Preparing for life after GC

The transition after college can be both exciting and challenging. If your next stop is the working world, the key to a positive transition is recognizing the differences between school and work and being prepared to accept the changes. Even if your next stop is not full-time employment, you'll still find that many "life skills" are not taught in the academic classroom.

Career Services has developed the Career Countdown Series to assist you in a smooth transition. Through a series of events, you will write a resume and cover letter, practice interviewing, learn about personal finances, and more!

Web sites for the transition after college

Table of contents:

• Relocating, renting, purchasing first home
• Personal finance
• Job offers and negotiating salaries
• Transition to the professional working world
• Cooking
• Other topics

Relocating, renting, purchasing first home

• Sperling's Best Places - Moving out of Goshen, but not sure where you're going? Learn about the cost of living, housing, climate, and crime rate in hundreds of US cities.
• Apartments.com - Search for rentals by majors cities. Resources for after you move in Apartment Living section
• Move.com - Search millions of real estate listings (for rent and for sale) from all over the United States
• Let Someone Else Pay Half Your Bills - Renting with a roommate is a good way to lower your monthly expenses, but it can also be a recipe for financial disaster. Read Money.com's advice.
• How-to Guide: How to Buy Your First Home - Are you considering purchasing a home? Not sure where to start? Browse this guide from Move.com. Articles include
            - Costs Associated with a Home Loan
            - Buying vs. Renting?

Personal finance

• CashCourse - Great resource from the National Endowment for Financial Education. Learn how to create a budget, manage student loans, finance grad school, and much more.
• 10 Steps to Financial Success for New Grads - Ten suggestions from MSN Money to make sure you're headed in the right direction financially.
• Money 101 - Very thorough guide from CNN Money on everything related to personal finance, including creating a budget, managing debt, investing, and insurance.

Job offers and negotiating salaries

• Salary Guides and Guidance - The Riley Guide links to several online salary calculators and offers advice for evaluating the information from those calculators. Also, suggestions for handling salary history requests from potential employers.
• Job Offer Negotiation - Several articles from CollegeGrad.com. Learn how to handle offers, negotiate salary, and understand your benefits package.

Transition to the professional working world

• New Job Proverbs - Collection of "proverbs" from CollegeGrad.com to assist you in entering the world of work.
• On the Job - Several articles from JobWeb.com on topics ranging from communication to cube-tiquette.
• Success After College - Suggestions for adjusting to a new schedule and building a relationship with your boss and co-workers.
• Between College and Executive Lies 'Business Casual' - Not sure what to wear to work? Wondering what 'business casual' actually means? Check out this article from YoungMoney.com.

Cooking

• The Food Network - New cooks will find the "Cooking" and "Quick & Easy" tabs to be most helpful.
• Allrecipes.com - Over 40,000 recipes! Read reviews and suggestions from other cooks.
• Cooking Light - Thousands of recipes with an emphasis on healthy meals and snacks.

Other topics

• MySpace is Public Space When it Comes to Job Search - Yes, it's true. Some employers are using MySpace and Facebook to screen candidates. Read advice from employers and career centers nationwide about your online profile.
• How Will Your Online Profile Affect Potential Job Offers - Think you're safe because your online profile is set to "private?" Think again. Read about one student's experience.
• Moving Back in with Mom and Dad: A Survival Guide - Enough said.

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