develop those skills another way? What aspects of that experience can you learn from others?

Step 3. The “How”
If you haven’t yet written down your answers to the questions in Part One, I emphasize grabbing a pen and paper! It is very important to write these type of things down. This strategy is nothing if you can’t refer back to it frequently.

Now we get to the how–time to write some measurable goals and come up with a plan for how you’ll research and achieve those goals. I relay the following five steps:

• Choose three key areas of development. Make sure they are broad and aggressive; don’t sell yourself short or let yourself off easy! Think big. 
• Write a mini one year vision statement for each area. Write as if you have already achieved success or made significant progress; for example, “Time Management: I am extremely efficient. Each morning I focus on completing my biggest task before answering emails. I prioritize my work on a daily and weekly basis..." you see what I'm getting at. 
• Set benchmarks for yourself. If the development areas stretch over one year, what do you hope to achieve six months from now? Brainstorm a list of resources or an action plan to reach your benchmarks. This may include any of the following: 

            -   Resources (blogs, books, videos, podcasts)
            -   Training/Education (classes–online or in person, formal education)
            -   People to Talk to (mentors, Professionals you know)
            -   Other (journaling, scheduling weekly time for reflection, etc.)

• Develop a system to track your progress, personally I use a template I made on excel and write in my  progress 

• Engage others. Ask for feedback regularly, partner with someone who also wants to develop in one of the areas you have chosen. 

I cannot recommend the book enough, I make all my friends read it, and they all give it a strong "buy" recommendation as well. You can find the book especially cheap here at Walmart.com. I can almost guarantee you won't regret it!
                                                             

Student Loans and How To Start Paying Them Off

Kick off your payments with honesty and responsibility.

During college, myself, like many other students who needed to take loans did not give much thought to the accumulating financial burden that comes along with it. I practically forgot about just how much I took out: with no bills for months after graduation, preparing for repayment did not take immediate priority. 

Up until the final moments, graduating and looking for a job was prioritized- I  put off the idea of what I'm going to owe... Until very recently. As the six-month grace period my loans offer is inching nearer and nearer it became vital to kick off a repayment plan. Lucky for me, I have a godfather who's a financial advisor, and an extremely close older cousin who's went through the process and they gave me some tips on how to get started that I am going to share with you. Hopefully you find them as helpful as I did.

• Face your debt: If your loans have been building, a crucial first step is to know what you're working with. On the National Student Loan Data System, students can locate all their federal loans and find debt totals, including accumulated interest.

Before I looked online, I wasn't even sure how much my loans were, and I completely forgot about the interest. It was really scary to face the numbers, but it's even more helpful to know exactly what you're dealing with.

• Contact your loan servicer: Once you know how much you owe, find out exactly who you'll be sending checks to—your student loan servicer. Whether you have federal or private loans, your loan servicer is your first point of contact for any questions and address updates, so don't hesitate to reach out!

Building a successful repayment strategy for student loan debt is essential in learning about and shaping your financial future.

• Pick a repayment plan: The standard repayment plan for student loans is 10 years, but that doesn't necessarily make it the right option for every student.

Some borrowers of federal student loans, for example, may be better off opting into Income-Based Repayment or Income-Contingent Repayment plans, which adjust monthly bills according to pay. For help finding the right plan, online tools such as PayBackSmarter.com allow students to experiment with payment options.

• Stick to a budget: Once you determine a monthly obligation, keep track of other spending to ensure you can pay all your bills. Websites such as Mint.com which I wrote about in a previous post: here helps  prepares you to begin repaying your loans.

Creating a budget, sticking to it, and keeping it visual is great, because when you can actually see your budget on a website or on your phone, you don't want to go over it. It almost turns into a game of sorts where you want to win.

• Prioritize your loan payments: As you budget, you may find yourself forgoing activities or events to pay off your debt. You have to get used to your upcoming loan payments taking precedence over major decisions..

Your loan payments will affect your life, and may put other things on a slight hold. The move you want to make out west might not yet be feasible, no matter how daunting it may be, commit to your payments and make it priority number one. It will benefit you greatly in the long run. Further, prioritizing may also mean minimizing other forms of debt or, if possible, chipping away at student loans before tackling other types of debt.

• Focus on the future: If you find you're scrimping or sacrificing to make your monthly student loan payments, it may help to remind yourself what you're paying for.

