Welcome! It looks like you're new here. Be sure to subscribe to my RSS feed so you don't miss a thing! Thanks for visiting!

Almost anyone will tell you that being organized will increase your efficiency, reduce clutter and help you remember assignments and errands better. There are innumerable ways to organize your life, from writing out to do lists, carrying a day planner or having a blackberry or other mobile device with a lot of those features rolled into one. Since I am without a blackberry and often misplace my to do list before it’s completed I have decided to go with another option: iGoogle.

Since creating an iGoogle homepage for myself, I have found it much easier to keep track of my day-to-day affairs as well as plan for long-term events. Every day at work I fire up my laptop, open the Internet and my own personalized online workbook opens right up. My personal iGoogle configuration is pretty simple, containing a to do list, some news feeds, my Gmail inbox, a clock and a calendar. For me, that’s all I need to keep track of almost everything. One of the best parts of iGoogle though is its customizability.

You can include virtually anything on your homepage, from games and horoscopes, to news feeds and various planning widgets. Should your initial page get too crowded, you can create multiple tabs, just like in your Internet browser, and categorize your tabs according to content. I have the main page described above and then a tab dedicated to searching, with Google, Wikipedia and Weather search bars, as well as MapQuest and some other helpful tools.  The options are seemingly limitless and I find that iGoogle is a great way to keep myself organized and on task. Why not try it out for yourself and customize your own homepage?

Also as an additional social networking note, I’ve recently joined Twitter, so if you are already following Luke and were desperately waiting for your other favorite Internet author to join up – the wait is over! You can follow my tweet feed at:  www.twitter.com/ncleveland.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Today being Friday, and a rainy one here at that, I decided that I didn’t feel like making myself a lunch to bring to work today. I’m all for rewarding yourself with some take-out on a Friday after a long workweek and a rainy day is an even better excuse to pick up some comfort food. This got me thinking though, how often do I opt to pick up lunch instead of bringing something with me - and how many other people are doing the same thing?

After taking a look at my checking account statement, the results were astounding as to both the frequency with which I chose to get fast food and how much it was costing me each week. While it seems stupid when I look at it now, at the time it made sense that if I grabbed a sub from Subway, or a few items of the dollar menu for lunch that it wasn’t going to cost me much more than what it would in resources bringing my own lunch.

photo credit: daveynin

Not only is this just wrong, as it turns out I was spending nearly $20-$25 per week on lunch (obviously getting going in the mornings is a daily issue for me) but it wasn’t remotely healthy either. Consider that you can buy a loaf of bread, pound of lunchmeat and cheese at the grocery store for about $10 and you can see that there is a considerable amount of savings to be had here, not to mention health benefits. If you have similar AM motivation problems as I do, prepare a lunch the night before and put it in the fridge.

After doing some quick searching, I found I am not alone. According to Cynthia Sass of the American Dietetic Association:

“People who don’t plan to either bring in a healthy meal or go out for one, or wait too long before eating, find themselves rushed and starving and will often opt for the most convenient foods — those from a vending machine, the office candy bowl or a nearby fast-food joint.”

While many of you may not be spending as much as I have been, or even leaving the office - opting for a cafeteria on site instead – the point still remains that you need to be conscious of your lunch choices. Once in awhile, sure, treat yourself to some take-out instead of a bag lunch. Day-to-day though you are better off making yourself a lunch or bringing leftovers to re-heat with you. Not only will you save money, but odds are it’ll be much better for you too.

Source: Pitfalls of Desktop Dining [herladtribune.com]

Popularity: 23% [?]

Popular financial blog The Simple Dollar featured a post today targeted towards recent grads entering the working world for the first time. The post recommends something called the 50% Solution - essentially putting 50% of every paycheck in your checking account to cover day-to-day expenses and 50% into a high yield savings account, and not touching it. Then, once you’ve settled into a routine, every three months invest 80% of your savings account balance in an index fund. The author, Trent, goes on to explain:

Putting half of your paycheck away buys you a little more than a year of complete freedom for every year that you work. If you work for ten years, then you’ve probably built up eleven or twelve years of living expenses. Even if you work a single year, you’ll be able to just follow your muse for another year on that savings.

