10 Student Resume Samples That Will Help You Kick-Start Your Career

10 Student Resume Samples That Will Help You Kick-Start Your Career10 Student Resume Samples That Will Help You Kick-Start Your CareerIf one look is worth a thousand words, then one resume example is worth at least two articles about resumes. Having this proverbial truth in mind, weve decided to help all students save some time reading.You can often find nigh universal truths in Beyoncs songs, one of them being Dont bore me, show me.Show, dont tell. A look is worth a thousand words. Yet, when it comes to most resumes, theyre incredibly boring to read. This might be one of the reasons why recruiters usually only spend about 6 seconds on each resume before they move on to another. Theres simply nothing there to immediately catch their attention.Yet, if you want to get hired you need to make them pay attention for a bit longer than that. If you were a seasoned professional, youd achieve that by simply listing your previous accomplishments and hoping theyre impressive enough. As a studen t, however, you need to be a bit more creative than that.Fortunately, there are leise many tools at your disposal you can use to stand out too. When you take a look at the resume samples below, youll notice how each of them succeeds in articulating even seemingly unimpressive work experiences. How you formulate it really matters. Moreover, all of these student resume samples stand out thanks to their striking visuals. But enough talking. See for yourself1. Student Resume Sample Entry-Level BiomedicineAs a fresh graduate whos looking for a job in biomedical science, you want your resume to revolve around your academic accomplishments. For this reason, the exhaustive education section dominates our biomedicine student resume sample. This candidate didno internships to support his candidacy, which is why he decided to list even unrelated work experience. If you were not fortunate enough to work in a job related to your field yet, dont be afraid to do that too. It gives employers insigh t intowhat you were doing with your time during your studies.2. Law Internship Resume SampleThis Law internship resume sample opens with a clear resume summary which gives a target company all the information they might want from the get-go. Since the resume is written for alegal internship,includedwaiting experience jokinglyrefersto interns often being mere glorified coffee makers. Still, what this candidate communicates clearly is that if he was to get the internship, hed take care of anything a law firm would throw at him.3. Student Resume Sample PhysicsIf youre applying for a graduate programme, you need to be as exhaustive in describing your previous education as possible. ur Physics student resume is a great example of that. It skips the work experience section entirely and focuses on what matters - academic achievements, hard skills and other qualities necessary for further graduate study. Besides, notice how no accomplishment is deemed too small or insignificant as long as i t supports the candidacy.4. Summer Job Resume sampleWhen youre looking for a summer job, make sure you describe your previous job experiences in sufficient detail. Although the bar isnt platzdeckchen too high, you still want to look competent and hard-working. Sometimes it can be also useful to explain your current situation in your profile section in the way our resume example does it. Moreover, in the case of summer job applications, the 6 second rule doesnt apply as strictly. The more information you provide the better.5. Student Resume SamplePublic RelationsAny entry-level public relations job requires a wide range of indispensable soft skills. For this reason, our student resume sample underlines the candidates excellent written and oral communication, organisational, administrative, and project management skills. The resume sample also explains how these skills were acquired. Notice how some keywords for the position are written in bold in bestellung to immediately bring the r eaders attention to the most important parts.6. Student Resume Example Pharmacy and ChemistryIf youre a recent pharmacy graduate, the chances are you already have at least some experience to put on your resume. After all, internships and placements are commonly a part of pharmaceutical education programmes. Our student resume example describes both the education and placements in excruciating detail. It doesnt list responsibilities. Instead, it accentuates acquired experience and skills (assisted, learned, achieved), making the resume much more impactful.Finally, the resume example also doesnt forget about the interpersonal dimension of pharmaceutical work. Related volunteering experience is a great wayof demonstratingthe soft skills necessary for a position.7. Student Resume Sample Computer Science and EngineeringIn the IT industry, what matters the most are your demonstrable skills. For this reason, a visually striking skills section dominates our IT student resume sample. Other s ections follow one simple rule Show them what you delivered. Employers are not interested in what you were supposed to do. They want to know whether youre an effective problem-solver. As an IT engineer, you want to show what difficult problems were you able to solve in the pas.8. Student Resume Example Communications and MediaAs a candidate for an entry-level position in public relations, dont be afraid to include any experiences that required clear and effective communication on your part. If you did any internships during college, describe your work activities in a great detail. Even small things, like a student fundraiser you organised, can be used effectively to support your candidacy. Our student resume example does just that.9. Student Resume SampleEditorial AssistantPublishing includes a wide variety of roles from marketing through design to editing. Before you start writing your resume, make sure you know which of these roles are you applying for. Our student resume sample i s written for an editorial assistant position which requires a good mix of writing, editing, and administrative skills.10. Student Resume Example Entry-Level LawWhen youre apply for a legal position, you should always consider your target audience. Are you writing to a law firm, small non-profit organisation, large government agency, or a judge? Each of these requires a slightly different approach. Do your research and determine which skills and projects you should emphasise to succeed. For example, is your research most important? Or do you emphasise yourcommunication and negotiation? Our resume example is written for a research-orientated candidate at a non-profit organisation.Perfect resume and cover letter are just a click away Share Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments

What You Need to Know Before You Sign a Job Offer

What You Need to Know Before You Sign a Job OfferWhat You Need to Know Before You Sign a Job OfferWhat You Need to Know Before You Sign a Job OfferGet it in writingYouve probably heard the phrase many times. Whether its an IOU, a business agreement, or a job offer, documenting something in writing helps enaya that it will protect all parties interests and hold everyone to a commitment they have made or plan to make. It can also serve as a legally binding contract.By the time you get a formal job offer, youve probably discussed most of the major details of the job during the interview process, especially your salary and starting date, along with benefits such as health insurance and paid time off. But talk is cheap, and misunderstandings can be serious when your livelihood and financial security are on the line. So, its important for every job seeker to get the specifics of a job offer in writing before taking the job.When you receive the written offer, review it carefully and make su re it states your new title, the starting date, and the name and title of your new boss, among other thingsCOMPENSATION. Base salary and anything extra, such as bonuses, commissions, stock options, or profit sharing. If commission and raises are part of your compensation, know what it would take for you to reach those goals.BENEFITS. Insurance coverage (e.g., health, dental, life), that identifies how much the employer will pay for premiums and how much you will pay. Make sure youre aware of how the health insurance plan works, including important details such as whether youll be served by an HMO or PPO, along with your deductibles or co-payments. (Often, benefits are spelled out in a separate document from the job offer letter. Just make sure you get them in writing somewhere.)PAID TIME OFF. Sick and personal days, vacation days, and paid holidays. If youre paid an hourly wage, make sure the offer indicates whether or leid youll get extra pay for holiday hours you may have to work. RETIREMENT FUNDING. Investment options such as 401(k) or pension plans. Make sure there is written documentation of how much you can contribute, how much the employer will chip in (if anything), and when it kicks in.TRAVEL. If travel is part of the job, how often (or what percentage of time) you would be required to travel over the course of a year.SCHEDULE. Any arrangements youve made for telecommuting or flexible work hours.The offer may include other issues, such as employer-provided training and use of company-paid resources, such as a cell phone and laptop. In fact, if theres anything not in the offer that you believe is important enough to include, ask the hiring manager or human resources representative to add them.If youre satisfied with all of the details in the offer, go ahead and sign. And good luck with the job