That being said, It helps me to reflect on my college career and keep fresh in mind the value of the education I got, and the great job offering that came along with it--It definitely paid off. Remember: even though right now it may seem like a lot, in 10 or 15 years it will be well worth it and behind you.


I hope this is helpful! Do not hesitate to ask your elders for advice, most of them have been where you are right now!

Prevail!

One Of The Biggest Graduation Fears: Losing Old Friends

Keeping in Touch...

At school it was so simple, as friends you'd have classes together, you'd go to lunch in between classes and plan what you'd do on the weekend - even if it was only Monday, and you'd visit each others dorms to do "homework" together. Keeping in touch with friends was easy. Fast forward to entering the working world, working a full day job, maintaining an apartment, trying to stay in shape, scheduling after work activities--where does one find the time for friends during all of this?

I'm very much to blame when it comes to losing friends due to not keeping in touch. I can't pinpoint exactly when it happened with a few friends I'd had, I just know that over time I'd come to the realization that we were no longer really friends. I'd read about someone moving cross country on my facebook news feed, or receive an invitation to a baby shower for a friend I hadn't seen in years--and think to myself, "when was the last time I spoke with them?" Friendship is definitely a two-way street, but someone has to make the first move. And, with all the technology we have at our fingertips today--really, what excuse is there? We don't need to arrange an hour tea visit in order to catch up anymore.

There are so many ways to stay in touch these days--and far less excuses not to, here are a few ideas (many of which you already know) to reassure you there are no reasons to lose touch!:

Dialing a Number: That thing plugged into your wall at home that rings? It can also be used to dial the number of a friend. Don't own one of those? What about the Iphone you so religiously use to text on? A quick call to say "Hi, how are you?" is as simple as 1-2-3.

Physically Visiting: When last did you hop into your car and make the effort to meet up with a friend? Or watch a movie together instead of downloading it off the Internet? Worried that you won't have time for that AND whatever else you're meant to be doing? Schedule the two together--suggest a jog with your friend, or do the grocery shopping together and have a coffee afterwards. Just make a plan and DO it.

Sending a Text: Send a text. Even if it's just to say "Hope you're having a great day," or "Thinking of you--it's been ages since we last caught up." A short text goes a long way to letting someone else know that you've taken the time to think about them.

Using Social Media: Ok, so this isn't the ideal way to keep any friendship going--but at least you're trying, right? What's so great about Social Media is that you have the opportunity to reconnect with long lost friends from Primary School, Girl Scouts, College, etc. I love Facebook and use it often to keep in touch with friends from school.

Typing an E-mail: Instead of forwarding jokes to all your friends whenever a new one hits your inbox, send a quick e-mail instead. It doesn't have to be an essay, just a quick "Hi, just checking in to see how you are", or "Let's meet up--it's been forever!" is as good a place to start as any.

Writing a Letter: I know, who sends letters via the post anymore, right? Don't you remember the anticipation of waiting for a letter in the mail? I remember eagerly checking our postbox every day for my friends letters to arrive. There's just something so special about receiving a physical letter--something sending an e-mail can never live up to, and anyone who says they wouldn't be in AWE if their best friend 2 states away sent you a letter is a liar.

Chatting Online: Whoever invented Skype, Facebook chat, Google talk or any of the other IM programs out there is a genius. It's a quick and direct way to check in, no matter the distance apart.

Plan Group Get Togethers: An added bonus of having a salary = The ability to travel. Gather up your girlfriends and drive, take a bolt bus, Amtrak or WHATEVER! and plan a weekend in a new city.  Host friends at your apartment, or at your family summer house. Send invitations via Facebook way in advance. Sending the invite on Facebook allows all the invitees to discuss the trip on the invite thread and share their excitement about the trip. Plus, who doesn't like a quick get away?

The transition after college is scary enough, don't let losing your college buddies be an added fear. And be reassured, a true friendship always prevails no matter the distance!

10 Tips For Moving Back In With Your Parents

If you're a post-grad and anything like me, moving back in with your parents was not your first choice. To me, the idea of moving back in with my dad was both daunting, nerve wracking, unattractive and irritating. (that makes him sound like a monster, he's a great dad, but c'mon...) Not to mention, I was moving back to a legit man cave that my dad and younger/annoying brother fully occupy/dictate. (I'm like the lone black sheep)

Reassuring enough, watching  a lot of my college and high school friends move back home permanently made me realize I wasn't alone. When I was able to finally put my emotions aside I realized: hey! as a matter of fact, a lot of people I know decided to move back home after graduation. 

