Why Doesn't the Washington Post Write REAL Stories about Student Lending?

I've been surprised by the lack of stories about the student lending crisis in the Washington Post. The most recent one was downright appalling, and I'm being reserved in describing it as such. Last Sunday they wrote about a young woman who went to GWU. She has been unable to find a job, and she comes from a highly successful and competitive family. Even though it's too bad her brother judges her for being out of work, the story implies two problematic things:



1) most young people, like Ms. Meyer, may not be employed and living at home, but that's really not a big deal. After all, she gets to go to yoga and takes regular hikes with her boyfriend

2) her parents paid for her schooling, which is rare.



Why doesn't the Post actually publish more accurate pieces about people who don't have the luxury of returning home? What about the ones who are drowning in debt? (A 1/3 of college students take out student loans to finance their education. Moreover, Tim Ranzetta over at Student Lending Analytics recently stated that 2/3 of graduating seniors in 2008 . . . incurred debt." Ranzetta is a painstaking number cruncher and always provides invaluable statistical analysis about the student lending industry.



I've also noticed that the University of Phoenix is always advertised in the Post. I imagine that's what is keeping that newspaper afloat, along with Kaplan. Hmmm . . . so is that maybe the reason for the poor coverage of the student lending crisis? (Just to be clear - Kaplan and WP are the same company; Kaplan profits are keeping WP afloat. Also, here's a disturbing tidbit on they way Kaplan hires entry-level admissions advisors).



All them folks on the Hill who make decisions about our lives read the Post. As their sipping their morning coffee in their D.C. offices, they can enjoy fluff pieces like the one about Ms. Meyer. They can think to themselves, "well, the recession isn't hurting this young graduate, so things can't be all that bad . . ."





Author: C Cryn Johannsen

http://alleducationmatters.blogspot.com/2009/12/whats-going-on-at-washington-post-why.html

Top 50 Online Job Hunt Tools for Recent Graduates

There are so many job hunting tools online nowadays, it's easy for job seekers to get lost. "Web 2.0" is essentially the interactive Web we see today. But the question is which social networking sites should you get involved in for your job search? What groups should you join? What the heck is "tweeting" anyways? Intead of going through the trial and error process trying out hundreds of different social networking sites, take a look at the Top 50 Web 2.0 job search tools to help you figure out which sites are worth using in your job hunt.



1. LinkedIN – Social Network, primarily business www.linkedin.com

2. FaceBook – Social Network, business and personal www.facebook.com

3. MySpace – Social network, primarily personal www.myspace.com

4. Ning – Private Social networks www.ning.com

5. Plaxo – Contact synchronizer www.plaxo.com

6. ZoomInfo – Business directory www.zoominfo.com

7. Spoke – Business Directory & Social network www.spoke.com

8. Jigsaw – Business Directory & Social Network www.jigsaw.com

9. YouTube – User generated video www.youtube.com

10. Twitter – Text-like social network www.twitter.com

11. Pownce – File Sharing social network www.pownce.com

12. Flickr – User Generated Photo sharing www.flickr.com

13. Zooomr – User generated photo sharing and text for mobile www.zooomr.com

14. Yahoo Answers – User generated questions and answers www.answers.yahoo.com/

15. LinkedIN Answers – User generated questions and answers www.linkedin.com

16. Google Answers – User generated questions and answers www.answers.google.com/answers/

17. FaceBook Groups – Common interest based groups www.facebook.com

18. Yahoo Groups – Common interest based groups www.groups.yahoo.com

19. Google Groups – Common interest based groups www.groups.google.com

20. Grou.ps – Common interest based groups www.grou.ps

21. Blogger – Blog platform www.blogger.com

22. Wordpress – Blog platform www.wordpress.org

23. Typepad – Blog platform www.typepad.com

24. Del.icio.us – Social bookmarking http://www.del.icio.us/

25. Ma.gnolia – Social bookmarking http://www.ma.gnolia/



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"I come recommended with a 66% approval rating"

How do you convince an employer that you're the right candidate for the job?
Bring in a second opinion! Enjoy a good laugh!


Teena Rose, Resume to Referral
http://www.resumetoreferral.com/

Recession Great Time to Recruit New Grads in Marketing/Sales?

Speculation surrounds the idea of recessionary recruiting for businesses all over the U.S. For instance, employers shed 63,000 jobs in February, 20,000 in March, and April’s numbers are unknown. What can employers do to counter these issues without losing key talent in their organizations? It is unknown currently, but we have a few suggestions for preparing for these types of events. Recessionary recruiting should focus on sales and marketing talent from competitors and preparation for economic downturn.