Government Retirement and the Three-Legged Stool

Government Retirement and the Three-Legged StoolGovernment Retirement and the Three-Legged StoolThe metaphor of a three-legged stool has been used with retirement planning for decades. A familys retirement planning is a seat held up by three legs Social Security, retirement plans, and personal savings. All three legs are vital to living a stable retirement. Without one of the legs, the stool falls down. Social Security Most,but not all, government employees contribute to Social Security. This is critical because those who do not contribute to Social Security do not withdraw funds upon retirement or becoming disabled. Those government employees who do not contribute must ensure that the other two legs of the stool are strong. Social Security is a political football at the federal level. Politicians know uncomfortable choices must be made to continue the systems solvency, but no one wants to take the political hit of decreasing benefits or increasing contributions. This leg of the stool is particularly susceptible to wobbling because of the politics surrounding it. Social Security by itself will not sustain the lifestyle a beneficiary is accustomed to living. This leg should bear as little weight as possible. Retirement Plans Retirement plans simply are not what they used to be. Politicians have used public employees and their retirement benefits as scapegoats for out-of-control public budgets. Nevermind pork barrel spending and costly public assistance programs. Personnel is a large portion of any organizations budget, and scapegoating employees for this fact is a morale killer. Political maneuvering has taken its toll on retirement systems. Benefits have diminished while costs borne by employees have risen. While the private sector does not have to deal with politicians maiming their retirement benefits, private sector employees have also seen their retirement benefits shrink. In both sectors, the retirement plans stability is no longer the guarantee it used to be. Most federal employees contribute to the Federal Employees Retirement System. This system has its own three-legged stool of Social Security, an annuity payment and a personal savings plan called the Thrift Savings Plan. Federal employees who do not contribute to FERS contribute to the Civil Service Retirement System which is just an annuity. For both systems, the annuities are defined benefit plans. State and local governments that have their own retirement systems usually have defined benefit plans which require employee participation. Many have personal savings options like 401(k)s and IRAs, but those components are rarely mandatory. Personal Savings As mentioned earlier, some retirement systems have options or requirements for personal savings. The federal governments Thrift Savings Plan is mandatory to some extent. Agencies contribute an amount equal to a portion of an employees salary. The employee may contribute more. Contribution is incentivized by matching c ontributions up to a certain point meaning agencies will match or partially match what employees contribute of their own volition. When personal savings vehicles do not have matching features, public employees have no incentive to use the retirement system plan instead of those offered by private investment companies. Like many other government-sponsored personal savings plans, the Thrift Savings Plan offers limited investment options, compared to private investment companies. No matter how public employees choose to save for retirement, the important thing is that they actually save. The days of relying on Social Security and a pension are long gone. Maintaining Balance As the stool metaphor suggests, each leg of the stool is important. Government employees should pay attention to each leg and ensure it remains stable. Social Security and retirement plans are largely outside an employees control, so the distributions-mix employees can make the most difference in long-term stabi lity is personal savings. Public employees seeking to maximize their retirement security should consult financial advisors through their retirement systems or through private investment companies. Some retirement systems have arrangements with private financial consultants who work for reduced rates and have experience working with public employees.

Career Advice from 4 Oscar-Winning Films

Career Advice from 4 Oscar-Winning FilmsCareer Advice from 4 Oscar-Winning FilmsIts Oscar season, and the awards are upon us. With that in mind, we took a look back at some of the Best Picture winners looking for bits of career advice. Heres what we found.On the Waterfront Always stay true to YOUR dreams.You dont understand I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody instead of a bum, which is what I am. Among the most famous lines ever spoken by Marlon Brando, its also essential career advice. In our lives and careers we face expectations from a wide assortment of people, bosses and otherwise.In the end you have to answer to yourself and live with the decisions youve made. So be true to yourself and your goals. With that youll always be able to face yourself in the mirror and be proud you never compromised your principles. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Never lose your voice.At its heart this is a story of the struggle between self-expression and oppression . In this case the self-expression is embodied in Randall Patrick McMurphy, portrayed, in one of his greatest roles, by Jack Nicholson. In the film, McMurphy struggles to maintain his individuality in an oppressive mental institution armed with electro-shock treatments. While we dont face such terrifying things in our careers, there is the danger of going along with the crowd, to be a yes-person in your office. This wont help you get ahead in any meaningful way. The greatest asset we have in our careers is our voice. Maintaining our unique points of view and bringing it to the table will ensure were irreplaceable.Annie nachhall Find inspiration in even the darkest places.Although writer/director Woody Allen has long maintained that Annie Hall wasnt an autobiographical film about his relationship with star Diane Keaton, she claimed otherwise. The similarities between the film and Allens own life are hard to ignore. But if we are to assume that his inspiration for the film was his rel ationship and breakup with Diane Keaton theres a great nugget of advice in the films success. In our lives and career we should look for inspiration in even the saddest places. A breakup, for example, although most often a somber event, can lead to a burst of creative inspiration. So stay tuned into your emotions and be open to inspiration, regardless of the source. If you experience a career setback, look see if theres a way to look at it as an opportunity.Gladiator Even the greatest career obstacles can be overcome. If Maximus Decimus Meridius could stand up the emperor of Rome and avenge the murder of his family, what challenges are really insurmountable? Honestly, in our careers, while things may seem difficult, challenging or even impossible, there is always a solution. Always stay determined, even when facing the greatest adversity, and good things will happen. As long as you dont resign to defeat you will find a way to succeed.

