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Need Money for College? This site is for you…

2011-10-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

BEAT-TUITION.com

It’s like pure adrenaline. You get the envelope, and find out you are accepted! You’re going to college or vocational school!

Now you need money for college...

How will you find it?

Whether you use your own savings, a student loan, a scholarship, grant money, or a great tuition reimbursement program, you need some cash. I’ve been there.

Being a student and getting an education takes money, and that’s what beat-tuition.com is for. How to find money for college, how to get a Stafford or PLUS loan, a grant, or how to work with your employer for tuition money through a job. Use Beat-Tuition.com as a resource to help you find money for your college education.

MU LAMBDA: Nashville - October Event

2011-10-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Mu Lambda Nashville October Event

Time: October 29, 2011 from 11am to 2:45pm
Location: Centenial Park
Event Type: volunteer, event
Organized By: PHrat D' Inquisitor

Sports 4 All, Able Youth, and Technology Access Center are 3 nonprofits that support people with disabilities. They are coming together for a fund-raiser called, "Walk and Roll, Healthy Halloween". This is their 6th annual Walk and Roll which consists of a 5k or 1/2 mile inclusive loop.

Volunteers will help with set up, registration, walking route, kids' games, clean up, etc. This is a great way to kick off the Halloween weekend!

All volunteers will receive a T-shirt for their service!

If you are interested in joining us in this volunteer event please RSVP WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS so that you can receive further instructions and sign-up information.

Please do so no later than Wednesday, Oct. 26th, 2011

MU LAMBDA: Chicago - Volunteer Event

2011-10-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

Chicago Volunteer Event

Time: October 22, 2011 from 9am to 12pm
Location: Gary Comer Youth Center
Street: 7200 S. Ingleside Ave
City/Town: Chicago,IL 60619
Website or Map: http://chicago.onebrick.org/e…
Event Type: volunteer
Organized By: PHrat Unstoppable
Latest Activity: Oct 5

Please join the Chicago Section in the upcoming volunteer event. Below is a link that will allow you to RSVP for the event. Please let me know if you will be joining. See you there!!!

Be a Miracle Worker! Urban Farming with Make Miracles Grow!

Time to embrace your inner farmer and help the urban farm across from the Gary Comer Youth Center!

The Make Miracles Grow Foundation began redeveloping two acres of vacant former industrial property into an urban farm in 2010. The project includes the two-acre urban farm, a seasonal farmers market, transitional and permanent job opportunities, and expanded youth education programs in the areas of nutrition, horticulture and food-related entrepreneurship.

One Brick volunteers will be helping with general gardening tasks such as weeding, planting and harvesting. MMGF will supply the tools and gloves.

Earn Some Free Credits . . . Test Drive College Online

2011-10-11T16:41:00.002-07:00

Test Drive College Online is an innovative program providing students with the opportunity to discover if online learning is right for them by taking a college course online at no cost or obligation. With this program, students can save up to $2,000 in tuition costs by earning credits toward a full degree.

Pass a 15 question College Assessment Exam.
Be a US Citizen or permanent resident.
Have a minimum of a GED or High School Diploma.
Not be actively enrolled or attending college.
Not be in default or near defaulting on a student loan.

10 Colleges and Universities with $0 Tuition

2011-10-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

Attending a college or university doesn't have to be expensive. There are a number of schools--both online and traditional institutions--that offer free tuition or low-cost learning options. Here is a list of 10 colleges and universities that fall into one of these two categories.

1. Berea College

Every student who attends Kentucky's Berea College receives a full-tuition scholarship worth more than $25,000. Berea also helps students with other costs, such as food, room and board, by providing a work study program. Students also receive a free laptop to use while they are in school. Berea offers the opportunity to major in many different subjects. The most popular majors are business, manufacturing, family studies and human development.

2. Alice Lloyd College

US News and World Report ranks Alice Lloyd College among the best U.S. colleges to graduate with the least amount of debt. This Kentucky school offers guaranteed tuition to any student in the college's 108-county Central Appalachian service area. Students work 10-20 hours each week to pay their way. Alice Lloyd offers degrees in a wide range of fields as well as pre-professional programs.

