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Saturday, January 30, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Ask A College Planning Question
Do you have a question for Gary? Submit your college planning questions and have them answered before you fill out that FAFSA!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Advice on Making the College Investment Pay Off From AlbemarleFamily Magazine's #1 Financial Consultant
We were pleasantly surprised to find out, although a little late, that we had won first place in the Financial Consultant category of AlbemarleFamily Magazine's reader poll! Thank you to all our clients for voting for us. Lately the college planning division of our practice has really been taking off. We don't know if it has anything to do with the notoriety from AlbemarleFamily Magazine or if it is just due to the general panic parents are in, facing college and retirement planning and saving.
Just the cost of groceries and gas alone have gone up so much, I haven't been reading much about it in the mainstream media but it has me quite worried. We are all being hit with rising costs at an alarming speed yet our paychecks are staying the same and we feel lucky just to have a job. Now more than ever it is important for students to begin grooming themselves for their job search as soon as they begin college. Gary addresses this in a lot of detail in his book, The Real Cost of College: How to Finance Your Kids' College Education Without Bankrupting Your Retirement. He appeals to parents to make sure they know where the career center is and to escort their students there on move-in day! The more successful students use this resource heavily but it should not be the best kept secret on campus. The second important tip that Gary writes about is to make sure the student gains as much work experience as possible through internships, job shadowing, volunteering, anything that will give the student real work experience.
Our son is graduating this Spring and is working diligently at finding a job before graduation. He has been working through college, selling the services of a deck/patio company, canvassing door to door in Northern Virginia. When Gary commented to him that he is gaining some very valuable sales experience with this job that will be sought after in the job market, it was apparent that our son was actually taking this for granted because he has never set out to become a salesman. He said something like, "I just smile, get the person to like me, and explain the product." A natural! Now that he is seeking employment in the non-profit sector, hoping to find work in development and fund-raising for an organization that benefits underprivileged youth, he can see that there is a lot of merit to his experience.
Students facing this job market quickly move from wanting a meaningful career to simply wanting a paycheck with benefits. Monster.com has begun a new program of Career Mapping where the job seeker broadens their horizons by considering different careers that share common attributes. The Career Centers at the colleges all have tools like this and many more at their disposal. The resume writing and interview workshops are invaluable. Encourage your student to start in immediately. Gary stresses this point in his book, that now, more than ever, we need to see college as an investment in the student's future career. Therefore, the job search should start as soon as the student arrives at school, not in their final semester!
Jennifer Nickerson-Hoffman
Just the cost of groceries and gas alone have gone up so much, I haven't been reading much about it in the mainstream media but it has me quite worried. We are all being hit with rising costs at an alarming speed yet our paychecks are staying the same and we feel lucky just to have a job. Now more than ever it is important for students to begin grooming themselves for their job search as soon as they begin college. Gary addresses this in a lot of detail in his book, The Real Cost of College: How to Finance Your Kids' College Education Without Bankrupting Your Retirement. He appeals to parents to make sure they know where the career center is and to escort their students there on move-in day! The more successful students use this resource heavily but it should not be the best kept secret on campus. The second important tip that Gary writes about is to make sure the student gains as much work experience as possible through internships, job shadowing, volunteering, anything that will give the student real work experience.
Our son is graduating this Spring and is working diligently at finding a job before graduation. He has been working through college, selling the services of a deck/patio company, canvassing door to door in Northern Virginia. When Gary commented to him that he is gaining some very valuable sales experience with this job that will be sought after in the job market, it was apparent that our son was actually taking this for granted because he has never set out to become a salesman. He said something like, "I just smile, get the person to like me, and explain the product." A natural! Now that he is seeking employment in the non-profit sector, hoping to find work in development and fund-raising for an organization that benefits underprivileged youth, he can see that there is a lot of merit to his experience.
Students facing this job market quickly move from wanting a meaningful career to simply wanting a paycheck with benefits. Monster.com has begun a new program of Career Mapping where the job seeker broadens their horizons by considering different careers that share common attributes. The Career Centers at the colleges all have tools like this and many more at their disposal. The resume writing and interview workshops are invaluable. Encourage your student to start in immediately. Gary stresses this point in his book, that now, more than ever, we need to see college as an investment in the student's future career. Therefore, the job search should start as soon as the student arrives at school, not in their final semester!
Jennifer Nickerson-Hoffman
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