Sales and marketing are the most profitable sectors of any organization and recruiters need to consider recruiting entry level talent to increase the bottom line.



Multi-Faceted Recent Grads



Job cuts in today’s companies provide recruiters with opportunities to recruit highly talented grads with sales experience. Gen Y has entered the workforce with an aptitude for entrepreneurship and is waiting for a chance to prove their worthiness to employers. The recession has led the strongest candidates to sales positions in companies across the nation. The additional sales and marketing jobs are answers to most companies’ profit loss.. Directors of talent management should handle this responsibility in their organizations so each department remains flexible and prosperous.



With the inclusion of Gen Y, an organization recruiting talented sales and marketing grads will have a better experience during the recession.



Recruit Competitors’ Sales and Marketing Talent



Have you recruited top sales and marketing talent from your competitors? This is a risky decision to make, but it can help your company gradually rise above recession. Some recruiters may ask how or why they should consider their competitors’ talent; well, sales and marketing talent can add profits to your bottom line.



With company headcounts slashing across the nation, your sales force should be stronger than ever. Consider top performers who were discarded due to your competitors’ impulsive cutbacks. Your company can take advantage of their mistakes by acquiring these leaders to increase sales leads, generate objectives, and promotions to distinguish your company in your market.



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New Grads Turn to Internships

Allison Dunn, 23, is tired of walking her boss' dog.



That's not what she bargained for with her paid internship as a New York University graduate student working on a master's degree in education policy.



Advertised as administrative assistant for a publishing house, her internship pays $17 an hour and she's working 20 hours a week.



"I want something in my field," she told university career counselor Mary Snowden.



"But I'm broke so I can't afford to be picky," said Dunn, of Manhattan, explaining that she has $60,000 in student loans with a full course load and she's entirely self-supporting.



Dunn is one of thousands of local college and graduate school students toiling in the booming world of internships, as the crumbling economy makes jobs scarce.



Internships traditionally provided a supervised learning experience in a chosen field while studying, and a ticket to a first paying job with an employer after graduation.



Now, some financially pressed students, like Dunn, settle for paid internships that don't serve their goals.



"There are industries that are exploiting students," said Trudy Steinfeld, executive director of NYU's Wasserman Center for Career development, which manages the school's internship programs.



Steinfeld said the media and brokerage firms are among those using unpaid interns sometimes with the promise of future jobs.



"They always had paid internships," said Steinfeld, referring to the brokerage firms.



"All of a sudden, in this economy, there are big-name firms saying 'if you want into this business, you'll have to work for free doing cold calling,'" he said.



"Cold calling," in this case, is solicitation for brokerage clients from massive lists of telephone numbers.



Even after graduation, some work as unpaid "interns" in situations that violate state labor laws.



State Labor Department spokesman Leo Rosales said students may only work for free if they get school credit. After graduation, the minimum $7.15 hourly wage is required.



These days, some take the unpaid jobs anyway.



Ani Voskanyan, 23, who graduated with honors from Pace College's Lubin Business School in 2007, is working eight hours a week without a salary for a hedge fund because she can't find a paying job in finance.



She said she's "learning a lot," so pay is not an issue, no matter her employer's legal obligation.



To help support herself, Voskanyan, fluent in Russian and Armenian, has set up an Internet operation exporting perfume to eastern European countries.



"I earn money from that," she said. "I took some jobs waitressing, and I know my degree will be worth something in a year or two when the economy picks up."



Some current students are not concerned with the present state of the economy, and eagerly explore every internship opportunity.



"Paid or unpaid, makes no difference to me," said Naman Bhandari, 20, of Rego Park, and a student at NYU's Stern School of Business.



At a recent NYU internship fair, he was interviewed by a Citigroup executive for a summer internship in trading operations.



"I'm applying to get the experience," he said. "The interviewer asked about my thoughts on the economy, my leadership experience and my experience in operations," said Bhandari.



"He also asked about my grade point average. That's 3.5," said Bhandari with a smile.



http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2009/02/22/2009-02-22_more_grads_turn_to_internships_as_employ.html

The Customer is Always Right, Right?