The Purpose of Phone Interviews for Tech Jobs

The Purpose of Phone Interviews for Tech JobsThe Purpose of Phone Interviews for Tech JobsTelephone interviews often are used as an initial candidate screening method. Typically, candidates who pass the phone interview portion are offered a face-to-face interview. There are a number of reasons why employers like to conduct phone interviews before bringing candidates into the office based on different things interviewers might be looking for. 1. Fill in missing information or clarify details. Hopefully, youve put together a well-organized, consistent resume that tells a prospective employer exactly what kind of experience you have, where you worked and when. If the hiring manager thinks you might be a good fit but certain elements are missing and he or she is having trouble gleaning some specific information from your resume, they may call you to give you a chance to explain. 2. Determine whether you have the right qualifications. Particularly in technical interviews, an emplo yermay ask specific questions to give you a chance to demonstrate your knowledge of a certain area or ask you to provide examples of certain situations and how you handled them. They also may present a technical problem and ask you to take them through the process of solving it. These questions help them determine whether you are capable of performing the job and working through a problem in a logical way. 3. Find out how interested you are in the fleck. With so many resumes coming in for one stelle, an employer doesnt want to invite a candidate to a face-to-face interview when that person really isnt that excited about the position in the first place. Any questions regarding potential start dates will help provide clues as to how eager you are to take on the position, and general enthusiasm about the position throughout the interview also will help show the employer that youre genuinely interested in the opportunity. 4. Assess how good of a communicator you are. The communi cation abilities confirmed through a phone interview are on a basic level. An employer would like to know how well you can talk about your previous job experiences, how well you listen and respond to specific questions, and how well you can come up with good questions to ask the interviewer. 5. Decide if they can afford you. Employers dont want to take candidates through a full-blown interview process only to discover that the person theyre interested in hiring has much higher salary expectations than what the employer is willing or able to offer. During the phone interview, the interviewer will sometimes ask about your salary history to get a sense of how much you may be expecting to earn, or they may mention a specific salary or a salary range, and then ask if thats something youre willing to accept. This gives you a chance to decide, on the spot, whether youre truly interested in pursuing the opportunity any further. 6. Figure out how well you would fit within the company. Employers are looking for people with the right technical skills, but they often are also seeking a particular personality type since they know what kind of person will thrive in the environment they already have set up. Questions related to preferences in ones work environment and how a candidate would relate to ones peers will help narrow down the list of applicants. At the end of the day, a phone interview is equally beneficial to the interviewer and to you. It allows you to determine if the position is a good fit and if it is something youd like to pursue.

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Professional Resume Example

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Professional Resume Example The Appeal of Professional Resume Example Write down what skills you used, and the way they may relate to the job which you desire. Finding out how to compose a resume isnt straightforward. You dont have to have work experience to get skills. Afterwards, you can get into your professional experience. Listing your skills is a way to swiftly communicate your capacity to be successful in the position. Resumes are a crucial portion of our work lives. For Pharmacy students, its very challenging to have a job if they dont have a strong knowledge in English. Yes there are lots of awful college student resumes floating around It is possible to either place your work experience or your education within the next section. Since youll discover, even in the event that you dont have any prior professional experiences, you may still draw on your school experiences. Professional Resume Example Features Your na me ought to be the largest heading on the webpage. Which means you have to find out the way to generate the most efficient page as possible deliver to the business and offer great first effect about yourself. For instance, if an example resume lacks a skills section, but you need to include one, you ought to do so. To assist you in getting started, have a look at the sample job descriptions below. All resume samples are categorised so that it is easy to locate the very best sample resume for yourself. You will need to apply continuously, even when you get interviews, since its possible that you might not pass the interview stage. Our professional sample template resume that we present create it simple to produce and use our well-curated templates to make your own expert profile. A professional resume is not so difficult to construct. List activities youve been a component of and any positions held. Crafting the ideal Education section is essential to creating a thriving co llege resume. Generally, higher school students have a tendency to concentrate on their club participation whilst college students often incorporate major class projects. Although career summaries are somewhat more common nowadays, a resume objective could be convenient in order to assist you stick out from the crowd. Writing an attention-getting, interview-capturing resume is a daunting job, but one that pays off in the very long zulauf with a work offer. By looking at a professional resume example, you can observe many different kinds of resumes for many unique occupations. The resume templates can become your guide in producing a very good impression on the employers. Because you will probably have little if any expert experience, dont hesitate to fill your education section with an abundance of information. So you must understand how to create the most efficient page as possible send to the business and supply good first impression about yourself. Each guide is based on an other amount of specialist experience, so locate the one most appropriate to your specific circumstance. If this is the case, you will be in demand by employers. If youre able to demonstrate an employer that you may successfully negotiate fantastic deals, youll be a favored candidate. Put the Education section of your resume on top of your resume so that its the very first thing the employer sees.