3 Webb Institute

The Princeton Review ranks Webb Institute among the Best Value Colleges in America. The school is known for providing a top-notch engineering education along with full-tuition scholarships to anyone who attends. Students live in a mansion while they attend school and participate in paid internships for extra cash.

4 College of the Ozarks

Located in Missouri, the College of the Ozarks is a conservative Christian school that cheerfully discourages student debt. The school has been nicknamed 'Hardwork U' because students work 15 hours each week to graduate tuition-free. The College of the Ozarks favors applicants who are financially needy. Popular majors include business, teaching, education and criminal justice.

5. Curtis Institute of Music

The Curtis Institute of Music offers full-tuition scholarships to everyone who gains admission. The school is very particular when it comes to applicants, accepting only 160 new students each year. Those who do get in can expect to receive an excellent education from one of the best music conservatories in the world.

6. CUNY Teacher Academy

The City University of New York offers full-tuition scholarships to students who enroll in their Teacher Academy. Every student who enrolls is eligible. Students also receive a full-time teaching position in a New York school upon graduation.

7. U.S. Academies / U.S. Military Academy

U.S. Air Force Academy
U.S. Naval Academy
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Students who attend any of these U.S. academies receive a full ride. They also receive a monthly stipend in return for service. Although each program is different, most require applicants to obtain a congressional nomination from their state congressional delegation. Applicants must also pass a physical fitness test and meet other requirements.

8.State of Washington Universities

University of Washington
Washington State University

Both the University of Washington and Washington State University offer need-based programs that pay full-tuition and fees. The programs are available to in-state residents who meet State Need Grant or Pell Grant requirements. Special scholarships are also available to out-of-state students who need help covering the cost of tuition.

9. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

At one point, the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering offered a full-tuition scholarship to anyone who attends. The school has since reduced the scholarship policy by 50 percent. Even so, Franklin W. Olin College still offers one of the largest merit scholarship programs in the country to all admitted students.

10. University of the People

The University of the People is the world's first tuition-free, non-profit online university. Students who enroll are not required to pay any tuition. Study materials are also free. However, there are modest fees ($10 to $100) for taking tests at the end of each course. Fees work on a sliding scale depending on the country where you live. The University of the People does not confer degrees yet for either of their programs (business administration or computer science.) But the school is in the process of applying for accreditation, which means that they may be offering degrees very soon.

http://diplomaguide.com/articles/10_Colleges_and_Universities_with_0_Tuition.html

First Person: How a New Approach Helped Me Land a Job in This Economy

2011-10-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

*Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up with the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own finance articles.

I spent five years searching for a career job that would last until I retire. Like millions of other Americans in the bad economy from 2006-2010, finding a job was nearly impossible. Despite following all the advice of headhunters, human resource consultants, friends or family members, it was what I term "The AND Factor" job search strategy that finally landed me a job. I am over 50, had a failed business, and an MBA from 1981, when most of my interviewers were not even born! Most human resource professionals looked at me and said, "AND why should I hire you?" Or, "AND what makes you better than these 2,000 other young applicants?"

Many older job seekers share similar backgrounds: we all have some level of college degree; we all have years of supervisory/management experience with a major Fortune 500 company; we have families to feed, we have not had to look for a job in 20 years; we are old-school thinkers when we prepare resumes, go on job interviews, and network. After watching a television show that profiled other older professionals trying to find a job, I realized that we all do a couple of things wrong in our job search.

I decided to try some different strategies to see if I had better results. I call these new job search strategies "The AND Factor" job search strategies. My supervisor told me they received 105 resumes for the management job I applied for at the state agency. How is it they hired me for the job? It is critical to give the hiring manager your "AND factor" - they want to know why you are the best person for the job! "AND what makes you so special?" "AND why should I hire you?" Here are the "AND Factor" job search tips that helped me land a career job against all odds.

Avoid Old Ways of Selling Yourself
Niche Yourself
Distinguish Yourself

Avoid Old Ways of Selling Yourself

Learn how to use the Internet and a word processing program like Microsoft Word to make your job application process easier. I typed all the repetitive job application content into a Word document and copied/pasted the content into online job applications.