Ever wonder what makes some companies succeed where others fail? Successful businesses of today’s world have drastically changed their approach towards customer service to meet the challenges of today’s competitive marketplace by using the most recent and modern ways to increase revenue growth and create a culture of success in the months and years to come. One excellent way to achieve that is to place customer needs and concerns at the heart of the business, not on the edge. It is a known fact that satisfied clients are the best promoters of your business. A recent research has shown that satisfied customers inform an average of five other people about their good treatment while unhappy customers may tell around 11 people about their bad experience with the company.

Providing excellent customer service is a definitely a challenge for every Company but as customers ultimately pay the bills and pay the salaries, running away from it is not an option. Akhtaboot presents to you a number of important tips that you should keep in mind in order to handle customer complaints effectively.

Listen, Listen then Listen Some More!

Listening is perhaps the most critical element in workplace communications, yet it remains one of the least understood skills among employees. When it comes to handling complaining customers, you should really understand that it’s not about you as a person but about the products and services that your company offers. While you’re listening make sure that you don’t get defensive as this will stimulate even more anger. Stay calm and make sure that you understand the precise nature of the customer’s complaint. Repeat back the key points of their complaint to show interest. Be positive; at least this customer actually took the time and effort to complain!

Show Interest

You can show interest by simply asking questions about the problem in a caring and concerned manner. Make sure that you ask about the complainer’s name and mention it every now and then as you address him or her. When someone comes to you yelling, try to calm him down by saying “We can work together to solve the problem but first can you please tell me what exactly went wrong”. Identifying the exact problem will not only help you with that particular customer, but will help avoid more complaints in the future.

Say Thank You

As annoying as they may appear to be, complaints are actually positive. Many companies allocate a lot of resources and personnel in order to get customer feedback. You have been granted this gift free of charge so why keep on nagging about receiving a lot of complaints. Instead, the customer deserves to be thanked for approaching the company which such valuable information. A simple “Thank You” is the easiest way to make an outraged customer feel important and appreciated.

Offer an apology

Apologizing indicates that you are taking the complaint seriously and that you are truly sorry about any inconvenience the customer had to face. A genuine apology can actually strengthen a customer’s bond to a company, leaving him or her emotionally connected than a customer who has never experienced a problem. As a representative of your company you have a responsibility to actively work to regain customer goodwill even if it wasn’t actually your fault.

Fix the Problem

Distinguishing between a major and a minor problem can sometimes be tricky. You might overlook a fundamental problem at times and on other occasions you might spend considerable time trying to solve a minor problem which only exists in the mind of the complainer. It’s the responsibility of the customer service representative to figure out the validity and importance of the complaint.

Follow Up

Many customer care representatives think that bombarding complaining customers with follow up calls is essential to please them. Doing so might drive the customer to stop dealing with the company because of the disturbing phone calls. Nevertheless, following up with a customer who has previously complained to the services her received is essential when done in moderation. It signals care and reflects that the company has a sincere desire to keep customers happy.

Tracking customer complaints has become a priority for companies in today’s marketplace. Statistics show that 25% of customers are dissatisfied with their purchases, yet, only 5% actually complain. The other 95% either feel complaining is not worth the effort or they just stop buying because they do not know whom to turn to. Only about 50% of those who complain report a satisfactory problem resolution. Likewise, between 54-70% of customers who register a complaint will do business with the company again if their complaints are fully resolved.

Keep in mind that customer support is not just about fixing a problem, but forming a relationship with buyers and creating an opportunity for future sales. The quality and effectiveness of your products must be accompanied by good customer service in order to succeed. In today’s competitive market, companies that truly understand that it’s all about the customers and their experience with their products, their services, their organization, will be the ones left standing.

Economy Down but Service & Volunteer Jobs Up

According to a recent study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, companies intend to hire 22 percent fewer college graduates this year compared to last year's class. In early reports from the NACE's study of 2009 graduating seniors due out in April, as many as 63 percent of students surveyed are concerned that the economy will negatively affect their job prospects.



But the news might not be all bad. While the economy is down, volunteer and service program applications are up. Way up.



While service-oriented job programs like Teach for America and Peace Corps have enjoyed steady popularity with young people as an alternative to entering the traditional workforce upon graduation, these programs are reporting a major surge in applications in the past several months.



Teach for America, a training program that hires recent college graduates and professionals with no formal teaching experience to work in the nation's neediest school districts, has received more than 35,000 applications for this year's teaching corps -- a 42 percent increase over last year's record numbers.



Amy Rabinowitz, TFA's vice president of communications, says the struggling economy is just one cause for the jump in applications.