Working at SendGrid

Working at SendGrid Employees at SendGrid are happy, hungry, humble and honest. When these values are applied to their efforts for diversity and inclusion, it defines their culture.Click here to see all open opportunities at SendGrid, and dont forget to press Follow to receive exclusive job matches and mora One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotte d a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, mor e women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions e arned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

Customize this Outstanding Sample Operations Resume 5

Customize this Outstanding Sample Operations Resume 5Customize this Outstanding Sample Operations Resume 5SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONSCreate Resume Highly self motivated, extremely disciplined and thorough. Gets the job done from inception through completion, well organized and excellent attention to detail. Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, strong supervisory and management experience and able to multi task efficiently and effectively. Manages time well, able to prioritize and excels under pressure.PC literate Windows XP Microsoft Word, Excel, MS Outlook and Internet savvy.EXPERIENCETHE FESTIVAL COMPANIES, Los Angeles, CA 1/06 PresentOperations/Facilities Manager, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw PlazaManage, direct and coordinate all operations for 900,000 square foot shopping center including the supervision of capital and tenant improvements. Work directly with center staff, corporate personnel, owner representatives, security, maintenance, janitorial, landscaping, contrac tors, vendors, law enforcement, fire department, building inspectors, insurance carriers, tenants and the public to maintain and improve the physical appearance, functional capabilities and profitability of the center. Responsible for $4 million annual operations budget for property improvements and center maintenance.QUALITY ASSURED CLEANING, Delaware, OH 12/03 12/05Assistant Operations Manager, Germain Amphitheater/Sales Operations ManagerSupervised, coordinated and managed day-to-day operations for 25,000 capacity outdoor arena that hosted over 150 events (such as concerts, theatrical productions, meetings, etc.) per year. Responsible for hiring, scheduling and obtaining and negotiating with vendors, sub-contractors, production personnel and ticket office staff while adhering to stringent PL requirements. Managed sales, facilities and day-to-day janitorial service operations of 1.4 million square feet of commercial office space supervised 65 employees, including five managers s olicited new business resulting in a 40% increase in billing revenue by meeting with prospective customers and creating proposals that incorporate staffing and supply needs while adhering to stringent PL requirements.THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, Columbus, OH 8/01 12/03Game Management, Home Football EventsSupervised and managed all day-of-game (seven games per year) functions at 107,000 capacity football stadium such as parking, ushers, security, assekuranzpolice and fire personnel, and ticket sales and distribution (approximately 800 people) tracked and reported man hours to payroll led the post-game recap meeting with the universitys Director of Security and Director of Ticket Operations to discuss all challenges, issues and problems in order to eliminate repeat occurrences.CSTSI, INCORPORATED, Columbus, OH 10/98 11/03Supervisor, Fraud Detection (12/01 11/03)Supervisor, Satellite Installation and Repair (5/99 11/01) Satellite Installation Repair Technician (10/98 4/99)Utilized various investigative techniques in order to expose fraudulent accounts, thefts of service and signal leakage and compiled evidence against guilty parties in order to submit all to corporate legal department for prosecution.Supervised, scheduled and developed 45 sub-contractors in the installation and repair of cable and satellite systems, including locating, qualifying, hiring, training and evaluating sub-contractors as well as taking disciplinary action as necessary in order to maintain the highest level of customer satisfaction negotiated sub-contractor rates facilitated vendor payments maintained field and company standards by managing the flow of communication between company management and sub-contractors monitored customer service by placing follow-up service phone calls.TRU-GREEN CHEMLAWN, Columbus, OH 8/93 9/98Operations Manager, Landscaping Division (4/96 9/98) Manager, Lawn Care Division (12/93 3/96)Applicator Landscape Designer (8/93 11/93)Supervised, scheduled, hir ed, trained and fired 125 landscaping and lawn care sub-contractors handled all customer service issues such as quality control, walk-throughs, additional requests, etc. directly with clients which included a portfolio of over 220 locations wrote proposals for new business accounts managed all human resources-related issues such as payroll, accident reports, safety training, etc.MILITARY EXPERIENCEUnited States Marine Corps, 1987-1993, 1st BN 8th Marines, Camp Lejeune, NCPresidential Guard and Scout SniperPERSONALHobbies include high school football and baseball official, recreational Harley Davidson motorcycle riding, and Ohio State University football stadium usher.Customize Resume

