A college degree is only beneficial if it leads to a job after graduation. Whether you receive an English degree or a physics degree, you face the daunting task of searching and applying for a job when you graduate from college. While the job search process may seem daunting, there are steps you can take to make finding a job in your degree field much easier. You have put in the hard to work to earn the degree, so it is time to make your degree work for you.

Do not wait until after you graduate to start the job search process. Take advantage of the career office at your college or university to find potential business contacts in your field, create a stellar resume and participate in mock interviews to prepare you for the job market. Contact members of your school’s alumni association who currently work in your desired field and ask for their advice on finding a job in the field.

Build up as much experience as you can before beginning your job search. Take an unpaid internship that relates to your future career. Volunteer with a non-profit organization that could provide you with valuable insight into your future career field. Read as many books as possible written by some of the top individuals in your desired career field. Become proficient using as many computer programs or specialized software programs as possible and include those skills on your resume to set you apart from other employees.

Promote yourself as the ideal candidate for the job. Create detailed profiles on popular social networking websites that make you appear to be a professional and someone who is more than qualified for a job in your field. Create a list of companies you would like to work for and get to know these companies inside and out by talking to former and current employees and reading company profiles. Use any connections you have to get interviews or have someone put in a good word for you.

Network every chance you get. Whether you’re at a job fair or standing in line at the gas station, always keep your eyes open for a chance to network. Ask for business cards, and make sure that people you talk to know your skill set and qualifications. With all of the changes that have happened in the job market over the last few years, it is important that you use every opportunity at your disposal to make an impression on potential employers; one thing that will always catch their eye and secure a place for you in their memory is an obvious desire to put your skills to use.

Getting a job in your field is not as simple as filling out applications and sitting through interviews. To make your degree work for you, you have to put in some work. By taking the steps to position yourself as the ideal job candidate and network with those in your desired industry, you will not have to settle for less than the job of your dreams.

Today’s guest article was provided by Joseph Baker.

The cost of college tuition has been increasing dramatically over the years — greater than inflation in many instances. Some schools have adopted double digit increases, others try to keep the impact on families at a minimum, while some have taken the Muskingum approach and slashed tuition prices.

Regardless of the various approaches to tuition pricing, the investment in a college education can easily be the most expensive purchase a family can make — with the exception of their home. However, from what I can see with the rising cost of college, it may be possible for that education investment to surpass the purchase price of even a modest home…

Since we insure our homes, would it not make sense for us to want to obtain some sort of protection on our college investment?

Sallie Mae, the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in higher education, believes that a college education is worth insuring. They believe in it so much, they are rolling out a brand new division, Sallie Mae Insurance Services, to offer their services and products to students nationwide.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with William A. Suneson AAI, Co-Founder and President of Sallie Mae Insurance Services, and learn a little more about the various insurance products they are offering to families.

The following is our Q & A session. I hope you find it helpful as you contemplate protecting your educational investment.

CheapScholar: A lot of families have never heard about Tuition Insurance. Can you provide an explanation of how Tuition Insurance works and why it might be a good option for students/families?

Suneson: After purchasing a home, paying for college is often times the second largest expense for families creating a growing financial risk.  Additionally, many colleges do not provide a refund after the 4th week of classes for medical withdrawals and only provide partial refunds up to that point.  Tuition refund insurance provides families with an option to protect their investment in college should a student be forced to withdraw for medical reasons.  Essentially the coverage provides reimbursement up to the policy limits for tuition, fees, room/board and other related expenses upon the verified medical withdrawal of the student.

CheapScholar: What kind of premium/expense (approx) can a family expect to invest in this type of coverage?

Suneson: The premium to purchase tuition refund insurance varies by the amount of coverage a student or family selects based on their cost of attendance, out of pocket exposure and risk tolerance.  Through school sponsored plans, our policy premiums range  from $186 for $10,000 of annual coverage up to $486 for $50,000 of annual coverage.

CheapScholar: Tuition Refund Insurance has been in existence on campuses since the 1930’s. What does Sallie Mae bring to the table to help distinguish their newly introduced tuition insurance product from others.

Suneson: Yes, tuition refund insurance has been available for decades but historically only to students attending private institutions or private K-12 schools.  With the growing cost of paying for college, Sallie Mae Insurance Services has launched a modern form of tuition protection that allows students from any accredited college or university to purchase a policy based on their individual needs rather than a single amount offered by select institutions.  In addition to coverage flexibility, our product provides 100% percent reimbursement for mental health related claims rather than the 60% offered in the past by other plans.

