Now Now, Why Don't You Get a Job--How to find a job

Alright, so although I have been focusing lately on how to make money online, I am also interested in finding a traditional job. Even though making money online seems like a nice thing to learn, getting a job is probably the simplest way to earn a steady income. I currently work as a tutor at my university, but finding a job feels like a full-time job. Here are some things I've done or plan to do in the future:

1. Put your resume on Monster, etc.
People say this is one of the least effective ways to find a job, but what it lacks in effectiveness, it makes up for in easiness, so go ahead and do it. It's a completely passive way to job search, but who knows who'll come a-calling.

2. Double-tap (This isn't just for zombies any more.)
By this I mean, don't just apply for jobs through job boards. Use job boards to learn about opportunities, and apply both on the job board and on the companies website.

3. Make your application stand out
Read and echo the job description and relevant aspects of the company website. ALWAYS have a cover letter. Enough said.

4. Tell your friends and family that you're looking
References are one of the best and fastest ways to get a job or interview. You don't have to grovel, but at least let the world know you're looking. Who knows, someone might be looking for you.

5. Do informational interviews
Probably won't lead directly to a job offer, but it's a great way to learn about industries and job functions in a way that you could never do just reading about it online.

6. Go to job fairs and events
If you are a student, you will probably stumble upon these. Always keep a look out, because job fairs are a great resource.

7. Temp
I feel like people don't do this as much as they used to, but temping seems like a great way to be guaranteed work if you are unemployed and make connections at a variety of companies.

8. Get an internship
If you can't find a full-time job, an internship could get your foot in the door and lead to a great position.

9. Volunteer
This might not get you a job, but it's a nice fun way to meet people and get out of the house. When you are unemployed it can be difficult to afford a social life, and this is a free, social thing to do. Who knows, maybe a non-profit will hire you if you show your commitment!

Will Write for Food

Yesterday and today I decided to try my hand at a little freelance writing. Although pretty soon I will actually get around to the writing part, for now I went through all of my papers and posted the interesting ones of Associated Content.

Here is my profile: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/778082/gina_frassetto.html although I have nothing published yet. But I submitted a bunch of stuff.

Okay, well I know that Associated Content is a legitimate site to publish writing. Here are some other one's I've heard are good:

1. Constant Content--I think fairly similar to Associated Content.

2. Academia Research--I'm a little wary though because it seems a little bit like plagiarism, so I need to do some investigating first (yay ethics). If it is an honest organization, probably right up my alley since I write so many papers, although there's a fairly extensive application process.

3. Squidoo--You specialize in a certain topic and write about that, which seems cool.

4. E-how--Especially if you're good at explaining how to do things.

5. I am also very interested in publishing fiction and poetry, which the above websites don't really support. I've heard about StoryMash, so I'm definitely going to check that out.

At this point I feel like I could make more money writing fanfiction hahaha. Who wants to read about any of my characters, when I could be writing about Harry Potter?

Get paid to sell

Well, today I tried Zlio.com, a site where you build a store online and earn money on commission. It seems pretty cool, and it seems to check out, but so far the site has been acting crazy. I can load any available products, so unfortunately I am not actually selling any products, which I feel is not the most productive way to run a business. But there we go.

So instead I spent some time doing ZoomPanel surveys because I am saving up to get my mom a rice cooker. Woo! i really love ZoomPanel and recommend it, although I wish they paid cash. Points rack up pretty quick though, and I've gotten two CDs from them, I think Supertramp and The Clash.

I also did some Global Test Market surveys, but I feel like I never earn money on that site.

Shamelessness

So, food can be expensive. Especially decent food. But the great thing about being a college student is that there are a ton of free food events.

If you don’t want to be completely shameless, just keep in mind that food is just an added bonus. Usually events with free food are fun, good ways to network and meet people, and at the very least, educational. Also, if you feel like being exploitative by trolling around looking for free food, just remember that events have free food to attract people to come! So here is a list of ways and places to find free food, particularly on a college campus.

1. Take a walk around campus—This is the best way to find big events. One time my friend and I found a big barbecue for students while we were walking to the library. Also at UCLA, people hand out random stuff on the walkway to campus. Sometimes people are handing out candy and stuff as well.
2. Actually read the fliers people give you. You’ll learn about all sorts of free events.
3. Look on the calendar of your school or community’s website.
4. Go to clubs—especially the first meeting. They’ll often order a pizza or something.
5. Look for department parties. Academic departments often have great parties around Christmas and had the end of the year. I always go to the German department party, and they have this great mulled wine with like cinnamon and stuff. SO good.
6. Go to academic conferences and colloquium. I went to a linguistics conference today and they had free Subway!

Today I actually had a pretty weird day, and I had decided not to write about all the details. One detail I decided not to write about was the fact that I legitimately found a TON of pennies scattered around the ground today that day after I write this post about picking up pennies. I mean who would believe that I found $1.35 in pennies on the ground today? That’s just ridiculous.

Okay it dime and 125 pennies, but that just doesn’t sound as cool.

A Story about Pennies--And Change in General

I've always picked up pennies. I find one almost every day, and while I'm sure it is not exactly the road to being a millionaire, I don't see any faults in the habit. You have to look down when you walk, but this is already a good habit if you want to avoid stepping in anything nasty.

I've done some silly things trying to pick up pennies. There was once a penny on the floor of my English lecture. Out of some sort of sense of shame, I didn't pick it up. But next week it was still there. And the week after. Eventually I just had to pick it up. It was, of course, glued to the floor.

One month I had this amazing lucky streak, finding three or four pennies everyday on the way to class. One day I ran into my friend who walks the same route as me and told her this story, and she told me that she dropped all her pennies on the way to class because they were such a waste. We both laughed, but by the end of the month I had enough money to buy some Ritz crackers when I was craving a snack.

Some people are just against pennies. My mother refuses to pick up anything less than a dime. But they can add up. I heard the story about a woman who took up running and looked for change on the ground in order keep herself motivated. I think over time she picked up a couple thousand dollars, but I can’t find any article to back this story up. There is this article, however.

So I’m starting this blog as I look for little ways to save and earn money. They may be silly, and I may be no expert, but hopefully I can learn something, and if you read this maybe you can learn something too!