"While the economy played a role in reducing competition for top applicants, we believe this year's increase can also be attributed a growing interest among young people to engage in public service," she explains.



Today's university graduates represent part of a wider trend in which colleges and universities expect well-rounded students to have engaged in public service throughout their education.



Volunteerism by older teens has doubled since the 1980s and service participation in college has risen sharply since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 according to the Corporation for National and Community Service Report, "Volunteer Growth in America."



The UCLA Graduate School of Education reports that two-thirds of college freshmen believe it is essential or very important to help others -- the highest figure in 25 years.



This surge in service appears indicative of the so-called Millennial Generation -- people born between 1983 and 2003 -- who have come of age as the Internet has increased access to information about communities around the world as well as service opportunities across cultural and national boundaries.





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Stay On Top of College News

Whether you are a College student, recent graduate, parent, or planning on going to College in the near future, you'll want to stay on top of College news. But where can you find up-to-date College news so easily and quickly? Try TheCampusBuzz.com This is a fantastic site that sorts through hundreds (and we mean hundreds!) of College-related news articles, blog posts, tweets, and RSS feeds to give you nothing but the best!



When you sign up to receive their news you have the option of using an RSS reader, Twitter, e-mail, and soon, Facebook.

College Grad Do's & Don'ts of Interviews

1. Searching for Jobs



The wrong way: Limiting yourself to the Internet.



The right way: Network, network, network. So used to the almighty Internet, college grads often forget they need to cast a wider web if they want to get ahead in their job search. Big mistake. "Finding a good job lays the foundation for the rest of your career so you want to take every advantage and resource you might have," says John Challenger, chief executive officer of outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That means going beyond the listings on career sites like MonsterTRAK.com and CareerBuilder.com, or those distributed by your university's career center. Any career coach will tell you to let your favorite professors know you're still looking for a job, and stay in touch with any former employers where you have had internships or summer jobs.



The best resource to tap, though, is right at home: mom and dad. "The fact that your parents know people in the adult world who are working and might be willing to see you is really valuable," Challenger says. But know where to draw the line. "I've been hearing lately about job candidates getting their parents too involved," says Alexandra Levit, a career coach and author of the book "They Don't Teach Corporate in College." "It's good to tap your parents' network, but having your mom call the HR person and ask why they haven't called you back — that's completely contrary to the perception you want to give," she warns.



2. Landing an Interview



The wrong way: Dear hiring manager...



The right way: Research and personalize. It's not uncommon that a job listing doesn't mention a specific person to whom cover letters should be addressed. But that's no excuse for starting your letter with "Dear Hiring Manager" or, worse yet, "Dear Sir," says Lauren Kahn, founder All About Careers, a Chicago-based career-coaching service. "Between the Internet, telephone and voicemail, they should be able to know I'm the correct person to contact, they should be able to know I'm female, and they should know my name," she says. Resumes should be equally tailored to the specific job opening.



Avoid objectives like "finding a job in marketing" and mention the specific company and position you are applying to. Putting education before job experience or listing job experience in chronological order are among the other common mistakes college grads make, Kahn says. When you only have six or seven seconds of a recruiter's time the most relevant information should be up on top. (Don't sweat this too much, though: Recruiters do understand that recent college grads have spent most of their previous four years studying — not working.)



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Personal Branding for College Graduates

Too often job seekers send out resumes without a focus or message that speaks to the reader. They include all of their jobs going back many years with an extensive list of job responsibilities.



What they fail to do is convey their unique personal brand or value proposition to a hiring manager that clearly demonstrates what it is they do best - even better than anyone else!



When you think about a product, what comes to mind? It is the look, feel, smell, performance, quality, or low cost? Whatever it is, that is what sets it apart from similar products. Not surprisingly, it is probably the one thing a company aggressively promotes about the product.



If a company is buying a candidate, that in turn makes the candidate the product and the hiring company the consumer. So, the same would be true when setting yourself apart from other job seekers in your field.



Why should a company choose you when they have ten other candidates with similar career paths?



If you know the answer to that question, then that is your personal brand! If not, then you need to find out what it is. Here are some simple steps to get started:



STEP 1: Research Your Personal Brand



Conduct a marketing survey by asking your friends, family, and past co-workers what they think of you on a personal and professional level. You might be surprised at the responses, good and bad! For this exercise, we are going to focus on the positive.



STEP 2: Define Your Personal Brand



Here are a few general examples to help you translate the feedback to your personal brand (parenthesis):

Workaholic ("hardworking," "determined," "ambitious," "driven")

Always busy doing something ("project oriented"; "multitask oriented"; "energetic").