5 Lessons You Can Learn From Your Lame First Job Out of College

5 Lessons You Can Learn From Your Lame First Job Out of College5 Lessons You Can Learn From Your Lame First Job Out of College Before landing your dream job, you may have to pay your dues. Statistafound that 14 percent of U.S. workers are underemployed , or working in a position theyre overqualified for.New grads especially have to be patient when it comes to starting a career. Many of us need to start at the bottom and work our way up.Its easy to get impatient if youre an art history major spending your days as a dog walker. But even the most entry-level position can help you learn important life lessons.To find out more, I spoke with college graduates about their post-graduation jobs. Here are five lessons these grads learned from their first job out of college that helped them become the people they are today.As a student, your path is pretty clear each year. Your school and professors let you know whats expected of you. Although youre responsible for choosing a major , you mostly have a clear structure to guide your actions.But when you enter the workforce, you might not have much guidance for career development. Instead of looking to an authority for answers, you have to put yourself in charge of your professional destiny.My first job out of college welches with a defense contractor, and I learned how I am now in complete control of my career, said Jim Wang, now a personal finance blogger at Wallet Hacks . I had to not only be my No. 1 advocate, but I had to find my own projects and plan my next move in the company.When you start working after college, you must be proactive about your career . So ask questions, binnenseek a mentor, and take deliberate steps in the direction of your goals. In the real world, you have to decide everything, said Wang.After graduating with her bachelors in English Writing, Sarah Donawerth took a job as a cashier at Michaels, an arts and crafts store. I was preparing for grad school, I needed a steady source of income, and I couldnt find anything else, said Donawerth.But even though she was underemployed, she realized it was important to keep a positive attitude about her job.It was hard to summon the enthusiasm to help someone stock shelves, but I made aya that every day I went to my job with the attitude that I would do my best, said Donawerth. While others were grumbling that it was a stupid job and they were miserable, my mood stayed remarkably high.In the end, her optimism and hard work paid off. I have happily hung up my red vest and am now the social media accounts manager at an arts and crafts magazine publisher, said Donawerth. My experience at Michaels was one of the reasons they hired me. I had knowledge of their industry and the proven track record of hard work.Donawerth was able to leverage her experience into a position that better fit her skills and qualifications. Plus, her outlook made her experience a positive one.Vincent Nerois now the VP general managerof Successor ies ,but he had no job lined up after graduation. In the midst of the recession with no job lined up, I got a call from my summer internship boss who was moving a business down to South Florida, said Nero.Despite his hesitation about moving, Nero accepted the position. Was Florida on my radar? Did I want to move across country? Did I want to work for this company? said Nero. The answer to all those was no, but I said yes. Its important to be open to new opportunities.Even though he wasnt koranvers about the outcome, Nero decided every opportunity that came his way was a learning experience. And this openness paid off. Eight years later, Ive worked my way up to running a multi-million dollar company, said Nero. All because I said yes.Even if you cant see it right away, there are lessons to be learned from your first job out of college . And by staying open, you could discover your next great role.Not everyone lands a job in their target field right after graduation. David Batchelor, co-founder of DialMyCalls , learned this the hard way. My first job was working at the movie theater for $4 an hour, Batchelor said.Despite the measly pay, Batchelor learned important business lessonsfrom this role. There are a million companies who sell a million widgets and services, said Batchelor.But most of them fundamentally run the same way. So the earlier you start to see how the pieces of the puzzle fit together, the better off youll be.Batchelor has since used the business lessons he learned to co-found his own company . Id recommend everyone to learn all the ins and outs of the company youre working at, said Batchelor. The pay itself was nothing great but the experience I got at that job was priceless.Even if youre not interested in business, your organization can teach you about how people come together to work toward a common goal. And this is a lesson you can carry with you into all future roles.Unless youre extremely lucky, youll have to put in a lot of hard work be fore achieving your professional goals. Although it might not be easy, encountering obstacles is totally normal.When I graduated, I worked as a waiter to pay my bills, said Zachary Painter, hiring manager at Resume Genius . It was fun for a time, but I wasnt really happy. It helped me realize that I wanted something long-term and professional thats when I buckled down and began freelance writing.Painter didnt find immediate success as a writer. To support himself along the way, he picked up different side gigs . I had a brief stint repairing leaks in pools I worked as a shoe salesman I worked in the kitchen of a country club, said Painter. But I made sure to keep writing.He now works as a writer, career adviser, and hiring manager. It wasnt easy getting here, Painter said. As for the lessons he learned from this first job? Success is granted to those who persevere.The transition from college to the workforce isnt always an easy one. You have to adapt to new environments, expectation s, and colleagues. As a new grad, you probably have to start at the bottom of the totem pole.But even the most sub-par job can teach you things. Almost everyone has parts of their job that they love and parts they wish they never had to do again, said Martha Schmitz, a senior adviserat Mentat .By identifying which aspects of a job you love - and which ones you hate - you can clarify your career goals . Even if your first job out of college isnt exactly what you imagined for your career, its important to make the most out of the experience, said Schmitz.As you develop work experience, youll learn about your career decisions and how to reach them. Plus, youll learn how to market your skills for post-college jobs .This article was originally published on Student Loan Hero .