Another distinguishing factor and clear advantage of our tuition insurance product is the inclusion of the Student Protection Plan with every policy sold.  This comprehensive bundle of benefits has been specifically designed for college students and includes Identity Theft Protection, Computer Repair Coverage, Emergency Medical Evacuation and Extended Warranty coverage.

CheapScholar: College students have a number of insurance needs during their educational career. Does Sallie Mae plan on rolling out other insurance products and services that may benefit these students in coverage and cost?

Suneson: Yes, Sallie Mae Insurance Services recently launched a suite of products on www.salliemae.com/insurance including renters insurance, travel insurance, student health insurance and other products for young adults post college.  We also have a number of products in development including tuition payment insurance designed to help tuition payers (parents) maintain their payments should something unforeseen happen to them.

CheapScholar: Bill, is there anything I didn’t cover above that you would like to highlight regarding this new venture by Sallie Mae?

Suneson: Doug, Thank you for this opportunity and for bringing awareness to the risks students and their families face during this life stage.  For over 40 years, Sallie Mae has been helping families save and pay for college so protecting that investment is a natural extension of the business.  We are focused on helping students achieve their goals by protecting them against unforeseen risks.

If you enjoyed this conversation and want to discuss the topic further, feel free to leave comments below or you can always reach out to Mr. Suneson on Twitter at BILLSUNESON

The following is a guest article provided by Joseph Baker.

Many liberal arts educations are set up in such a way that encourages students to try their hand at many subjects before settling on a major. The idea is noble in that discovery is one of the most important parts of higher education. Exposure to new ideas of which you were previously unaware can be the catalyst to a lifetime of passionate study. On the other hand, many students get stuck in indecision, taking on a major that may be convenient for grades but not representative of the career path they want to follow.

When a company wants to test something out, they create a rapid prototype of it. A rapid prototype is essentially a model from which the manufacturer can determine what changes need to be made before a product is churned out en masse. It helps save costs during the manufacturing process because a small mistake could result in a huge and costly recall.

Indecision could be that defect. Coming into college with an actionable plan for what you want to achieve puts you on a dedicated path and gives you a focus and a goal to strive towards over your college career. That’s not to say there can’t be variation – you can and you should attend classes that interest you, that put you out of your comfort zone. Sometimes those classes are the most important ones. Just don’t lose sight of your goals. Even if they change, making sure you are aiming for more specific than “a degree in something” will help you avoid the same pitfalls that consume year after year of students.

Speaking from experience, this is the largest and most depressing reason to switch around your college career. By my junior year I was working three jobs, enrolled in the honors curriculum and drowning in the stress and anxiety of it all. Financial aid had run out and I was failing in classes I cared about. It’s not uncommon. In fact, it’s long been known that dropout rates are linked to financial woes.

Students who pay for school themselves are more likely to dropout due to financial issues than those who get help from their families, according to a survey conducted by Public Agenda reported by the New York Times. Many students are faced with the reality that they may not graduate on time due to class scheduling, changing majors, and other factors. The survey shows that 2.8 million new students enroll in higher education every year. Of this number, only one in five students who enroll in an associate’s degree program graduate in three years, and two in five who enroll in a four-year plan graduate in six years. Students who face paying for tuition themselves may not be able to afford the tuition for extra years.

When money woes occur, there is often very little you can do about it other than try to mitigate your exposure, find more college money resources (apply for grants and scholarships like crazy, take on a second job, take cheaper classes) or drop out. It’s a dreary juncture to come to and it can be avoided with a comprehensive plan going into college. It’s a tall order to ask a high school student or first year freshman to plan their academic careers in advance, but the payoff, though distant, is worth it.

To My Faithful Readers – please disregard this interruption to your regular CheapScholar.org programming.

Today I am doing a presentation for OASFAA (Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators) and OCAN (Ohio College Access Network) highlighting how social media can be utilized in the Student Financial Services arena.  As part of my panel discussion, I will be covering the intricacies of Facebook.

To My Financial Aid and College Access Network Friends- Below is some additional information for you to reference and utilize as you move forward in your individual social media projects on your campus. If you encounter any questions along the way, don’t hesitate to drop me a line. Enjoy!