So it cant really be that bad, can it? The more important question is, how can you stay sane when facing financial issues, family drama, and all the potential pitfalls of returning home after school? Lucky for you readers, I'm here to show you how, and hopefully you might find that it’s not as bad as it sounds.

First, lets list some pros: 

Rent is cheap (like the cost of an electricity bill), or if you're lucky, free!
One of the major benefits of heading home after school is that unlike living in a dorm or an apartment, staying in your childhood bedroom is free of charge! You might want to take down those embarrassing N’SYNC posters, but otherwise, living at home comes with this notable, wallet-friendly perk. Unless your parents have asked you to chip in monetarily, moving back home will give you the unique opportunity to save money while planning your next move, before your student loans start coming due

You have time to make a plan:
One of the major benefits of not rushing into a job or internship right after graduation is that if you’re like millions of other grads and don’t know exactly what you want to do with your freshly minted college education yet, you’ll have plenty of time to figure it out in the comfort of your own home.

Reuniting with old friends:
Even though you and your best girlfriend from high school pinky-promised you’d be best friends forever, many changes take place between high school and college. The good news is she’s back home for the summer, too, and after attending school on opposite ends of the country, you’ll finally be able to reconnect! You can visit all your old high school haunts and catch up on everything that’s happened over the past few years, and if it’s as good a friendship as you think it is, you two probably won’t miss a beat when you meet up again.


Andddd... OF COURSE THERE'S CONS!:

Less privacy and less independence:
Remember your high school days, when mom and dad wanted to know where you were going, who you were going with, what you were doing and when you’d be back? Now you’re in your early 20s, and they still want to know all of that information. Just because you have a car (if you’re lucky) and a college degree doesn't mean they’re any less curious about your life and who’s in it and when it’s taking place. It can be challenging to keep your cool while maintaining the hard-won independence you found while away at school, and throwing a good old-fashioned teenage tantrum can become oh-so-tempting. Resist the urge to lash out at your parents, who are not only giving their college grad a free place to stay but are also coming from a place of parental concern, not nosiness.

Falling into a rut:
Keep in mind that you’re officially a college-educated adult now, do not revert back into old teenage habits. Your parents are nice enough to let you move home after school and provide for you, so show them your appreciation by being responsible. Clean up after yourself, do your own laundry and make your own meals. If you’re clueless in the kitchen, ask your parents! They’ll probably be pleased by your initiative and it’ll make for a great bonding moment.

Readjusting to a quieter social life:
Whether you lived in a dorm or in an apartment for most of your college life, you know how easy it was to find someone who wanted to hang out. After simply walking down the hall and knocking on a few doors or sending out a text or two, you had plans for the night and could successfully procrastinate on your term paper. But now, your friends are all over the place and it will take a bit more effort to get together.


And last but not least, here are some survival tips:

1. Expect them to treat you like an adult. You don't need a curfew anymore. Have that discussion before you move in. Some parents may have been in the habit of waiting up for you, so talking about it upfront relieves them from that responsibility. Also, before college mom may have done your laundry and prepared your meals. If you allow her to continue to do that for you, you're subliminally telling her that you're still a child. Don't be surprised if she treats you like one.
2. Expect your parents to supply a pathway, not a destination. Their job is to help you become a fully functional, self-reliant adult—not someone who's dependent upon them forever.
3. Be willing to help with routine family chores. If you're not working, it makes sense that you should help with the family grocery shopping or vacuuming.
4. Offer to pay part of the utility and grocery bills. You'll be using electricity and hitting the fridge; it’s only fair that you should pay for it. Also, knowing you have bills to pay will force you to look diligently for work, and when you move out and start getting your own utility bills, it won't be such a shock.
5. Have a plan to get back on track. Create a detailed plan of what you'll need to do to get your career started and branch out on your own. Make sure the plan contains specific things that will move you closer to your goal. Then, work on at least one item on the list every day.
6. Be willing to take a job that's "beneath" you. You could wait years to find a job that exactly matches your education and training. You need money now. Take a fair job today, then look for a better one tomorrow.
7. Don't ask your parents for money. When you were a child, you might have gotten an allowance. As an adult, you don't get one.
8. Set a target date for moving out. To assume that you can stay as long as you like is to assume that you'll never grow up. Part of your goal should be to have a target of when you'll be able to afford an apartment. Your plan should keep that target date in mind.
9. Don't get too comfortable. Comfort is your enemy! You shouldn't be comfortable until you've reached your goals. To get comfortable now is to accept that you'll always be dependent on your parents and will always need to hold their hand when you cross the street.
10. Last but not least enjoy yourself! This may seem completely unthinkable if moving back in with your folks was the last thing you wanted to do. However, living at home can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally learn your mom's secret recipes and your dad's amazing way with woodworking tools. Live it up and take in as much as you can, focus on the positive aspects rather than the negative!