Make your resume and cover letter SPECIFIC to each job description using the name of the company, the specific job qualifications the hiring manager is looking for, and what YOU will do for THEM. Never, ever type a sentence on a resume that another applicant can duplicate or you will lose your competitive edge. Spraying a generic resume across every Internet Job Board will get you nowhere!

When networking on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or at live meetings, you must address the AND Factor: instead of introducing yourself as an experienced human resources executive with an emphasis on corporate leadership training, say, "I am a Fortune 100 Management Executive with over 15 years experience moving mid-level managers to the boardroom using proven leadership training." Emphasize your accomplishment, your years of experience, and what you can do for the company. Answer the question, "AND what makes you so special over 1,000 other applicants?"

Show up to an interview in a nice trendy suit. You no longer have to wear plain navy blue with a white shirt. Be prepared to answer common interview questions, take notes, or look at a calendar for follow-up interview dates.

Niche Yourself

Use Niche Job Boards to find jobs in smaller companies or in the public and non-profit sectors. They may not pay as well, but there are jobs, benefits, and job security in those job sectors. You can read more about Niche Job Boards and find links to specific niche job search resources by clicking on the article link below.

Instead of building a resume that screams "I know a little of everything, but master nothing", pick one niche job function and list every accomplishment you had for that job function. For example, I have an MBA in Marketing and 25 years of experience in Marketing, Sales, Business Development, Training, Teaching, and Publishing. Guess what? So do a few hundred thousand others that are looking for a job.

But, as part of my sales and marketing experience, I managed the procurement process in an educational publishing division of a Fortune 100 company. I was successful writing and winning large bids, developing relationships with contractors and clients in the procurement process, etc. I built a two-page resume and cover letter using just the knowledge, skills, and abilities for a procurement job function and landed a procurement job with the state.

Distinguish Yourself

One of the problems older applicants have competing with college graduates is that we do not have the job-specific certifications that younger applicants get in college these days. Distinguish yourself with your experience and the certification will no longer seem as important to the hiring manager.

For example, if a hiring manager reads two resumes: one that says I was responsible for researching, writing, and winning a $30 million-a-year, five-year blanket purchase agreement for a mid-sized company that allowed the company to meet their 20% annual growth goal, or another from a college grad that says I have a certification in procurement, which sounds more compelling?

It is very difficult to focus your thoughts on job hunting, job applications, resumes, networking, and interviewing when you don't know how you are going to buy groceries for your family. Make every effort to stay positive and try these "AND Factors" to give you the edge and get you the job! Good luck. It will happen.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/First-Person-How-New-Approach-ac-1883613651.html?x=0

Self-Aware 'Macho' Women Get More Promotions; Keys to Former Goldman Exec's Success - ABC News

2011-10-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

'Masculine' Women Who Know When to Be 'Feminine' at Work Get More Promotions

By SUSANNA KIM
1/25/2011, 10:03 AM EST

Women who 'Self-Monitored' Their Assertiveness Had Three Times as Many Promotions

Women who exhibit "masculine" traits at work can be hurt by what researchers for years have called "the backlash effect." Research has shown women who have stereotypically masculine characteristics, like dominance and self-confidence, are sometimes sanctioned for behaving in ways that are incongruent with the feminine stereotype of supportiveness and submissiveness.

But according to a recent study, women who self-monitor their so-called masculine behavior use it to their advantage and get more work promotions than both men and other women.

"Masculine women who are able to turn on and turn off these masculine traits were more likely able to succeed above female counterparts and male counterparts," said Olivia O'Neill, assistant professor of management at George Mason University. The British Psychological Society has just published research by O'Neill and her co-author, Charles O'Reilly, a professor at Stanford's Graduate School of Business.

The two professors followed 132 business school graduates, 43 percent of whom were women. The professors first assessed the participants from 1986-1987, the first year of their two-year business school program. Then they assessed the participants again seven to eight years after graduation.

