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My advice for undergrads/new grads (long read).
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Great read, and useful advice I can use a year from now
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It's a lifestyle change, my man. I go to work out after work. The only 2 days I don't go to the gym are the days I have school, 6-10PM. Sometimes if I have school on the weekends, then I usually do a mid week split to prevent myself from burning out at the gym.Originally Posted by 703 Hwy
How do you still have time to work out?(kinda srs)
Schedule is more or less like: 8AM-5PM = work. 6:30-7:30 or 8PM = gym. 9-10PM = time for school assignments if need to, if not...TV, leisure reading, etc. And I wake up at 5:30AM to start the routine again.
My social life has been on paused. I've hung out 3-4 times in the last year...to go see Hangover II, Avengers (2 times, haha), and I took my friend out last week for her bday.
I actually have a mini part III in mind. Will try to post that later tonight, it's another hectic week.
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Sure, man. I'll touch on that later tonight too. It's kinda hard to get the train of thought going at work. I didn't have the typical college life though, meaning I didn't dorm. I drove to/from school, but still had good times, ie shooting pool all night, hitting up Denny's before class and cramming 2 hours before a finals and pull off a B in a GE course. College is suppose to be the best time of your life, social wise at least.
I've come to the conclusion that aside from a very small group of occupations, ie lawyers, doctors, etc. almost every other careers can be taught on the job.
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Common sense is not so common, my bro. People do a lot of dumb stuff.
I used to have that survival of the fittest mentality, but I changed. You need to network and sometimes rely on others. My mentality is now "be kind. be humble. but be prepared to take out the competition at any given moment."
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Great post OP!
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bookmarked, read through half way page 1. hope this thread keeps up.
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Another piece of advice I would advise any/every person to follow is:
-keep your background, driving record clean....spotless. Avoid situations/people that will get you caught up in bad situations and land you in jail/court. That drunk in public you got Freshman year for pissing on the street after a party is not worth having to put down on a SF-85 for a higher level clearance.
The sooner/earlier age you start thinking about what you want to do or where you want to end up....the easier it is for you to obtain that.
Don't just attend college with the goal of graduating....because that is all you will do, attend it with the goal of a career and do everything possible to obtain that.
I was able to get an Internship with the Washington Wizards right after graduating just off determination and did some pretty cool things in college.
I was one of 2 out of 900 or so people able to land a Government Internship after getting my degree as well.
I definitely recommend having a corporate job or federal agency paying for your Masters and furthering your education. Avoid those student loan debts if possible, apply for grants and scholarships, save money on textbooks (find that one free copy your school library may have).
Also consider attending one of the academys and becoming an officer in the service....I have a few friends who are Naval Officers and they make a lot of money at a young age and are connected for life.
-keep your background, driving record clean....spotless. Avoid situations/people that will get you caught up in bad situations and land you in jail/court. That drunk in public you got Freshman year for pissing on the street after a party is not worth having to put down on a SF-85 for a higher level clearance.
The sooner/earlier age you start thinking about what you want to do or where you want to end up....the easier it is for you to obtain that.
Don't just attend college with the goal of graduating....because that is all you will do, attend it with the goal of a career and do everything possible to obtain that.
I was able to get an Internship with the Washington Wizards right after graduating just off determination and did some pretty cool things in college.
I was one of 2 out of 900 or so people able to land a Government Internship after getting my degree as well.
I definitely recommend having a corporate job or federal agency paying for your Masters and furthering your education. Avoid those student loan debts if possible, apply for grants and scholarships, save money on textbooks (find that one free copy your school library may have).
Also consider attending one of the academys and becoming an officer in the service....I have a few friends who are Naval Officers and they make a lot of money at a young age and are connected for life.
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good read, and great advice. preciate it OP.
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p4l. I enjoy this real life experience stuff
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Regarding salary negotiations, I wish you wrote this months ago before I accepted my offer without negotiating (a little less than what I would've liked but within industry average).