I hope this post has prepared you to handle moving back home after college! Have you already moved home after college? What was it like? Are you still living at home? Let me know below!

Good luck!

Mint.com A MUST USE TOOL For Recent Graduates

If you have been out of the loop and haven’t heard of Mint, or if you haven’t bothered setting up an account, this Mint.com review is for you! (especially as a recent graduate) Mint is a free service that helps manage your finances, aggregates your assets, creates a budget, and categorically sees how and where you spend your money so that you can make changes and/or save more money if you wish to. Mint is my favorite tool for managing my finances and I have been happily using it for about a year.  An added bonus: it's free!, it's a breeze to set up and offers tons of excellent features.

Mint.com at a Glance

Mint.com is one of the best ways to to view and manage your personal finances and investments in one place. It automatically pulls data from your bank, credit card and other financial accounts and allows you to manage your money from its website or mobile app. With just one login you can get an overview of your entire financial situation.

While you can’t transfer money, pay your bills or make stock trades through Mint, you can create and track your budget, look over your spending trends, set alerts and reminders and track your financial goals. You can also view available balances across all accounts, search through previous transactions and track your investment portfolio’s performance.

Setting Up Your Account

Mint is absolutely free. When you open an account at Mint.com. there are no "upgrades" or "premium subscriptions," so you have instant access to all of Mint.com features with no extra cost upon creating your account.

After logging in, the first thing you will want to do is connect your existing accounts to Mint. The process is simple – just type in the name of your financial institution, enter your login details and Mint will automatically download data from that account. Virtually every type of account is supported and Mint guarantees the privacy and safety of your information. You can even add your other assets, such as your car or rental properties.

Mint Dashboard

The dashboard gives you an overview of your finances. You can view account balances, asset values, net worth and a snapshot of your investment portfolio. The dashboard also displays the current month’s budget, your financial goals and spending trends.

The alerts section is a great addition to your Mint.com homepage. It displays important reminders, upcoming bills and notifies you of potential problems (such as overdue credit card payments). You can sign up to receive email reminders as well.

Your Budget

One of the best features of Mint is the ability to set and track your budget. You can set a monthly spending limit for each of the many categories and track your spending for each month. Mint automatically categorizes your account transactions and lets you know if you are under or over your budget in each category.

Financial Goals

Another great feature of Mint is setting and tracking your financial goals. Your goals can be anything related to saving, investing or paying off debt. You create a new goal by choosing a goal type, setting a deadline and picking one or more appropriate accounts to track it. Mint will suggest a monthly contribution and will let you know if you are on track to completing your goals on time.

For example, you can use the goal feature to save for emergencies. When you pick a corresponding goal template, Mint suggests how much you should save, based on your average monthly expenses. You can then pick an account to serve as your emergency fund and set a deadline. Mint will suggest a monthly savings plan, which you can accept or adjust.

Spending Trends and Transactions

Since Mint can access and automatically categorize your transactions (you sometimes have to help it a little), it makes it very easy to study your financial trends. You can look at your spending, income, debt, assets and net worth over a variety of time periods and using different filters.

Mint can also be helpful if you’re trying to look up a particular transaction. Even if you don’t remember when it actually happened or which account you used, a quick search of your entire account history will help you quickly find it.

                                                                      Mobile Apps

Yet another great feature of Mint is its mobile apps. You can get Mint for your iPhone, iPad, Android phone or an Android tablet. Just like the desktop version, all Mint apps are free.