Women outpace men in financial independence

Women outpace men in financial independenceWomen outpace men in financial independenceIn April, Merrill Lynch and Age Wave teamed up again and released the report, Early Adulthood The Pursuit of Financial Independence. The findings show fascinating insights into the financial lives of millennials as they grow into early adulthood. Although the report did not specifically focus on women as a group, it did plektrum up on some interesting findings about millennial women. Specifically, women are outpacing men in financial independence, even with all of the hurdles they have to jump.Women hold two-thirds of student loan debtYouve certainly heard about the $1.5 trillion in student loan debt that is spread out across 44 million borrowers. Since 1975, the average annual cost at a four-year institution has mora than tripled, and the percent of 25- to 35-year-olds with student loans has doubled. Student debt has increased by nearly 500 percent since 2003 alone. 500 percent Women, who are more educated than ever, hold two-thirds of that student loan debt.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThis means that on average, debtors will have to allocate nine percent of their salary towards their student loan debt every month. That is often an amount that prohibits them from contributing to other goals, like investing in retirement or buying a home.Women get less financial betreuungAn interesting finding of the report is that many young adults are getting financial support from their parents into their 30s. Even more interesting is that 75 percent of respondents defined adulthood as being financially independent from their parents.However, the report found that women (49 percent) are less often getting this support than men (62 percent) are. To get more detailed, women are around half as likely to receive support across nearly all expense categories, including groceries (40 perc ent of men, 23 percent of women), rent (33 percent of men, 15 percent of women), vacations (36 percent of men, 17 percent of women) and student loans (32 percent of men, 14 percent of women).This discrepancy in parental support isnt necessarily a bad thing, in womens eyes. In fact, women believe more strongly (70 percent) than men (57 percent) that continued financial support is a bad idea because it makes them dependent on their parents.Women invest better, but lessThis research found that women are more likely than men to list investing in their retirement and paying off debt as their top financial priorities. They are also less likely to withdraw from their retirement accounts early. This means that they are typically more responsible when it comes to their investing behaviors.However, the women surveyed are less likely than men to hold investments outside of employer-sponsored retirement plans, and they are half as likely to be working with a financial advisor. This means that t hey are investing less money over time (plus, thanks to the wage gap and higher student loan debt, there is less money to be investing in general).Women are less confident about investingYoung women report having less confidence than men in managing their investments. In fact, 41 percent (versus 28 percent of men) say their biggest fear about investing is not about market volatility, but not feeling that they know enough about what they are doing. This can result in women taking longer to begin investing as they begin their careers, which will hurt them in the long run by reducing the amount they have saved by the time they reach retirement age.Women are progressing fasterDespite their debt load, the lesser likelihood for parental support, and lower confidence in investing, women are actually progressing faster and more successfully than men are. This applies across the board to education, career, and financial independence. More women are graduating from college and grad school tha n men, and womens labor force participation is increasing, while mens has been slightly declining. As mentioned earlier, women also more often believe that they should prioritize financial independence from their parents, and more of them have achieved that.I would love for the women reading this to see these findings as proof that they are capable of financial security. Women are typically less confident about their financial decisions than men are, without real cause. In fact, these findings show that women are able to move forward in their lives more quickly and more successfully than men are, even with the many hurdles that are put in their way. The next time youre feeling insecure about your abilities, remember that.This piece was originally published on myForbesWomencolumn.