But is it really that simple? Or even that plausible? Quite simply, I know I couldn’t do it. Believe me, I would love to be able to put half of each of my paychecks away in a savings account (and someday soon I’d like to be able to). But if I were to do that now, while I’d be investing in my future, sure, I would be hurting my present by not focusing on paying down my debt — from credit cards, student loans, the car I needed to buy after graduation because my job required it, etc. — first. 50% of each paycheck on an entry-level salary is nearly impossible, in my opinion.

I think the best advice to come out of Trent’s post is that putting money into a savings account (especially one with a high interest return) with every paycheck is a huge advantage. I personally put $25 (much less than 50% of my paycheck, yes, but as much as I can handle) directly into a savings account each time I get paid. I look at it like I’m paying another bill, so there can be no exceptions, and I don’t touch that money for any reason. And as I pay down my high interest debts mentioned above, I will up that deposit amount.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is to pay down the debt first but still put away (or invest) as much as you can. If 50% is too much to handle, start where you can and work your way up, even if it’s just $25/month. Set your sights too high too quickly and you’ll doom yourself to failure and falling further behind in debt.

source: “About To Enter The Workplace For The First Time? Try The 50% Solution” [The Simple Dollar]

Technorati Tags: debt, budgeting, personal finance, college, real world, graduation

Popularity: 25% [?]

photo credit: PhotoFusion

When considering a job application, interview or offer there are many factors at play — the location, the commute, the atmosphere, etc. The truth is that there are as many variables as there are types of jobs a recent grad can take on. But, there are three true factors, three types of jobs to consider and weigh against one another when deciding what path to take. Whichever is best for you is entirely up to you and is unique to everyone’s situation, but — if you’re lucky enough to be able to choose between one job and another — think about each category closely and decide which is right for you (unless the perfect job — a combination of some or all of the three — awaits you, in which case - I’m jealous):

1. Taking a position due to money

There is certainly nothing wrong with accepting a position based solely on the attractiveness of the salary offered, especially with the heavy burden of debt many grads find themselves under. Taking a position with a high pay rate would go far to alleviate such a debt and quickly. Jobs with very high pay are also rarely offered to recent grads, so jumping at the chance might certainly be a good idea.

2. Taking a position due to passion

The second option is to take a job which is in a field you’re passionate about - either a cause you care about or hobby-turned-career you enjoy. Rarely will the second option coincide with the first (unless of course you really, really like hedge funds) but when can you do something you’re really passionate about if you can’t do it when you’re young?

3. Taking a position due to position

The third option is to accept a job that really doesn’t fall into either of the first two categories but will hopefully lead to one or the other (or both) somewhere down the line. Maybe it’s a job that you’re not too excited about but it’s in a company that you really want to be a part of — taking a secretarial job in a firm you really want to work for so you can get your foot in the door, for instance, or working for a company or job that you don’t really like for a year or two so that it will be very beneficial on your resume down the road.

In conclusion:

Again, if you’re lucky enough to be considering more than one job offer (or interview, or even application) than chances are that you will need to take each of the scenarios into consideration and weigh them all heavily. Ideally, however, you will be able to settle on a combination of some or all of these options; or you find yourself young (and flexible) enough to be able to try out each possibility at different jobs in the coming years. Already have a job — which route did you take? why? Please, share.

Technorati Tags: getting a job, college, graduation, career, income

Popularity: 25% [?]

There was an article featured on the front page of entrepreneur.com today debunking the myths behind employees from Generation Y — people born between 1978 and 1990 — and their attitudes in the work place. The three common myths the article touched on were #1 that Gen Y employees are disloyal: that the days of working in the same office for 30 or 40 years are long gone and instead we will bounce from company-to-company on a whim. The article refuted this fact (and I agree) saying that, despite this common misconception, Generation Y employees really do want to have a long-term relationship with a company; but they also want to trust that the company wants to have a long-term relationship with them. Gen Yers need companies to prove to them that they’re wanted there and that their staying with a company is worth it. As Entrepreneur explained,

In today’s environment, nobody trusts the system to take care of them long term. From the collapse of Social Security to the fall of major companies during the dot-com era and, more recently, the Enron scandal, millennials are acutely aware that nothing is a “sure thing.” These events have created a generation skeptical of loyalty.