How much would this affect my raise potential when it's performance review time? Am I screwed?
How much would this affect my raise potential when it's performance review time? Am I screwed?
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Brought me back down to earth.
Very much appreciated
Very much appreciated
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Originally Posted by stepheezy
Brought me back down to earth.
Very much appreciated
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Originally Posted by damn its me
Originally Posted by stepheezy
Brought me back down to earth.
Very much appreciated
...no way...steph?
!!!!!!!!!!! Whattup
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It depends on your company culture, man. In this economy, you would have to be God-like to get a 5% increase. My current employer is on a 2% merit increase, which is not much. There's a bonus towards the end of the year as well.Originally Posted by Yeezy St Laurent
Regarding salary negotiations, I wish you wrote this months ago before I accepted my offer without negotiating (a little less than what I would've liked but within industry average).
How much would this affect my raise potential when it's performance review time? Am I screwed?
Do the job to the best of your ability, pick up as many new skills as you can. When you think it's time to leave because you are bored and/or you are not being challenged anymore, look around. You're never going to get a big pay jump by working at the same firm for your lifetime.
Congrats on the gig by the way!
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Part III:
I basically grew up on NT so I felt that it was my duty to come back to share with my young dudes in here. I was on here before I knew how to drive and member "damn its me" would have to give me rides to go buy Nikes.
College life: Your undergraduate years should be the best time of your life. You're not a kid anymore, yet you're not a full grown up. My advice would be to study hard and party hard. Enjoy these years because when real life starts, you don't get summer/winter/spring breaks anymore. You get your 2 weeks of paid off time and that's it. It would be foolish for me to advise you guys to study 24/7 because: A) you probably won't do it, and B) I don't think that is what college is fully about. The earlier years will be easier because of your GEs so you can slack off more. This is exactly what I did. I didn't go to classes on a regular basis, and still had a sub 3.0 GPA...which was OK. I thought I could turn it on/off when the tests come. It only worked for the GEs. It killed me severely in the more challenging courses pertaining to my major. It took me 6 years to get my BS because I lost a year due to screwing around and had to retake classes, and another year because I switched majors. DO NOT let your GPA slide down to the point where you're on probation. I think you need at least a 2.0 GPA to be in the clear, but even then...it's pretty low. I was down to a 2.2 GPA, and it took me 2 years to climb up to a 2.98 GPA. I wanted to break even at 3.0 GPA before I walked for the BS, but it didn't happened.
There are different types of kids that I see emerge from colleges...from all sorts of colleges, best and no name ones. I see kids who are extremely focused, these are 21-22 years old with their own websites that show the resume, link to their LinkedIn account, letters of recommendation, etc. I also see kids who are at a lost after getting their bachelor's because they went to school just because. A local barista at a Starbucks has a BA in History from USC and is making $12/hour because she couldn't find a job in the field. She majored in that field because it was easy. She owes a crap load of money on the tuition, and doesn't really have interest in obtaining a job in the field she majored in. Don't go this route.
Social media: It is extremely important to monitor what you say/post. Employers look at this all the time, especially for prospects they think they may hire. I had a coworker getting fired because of this. He called out sick on a Friday. He posted up pictures of him partying on Friday night a couple of days later. He is friends with a couple of folks from the firm...one is his manager. Personally, I don't have anyone at work in my social media setting. I don't even hang out with them because you never know what may happen. It can very well turn into a he say she say situation.
Be loyal to yourself: No matter how much you love the company, know that it is business, if they can cut cost by letting you go..they will. Always keep in touch with friends in the field and know of the current pay in your position. If you feel you are underpaid, start looking.
