In this issue:
- Introduction & Special Note
- Featured Sponsor: Student Loan Consolidation for New Graduates
- Feature Article: The Hidden Gold Mine of Jobs
- Scholarship Notes
- Scholarship: Up to $7,000 Freeman Asia Scholarship
- Scholarship: Up to $25,000 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship
- Scholarship: $4,000 Bridging Scholarships for Study in Japan
- A Word from our Sponsors
- Privacy and Subscription Information
- Back Issues
- Sponsor this newsletter!
Welcome to the May 2004 issue of Financial Aid News. This month features our second in a two part series on finding a job after college (or any time, really) and how to leverage the power of the Internet.
Have you visited FinancialAidNews.com? Our new Financial Aid News web site provides you with the back issues of Financial Aid News, so that if you missed an issue or your email address unexpectedly changed, you'll still get to read the articles you need.
Are you graduating? Make sure you register your new post-graduation email address with us to keep receiving our newsletter! Graduates should take special notice of our student loan consolidation announcement for lower student loan payments.
A special note to all our valued subscribers: The Student Loan Network is moving! Thanks to your patronage and word of mouth, we're moving offices to accommodate our growing staff. If you currently make use of any of our services, please take note of our new address!
The Student Loan Network
1250 Hancock Street, Suite 703N
Quincy, MA 02169
Enjoy this month's newsletter!
The Student Loan Network Team
Featured Sponsor: Student Loan Consolidation for New Graduates
Even as the final notes of Pomp and Circumstance are still wafting across the rich, green lawns of your new alma mater, the student loans you own start the countdown to repayment. The clock has officially started ticking, and you now have six months or less to do something about your loans. If you're like many college graduates, you don't have the money to shovel out the door for loan payments while still trying to get settled into the post-college life.
That's where Student Loan Consolidation can help. Consolidate as soon as you graduate and you'll keep your six-month, no-payments grace period, PLUS lock in the lowest rates in thirty two years. When the grace period ends, you'll have lower monthly payments - up to 56% less - than the rest of your classmates that didn't consolidate.
Consolidate your student loans today at http://www.StudentLoanConsolidator.com and start saving!
Featured Article: The Hidden Gold Mine of Jobs
Part 2 of a 2 Part Series on Finding Jobs
Graduation is just around the corner, and if you read last month's newsletter, (http://www.FinancialAidNews.com/apr2004.php) you've now got a killer resume ready to go. Where do you send it? How do you find the job that you're looking for? Here's the secrets you need. Former R2 Services recruiter and Edvisors Network CTO Christopher Penn weighs in on how he's helped land jobs for 100% of the friends and family that have asked him for help in the last few years.
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You should already have an idea what kind of skills you possess, and a relatively good idea of which industries and areas you'd like to work in, thanks to assembling your resume. Now put that resume to use!
Activate your personal network. No, not the computer kind, the friends, family, and acquaintances you've accumulated over the years. Ask around aggressively whether the companies that employ your personal network of associates have job openings in your area of interest. If possible, have your associates and friends hand-deliver your paperwork, or better yet, ask them to facilitate a face to face meeting.
Tap the power of social networks and communities. There are a number of communities online which provide the ability to post both jobs and resumes online for free. Communities such as Craig's List (www.craigslist.org), Tribe.net, Friendster.com, and Six Degrees all allow you to increase your visibility for no cost. Be sure your resume has links to your personal web site (the one you set up last month) so that potential employers can learn more about you.
Consider purchasing advertising online. Some online communities such as Slashdot and Kuro5hin have advertising available for a very low cost. For investments as low as $10, you can submit advertisements for your services.
Headhunters and recruiters are always an option, but keep in mind that if you're sending out a lot of resumes - and you should be - their effectiveness will radically decrease, as most companies have policies that freely submitted resumes negate any marketing fee paid to recruiters, and therefore your resume will be less valuable to them.
Finally, let's talk about the power of job boards. There are thousands of jobs on the major job boards like Dice.com, Monster.com, and Careerbuilder.com. What most people don't realize is that for every job you see on the job boards, there could be ten, maybe even a hundred jobs that you don't see. Job boards are usually a last resort for companies. It costs money - hundreds of dollars - to post a position on these boards, so companies usually will only post the positions they absolutely must fill, and quickly. However, seeing a company listed on the job board tells you two things about it:
- The company is hiring.
