Another Year Around the Sun; Focus for 2023

I celebrated my birthday last week. The older I get, the more I realize there are only a handful of things in life that are truly important. Since my birthday falls in early January, it is a great time to reflect on what went well and what didn’t the previous year, and to set intentions for focus for the upcoming year. Prior to writing this post, my daughter, a high school senior, asked me to proofread a college scholarship essay. I may be biased, but it was wonderful. She gets it. It helped me realize that maybe I am doing

4 Pieces of Advice for College Students

One of the things I like to do most is help students consider what would maximize their learning and experiences in preparation for the working world.   I recently had lunch with a student who is majoring in business and thinking about concentrating in Human Resources.  She is bright, well-rounded and is exploring multiple possibilities.  She asked good questions about what to consider, and I found myself offering this advice that I would offer to most college students, in particular, business school students: 1.  Study or work abroad at some point before you graduate.  I know the cost of this

Revisiting 4 Tips to an Awesome Job Shadow or Informational Interview

A couple of years ago, I worked with a student who participated in a job shadow offered through a program at her school. She was interested in the medical field. However, during the job shadow, she realized it was not for her. The eye-opening experience helped guide her to another path. Summer is almost here, and now is a great time for recent grads and college students to consider a job shadow or internship! If opportunities for those are not available, an informational interview is another option. All of these are valuable components of career exploration. I would argue they

An Authentic Resume… What Sets You Apart?

While we are contemplating authenticity, how does this relate to the job seeker, and in particular, his or her resume? This week I’ve spent some time reviewing resume assignments for our facilitating career development course. It’s amazing how many formats and takes there are on the traditional resume. As a job seeker, your resume is the key to getting your foot in the door. So, how do you present the best possible version of yourself in two pages or less, and how can you ensure it is authentic? Resumes are tricky. I always recommend having a master resume that you

The Best Financial Planning Tips For Recent College Grads

Written by guest blogger: Jackie Waters. Jackie is passionate about sustainability and simplicity.  She runs hyper-tidy.com, providing advice on being…Hyper Tidy! Graduating college is a huge milestone in anyone’s life, but it can also be a little scary. Where do you go from here? How do you start building savings while you’re looking for your dream job? Those questions can be overwhelming if you let them, so the first step is to sit down and write out a plan. Think about your goals and how you can shape them; are you just ready to plan for the immediate future, or do you