The mobile app gives you the same control over your budget, goals and spending trends, as offered by the Mint.com website. It is a great way to keep track of your money on the go. For example, you can get a quick idea about available account balances before making a purchase.

Mint.com Review Final Thoughts

Mint.com is one of the pioneers in the online money management industry, and from experience I cannot  express enough that it is a great and easy option, especially for managing your personal finances. It’s hard to beat so many great features offered for free. As a recent grad, the importance of weighing your finances is new to many of us, and is weighed heavy between rent payments, bills and paying off loans. In order to do so, one of the first steps to making smarter financial decisions is to organize your finances and Mint.com is an excellent way to do just that!

Test it out for yourself and let me know what you think!

A Picture Guide: How To Dress For The Interview

There is something to be said for first impressions. Appearance is the first thing you communicate to others. Before you have a chance to speak, others notice how you dress and draw conclusions about you accordingly. Appropriate dress is one of the most important factors in your job search. Your dress creates an impression that can complement your credentials and give you an extra edge over a field of other qualified competent individuals.

There are standards of professional dress in all career fields. Some industries are more traditional, such as banking, consulting and business. Let the dress standards in the field(s) in which you are interviewing be a guide to what you wear for your interview. Attire in fields such as advertising, the arts, fashion, communications and entertainment is generally less conservative, so the rules are a bit more relaxed. Their dress code may be one of Business Casual Dress.

Business Dress for Interviews/Job Fairs:

Men's Interview Attire: 


Suit. Black for men was once considered severe or overly formal, and may still be considered so in very conservative industries, although it is commonly worn by many. Other color trends may come and go; avoid the extremes. Choose a solid such as dark blue, or very subtle weave pattern or plaid—the kind that look solid from across a room. Wool, wool blends, or very high quality blends with natural fiber, are the only acceptable fabrics for a conservative men's suit.

Long sleeve shirt. Choose white or light blue solid, or conservative stripes or coordinated with the suit.

Belt. Black or cordovan leather, to match your shoes.

Tie. Tie styles come and go. Select good quality silk ties. Avoid fashion extremes, like character ties, in interviews. Notice what men in your industry wear on the job, at career fairs, at information sessions, when they meet with clients.

Dark socks, conservative leather shoes. Dark socks, mid-calf length so no skin is visible when you sit down.

Jewelry. Wear a conservative watch. If you choose to wear other jewelry, be conservative. Removing earrings is safest. For conservative industries, don't wear earrings. Observe other men in your industry to see what is acceptable.

Neat, professional hairstyle.

Facial hair. If worn, should be well-groomed. Observe men in your industry if you are unsure what's appropriate or are considering changing your look Limit the aftershave.

Details. Everything should be clean and well pressed. Suits typically have tacking stitches to hold vents—on the jacket back and on sleeves — in place before the garment is purchased. Cut them off if your retailer/tailor doesn't. And that tag stitched on the outside of your sleeve is not meant to stay there like a Tommy Hilfiger label—cut it off! Carefully inspect clothes dangling threads, etc. Lastly use a portfolio or briefcase.


Women's Interview Attire:

Suit. (Navy, black or dark grey)—Wear a two-piece matched suit. Tailored pants suits are appropriate for women. Pants suits can be an excellent choice for site visits, particularly if the visit involves getting in and out of vehicles and/or the site is (or includes) a manufacturing plant or industrial facility. If you wear pants, they should be creased and tailored, not tight or flowing. If you are pursuing a conservative industry and are in doubt, observe well dressed women in your industry on the job, at career fairs, at information sessions, etc.

Skirt lengths. Much of what you see on television shows that masquerades for professional attire is actually inappropriate for a work environment. Your skirt should cover your thighs when you are seated. Showing a lot of thigh makes you look naive at best, foolish at worst. A skirt that ends at the knee when you're standing looks chic and professional. Longer skirts are professional too; just make sure they are narrow enough not to be billowing, but not so narrow that you can't climb stairs comfortably. Don't purchase a skirt or decide on a hem length until you sit in the skirt facing a mirror. That's what your interviewer will see. Ask yourself whether it will be distracting or reinforce your image as a person who looks appropriate for a business environment or gathering. High slits in skirts are not appropriate. A small back, center slit in a knee-length skirt is appropriate. On a calf length skirt, a slit to the knee to facilitate walking and stair climbing is appropriate. The suit skirt should be long enough so you can sit down comfortably

Coordinated blouse. Underneath the suit jacket, wear a tailored blouse in a color or small print that coordinates nicely with your suit. A fine gauge, good quality knit shell is also appropriate underneath your suit jacket. Don't show cleavage.

