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Avoiding the rea Iworld Sure waysto putofj gh
: ranks of the workforce t
Graduate school
Stay in school.
With rising global compe-
tition, the value of an under-
graduate degree is dropping.
Students looking for an edge in
x the employment market need
even more higher education to
bolster their resumes.
Graduate school options
include further education in
law, medicine and business as
well as masters and doctoral
degrees in specific disciplines.
Just as students take the
SAT and ACT for undergradu-
ate admissions, many prospec-
tive graduate students take
the Graduate Records Exami-
......................................
Traveling
Always wanted to see
the world but never had the
time? Well, if you can't find
a job after college, perhaps
traveling is the right option
for you - and it may even
be an economical one, too.
According to a survey
conducted by the Ameri-
can Council on Education,
93 percent of students
said they wanted to study
abroad during their under-
graduate years but didn't
get the chance.
So why not after col-
lege? For some, the fear of
adapting to a new social
environment or not know-
ing the language can be a
deterrent. But for many, the
main concern is money.
Paying for traveling and
cost of living expenses can
be far outside any students'
H W I T Q THERE'S NO PLEASANT WAY TO PUT THIS: SEARCHING FOR A JOB IS HARD.
ByALLIE WHITE LANDING AN INTERVIEW IS EVEN HARDER. IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE
OFFERED AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW FOR A POSITION, YOU WANT TO
GET IT RIGHT. JERRELL MCCOWIN, A CAREER COUNSELOR AT THE UNIVER-
SITY'S CAREER CENTER, SHARES 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
INTERVIEWS TO MAKE SURE YOU SUCCEED.
nation (GRE). There are also
specific entrance examinations
required for other professional
programs, including the LSAT
for law school and the MCAT
for medical school.
Butbefore deciding to attend
graduate school, one should
consider the cost.
According to the U.S. News
and World Report, annual
tuition and books alone at lower
tier universities are reaching a
cost of $9,000 per year, while
private school tuition can run
northof $30,000. Whenperson-
al expenses and living expenses
are added to that bill, going to
........... ....................... ..
budget, especially those
leaving campus with hefty
student loans.
But students shouldn't
dismiss traveling so quick-
ly. One option could be
working abroad.
With some research, stu-
dents can find opportuni-
ties to work abroad whether
through international
internships, fellowships
and even volunteering.
If you do decide to go
abroad after college, be
smart about it. Do your
research. Be sure to search
out job and volunteer
opportunities in the coun-
try in which you want to
travel.
If you want to just go for
a visit, be sure to decide and
calculate your budget for
your trip. This could mean
grad school on the cheap canbe
a nearly impossible task.
Financial relief is also rare,
with less than 4 percent of grad-
uate students receiving grants
and fewer than 20 percent
receiving any scholarship at all,
which means that 60 percent of
students do not receive a dol-
lar of aid, according to the U.S.
News and World Report.
Graduate school, while
stressful, has a long-term pay-
off.
A graduate degree signifi-
cantly increases one's chances
in a competitive job market,
boosts potential financial
figuring out transportation
costs, where you'll stay and
what you'll do when you get
there.
Remember to be flexible
and reasonable. Traveling
can be a once-in-a-lifetime=
experience with many
opportunities to network
for a career, explore the
world and learn more about
yourself.
-VANESSA NUNEZ
earnings and provides great-
er potential to advance one's
career. In addition, compared
to the undergraduate experi-
ence, graduate school offers
students more opportunities for
research.
Completing a graduate
degree can take from two to
seven years and can create large
amounts ofdebt. Admissionsar
very competitive and the work-
load is not light, since many stu-
dents are required to teach in
addition to taking classes and
performingresearch. But it may
just all be worth it.
- GRACELIN BASKARAN MAXC
..........................T ..... . ....
Teach for Amerca
1 Prepare ...
over-prepare:
d'personal friends
With tough economic condi-
tions, an increasing number of
college graduates are pursuing
a community service resume
builder with some hands-on
results tobackitup. One partic-
ular favorite, especially among
University students, has been
Teach forAmerica.
TFA is a selective corps ofcol-
lege graduates from a variety of
disciplines who spend two years
working in needy schools across
the nation. The goal is to elimi-
nate the educational inequali-
ties by putting new leaders into
these environments.
On average, 6 percent of
students graduate from col-
lege at the schools where TFA
is present, accordingto founder
Wendy Kopp.
Currently, TFA is ranked as
one of the top 10 employers of
recent college graduates and
the only non-profit on that list.
The University of Michigan
fed more graduates to Teach
for America in 2009 than any
other school with more than
10,000 undergraduates.
The 2009 TFA corps was
composed of 4,100 graduates,
80 of which were University
graduates, who were selected
frommorethan35,000 applida-
tions. The average grade point
average was a 3.6.
One of the strongestbenefits
of the Corps is the experience,
which few other options rival.
Also, if students are unsure
about graduate school, it gives
them time to build their resume
while earning a salary.
The experience can be
draining though. According
to a Harvard research study,
approximately 10 percent of
members leave after their first
AP
year. However the rigorous
application and interview-
ing process strives to find the
strongest leaders who will not
only take on but also succeed at
the challenge set before them.
