Valuable Resources for Students and Student Service Professionals
By Cynthia Mayberry, TG

Soon enough, another spring semester will be coming to an end. Students will flood the office to sign up for exit counseling, seek advice on future money matters, and ask for assistance on finding summer employment or their first job after graduation. Get a jumpstart on your preparation by taking note of these valuable Internet resources that offer a great start for students.

Preparing for the job search
Get a job! The phrase takes a special meaning each spring season, as continuing students seek temporary summer positions and spring graduates prepare for their first plunge into the full-time job market. Before you send them into the “real world,” however, get them to polish up their resumes, practice their interviewing skills, and find great sources for the best jobs.

For advice on these topics, direct students to www.AdventuresInEducation.org, and select “College” and “Get a Job.” This section is filled with information about how to find jobs, write a resume, and prepare for an interview. Students can even use one of the sample resumes provided to help them build their own.

Other good sources for preparing for the job search are www.CareerBuilder.com and America’s Job Bank, www.ajb.dni.us/.

Finding the right job
Once the resume is complete, the shoes are polished, and the practice interviews are done, students will want to know where they can find out what jobs are available. In addition to networking, searching newspaper classifieds, and visiting college placement offices, remind them that online job banks are useful places to look for what’s available.

One service, www.JobGusher.com®, is specifically geared to students. Employers who post their positions on JobGusher are seeking students for a variety of internships, seasonal and temporary work, and other career opportunities. Students can set up search agents, participate in online job fairs, and get frequent updates of jobs that employers are seeking to fill immediately.

One unique aspect of this service is that JobGusher is now offering institutions a free solution to help you coordinate online placement on your campus. Through this service, JobGusher offers you a variety of features, including:

• A customized home page for your institution;
• The ability to post on- and off-campus positions online for free;
• Free access for students and administrators with access to the Web;
• The ability for students to apply for positions online;
• Powerful search and screening capabilities
• Resources to conduct “online” job fairs for your students.

To learn more about these free services to institutions, visit www.jobgusher.com, call (866) JOB-GUSH (562-4784), or send an e-mail message to customercare@jobgusher.com.

Managing money to repay loans
Despite the availability of a wide variety of resources, a surprisingly high percentage of college students find it difficult to manage their money. Getting them to develop effective money management skills is critical, especially if they are carrying a high debt load.

A great resource for students is available by visiting www.AdventuresInEducation.org, and selecting “College,” “Finance Your Education,” and “Managing Your Money.” Once there, students can find templates and advice on how to prepare budgets for use during school and after graduation. Useful tools on repaying student loans and seeking loan forgiveness are also available.

Your lender and guarantor partners may also be able to offer services to help encourage your students to practice effective money management skills. For example, TG offers “Money Management 101,” a training program that can be delivered to students on your campus.

This interactive seminar helps students learn the basic skills required to create and manage a budget. Students identify their own income and expenses and relate them to standard budget guidelines. Some of the learning points include identifying smart ways to reduce unnecessary expenses, increase income, minimize debt, and invest wisely.

Information on this and other free helpful training programs is available by visiting www.tgslc.org.

Moving ahead
Good luck with the close of yet another successful semester, and continued success in serving families and students!

Cynthia Mayberry is TG’s assistant manager for customer services, serving schools in Texas. You can reach Cynthia at (800) 252-9743, ext. 4683, or by e-mail at cynthia.mayberry@tgslc.org. Additional information about TG can be found online at www.tgslc.org.