- The company is hiring aggressively enough that they're willing to pay money to hire.
Companies listing jobs on the job boards are therefore excellent leads for you to pursue. Find the companies in your geographic area that are listed, and send your resume to the appointed contact, whether the position applies to your career search or not. In your cover letter, simply specify you learned of the company online, and wanted to inquire about other opportunities at that company.
Believe me when I say this method works. In the past few months, five of my close friends and family members have been laid off and asked me for help, even though I no longer work as a recruiter. Using this methodology - that a company willing to advertise is serious about hiring for more than just the posted job - has let me place all five members in less than four weeks, in difficult markets like Boston and New York City. Best of all, other than time, it doesn't cost you any money. Other elite recruiting firms charge hundreds of dollars for this secret, and it's yours just for being a FinancialAidNews.com reader.
Oh, be sure to set up your searchable resume and profile on Monster.com while you're there:
Visit http://www.FinancialAidNews.com/go.php?id=127
I hope the last two articles about job finding help you to grow the successful career you've wanted. Please stay tuned in the months to come as FinancialAidNews.com reveals other great secrets for making the most of your resources!
Best regards, Christopher S. Penn, former recruiter.
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Next month's feature article: The super-secret search keywords on Google that will help you find REAL scholarships! So powerful, we use this super-secret combination to find our monthly scholarships for this newsletter. Stay tuned!
This month, we look to the world, with study abroad scholarships. For more international scholarships, we recommend searching:
As always, we remind you that this is a very, very, very small fraction of the scholarships available to students everywhere. We encourage you, if you want to get the maximum amount of free money for college, to enlist the services of our scholarship experts. We've sorted through over 2 million scholarships worth $14 billion.
Visit http://www.financialaidofficer.com/scholarship_search/
to gain access to your premium scholarship search service. For a nominal fee beginning at $29.99, you can find scholarships that meet YOUR needs.
Scholarship: Up to $7,000 Freeman Asia Scholarship
The primary goal of the Freeman-ASIA Award Program is to increase the number of American undergraduates who study in East and Southeast Asia, by providing students with the information and financial assistance they will need. Awardees will be expected to share their experiences with their home campus to encourage study abroad by others, and to spread understanding of Asia in their home communities.
Visit: http://www.iie.org/programs/freeman-asia/about.htm
Scholarship: Up to $25,000 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship
The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries. Today, the program sponsors several types of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars serve as ambassadors of goodwill to the people of the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with local Rotarians and others the experiences that led to greater understanding of their host countries.
Visit: http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/
Scholarship: $4,000 Bridging Scholarships for Study in Japan
The Japan-US Friendship Commission, an independent federal agency promoting mutual understanding between the United States and Japan, in an effort to highlight public / private partnerships, initiated the Bridging Project scholarship program and established a 501(c)(3) private foundation, the US-Japan Bridging Foundation, to accept contributions. The goal of the Bridging Project is to promote study abroad in Japan by larger numbers of American undergraduate students.
Visit: http://www.colorado.edu/ealld/atj/Bridging/scholarships.html
And now a word from our sponsors...
Pay those last minute bills!
It's come down to the wire, and you need that last push, that last boost to make it to graduation, but your federal student aid has dropped out of the race. How can you finish? How can you win? Win with an Alternative Student Loan! Alternative student loans bridge the gap between federal financial aid and reality, the bill the school sends you. Apply today and receive funding directly to you in days!
Visit http://www.AlternativeStudentLoan.com today!
Going Abroad This Summer?
Don't go uncovered this summer... insurance-wise, that is. InternationalStudentInsurance.com will provide you with comprehensive insurance plans to help you travel safely and give you and your family peace of mind, especially in these uncertain times. Whether it's a summer in Ireland or a week on the Mediterranean, make sure you have travel insurance you can rely on.
Visit http://www.InternationalStudentInsurance.com today!
Need a little help with credit card debt?
Accumulated a little credit card debt while in college? Or more than a little? We can help you with a free private debt consolidation service. Reduce your bills and get back on track today.
Visit http://www.studentplatinum.com/go.php?id=28 today!
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