Barbara Said:

Is this the level some will sink to? Do you believe this is a verbal threat to students everywhere? If no, how?

We Answered:

It would appear that someone is trying to be helpful to the students. You're entirely misinterpreting the actions.

Jenny Said:

How can I land a new job (even an interview), trying everything!?

We Answered:

Unfortunately, today's workplace does not value experience the way it used to. Why should they hire an experienced worker for 75-100k when they can get a college grad or someone in India for 1/2 to 1/3 the cost? I have seen many "experienced" workers struggle to make half what they were making just 5 years ago! IT offshoring doesn't help things either.

Now that I am done ranting, I have three suggestions; first, consider revising your resume based on the amount of experience the job is looking for. Here is an example: many job search sites allow searching by or will show the number of years experience desired. If you find a job looking for 3-5 years of experience, submit a resume with only your last 5 years of work history. If the job is looking for 5-10 years, list only your past 10 years. Do include all your education and certs, just don't include any dates on those accomplishments. The reason for tuning the dates of your work history is some employers may automatically exclude people with a work history outside their desired "bracket of experience". Your goal is to get considered for an interview.

Secondly, make sure ALL your friends and family KNOW you are looking! Many jobs are gained because someone knew someone else. Many companies offer a cash payment to their employees for recommending a new hire.

Finally, cast a wider net to include other locations. I would start in cities where you may have family or a close friend because it's tough to start over where you know no one.

Good luck!

Patricia Said:

What to wear to our alumni dinner on a budget?

We Answered:

Some tops for the skirt or suit:

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/in…

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/in…

A belt:

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/in…

Shoes:

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/in…

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/in…

I suggest the skirt with a flowy, summery shirt and heels. Looks professional and pretty at the same time.

Jennie Said:

Michigan Tech or MSU?

We Answered:

studentsreview.com has like students reviews of what their school is like. (as far as partying and how good the actual education part is).

i was looking into u of m and there were some reviews saying it was pretty douchey but maybe its not cuz there were some good ones to. guess it depends on the person. from what i hear sports (football) there are pretty intense.

i know nothing about michigan state, sorry. seriously check out the website though its really helpful when you dont want just middle 50% of sat scores and gpas and that kind of nonsense.

Becky Said:

University of Colorado - Colorado Springs MBA.?

We Answered:

If you really want to do Operations Management, you should consider a Master's in Technology Management rather than an MBA.

The general advice about MBAs is that only MBAs from Top Tier schools pay off for full-time study. MBAs from second tier AACSB-accredited schools MAY pay off if taken part-time and the employer covers tuition. There is good research that otherwise MBAs do not result in higher lifetime earnings. There are far too many mediocre students attending mediocre MBA schools.

Lydia Said:

How do I get my college to stop asking for money?

We Answered:

One of my work-study jobs as a student was making these phone calls, so here are a few things to share...

1) If you're getting a phone call, it's probably from a student who's being paid to do it. The student is making about $8 an hour and they probably don't particularly want to be there. They're also likely getting bonuses based on how many "gets" they can earn in a night, so there's a lot of pressure on them to do well. If you're going to yell, do it at your wall and not them. :) We got yelled at for four hours every night when we could have been studying or out with friends, so having the occasional nice chat with someone was really appreciated.

2) Giving offices -- that's who's calling you -- keep detailed records on every call they make, not to mention every student. If you don't want them to call back, just say something like: "Can you please make a note on my file to not call back again for future campaigns? I'd like to be completely removed. Thank you!" It should be honored. If, by some small chance, you still get a call back during the next campaign -- there's usually one in fall and one in spring for most colleges -- ask to have the giving director give you a call during the next business day. Then ask *them* to remove you. I can pretty much guarantee it would happen then. The last thing any college wants to do is really tick off an alum.

3) Although you have no money to give...a tiny gift of even $5 could actually have an inadvertent positive impact on your job search. Part of what colleges are ranked on is their alumni giving rate. If a college can say that, say, 50% of their alumni donated in any given year, that not only makes their graduates seem more successful, but also boosts that portion of their ranking. The higher up a college's ranking goes, the more valuable its alums become to employers, right or wrong. There are colleges that have been able to jump several points in the rankings simply by increasing their giving rates. So although I'm certainly not telling you to donate, maybe that will give you a new way of looking at it. :)

In any case, keep in mind those poor work-study grunts who are making the calls, sending the e-mails, licking the envelopes, and processing the miles of paperwork to make these fundraising drives happen. They mean well, so give them a break. :)