If you start getting corrective actions for whatever reason: start looking for a new job. Like I said before, if they want you to get fired, you will. I was clueless as to why I was getting corrective actions. I used to go all in for my former employer. I started getting written up for very small things, such as being late 10 mins, taking more than 30 mins lunch. Not that I was the only one who did this, but no one else got called out for it. I was on my final, when I found out what happened. I accidentally got CC'd in on an email that discussed the planning of my replacement. I worked with a couple of friends from college so our office was like a dorm room. We were all looking for a new job because we had pretty much stayed for a year and knew we were not getting a raise. One of the friends told on me so the management team wanted to replace me before I can quit so that way my position would not be interrupted. If I quit before they can cut me loose, someone else would have to do my job and pick up my slack. Again, the point of the story is to never tell anyone at work when you are looking for a new job. And when you start getting written up when you know you did nothing wrong...start looking for a new place to work.
You will make mistakes, learn from them. You will be fresh out of school. Mistakes will be made, just learn from them. We need to fall a few times before we can walk. Try not to take it personally. Sometimes it's hard when your manager is ripping you a new one, but the stress is not worth it. Learn from your mistakes and move on. Apologize when necessary so you don't seem like a hard head. Personally, I don't take my work with me when I leave. I just leave that stuff at the door. I only do work stuff when I'm not in the office when it's an emergency and I get a call on my work phone...part of being on call 24/7.
I know I have already mentioned this...but stay hungry for your first job. My first job, I got within 2 weeks of looking. Not too many people wanted it because it was a swing shift job, 2-11PM. I loved it. I woke up when I felt like it, I was able to do my errands in the early morning with no traffic/crowding. And when I drove home, there was no traffic. I eventually covered all shifts, morning (6AM-3PM) and graveyard (10PM-7AM). You guys will be young, you have the energy to go for jobs that others may not because of whatever reason, ie family.
Also, if your first employer is a crappy one...don't be discouraged. Simply suck it up and go to work, while you look around for other opportunities. A lot of firms out there suck, and that's a fact. Don't feel like you're alone on this one because you are definitely not. I was sending dozens of resumes daily during the time from my first corrective action.
Also, another tip regarding the interviewing process. We know that you probably sent resumes to the first 15-20 pages on Monster.com and other sites of that nature. But when you are asked "why are you interested in this company?"...make sure you have an answer they want to hear. Say something like "I want to work for ABC firm because I know you guys are among the top performers in this field. Furthermore, I know you have branches in over 20 countries, which shows you are a global brand." Before you go in for your interview, make sure you look up history on the company first and do your homework.
Follow your dream, my bros. There is no such thing as a stupid idea. I really like the program I'm in because most of my professors were born out of this country and they all have very inspiring stories to tell. It is quite uplifting and is something NT can use I think. There is no such thing as a dead end job, just a dead end state of mind.
I basically grew up on NT so I felt that it was my duty to come back to share with my young dudes in here. I was on here before I knew how to drive and member "damn its me" would have to give me rides to go buy Nikes.
College life: Your undergraduate years should be the best time of your life. You're not a kid anymore, yet you're not a full grown up. My advice would be to study hard and party hard. Enjoy these years because when real life starts, you don't get summer/winter/spring breaks anymore. You get your 2 weeks of paid off time and that's it. It would be foolish for me to advise you guys to study 24/7 because: A) you probably won't do it, and B) I don't think that is what college is fully about. The earlier years will be easier because of your GEs so you can slack off more. This is exactly what I did. I didn't go to classes on a regular basis, and still had a sub 3.0 GPA...which was OK. I thought I could turn it on/off when the tests come. It only worked for the GEs. It killed me severely in the more challenging courses pertaining to my major. It took me 6 years to get my BS because I lost a year due to screwing around and had to retake classes, and another year because I switched majors. DO NOT let your GPA slide down to the point where you're on probation. I think you need at least a 2.0 GPA to be in the clear, but even then...it's pretty low. I was down to a 2.2 GPA, and it took me 2 years to climb up to a 2.98 GPA. I wanted to break even at 3.0 GPA before I walked for the BS, but it didn't happened.