Conservative shoes. Should be leather or fabric/micro fiber. Shoe styles and heel heights come and go. Choose closed-toe pumps. Regardless of what is in style, avoid extremes; no stilettos or chunky platforms. Make certain you can walk comfortably in your shoes; hobbling in uncomfortable shoes does not convey a professional appearance.

Limited jewelry/accessories. (no dangling earrings, or arms full of bracelets.) No jewelry is better than cheap jewelry. Wear a conservative watch. Jewelry and scarf styles come and go. Keep your choices simple and leaning toward conservative. Avoid extremes of style and color

Neutral pantyhose. Should be plainly styled (no patterns), sheer (not opaque), and in neutral colors complementing your suit. Avoid high contrast between your suit and hosiery color.

Always remember to use a professional hairstyle; the more simple, the better. 

Cosmetics. Light on the perfume. Keep makeup conservative. A little is usually better than none for a polished look. Nails should be clean and well groomed. Avoid extremes of nail length and polish color, especially in conservative industries.

Portfolio or briefcase, Pad folios. Preferred over a bulky briefcase. A small briefcase is also appropriate. But if you have no reason to carry a briefcase, don't; you risk looking silly.

Purse/bag. If you carry a purse, keep it small and simple, especially if you also carry a briefcase. Purse color should coordinate with your shoes. You may choose to carry a small briefcase or business-like tote bag in place of a purse. Leather is the best choice for briefcases; micro fiber or fine woven's are also acceptable.


In conclusion, a suit for both women and men is almost always appropriate for all types of interviews. Buy the best quality business suit you can afford. Make sure it fits well, is comfortable, and is pressed before you wear it.

For some interview tips refer to my post: Do Your Research Before A Job Interview. For more clarification, a Google search will give you both picture examples and tutorials. Good luck interviewing!

Furnishing Your First Apartment On A Budget: 10 Items You CANNOT Live Without

You've saved and saved and finally got your own place. Then the sad reality hits.  After you pay your first month’s rent, security deposit and moving costs there is no money left to furnish your new place. Are you doomed to sleep on the floor of an empty apartment?  I would argue no. In this post, I am going to provide a few creative ways to stretch your dollar, even if your furnishing budget is, well, zero dollars. If you can manage to scrounge up an extra $500 dollars, you’ll have plenty of places to get exactly what you need to make your new apartment comfortable.

FURNISHING BUDGET $0
If you have absolutely no money to spend on furnishing, there's many places where even an empty wallet goes a long way.

• Castaways from family, friends, coworkers: Check out grandma’s basement; find out who among your co-workers is redecorating or moving; ask your super to let you know when your neighbors throw out furniture. Get the word out as widely as you can that you’ll take anything they don’t need.
• Street finds: Walk or drive around nice neighborhoods the night before garbage pick-up.  You may need to do this with a friend, so that you have help hauling your goodies home.
• Craigslist Free: Everyday hundreds of people post furniture/appliance giveaways that they do not want to take with them on their own moves. You should know that there will be a lot of competition for good stuff on Craigslist Free so be friendly and punctual!
• Freecycle is another great, less known website where users post what they are looking for, and users post what they are offering. The larger the city/area you are moving into the more that is usually offered

FURNISHING BUDGET UP TO $500

As your furnishing budget hits the big double and triple digits, many new places become affordable.