O'Neill said "masculine" women who were good at self-monitoring, or able to accurately assess social situations and project appropriate responses, received more promotions than others.

In fact, the results showed that "masculine" women who were high self-monitors received three times as many promotions as women who were low self-monitors. And assertive women who were high at self monitoring also received one and a half times as many promotions as "feminine" women, irrespective of whether those women were high or low self-monitors.

O'Neill said she tried to see if other factors contributed to the higher number of promotions, but none were as significant.

"We know everything about these people, like birth order and attachment style to their mothers," said O'Neill. "There are a lot of possible explanations that do not seem to be leading to this."

Don't Act Like A Lady To Get Promoted
O'Neill said the participants underwent extensive observations and questionnaires and found, for some reason, self-monitoring did not make a difference in the number of promotions men received.

The results showed that "masculine" women who were high self-monitors received one and a half times more promotions than "masculine" men and about twice as many promotions as "feminine" men, regardless of whether the men were high or low self-monitors.

O'Neill said one possibility is that self-monitoring is especially important for women because they face a double edged sword with gender stereotypes and workplace success. Women often have to display characteristics that are "masculine" which can be associated with competence, but risk losing "likeability" if they behave against gender stereotyping.

She said both men and women exhibit non-conscious biases regarding gender stereotypes, including even punishing men for acting "feminine."

O'Neill said some media outlets have misconstrued the research by concluding that women should act more feminine in the workplace to receive a promotion.

"That was exactly not what we're saying," O'Neill said. "Nobody is saying act like a lady. The point is to learn to assess the situation and act accordingly."

Janet Hanson, a former Goldman Sachs executive, said assertiveness was a very important trait in her finance career, but equally important were an awareness of company culture, common sense, and confidence.

Hanson, who first joined Goldman Sachs in 1977, was the first woman to be promoted to sales management there. She said aggressiveness was crucial when she worked on the trading floor, or what she called "the Wild West."

"You have to have a tougher exterior. There's a lot of money on the line and trades happen very fast. If you can't survive in that culture, whether you're male or female, you're out," said Hanson, who started a network for female professionals and students called 85 Broads. Named after Goldman Sach's former New York City address, 85 Broad Street, the organization now has 25,000 members.

Managing Goldman Sachs' Workplace Culture
But what worked in the sales and trading group at Goldman Sachs would not necessarily work in every circumstance, said Hanson -- for instance, in the boardroom, with the investment banking division, or in diplomatic conversations with clients.

"You also have to know how to discuss the market with your clients without any four letter words," said Hanson. "The key is to understand your work environment."

Hanson said she was able to earn the respect of her peers because she extensively studied the firm's history even before her first day.

O'Neill agreed that leadership coaches and successful executives are already aware of the importance of self-monitoring.

"People have been probably doing this all along, but not in such simple terms. There's no blanket rule for how to behave. It's not better to be aggressive all the time, or be kind all the time."

But can people learn how to monitor their behavior like assertiveness and dominance?

Yes, said O'Neill.

"There is some evidence people are genetically born with some traits. Only 25 percent of variance in behavior is related to genetic factors, which is not trivial," said O'Neill. "But the rest is learned, absolutely."

Hanson said she hopes other women do not attempt to emulate men to be successful in the workplace.

"Being able to tell dirty jokes or talk about your escapades at a bar, that doesn't garner you respect, ever," said Hanson.

O'Neill's advice to women who want to be successful in the workplace is: don't disguise your true self, but learn to read situations.

"There's a great demand for women leadership," said O'Neill. "Women may have certain traits that may predispose them to be great leaders. Part of their socialization is to be attentive and aware and advocates of others. In combination with assertiveness and aggressiveness, it's a dynamic combination."

O'Neill said aggressiveness is not a trait women should hide.

"The trick is learning when to use it," she said.

15 Gayest Cities in America: Is Your City Gay Friendly?

2011-10-11T16:36:00.001-07:00

I don't think it's the least bit silly -- even though I'm straight -- to really want to live in a gay-friendly city. My city here in Northern California is by no means gay-friendly enough for me -- not the best it could be but it's alright. The downtown area near us has a vibrant gay and lesbian scene, and the neighborhood where we live and where our kids go to school is very open to gay and lesbian families.

