Career Hacks
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Sites
A slick profile on networking site LinkedIn is expected of all professionals. Can also be used for career research, arranging informational interviews, much more.
Glassdoor
Excellent job/internship research site. Ratings and reviews reveal the inside scoop at various companies; industry data helps inform career and job app decisions.
Glassdoor Blog
Great site for job searching "how to" advice. Current into in several key categories, including: Companies Hiring, Career Advice, Interview Prep, Salary Negotiation."
Cities and Salaries
It's not how much you earn ... it's how much you can save. Sites compare cost of living indices and compute equivalent salaries in different cities.
College Confidential: Internships, Career, and Employment
One of the many great CC forums. Learn from the experience of others, get up-to-the-minute info, and find ready access to great resources for young job seekers.
Fast Web: Career Planning
Scholarship site also features an excellent career planning section. Subsections contain current info on: internships, interviews, networking, more.
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Tips
Professional Online Presence
Google yourself. Maintain a clean cut image. Purge questionable photos, posts from social media. Use a simple, conservative email address. More here, here, and here.
Learn to Code
No matter what your major, no matter what job you have in mind, project-based programming skills will get you farther, faster. It can be fun; not that hard to learn.
Know Excel
Excel is a miraculous tools for organizing and presenting information. Possession and demonstration of strong spreadsheet skills is a great way to stand out.
Be Productive
Knowing one's way around Office and/or G Suite is assumed. Proving your productivity skills with MS Office Certification is a wise extra step to consider.
Showcase Site
Don't tell ... show! Use Wordpress, Wix, or other site generation tool to create your own self-promotion site to showcase original content and professional info.
Personal Cards
A basic networking tool, personal cards can simply provide basic contact info or act as "mini-brochures" that convey a much more detailed message.
Resume
Your site, personal card, and job-tailored one-page resume need to be as picture perfect as possible. Spare no trouble to make them just right. More tips here.
Curriculum Vitae
Long-form list detailing all major/minor academic or work-related achievements: what, when, who, why, etc. Helpful in customizing resumes for particular jobs.
Informational Interviews
Informational interviews are short meetings you conduct with professionals in fields of interest to assess fit, get basic info, ask questions, establish connections, etc.
Internships
High school through college till landing your first job, complete a carefully selected internship (or other meaningful work/personal experience) each summer. More.
Use Your Alumni Network
Others with diplomas from the same Alma Mater are often quite helpful and eager to assist fellow graduates. Make a list, plan your work, work your plan. Reach out!
Job Search and Career Development Tracking
Record career-related info (contacts, ideas, meetings, opportunities, results) in a spreadsheet; follow-up with connections; practice interviewing, basic job skills; etc.
Meet Ups
Attending meet ups pertaining to your chosen field can be a great way to network with others in your field, practice interviewing skills, get valuable information.
Indispensability
Do great work. Keep your word. Under-promise, over-deliver. Go the extra mile. Serve with alacrity: company and team first. Volunteer. Communicate. Contribute.
Look Good, Feel Great, Do Well
Professional clothes make the professional. Invest $$ in a business wardrobe. Wear clothes you like, look good in, feel confident wearing to all work-related activities.
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Other
Grad School
Is GS worth the extra time, effort, expense? On campus? Online? After graduation? Years later? Which school? How to apply? GRE? Many questions; find good answers.
The Side Hustle
Often the best way to make more money at work is to start a simple but profitable part-time side business. Advantages are many. The editors of Forbes agree, here.
Learn How to Become
Great site for detailed info on various careers and career paths. Degrees, finding the right schools, occupations, salaries, job growth in each state, much more.
Top Lower-Income Students Should Aim High
While it’s normally true that elite private colleges/universities cost families far more than state schools, this isn’t always so (especially for students in poor families).
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