There are different types of kids that I see emerge from colleges...from all sorts of colleges, best and no name ones. I see kids who are extremely focused, these are 21-22 years old with their own websites that show the resume, link to their LinkedIn account, letters of recommendation, etc. I also see kids who are at a lost after getting their bachelor's because they went to school just because. A local barista at a Starbucks has a BA in History from USC and is making $12/hour because she couldn't find a job in the field. She majored in that field because it was easy. She owes a crap load of money on the tuition, and doesn't really have interest in obtaining a job in the field she majored in. Don't go this route.
Social media: It is extremely important to monitor what you say/post. Employers look at this all the time, especially for prospects they think they may hire. I had a coworker getting fired because of this. He called out sick on a Friday. He posted up pictures of him partying on Friday night a couple of days later. He is friends with a couple of folks from the firm...one is his manager. Personally, I don't have anyone at work in my social media setting. I don't even hang out with them because you never know what may happen. It can very well turn into a he say she say situation.
Be loyal to yourself: No matter how much you love the company, know that it is business, if they can cut cost by letting you go..they will. Always keep in touch with friends in the field and know of the current pay in your position. If you feel you are underpaid, start looking.
If you start getting corrective actions for whatever reason: start looking for a new job. Like I said before, if they want you to get fired, you will. I was clueless as to why I was getting corrective actions. I used to go all in for my former employer. I started getting written up for very small things, such as being late 10 mins, taking more than 30 mins lunch. Not that I was the only one who did this, but no one else got called out for it. I was on my final, when I found out what happened. I accidentally got CC'd in on an email that discussed the planning of my replacement. I worked with a couple of friends from college so our office was like a dorm room. We were all looking for a new job because we had pretty much stayed for a year and knew we were not getting a raise. One of the friends told on me so the management team wanted to replace me before I can quit so that way my position would not be interrupted. If I quit before they can cut me loose, someone else would have to do my job and pick up my slack. Again, the point of the story is to never tell anyone at work when you are looking for a new job. And when you start getting written up when you know you did nothing wrong...start looking for a new place to work.
You will make mistakes, learn from them. You will be fresh out of school. Mistakes will be made, just learn from them. We need to fall a few times before we can walk. Try not to take it personally. Sometimes it's hard when your manager is ripping you a new one, but the stress is not worth it. Learn from your mistakes and move on. Apologize when necessary so you don't seem like a hard head. Personally, I don't take my work with me when I leave. I just leave that stuff at the door. I only do work stuff when I'm not in the office when it's an emergency and I get a call on my work phone...part of being on call 24/7.
I know I have already mentioned this...but stay hungry for your first job. My first job, I got within 2 weeks of looking. Not too many people wanted it because it was a swing shift job, 2-11PM. I loved it. I woke up when I felt like it, I was able to do my errands in the early morning with no traffic/crowding. And when I drove home, there was no traffic. I eventually covered all shifts, morning (6AM-3PM) and graveyard (10PM-7AM). You guys will be young, you have the energy to go for jobs that others may not because of whatever reason, ie family.
Also, if your first employer is a crappy one...don't be discouraged. Simply suck it up and go to work, while you look around for other opportunities. A lot of firms out there suck, and that's a fact. Don't feel like you're alone on this one because you are definitely not. I was sending dozens of resumes daily during the time from my first corrective action.
Also, another tip regarding the interviewing process. We know that you probably sent resumes to the first 15-20 pages on Monster.com and other sites of that nature. But when you are asked "why are you interested in this company?"...make sure you have an answer they want to hear. Say something like "I want to work for ABC firm because I know you guys are among the top performers in this field. Furthermore, I know you have branches in over 20 countries, which shows you are a global brand." Before you go in for your interview, make sure you look up history on the company first and do your homework.
Follow your dream, my bros. There is no such thing as a stupid idea. I really like the program I'm in because most of my professors were born out of this country and they all have very inspiring stories to tell. It is quite uplifting and is something NT can use I think. There is no such thing as a dead end job, just a dead end state of mind.