Corps members are hired by
school districts and receive the
same health care benefits and
starting salaries asother teach-
ers. Typical salaries range from
$27,000-$47,000.
- GRACELIN BASKARAN
ods of time as volunteers only
get two days off a month, which
does not allow for a lot of travel-
ing back home.
- LAURA BRUNNER
"Research is an important part of the
process...Interviewers will be impre
you're that interested and passionate
job that you've taken time to researcha
stand what the corporation is about, b
doing that, they'll feel like you're a go
that you'll be able to transition into th
tion.
"Do your research. Over prepare."
+) You will be
t) judged onw
youvM
"Wherever you're interviewing, dre:
els above where they are. So if they're in
might want to go business casual, and if
business casual, you might wantto go a
that. Coming into an interview, if every
office is wearing jeans, and you're wea
how seriously are you taking the interv
interview
essed that wi1 yoUrresume:
about the
and under- "Know your resume. Be prepared that every-
ecause by thing on your resume is fair game to talk about
ood fit and and discuss in the interview."
o corpora-
Know thyself:
"Knowing yourself, knowing all the
at experiences you've had, knowing yourself and
1 reflecting on those experiences. When you're in
an interview, they're going tobe asking you ques-
V adI tions that you might have to give examples for,
and within those examples, you want to be able
ss two lev- to pull out something for that. And if you haven't
jeans, you done any reflecting, if you haven't really sat down
f they're in and thought about what you've done, you might
step above be stuck and may or may not come up with some-
'one in the thing on the spot."
ring jeans,
iew?"
m Prepare, part II:
"Bring copies of [your] resume. Bring referenc-
es, if possible, because if they really enjoy you and
think you're a good candidate, they might ask for them on
the spot, That shows how much interest you have, that you've
prepared yourself. You might also want to bringsome paper...
a pen, because you might want to take notes."
Always follow up:
"Thank you notes are important and
they're necessary. To follow up, to show
appreciation, it's thoughtful and courteous and employers
appreciate it. When you don't, they're surprised. Following
up with a thank you note would be a way of showing you're
interested in the position and showing your appreciation that
they took time out to give you this opportunity."
Moving back home
Amid the battle in a tough home affords the comfort of
job market, many post-grads home-made meals and fully-
welcome the comfort and stocked fridges. Less time is
convenience home has to required for laundry, cleaning
offer. Returning home after and dishes which would oth-
college is a practical means erwise be time-consuming for
to boost finances and ease the any single person to manage.)
transition between college But then again, this does
and career. mean moving back home.
The return home allows Say goodbye to some free
graduates to expand their dom. Parents may expect help
finances and address any stu- around the house, appointing
dent loans early on. They are chores and errands that would after graduation is certainly a
also spared from rent expens- otherwise be self-scheduled tug-of-war between indepen-
es that may easily devour a or avoided altogether. dence and financial stability.
startingsalary and leave them For many graduates, living Either way, it's always nice
with little to spend on utilities on their own may be desir- to know there's home sweet
and other necessities. able but difficult to manage. home.
Finances aside, living at The option of returning home - LILLIAN XIAO
Peace Corps
Ifyou're lookingto delayyour v
career life a few extra years, fI
why not start with a program g
introduced right on the steps of I
the Michigan Union?
The Peace Corps offers i
numerous benefits, one of t
which is deferment of most stu- is
dent loans, which could come y
in handy with a lack of income.-n
Another would be full medical
insurance and affordable health t
insurance up to 18 months after.g
Volunteering would expose s
graduates to different cultures r
and languages - all of which r
are important in today's global
economy. And after complet- a
ing two years in the program,v
'olunteers can be hired in the
ederal government without
going through the competitive
process.
The Peace Corps covers liv-
ng expense, but only enough
o live like the locals. When fin-
shed with your service, though,
'ou receive $6,000 as adjust-
ment money.
On the opposite side of
hings, joining the Peace Corps
gives no definite promise of any
solid employment afterward,
egardless of the amazing expe-
iences one has gained.
Those who volunteer would
Follow these tips to make sure you get noticed in a tough job market.
r, Set your watch 15
04minutes early:
"Be on time, that's very important. I would say, be early
just in case' Coming late, the interviewer is definitely going
to question that. You haven't even gotten the job yet ... you'll
probably be late to the first day of the job."
Nowthatyou know
thyself, bethyself:
"Be yourself. Think about what they're looking for. Make
connections. Use all the tools you have to explain yourself."
Don't forget about
body language:
"Outward appearance and how you project yourself is
important. Be aware of your body language. You want to be
square, have eye contact ... make sure you shake their hand
firmly."
()Be'curious:
"Towards the end of the interview, typically
they'll ask you for questions. Please ask them
questions. To say 'I don't have any questions' makes them
think there's nothing on your mind... Talk to the interview-
er, ask him questions. These are going to be your colleagues,
your supervisor, the people you're working with. Build some
rapport. Keep it engaged."
lso have to be very comfortable
with being away for long peri- See AVOIDING, Page 7B