Twitter Stats and Facts (2010)

• Over 106 million accounts
• 300,000 new Twitter accounts are opened each day
• Twitter’s website gets over 3 billion visits each day
• 55 million tweets are sent each day
• 61% of users are English (Portuguese take second place at 11%)
• Twitter ONLY has 175 employees
• Guide to setting up a Twitter Account (pdf)
• Connecting Twitter to Facebook (Facebook updates automatically post on Twitter)

Facebook Stats and Facts (2010)

• More than 400 million active users
• 35 million users update their status every day
• 60 million status updates are posted each day
• 3 billion photos are uploaded to the site each month
• More than 3 million (Fan) Pages
• More than 20 million people become “fans” of a Page each day
• Average user has 130 friends
• Average user spends 55 minutes on Facebook each day
• Facebook is most used in the United States followed by the United Kingdom and Indonesia
• Guide to setting up a Facebook Fan Page (jpg)
• Start your own Facebook Page here

Blogging Stats and Facts (2010)

• There are over 133 million blogs on the internet
• 77% of internet users read blogs
• 80% of blogs are abandoned within the first month
• 68% of Bloggers have been blogging for over 2 years
• 20% of Bloggers update their blog daily
• Some popular blogging platforms include: WordPress & Blogger

Here is a cool video that displays the impact of social media on the world

Got a college student? Your life can be complex. Add to that the confusion over whether your student needs to file a tax return and you might need help. Today my guest blogger is a CPA, Carol Topp of TeensAndTaxes.com.

When does a college student need to file a tax return? Here are some typical situations of when a student should file a tax return and may owe taxes:

• Your student received a W-2 and federal income tax was withheld. Look at the W-2 Box 2 Federal income tax withheld. He or she may be due a refund of that money.
• Your child received several W-2s, but did not have federal income tax withheld on all the W-2s (look at Box 2). They may not have had enough tax withheld and may owe income tax.
• Your student received a form 1099MISC and Box 7 Nonemployee compensation has an amount in it. Your son or daughter has been classified as an independent contractor and needs to file a tax return to pay self-employment tax and may owe income tax as well.
• Your son or daughter received investment income from interest and dividends. A child’s investment income may be taxed at the parent’s tax rate if the investment income is more than $1,900 and the child was a full-time student, under age 24 at the end of the tax year.
• Your student started a business and made a profit. He or she may need to pay income tax and self-employment tax. Visit MicroBusinessForTeens.com if your child has questions about starting or running a business.
• Your student started a business and lost money on it. He or she may wish to file a tax return to reduce their taxes in this year or future years.
• Your college student received a form 1099B from a broker, bank or mutual fund company because he or she sold stock or a mutual fund and had a gain on the sale. Your child should file a tax return and include the stock sale on Schedule D.
• Your student sold stock or a mutual fund and had a loss on the sale. He or she may wish to file a tax return to reduce their taxes in this year or future years. Capital losses are limited to $3,000 a year and can be carried forward.
• Your son or daughter had earned income from a job or a business and wishes to open a Roth IRA. File a tax return to establish that your child had earned income even if tax is not owed.
• Your student received a scholarship that included room and board. This portion may be taxable. See the IRS website http://www.irs.gov/individuals/students/ for details and examples of taxable scholarships:

If any of these situations happen to you, read more about taxes for your college student at TeensAndTaxes.com. Then consult a local CPA to help your son or daughter file a tax return.

Carol’s site, TeensAndTaxes.com has some helpful articles. She also offers an ebook and an audio to help clear the confusion about taxes for teenagers and college students.

If you are already listed on your parents’ policy, ask to see a copy of the policy. Many policies allow a college student to stay on the family plan regardless of where they are attending school. In other cases, the student must attend school in the parents’ home state. Knowing this, you should ask Mom or Dad to call the insurance company to find out the details. You might be covered at no extra cost. Then again, you might be excluded from coverage. That would force you to buy your own policy.

An Individual Policy

While it is possible in most states for a college student to buy their own auto insurance as long as they are 18 or older, it is usually prohibitively expensive. While showing your independence is a good thing, it’s a little much to pay double what your parents pay for car insurance and still have enough money to live while at college. Go online and get some quotes just for the sake of comparison and you’ll see the difference. It will probably convince you that you can swallow your pride for now. It’s much cheaper to ride along with Mom and Dad.

Family Policy

Understand that staying on your parents’ policy comes with a few irritants. For instance, if you do anything that causes a spike in rates, your parents will know about it because it affects their insurance policy. You also might get an earful when they complain about the cost. A good compromise is to ask them to add you to their policy and you pay the difference in premium. It lets you both share the policy with dignity.

Driving Habits

Now that you are on Mom and Dad’s policy, you should be extra careful about your driving habits. There’s no hiding from the rate increase on your parents’ bill. Drive cautiously and safely, avoiding driving while intoxicated and only taking the car when absolutely necessary. By respecting the consequences of a mistake, you will be less likely to make one. You should care about this because a bad mark on your driving record can last until past your graduate from college.

