I have not forgotten about Penny Plastic, friends, I promise! Things have just been a bit hectic – getting the other blog up and running, work, freelance, etc etc. I WILL be maintaining this blog, it just may take me a bit of time to really get organized, so please be patient with me.
xo
Hey kids! I’ve made some changes to my blogging structure, moving all design/style/fashion related posts to a new blog. All finance and money related posts will remain here at the Penny Plastic blog, where I will continue to write about my own finances and the economy in general.
So, there you have it, two blogs! Make sure to bookmark or subscribe to the new blog, I am very excited!
In the past few days, I’ve received convenience (it always makes me laugh, this name) checks from two of my creditors. I haven’t seen checks in the mail for months. I will do some research on this when I get to the office. In the meantime…..thoughts?
Over at 20-Something Finance, one of my favorite finance blogs, they’ve provided a list of financial goals one should reach before turning 30.
I turn 30 this year, which is already stressful enough – a list? Of financial goals? Quelle horreur!
Their list, and how I am doing:
Overall, I seem to fail at being almost 30.
This article caught my eye yesterday, as I don’t believe I have seen the question asked straight-up in mainstream media as of yet. David and I have had many, many talks about this very issue, as he is currently upside-down/under water/what-have-you in his home.
He was house hunting when I met him. Looking back, I can see that his perspective was a bit skewed as he and his parents had invested in a property while he was in college in San Luis Obispo and came out 50% ahead. The house we currently live in was meant to be an investment property, but instead it’s a source of stress for both of us.
He hates being stretched thin by his mortgage, which makes it difficult to improve upon the house (something he would love to do). I hate being stuck in Sacramento. I had been planning on moving to San Francisco when I met him, so you can imagine my patience is wearing a bit thin. It’s hard.
The good news is, David didn’t buy a house a boring subdivision (not his style). We live just outside of downtown in a really cute highwater craftsman. We can walk to Trader Joe’s, our neighbors are cool, we’ve planted a vegetable garden in our expansive backyard and we have picture railings (which I am totally still intrigued by and love).
In our many discussions about the house, we’ve exhausted every option, including him walking away, a short sell and missing a payment to get Chase’s attention. Which, is totally ridiculous, but after countless conversations with a bank and an unending chorus of “you’re on time with your payments,” desperation sets in.
He won’t do it, and I don’t believe he should either. But I can understand the temptation. What are your thoughts? Obama has just unveiled “incentives” for mortgage servicers to help struggling homeowners refinances their homes. What do you think of this? Will it help?
Separate bills in the House and Senate are attempting to put the kabosh on some of the bank practices around credit card handling. As many of us have read or personally experienced, banks are jacking up credit card rates, closing accounts and lowering limits at amazing speed. Even customers with perfect credit histories, excellent FICO scores who carry a small balance and pay over the minimum monthly (the ideal credit customers) are seeing their rates skyrocket.
The House bill aims to target this issue in particular. Currently banks can raise APRs, both increasing the rate and swapping out from fixed to variable, for consumers with no catalyst. Under the House bill, they will still be able to do this, however, the new rate will ONLY impact purchases made after the rate change. This gives consumers a bit more control around whether they choose to continue using the card.
The Senate bill speaks to banks targeting college-age consumers, an issue that has been hot since I was a freshman in college (and, got my first credit card).
Here’s hoping that consumer advocates continue to target the banks on this issue.
Shirt: Cafepress Dot Com
We’ve all been there, searching for our first “real,” professional job out of college. It can be an incredibly discouraging process. Depending on your field of study and the industry in which you’re job hunting, advice around your career can vary greatly. I have pulled together a list of of things I learned while job hunting straight out of college and discoveries I’ve made in the past 5 or so years. This advice is not meant as a catch-all for everyone. But, I hope it’s useful to some of you, recent graduates and unemployed alike.
While You’re Still In College, Find An Internship
Or, at the very least, please work. Belonging to the greek system is great, volunteering is wonderful, but to really round yourself out you should try and find a job. At a local coffee shop, retail, work study, wherever.
Interning seems easy in theory, but a lot of campus have less-than-stellar career/internship resources and you may have to research and inquire about internships on your own. When I was in school, I interned abroad in London, at a fashion PR firm. I hated it, even though I traveled abroad specifically to intern, I was placed in a field for which I had no interest. I ended up leaving after a few weeks, but I still added it to my resume after graduating, and I milked it for all it was worth. And, it worked.
Request Q&A Interviews
If local companies are not hiring, inquire about an informational interview with a manager in your field/department of choice. You never know.
Your Resume – Remember That ALL Jobs Have The Potential To Count
It may seem silly to talk about acquiring time-management skills at your summer job with Banana Republic, but you can spin any job to count. Trust me.
Your Resume – More Is Not Necessarily Better
While it’s important to remember that all jobs have the potential count, it’s equally important to not throw every job since your childhood lemonade stand onto your resume. Keep it focused and relevant.
All Resumes Are Not Created Equal
When you’re younger you are usually applying for a greater range of positions. Don’t make the mistake of sending the same resume to every potential employer. If you’re applying for a mixture of administrative assistant and marketing assistant jobs, tailor your resumes for each.