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- Feb 26, 2006
Originally Posted by wj4
Part III:
I basically grew up on NT so I felt that it was my duty to come back to share with my young dudes in here. I was on here before I knew how to drive and member "damn its me" would have to give me rides to go buy Nikes.
miss you wis.
glad you're putting in work on this thread. folks need to see it, and I'm extremely impressed at how disciplined you've been. Celest says hello too.
Now lets arrange this summertime vacation out at the new spot
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- Jul 6, 2002
Hey there,
I truly value education. Education is the one thing no one can take away from you...even in a divorce. If you know you want to do a Ph. D, then by all means...go for it!
A Ph. D takes a lot of time and dedication, and in my field...it wasn't worth it unless you want to become a professor. I did the master's because there are a few jobs that require a master's to get regardless of how many years of experience you have.
I'm doing a second master's in business admin because it is what I'm really interested in. My first master's is in a great field and I don't regret it because I met a life changing professor in the process that I still keep in touch with. It kind of kicked in for me during my last semester of the first master's program. I kept asking myself "what if"..."what if I liked the business side more", but without trying I would never know. I decided and spent that summer studying for the GMAT. I finished my first master's in the Fall of 2010, and started the second master's in Spring of 2011.
The line of work is way difference though. With my former program, I would write long papers and research stuff, while the business admin is more on the creative side for some classes, stuff I really could relate to.
At the end of the day, you need to ask yourself what you want to do. I have friends from the first master's program who went on for Ph. D's at various schools across the nation and they have no regret. I wish nothing but the best for them, but knew it was not for me.
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- May 24, 2002
Hey wisith, always knew you were pretty smart, anyways here's advice since we joined the same time and were the same age, this goes to everyone.
In regards to opening a business, everyone that's telling you to be your own boss and dreams of independence and own hours, all that is bull when it comes to starting/running a business. The whole work whenever I want is a pipe dream and chances are If you are starting your own business, your gonna work 55-75 hours a week minimum, for the first couple years if your lucky, most business owners don't get to rest until 15 years in the business. And even if your cool working those hours, even when your not working your still working because that's all your mind will be preoccupied with. How to increase sales and expand my business. So you sell your life for the business in many aspects. They shouldn't call it starting your own business, it's more like your buying yourself a job. So like you stated earlier, don't do it for the money, do it because you love it. I opened 2 businesses of my own and during the first one realized quickly all I did was buy myself a job, It didn't feel like I had my own business, even though its mine. I've been blessed to know the right people and being a quick study which made it easier to be successful, but Its still hard work. Matter of fact, knowledge and skill is half the battle, the other half is your communication skills and how well you can hook yourself up with the right people and the skill to be able to see and know who the right people are. Sometimes I feel like the only benefits are the tax write-offs and being able to say you own a business to people, but I don't care about the latter because when your successful you gotta stay below the radar if you want to remain so. Those who attained real success will know what I'm talking about, those who don't hopefully one day you will. Give me a choice of a comfy 6 figure job 40 hour week with benefits over making more money owning my own business anyday, at this point in my life at least, cuz at least I'll get to genuinely enjoy my time and money and family. I'm 24 joined nt when I was 13. Started my first business at 21 with money I saved. No help from any family.
Hit me up sometime wis we can probably pick each others brains, I'm in west hills often.