Someone to turn to when advice is needed ("good listener with consultative skills"; "problem solver"). Someone to count on in a pinch ("reliable"; "team player").

Frugal; knows how to stretch the mighty dollar ("budget conscious").

Handy around the house and in the yard ("technically or mechanically inclined"; "good with tools").



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How to Shop Around for Health Insurance

Buying health insurance is probably the last thing a new college graduate wants to research as they deal with the multitude of changes that accompany their sudden leap into the real world.



Unfortunately, your change in status from student to regular person will also mean changes in your health insurance coverage. For the last several years you may have been on your parent’s insurance plan or covered by student insurance but after graduation, you are likely on your own. As a result many college graduates simply go without, which can be one of the worst decisions you can make for your health and your wallet.



Risks of Going Without Health Insurance

If you don’t have health insurance you’re more likely to avoid needed treatment or preventive care due to the costs involved. In the event you’re faced with major health issues that demand treatment you could find yourself deep in debt if you don’t have any type of catastrophic coverage. Even if health insurance seems like something you can’t afford right out of school it’s worth taking the time to research the options and see what form of coverage you can squeeze into your budget.



Employer Health Insurance

If you’ve landed a job, chances are you have some decent options for health insurance coverage. Group health insurance provided by many employers is often the most affordable type of insurance available to you. Unfortunately, the rising cost of insuring workers is causing some employers to reduce the benefits the plan offers or drop health benefits all together. You could be faced with increased deductibles, higher premiums, or both but it’s still often better than having to find insurance on your own.



Make an appointment with your human resources representative to make sure you understand and are taking advantage of the health benefits available to you. If you’re still looking for a job, make sure you take the benefits package into account as you’re weighing your options. A good health insurance plan, along with things like dental, disability, and life insurance can be worth a lot of money.



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Student Debt Advice - Is the Washington Post Helpful or Just Writing Fluff?

OK, so this little piece of advice from Michelle Singletary is hysterical. She writes blase advice columns and this one happens to have a kernel of uselessness on the topic of student loan debt. But I know exactly why she writes fluff - because the WP is kept afloat by Kaplan. So, the WP either talks about happy-go-luck grads who have no debt or they write about extraordinary cases like this one. I have to quote the snippet in its entirety:



Frustrated in D.C.: Dear Michelle, I do appreciate your advice. However, you say to pay off all your significant debt before making any major purchases, such as a house. That means I'll be 50 (right now I'm 30) before I pay off my student loans and can buy a house! There goes my motivation to pay off my debt! What to do? My budget is already trimmed and I'm not saving any money for the future.



Michelle Singletary: I know what I'm proposing is tough. And it's different.

But it can be done and before you turn 50. Just recently I had an award ceremony for the financial ministry I direct at my church.

During the program, one participant, whose husband is an educator, testified that they had gotten rid of $60,000 in student loan debt in TWO YEARS. This was debt the husband thought he would take to his grave. They weren't earning boatloads of money.

How did they do it?

The wife took all her bonuses and helped apply it to the debt. They cut their expenses -- like skipping taking vacations. They participated in the 21-day financial fast I developed (in this you don't spend money on anything that is not a necessity). They stop using credit cards.

Two years and $60,000.

Many of us cried.

What I'm asking you do to is move into your home as debt-free as possible. Get rid of that student loan bondage and when you get that house it will be so wonderful.



I think it's wonderful that this wife and husband were able to get out of debt. That's great for them! But I'd like to know why Michelle Singletary hasn't written any pieces that take a look at the macro implications of the student lending crisis - what about the hundreds of thousands of people who are drowning in student loan debt? What about the ones who can't have children because of their degrees? What about parents or grandparents who co-signed on private loans? What about the cases in which students were misled by financial aid officers on campus and directed to take out the wrong loans? I'd like to know about the 7,000 nurses and teachers in Kentucky who were denied loan forgiveness - what's been done to help those families? These are all topics - among many more - I'd prefer reading about because these anecdotes about a couple that Ms. Singletary happens to know in her Church aren't newsworthy. In fact, it doesn't say a damned thing about the actual crisis. Also, I have news for Ms. Singletary, most people who are drowning in student loan debt aren't taking any vacations. They aren't even able to put food on the table.





Author: C Cryn Johannsen

http://alleducationmatters.blogspot.com/2009/12/youve-got-to-be-kidding-me-washington.html