Check Out The Competition
Did you know that Craigslist had an entire section available for people to post their resumes? You can also find resumes available for viewing on select career websites. Sometimes it helps to see what others using to present themselves to potential employers.
Join LinkedIN
You’ll have access to hiring managers otherwise unavailable through their company’s website. For example, J Crew does not provide a careers section on their website, only a general email where you can send resumes to HR. However, on LinkedIN, you can find profiles for hiring managers, HR recruiters and department managers. In addition, you can seek out information or guidance from previous employees.
Don’t Turn Up Your Nose At Temp Work
There are three reasons I recommend temporary work:
1. The potential for expanding your skill set is high.
2. The possibility that, if you perform to standard, you are offered a full-time position is high.
3. Sometimes there’s no other choice.
I worked as a temp for 9 months right out of college. It was an administrative assistant/receptionist job that I really disliked and I spent the entire 9 months hunting for a creative position elsewhere, However, during that time I happily accepted any and every task thrown my way (this included a day of taking readings at a power plant in FRENSO). I convinced my manager that the company should foot the bill for my advanced courses in Excel and Access and with my newly-acquired knowledge I developed a resume database for HR.
It was not terribly interesting, but it was something new and I was fully aware that I was expanding my skill set in a big way. Even though I never used Access again (nor do I have a desire to do so), it was something I could speak to at the time – I learned the program and I executed my knowledge in a way that saved the company time and money.
Think Beyond “Jobs” For Padding Your Experience & Skills
If you have volunteered, written a great letter that was published in a newspaper, worked on a project for a friend or family member or participated in events for an organization, all have the potential to add depth to your resume. Think about all the things you’ve done outside of work or school that you’re proud of. Make a thorough list and choose 1-3 items that highlight transferable skills such as time management, focus or delegation.
Aim High
Don’t focus all your effort into applying for “entry level” jobs, even if you are just emerging from school. Any good (key word here) hiring manager knows to seek out candidates who are engaged and eager to learn. Hiring candidates who can perform every item listed on a job description could potentially lead to bored employees who will soon seek out more interesting opportunities.
When I applied for a job at my current company, the job description noted “firm knowledge of Quark XPress.” I had never heard of the program, but I didn’t let it stop me from applying. When I got the call, I bought a book and started reading before my interview. As it turns out, the department was only just converting from producing materials in Word to Quark, and my boss didn’t even know how to use the software. During the interview I told him that I had never used it, but had been reading about the program and was interested in learning more. He was impressed.
Use Some Of Your Free Time To Go Back To School
I know, I know….you’ve only just graduated. The thing is, depending on your degree, you may have not had much exposure to even the most basic software, like Microsoft Office. Depending on the types of jobs you’re seeking out, a class in Excel or business writing can only improve your chances of being hired.
Seek Out Work At Smaller Companies
Small to mid-sized companies are fabulous for both growth opportunities and flexing your skill set.
If you have any other grand ideas or experiences you’d like to share, as always, feel free to speak up in the comments!
Photo: Veer
The rumors are flying, my friends. It is very possible that my company will be snatched up by a competitor in the near future.
It’s weird at my office; our creative director’s space is virtually empty, and I can hear the little “ding!” noises coming from her computer as she burns discs of all her work. She’s not the only one. I’ve taken home 5 discs-worth of my files and am beginning to slowly move things from my work to home office. I’ll walk past my coworker’s offices (the smart ones, anyhow) and see that they’ve taken home 50-75% of their shit. Others are wandering the building with looks of utter confusion, like they are in the Twilight Zone.
Honestly? I am feeling fairly calm about the possibility of losing my job. I’ve been with this company for 5+ years. It was my first job out of college. I’ve survived 10+ layoffs and been promoted. I’ve built solid relationships, from executives to assistants. I’ve been waffling between staying and leaving for a few years, and this just might be the kick in the bum necessary to move onward and upward.
Of course, this is where I stand now….before the reality of being unemployed sets in. I am sticking with the company until the end with the hope that I will receive some kind of severance. I checked with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) and found an unemployment insurance benefit table available online. According to the table, I am eligible for roughly $1,600 per month in unemployment.
I’m not sure what to make of this number either than it’s more than I expected. And, I hope to the Unemployment Gods that I receive a severance. My assumption is that visual merchandisers are not in high demand at the moment.
More details to come….most certainly around what’s happening with my company, but also in regard to budget changes and future goals.
How are you jobs holding up? Are you nervous? Hopeful? Ambivalent?
Photo: Veer
You’ll recall that I recommended using bullet points to organize the meat of your resume. This advice was echoed in a post today over at Free Money Finance (via Yahoo).
So, there you have it, advice with the approval of those with far greater knowledge than I around resume writing.
Photo: Getty
Given the current economic mess and the fact that many of us have a) lost our jobs, b) are on the cusp of losing our jobs, or c) fearful of losing our jobs, patching up the old resume isn’t a terrible idea. This is on my list of things to do before June (aka, the month when my company discovers it cannot pay for Q4 product and implodes). I am a fairly knowledgeable gal when it comes to career-related advice, so I thought I might share some of my philosophies, opinions and ideas around job hunting.
The Job Hunt
The Resume
Sitting down to pull together or update your resume can result in a major brain freeze and infinite frustration.
The Interview