In regards to opening a business, everyone that's telling you to be your own boss and dreams of independence and own hours, all that is bull when it comes to starting/running a business. The whole work whenever I want is a pipe dream and chances are If you are starting your own business, your gonna work 55-75 hours a week minimum, for the first couple years if your lucky, most business owners don't get to rest until 15 years in the business. And even if your cool working those hours, even when your not working your still working because that's all your mind will be preoccupied with. How to increase sales and expand my business. So you sell your life for the business in many aspects. They shouldn't call it starting your own business, it's more like your buying yourself a job. So like you stated earlier, don't do it for the money, do it because you love it. I opened 2 businesses of my own and during the first one realized quickly all I did was buy myself a job, It didn't feel like I had my own business, even though its mine. I've been blessed to know the right people and being a quick study which made it easier to be successful, but Its still hard work. Matter of fact, knowledge and skill is half the battle, the other half is your communication skills and how well you can hook yourself up with the right people and the skill to be able to see and know who the right people are. Sometimes I feel like the only benefits are the tax write-offs and being able to say you own a business to people, but I don't care about the latter because when your successful you gotta stay below the radar if you want to remain so. Those who attained real success will know what I'm talking about, those who don't hopefully one day you will. Give me a choice of a comfy 6 figure job 40 hour week with benefits over making more money owning my own business anyday, at this point in my life at least, cuz at least I'll get to genuinely enjoy my time and money and family. I'm 24 joined nt when I was 13. Started my first business at 21 with money I saved. No help from any family.
Hit me up sometime wis we can probably pick each others brains, I'm in west hills often.
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- Feb 17, 2007
Damn, serious knowledge in here. Wanted to say thank you, again, for all of this. Particularly the bit about staying hungry for the first job. I'm trying to stay in Los Angeles but the jobs I've been applying to haven't been working out for me. But after this, I'll make sure I won't let myself be discouraged. Thanks again.
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Thanks for taking time out and bestowing wisdom on some of us younger guys. I'm just under two years fom my BA, and I'm glad I switched my degree in good timing. I still minor in my first major, but I figured out what truly interest me. I'm reading all the advice you give, only read part one so far, will get to the other at wrk on break. In the voice of Ali G "Respect"
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- Aug 8, 2009
good read, thanks OP.
recently graduated and still looking but I'm not gettin discouraged...
recently graduated and still looking but I'm not gettin discouraged...
al audi
Banned
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- Jun 18, 2009
Great Thread, that corrective actions just hit home for me. I'm on vay cay as I type this.........there's a lot of reasons why I don't trust my job as of late.
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- Jan 7, 2004
Hi Guys
I made a new thread for this but no one was responding
so I apologize for the redundancy but I could really use some advice.
Please provide me some guidance - I thank you for your time
Background info:
24 years old - have an employer 401k - along with a separate IRA
$5,000 in Credit Card Debt (lets call it the Sins of College Spending)
I also have $5,000 in my IRA (divided into a few mutual funds that are no load/no transaction fee - Fidelity)
I spend around $500 a month to pay off my debt but I'm applying for Grad school soon - and will most likely need to apply for student loans - I don't have a large credit capacity and my only 2 cards are maxed out - I already make consistent timely payments on my prior student loans
I keep hearing 50/50 on the matter
" IRA is my retirement pot - NEVER touch this or you will eat dog food when your 65"
"Credit Card Debt is 3x the interest of a regular 5-8% returning portfolio - Pay Debt - No brainer"
I ask you NT because I'm sure many of you are closer to my age group then most online advice columns (usually reserved for people in 50s with MASSIVE debt)
Help?????
Thank you and have a great day
I made a new thread for this but no one was responding
Please provide me some guidance - I thank you for your time
Background info:
24 years old - have an employer 401k - along with a separate IRA
$5,000 in Credit Card Debt (lets call it the Sins of College Spending)
I also have $5,000 in my IRA (divided into a few mutual funds that are no load/no transaction fee - Fidelity)
I spend around $500 a month to pay off my debt but I'm applying for Grad school soon - and will most likely need to apply for student loans - I don't have a large credit capacity and my only 2 cards are maxed out - I already make consistent timely payments on my prior student loans
I keep hearing 50/50 on the matter
" IRA is my retirement pot - NEVER touch this or you will eat dog food when your 65"
"Credit Card Debt is 3x the interest of a regular 5-8% returning portfolio - Pay Debt - No brainer"
I ask you NT because I'm sure many of you are closer to my age group then most online advice columns (usually reserved for people in 50s with MASSIVE debt)
Help?????
Thank you and have a great day