The second myth: #2 Gen Yers don’t want to pay their dues. Bruce Tulgan, co-author of Managing Generation Y, however says that this myth is utter nonsense. But that it goes hand-in-hand with the realities associated with the first myth,

It’s nonsense to think they don’t want to do lots of work. In fact, I think that Gen Yers will absolutely do grunt work–they just want to know, ‘OK, I did all this grunt work; what do I get?’

Employees from Generation Y will do any work asked of them as long as they understand the point of the work and its benefit to the greater good (both their’s and the company’s).

And the third and final myth is one that I personally have heard a ton: Myth #3: They need constant praise. This isn’t entirely inaccurate - we have grown up in a time and culture of constant praise and support. After all, I think it’s because of my generation that now every player in Rec Basketball and every girl on the pee-wee cheer squad now gets a trophy just for showing up. But does that translate into the workplace? I’m not sure. And, if an employer is failing victim to praising their employees every five minutes, they’re just as much to blame. If you let an employee get away with not meeting expectations and praise them anyway, they’ll continue to do it — no matter how old they are.

While I don’t entirely believe that any of these myths are anything more than that - myths, stereotypes have to come from somewhere. It may be a good idea to keep each of these myths in mind when interviewing for a job, or during your first week on a new job, and go out of your way to debunk them as soon as possible. As Tulgan explained,

This is going to be the most high-maintenance workforce in history–but I think they’re also going to be the most high-performing workforce in history.

Source: “Gen Y Myths Debunked: Getting the Most from Gen Y Employees” [entrepreneur.com]
[image via boomers.typepad.com]

Technorati Tags: Generation Y, getting a job, on the job, college, graduation, real world

Popularity: 27% [?]

Getting your first job is so stressful and nerveracking that once you’ve got it, you will do anything to keep it. Which is a great mentality to have. Unless, of course, the fear of losing your job prevents you from speaking up when something is on your mind.

Last week at my workplace, an email was sent from our Human Resources department to every employee with term life insurance which mistakenly said that, due to a processing error, no one had been billed for their insurance in months and so everything that was past due would be taken out of employee’s next paycheck all at once (for a total deduction of about $800/person).

While the mistake was quickly remedied and no one had to pay that much all at once, my boss still called everyone into the conference room to ask us why, when we received the email from H.R., no one immediately rushed his office demanding that something be done.

As employees, we have a right to question anything “handed down from up on high” that we disagree with. Just because a message comes from a boss or superior, if you have a question, voice it, my boss assured all of us. You should never not say what’s on your mind (within reason, of course) for fear of questioning a higher-up. Remember: if you’re scared you’ll be scolded or let go, it’s tougher to replace you than to make some compromises to make sure everyone is content. In fact, often the opposite is true - if you voice a concern in the workplace, you can come off as engaged and concerned about the well-being of your work environment; traits that are revered during your climb up the corporate ladder.

[image by cursedthing]

Technorati Tags: on the job, workers rights, first job, entry-level, college, graduation

Popularity: 16% [?]

There are certain things you can do once you land your first job to really get yourself noticed, and there are some things you can do to ensure that you never land that first job in the first place. Here are 6 truths about getting and succeeding at your first Real World job:

1. Time to cut the family ties. Your parents have great career advice (mine sure did) and can be very helpful when it comes time to make a decision, but bringing them along to an interview will never work in your favor (and, once hired, having their name on your bank account will only get you made fun of).
2. Have realistic expectations. Too many graduates assume that just because they’re handed a degree, they’re qualified for their dream job. Without the cred to back the diploma up, it really isn’t anything more than a really expensive piece of paper.
3. Lose the ego. Along the same lines as number 2, your boss really doesn’t care about your 3.8 GPA. Sure it’s helpful on a resume but you’ll still have to work your way up the corporate ladder just like everyone else; boast about it too much and you might not make it out of the interview room.
4. Watch your online identity. As I’ve said before, assume your boss looks at your Facebook & Myspace pages. so de-tag the keg stand pics.
5. Take Charge. First-time employees often struggle with responsibility because they fear making mistakes. Marie Artim — assistant vice president of recruiting at Enterprise Rent-a-Car — says,
   

   “It’s OK to take the initiative. To do something. To make decisions. To solve a problem, versus go and ask someone ‘What should I do?’ or wait for the OK to do it.”