• Stoop sales and yard sales: Great sources for small decorative items and sometimes even smaller pieces of furniture, such as chairs or side tables. Yard sales are often loaded with dishes and kitchen implements so you can use them to equip your kitchen. Now is a great time to scout for stoop and yard sales, because people use them to get rid of the assorted and sundry that turn up in spring cleaning.
• Thrift shops: Most cities have a number of thrift shop options, running from national (Salvation Army, Goodwill) to ones kept by local charities (for example, Housing Works in NYC). With stoop sale and thrift shop bargains, adding a few dollars of paint or a fabric remnant, can turn them into a treasures.  
• Online deal sites: A relatively new budget furnishing resource. These sites are for a knowledgeable shopper who knows what comparable items sell for in retail stores. It's important to watch out for the shipping cost that can make a bargain not so, particularly for lower priced items. Look on sites such as Overstock.com  for everything from furniture to bedding. Plus, unlike many deal sites, they have free shipping for purchases over $50!
• Big Box stores: As your budget gets closer to $500, you can start checking out your local Ikea, Target, Walmart, Ollies and other large chain stores. They may not be affordable all the time, but when they run sales, bargains can be had.

Further as the post title suggests, I’ve selected 10 items you shouldn't live without, as well as how much estimated you'd spend on them–minimally. Let me know what you think–and if there any must have items I missed!

1. Bed/Couch–$200. The first item on the list has to be a bed. Without a bed, you’re just going to feel like you’re couchsurfing and won’t feel settled.   But, yikes, a bed is probably the most expensive item in any first apartment. What can you do to avoid spending your entire budget? First, do some futon research. My cousin actually preferred sleeping on his futon even though he had the cash to get a bed. They can be truly great, especially for those living in studios–as they will, of course, double as a couch.  Try to find one from a friend or check Craigslist–but beware bed bugs. Plenty of people need to sell furniture and are bed bug free–but just FYI.
2. Dining Table, chairs–$100. Try finding larger items either at Goodwill or the Salvation Army.  You can find a total gem for very little $.  The trick here, though is time–as it will likely take longer as every item is unique. Also give freecycle ago!
3.  Dresser/Hangers for Closet–$50. Depending on the apartment you find, you may not need a dresser as you have enough closet space. But, if you do, dressers go for pretty cheap on Craigslist–and can also be found easily in resale shops. I got mine 4 years ago for $50–an Ikea model already put together by a neighborhood friend moving away. Their loss–totally my gain... As for hangers–see if your local dry cleaner would have any extra to spare. Or, see if you can bring some from home.
4. Silverware/Dishes–$0-50. See if your family has any older dishes that they have stored in the basement. I was surprised that my mom had two sets from my childhood that they never got rid of, that I quickly claimed. If you aren't so lucky–WalMart and Ikea have some pretty reasonably priced cutlery that doesn't look worse for the wear after use.
5. Bedding–$0. Additional items to see if you can borrow from your parents. While it’d be great to get a new comforter, that’s an item that can wait for the holiday gift list. Especially if you’re coming from college, you should already have bedding that you can re-purpose. If not, try a site like overstock.com that often has bedding sales. Also check discount stores like TJ Maxx Marshall or Ross stores.
6. Shower Curtain–$20. Water on the bathroom floor is slippery and not ideal. Spend the twenty bucks.
7. Trash cans–$20. Find the cheapest ones you can for the moment. You can always upgrade later. Don't underestimate local dollar stores for these types of purchases!
8. Laundry hamper–$0. Again, just bring whatever one you stuck in the closet after the last time you lived in a dorm. Or, spring for a small basket that can serve as a laundry hamper for the moment.
9. Towels–$0. Another item you should already have access to. If not, go to Target and get some cheap towels.
10. Pots/Pans–$40. If you must–you can get buy on one cheap frying pan and one cheap pot to boil water. You’ll replace when you can.

Just in case you have a little extra:

ETC Items $20-70 - When you’re at Walmart or IKEA getting dishes, see what else you’d want to spruce up your apt, mixing fun with necessity. They have all   sorts of little fun items like $2 candles and $5 mirrors. Also, see if they have extension cords--which are always needed. Also, try to find a cheap lamp, as light’s always important.  Another item to consider are bedroom curtains, to keep out that always pesky morning light.

Hope you found the bare bones list above helpful. You’ll note I didn't include a TV (as streaming computer content can suffice) or some typical items like coffee tables/nightstands.  If you can spring for these items, by all means–you will enjoy them.

Also, I *did* assume that you would have a few items to start out with, which hopefully isn't an unfair assumption. If that’s not true, use the tips I listed above and don't forget to utilize your networks! Using Facebook, for instance, would be super easy to ask friends to contribute their slightly used furniture items to your new pad. Someone else’s castoffs could totally be your treasure!

Happy shopping!