So how gay is your city? Is it gay enough for you? Find out after the jump.

Living in a gay-friendly neighborhood is important to me because I believe deeply in equality for everyone, and I want to live in a place that demonstrates that type of tolerance and openness on a regular basis -- whether that be by showing its fair share of support signage for gay rights politicians and policies or by providing an atmosphere that is open and friendly to the gay community in general. This is the world I want to show my kids -- even if it's not the whole world. I want them to know the possibilities.

The Advocate just released its annual listing of the gayest cities in America. And no, they're not the cities you might think. The Chelsea in NYC and West Hollywood in SoCal didn't even make the top 15, and the most happening GLBT communities aren't simply limited to the big urban, forward-thinking cities anymore. And this is good news! I think it means we're actually evolving as a nation.

More from The Stir: My husband is gay and yours probably is too

Here's the list.

Top 15 Gayest Cities in America, according to The Advocate

Minneapolis, MN
Santa Fe, NM
Las Vegas, NV
Orlando, FL
Pittsburgh, PA
Vancouver, WA
Atlanta, GA
Washington, D.C.
Seattle, WA
St Louis, MO
San Francisco, CA
Cleveland, OH
Denver, CO
Oakland, CA
Miami, FL

Happy to see two of my favorite NorCal cities -- Oakland and San Francisco -- made the list.

Did your hometown make the list? Do you think it should have? Is your city gay-friendly enough for you?

Written by Sheri Reed for CafeMom's blog, The Stir.

Once Bitten, Twice Shy, Third Time Stupid

2011-10-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

By: Edmund Ng

Over the years in recruitment, I have seen many job applicants make the same mistake again and again. This is a fatal mistake that I feel need to be addressed. These are the list of things that you should not do in the event of applying for jobs.

Do not spam the HR executives

A lot of desperate job seekers had been committing this same mistake. If you visit the yahoo groups, you will realize that some of the members are so helpful that they list out all the email addresses of the HR executives and headhunting/recruitment firms. It is really scary as the list comes in hundreds and thousands. Not surprisingly, my email was included in it as we're in the headhunting business as well.

Guess what happens when the hr executives receive your email. Count yourself really lucky if they don't list your email in the spam folder. What have you achieved? Nothing, but you have probably pissed people off. If you are one of those that enjoy broadcasting your resume, you would probably ban yourself from applying for jobs. Most of the established companies have got spam filters installed and even if your email doesn't get picked up by spam filters, your resume is likely banned from their database. Word get around fast and all HR executives normal share a common pull of blacklist resumes.

Do not submit your resume to job portals where anybody can assess

I always receive calls from a lot of jobseekers asking me why they are not able to find job opportunities with large MNCs. It's not as if they do not qualify as some of them do have pretty good credentials. As all these queries piled up, I decided to do some cross reference with some of my clients to find out what was the main problem. Guess what was the reply?

Oh...they have been banned. Why have they been banned, I asked? Well by submitting their resumes to job portals that all employers have full access to (e.g Monster.com), you have just flooded the market with their resumes. You might think it might be a good thing but this should be done only on a last resort. Why is it so? Basically all the recruitment firms accessing that has access to the portal will pick your resume up as well. Imagine 30 or 40 recruitment firms submitting your resume to companies like Microsoft and Accenture. What happens? Your name gets strike off even if you apply directly to the company later.

Do Not Submit Your Resume More Than Once

By submitting your resume more than once you're really getting on people's nerves. A lot of people do not know that. What do you think I do when I receive the same resume 3 or 4 times a day? I delete his email and go to the spam filter and block his email address. That's what most HR executives do as well. Remember, your job is to send a neat & professional resume to make sure that the HR executives can do their job easily. You help them by helping yourself.