6. Be resourceful; learn; ask questions; expolore. The employees who are the most resourceful (and I don’t mean cunning) are the ones who rise the fastest.

Popularity: 20% [?]

If you play basketball, baseball, football, soccer, or any other ball sport in your spare time, here’s a big piece of news and advice for you: Learn how to JUGGLE! More than just a unique trick to impress your friends, co-workers or any potential lady friends (and it will), juggling is a neuromuscular skill that can have a profound impact on your sport. Studies also show that taking just a few minutes out of your work day each day to juggle will drastically reduce work-place stress; juggling is believed to curb common symptoms of ADHD and studies have shown that it even increases your brain power (something previously thought impossible)!

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 100% [?]

One of the most difficult transitions to make when going from college – where a day may not begin until 11:00am and end until 2 or 3:00am with very little structure in between – to the Real World is adjusting to the 40-hour work week. And the truth is that only through patience and pure repetition will you ever get used to working full-time but these tips might help make the transition a little less painful:

1. Take frequent, short breaks. Try to take a short break regularly – maybe 45 minutes on than a 5 minute break – and look away from your work. Send a friend a text, get a sip of water, juggle, check your favorite RSS feed updates (link), etc. but regardless, take a few minutes to do something else.
2. Do not eat lunch at your desk. Even if it’s only the conference or break room, go somewhere other than your desk for lunch; even if you packed a bag lunch to try and save money, eat it outside. Getting away from your office at lunchtime makes the afternoons fly by and you’ll return to your work after lunch feeling revitalized.
3. Take advantage of your lunch hour. Seriously. If your work won’t suffer or go undone and your contract says you get an hour lunch break, than take a full hour lunch break! I realize that this is easier said than done but adjusting to 40 hours of work a week is hard enough, why willingly make it 45 hours?
4. Take all of your time off. Again, easier said than done, but taking a random day off here & there or stretching a 3-day holiday weekend into a 4-day weekend could be the key to a successful transition.
5. Get up in the morning. Allowing yourself plenty of time in the morning to relax, eat a hearty breakfast, maybe check your email or Facebook, or even stretch, go to the gym, run or do some yoga, will help you conquer your day better than if you’re rushed, stressed and tired. The bottom line is – the more you relax through the work week, the faster it will go by.

What do you do to make the week go by more smoothly?

(image by lostinthought)

Technorati Tags: full-time job, 9 to 5, college, graduation

Popularity: 22% [?]

When you’re finally hired after graduation, you will need to fill out a lot of important paperwork; one such form will be the W-4 form. If you’ve had a job before, you’ve undoubtedly seen one of these forms all ready, but since you’ll hopefully be making more money this time around (and thus paying more in taxes), what you claim to have withheld on your taxes will be that much more important.

Claim too many withholding exemptions on your W-4 and you’ll end up paying the government when you file your taxes. Claim too few withholding exemptions and you’ll end up lending Uncle Sam your money interest-free. That’s not as bad as owing money, but why give up the interest on your money and the use of that money during the year?

Ideally you should claim the number of exemptions that will result in withholding as close to what you owe as possible. Also, don’t forget that there are many things that can change your tax status throughout the year, thus it’s also a good idea to review your exemptions throughout the year to ensure that you’re still on track. According to About.com, you should do this in early November, to give you time to make adjustments by the end of the year (especially if it looks like you’ve been under-withheld), and then again after you’ve completed your income tax return for the previous year, so you know exactly where you stand.

Deciding what to withhold is up to you and depends entirely on your personal situation – so I’m not even going to bother trying to recommend a number for you, because what is right for me or your roommate, might not be right at all for you or for your boyfriend, etc. What I will recommend, however, is that you gather all of your information – what you’re going to be making this year, what you made last year, how many dependants you have, how many people claim you as a dependant, etc. – and work through the IRS 2008 Withholding Calculator, which will tell you what is best to claim; good luck.

(image by aloha_pineapple)

Technorati Tags: W-4, taxes, withholding, jobs, college, graduation

Popularity: 46% [?]