Vehicle Ownership

Know that you may be fully responsible for everything that happens inside the car, as well as any and all traffic violations, parking tickets, or equipment failures. If you own the vehicle, you will be held responsible. Weigh these responsibilities carefully.

Going off to college is huge. The decisions you make now can affect the rest of your life. Be smart by making sure you are covered for the best rate possible, with the broadest coverage available. By driving responsibly now, you’ll be in a good position to find affordable car insurance after you graduate.

This was a guest post provided by CarInsuranceQuotesComparison.com. They offer a free car insurance quote tool that can help you price your policy, compare auto insurance companies, and decide if you should join your parents policy or take out one for yourself.

To my faithful readers – please disregard this interruption to your regular CheapScholar.org programming.

Today I am doing a presentation for KASRO (Kentucky Association of Student Receivable Officers) highlighting how social media can be utilized in the Student Financial Services arena. I am going to attempt to cover the basics of Twitter, Facebook and Blogging in the span of about an hour. Blogging is the last topic on my presentation. So, if you are reading this, that means I successfully covered everything on my agenda and the Bursars know how to execute an official blog posting!

To My Bursar Friends- Below is some additional information for you to reference and utilize as you move forward in your individual social media projects on your campus. If you encounter any questions along the way, don’t hesitate to drop me a line. Enjoy!

Twitter Stats and Facts (2010)

• Over 106 million accounts
• 300,000 new Twitter accounts are opened each day
• Twitter’s website gets over 3 billion visits each day
• 55 million tweets are sent each day
• 61% of users are English (Portuguese take second place at 11%)
• Twitter ONLY has 175 employees
• Guide to setting up a Twitter Account (pdf)

Facebook Stats and Facts (2010)

• More than 400 million active users
• 35 million users update their status every day
• 60 million status updates are posted each day
• 3 billion photos are uploaded to the site each month
• More than 3 million (Fan) Pages
• More than 20 million people become “fans” of a Page each day
• Average user has 130 friends
• Average user spends 55 minutes on Facebook each day
• Facebook is most used in the United States followed by the United Kingdom and Indonesia
• Guide to setting up a Facebook Fan Page (jpg)

Blogging Stats and Facts (2010)

• There are over 133 million blogs on the internet
• 77% of internet users read blogs
• 80% of blogs are abandoned within the first month
• 68% of Bloggers have been blogging for over 2 years
• 20% of Bloggers update their blog daily
• Some popular blogging platforms include: WordPress & Blogger

Here is a cool video that displays the impact of social media on the world

Going to college doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process… or a series of processes that ultimately result in a student ending up on the doorsteps of their favorite college or university. A good number of students have mentors to assist them along the way but many first generation college bound scholars are embarking down this path with little to no guidance.

Acceptly.com has recognized this area of need and has focused all of their efforts to help guide students through the college search and application process. Acceptly provides an online utility for families and students that allows them to tackle some of the more common topics in an interactive gaming type of atmosphere.

Matt Munson, founder of Acceptly, states, “While there are a few other sites out there, we have set ourselves apart by building a very modern, intuitive tool. A high school student who is comfortable on Facebook or FourSquare is going to feel very comfortable on Acceptly. We’ve gone to great lengths to make a usable, enjoyable product that is easy to use.”

Acceptly reaches out to families/students to provide assistance in the areas of academic preparation, college selection process, ACT & SAT testing, and the financial aid process. One uniqueness to Acceptly is that they use a calendar notification system to keep the most relative current information on the forefront for their users. Essentially, Acceptly becomes your virtual college prep counselor and helps to keep you on the right track as you move through the college search process.

Mr. Munson shares that “Not only will we keep you on track, but we will also teach you the tricks to maximizing your preparation for college in order to get into your dream school. Students who follow the Acceptly process are twice as likely to get accepted into their top choice schools.”

Back in the middle of summer, I had the opportunity to give Acceptly.com a test drive and provide feedback to better enhance the experience that students/families have on the site. It was nice to see them incorporate some of the changes and I am glad to see that they are still enlisting the assistance of their user group community to help make Acceptly.com a “must visit” resource for college bound students. I wish them well on their endeavor.

Today is the public launch for Acceptly.com. I encourage you to visit the site and check out all of the features for yourself. If you get time, please be sure to stop back and leave your feedback and/or impression of Acceptly.com below in the comment section. I am curious to hear what our readers think…