Always Indicate The Job Title/Code

Imagine a large MNC who has got 50 different openings. Out comes a resume that does not indicate any intention. What do you think the HR executive will do? Your resume will probably end up in the deleted mail folder. Do you think the HR executive has time to call all the candidates? They might do so if your resume is really well written. Imagine 50 X 100 resumes. The likely chance is that your resume will end up being deleted.

Now you understand the meaning of Once Bitten, Twice Shy, Third Time Stupid. There are so many people who continue to make these glaring mistakes day after day and that is going to impact on their career if they are choosing to join a large and reputable firm. More importantly, you need a good solid resume that bring you far in your career.

To sum it up, these are the things that you shouldn't do to avoid losing the opportunity of joining an MNC.

1 - Do not Spam the HR executives if there are no genuine opportunities advertised.
2 - Do not submit your resume to job portals where anybody can assess.
3 - Do not submit your resume more than once.
4 - Always indicate the job code.

Follow these steps and you stand a better chance of securing a good job.

Author Bio

Edmund Ng is the CEO of a consortium of Headhunting Firms. He manages multiple job portals and the largest IT-Jobs Yahoo Groups in Singapore. He also runs http://www.PurchaseResume.com - a professional resume service provider that has helped more than 700 people get their dream jobs.

Could you use a 'Stop Doing' list?

2011-10-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

By: Inez Ng

One of the tried and true organization and time-management tools is the trusty old "to do" list. I was trained to diligently put one together at the end of the day for the following day, and whatever tasks I failed to complete, to carry it forward. This system has worked well in helping me prioritize and focus. But I have also heard many of my colleagues complain about having too much on their list, and feeling very discouraged and overwhelmed by the sheer number of items on their "To Do" list. To help ease the overwhelm, I want to introduce the concept of the "Stop Doing" list.

I first read about the "Stop Doing" list in "Good to Great" by Jim Collins. He stated that one of the commonalities of the companies who were able to propel themselves from being just good to being great is that they all looked at what they were currently doing that they needed to Stop Doing. I am implementing this idea in a slightly different way, but I think a "Stop Doing" list can actually help your productivity and effectiveness.

So how do you decide what goes on your "Stop Doing" list? Here's what I suggest you do.

For the next week or two, each time you work on your "to do" list (and if you are not using one currently, I strongly recommend you start), or blocking off time for specific tasks in you planner, ask yourself this question: "does this task add value or generate positive results for me and my organization?" If the answer is no, it should go right on top of your "Stop Doing" list.

If the answer is "yes", ask yourself a second question: "am I the best person to do this task?" The first question tells you whether you can eliminate a task. This question tells you whether you can delegate a task. I know for solo-business people, you automatically think that you have no one to delegate any tasks to. But actually, that might not necessarily be true. Today, there is a whole network of virtual assistants who can handle a myriad of administrative work for you. Some accept work by the hour, and some accept work by the project. If you are interested in this resource, check out www.assistu.com

For some people, you may have to then overcome your resistance to delegating. I've heard many of the reasons. Do these sound familiar?

* "By the time I explain it to someone else, I could have done it myself."
* "I can't trust somebody else to do it right."
* "It costs too much money."

Some of these are completely legitimate concerns. However, before you dismiss the idea, consider the following:

* Is the task repetitive so that the up-front time investment to train someone is actually worth it 3 months down the road?
* Are you the most qualified person to complete the task, or could someone else do it in less time with less effort for better results?
* If you didn't have to do the task, what would you choose to spend that time on, and what impact will that have on your business, or your life?

So, after considering these tough questions, add your delegated task to your "Stop Doing" list as well and send them elsewhere, and I guarantee you will feel better.

Even though I wrote this article for people struggling with overload at work, the same approach can be applied to create a "Stop Doing" list for home. Think of the possibilities - you can delegate laundry, and cooking, and yard work, and cleaning, and what else?

Seriously, the current state of our lives is that there is generally too much to do and not enough time. So, go through this exercise at least once and see what you can shed from your "to do" list. If you like the results, then establish a routine and do this every 6 months or a year. The point is that you want to spend your time on high impact tasks, and work that you enjoy.

Author Bio

Want to know about saving time handling emails? Check out her ebook at http://easyemailstrategies.com.