And Just How Am I Supposed To Pay For That?

For the past 3 decades the rate of college tuition inflation has been about double the amount of standard economic inflation.  Meanwhile, the importance of a college degree to obtain work has increased exponentially in the job market, particularly for young adults (as discussed in our earlier post "Creativity: Education's Lost Art," Sir Ken Robinson refers to this as academic inflation).  Additionally, according to the 2009 research from Sallie Mae, the average undergraduate holds nearly $3,200 in credit card debt alone with graduating seniors having an average over $4,000.  And that doesn't even count actual tuition debt, of which the national average is $21,000.  Some students may try to cut down on costs by commuting from home, but even then some colleges and universities require that students live on campus for at least their first year of school.  In a poor economy, jobs are hard to find and most companies are looking for people with experience.  How might someone who just graduated college even have experience?  Through internships, of course!  But the problem with internships is the fact that many of them are unpaid, a legal issue that has gotten stronger as companies who've been hit by a bad economy look for ways to reduce costs.  So after all of that, we're pretty sure the question on everyone's mind is "And just how am I supposed to pay for that?" 

It's not impossible to receive financial aid, but much of that is just loans that add to debt and can be hard for young adults to manage.  The only real way to do it is planning to the best of your ability.  Start saving for college in your high school years, regardless of where you think you may go.  Some students attend classes part-time as a more affordable method while others simply take the hit.  The problem with this set up is that to advance in the job market, students don't have much of a choice.  To get a decent job you must have a degree, but having a degree doesn't necessarily guarantee a decent job.  The money students spend paying back massive loans their first few years out of school takes away from investing in 401Ks or other forms of savings that cut out on years of interest.  It is evident that while the job market is making tuition harder and harder to pay, they're really cutting into society as a whole.  If social security and health care funds seem hard to come by now, how's it going to be when everyone is so busy getting out of debt that they are barely feeding into the system.  Trade schools and better on-the-job training could be a great opportunity to promote advanced education for a particular field without necessarily mandating a four-year or higher degree (which is more commonly taking 5 or 6 years these days).  This could allow students who may not afford college the opportunity to be making money rather than being completely barred from an education or way of advancement or somehow obtain an education resulting in extreme financial consequences.

But enough about us, what do you think?

Imaculee Ilibagiza: The Woman Who Survived Rwandan Genocide

The whole point of picking out your lunchbox as a kid is so you can be ready to go to school and get an education, so you can go to a good university, get a degree, get a good job and be a good and productive member of society, right?  It seems sensible, it sounds easy, but the journey never quite feels that way.  At some point you ask your self "What am I doing with my life?  What do I want to do with my life?"  Things seem hard and unfair until you meet someone else who puts it all into perspective.  For me, one of those people is Immaculee Ilibagize (pronounced i-mack-you-lee ill-uh-bug-eeza).  I had the pleasure of hearing her speak at a conference I helped put together for a university project and got to meet her briefly.  She is a tall, quiet woman, well-dressed and incredibly reserved.  But when she speaks it is profound.  She spent 91 days in a tiny bathroom with 6 other women during the Rwandan genocide.  The space was so small that they had to take turns standing.  There was barely any food.  Imaculee entered at 115 pounds and left weighing only 65.  But not only did she spend 3 months practically starving and smashed into a tiny space, but when she emerged her entire family had been brutally murdered.  "Sometimes I feel like I'm centuries old," I remember her saying, "because all of my family is dead... no one I knew is alive."  It's those kinds of statements that really make you think.  I know how hungry I feel when I haven't had breakfast, let alone going 3 months having barely eaten.  I know how I feel in a crammed elevator and it seems like the doors can't open fast enough.  Then imagine being in that elevator for 3 months with almost no food and if the doors opened, men with machetes would be waiting to kill you.  Suddenly life doesn't sound so bad.  But what makes Imaculee's story so powerful isn't just the horror she survived.  It's the fact that she has not only lived to tell the tale, but that she is still a loving person who found strength in spirituality.  She met the man who killed members of her family and forgave him.  She looks at every person she meets with more kindness and compassion than most people who've had an easy life.  Now she goes around the world telling people about what happened to her and encourages them to be better people (and let me say, after listening to her speak, you wouldn't feel like a decent human being if you didn't).  She's incredibly inspiring and when you think about what you want to do with your life and where you're going, it never hurts to think of the world as a better place.

She recently interviewed on 60 minutes.  Click here for more.
Imaculee's Book "Left To Tell" is also available at Amazon.com.
You can always learn more about Imaculee and her charity at http://www.lefttotell.com/

Jessica D.
Make That Resume Founder

Making The Best of the Worst: How Susan Retik & Patti Quigley Are Changing The World

“Make That Resume” believes that everyone has the capability to get a job so we like to show what other people are doing and give you ideas.  The economy isn't great but we know that it's not about getting back to where we were before-- it's about learning what we did wrong, recognizing the tools we have in our current economic climate and creating something better.  It's about improving sustainability, environmental consciousness and acknowledgement of the humanities to propel us into a more stable and more successful future.  We believe that everyone is not only capable of this, but responsible for it.  One such example is an organization, Beyond The 11th, started by 2 women, Susan Retik & Patti Quigley, widowed by the tragedy of 9/11.  As described in a New York Times opinion piece, rather than be hateful or angry, these women took their frustrations and problems and related them to women of Afghanistan, many of whom they knew would also be widowed by war.  Both women were pregnant during this time and knew how hard it would be having to care for their children on their own.  They knew the importance of independence, education and the basic needs to maintain a family.  So they started out simple, providing chickens to allow women to sell eggs, which has since progressed into multiple businesses and educational opportunities.  Now a documentary, Beyond Belief, these women's endeavors have proven that we are capable of great things and that we can take the steps needed to turn the adversity created by one unfortunate event into an opportunity to make life better for others.  Susan Retik has even just received the Citizens Medal from President Obama for her work.  You don’t have to start your own organization to follow in their footsteps – just get involved with one that already exists!  Find what you’re passionate about and make a contribution.  Whether its volunteering at a school or simply encouraging others to recycle, everyone can be an active citizen of the world.  Part of making that resume is showing that you are making a difference – so go out there and do it!

More Than Black & White: Diandra Forrest, Super Model

Usually people stand out because they want to, but there are some people who don't have a choice.  One such person is 19 year-old Diandra Forrest.  As an African American born with albinism, she was riduculed so much in school that her parents transfered her to a special school focused primarily on blind children.  She couldn't hide who she was, but who she was made her a super star.  She was literally walking down the street when she was discovered by a photographer.  Her unique features were so striking to him that he helped develop her career and she now struts her stuff down catwalks everywhere.  She talks about her experience in the first part of this clip, discussing the obstacles of her childhood where her skin color didn't exactly match her ethnicity.
We think she is an extraordinary example of how to think of yourself in a new way.  To her classmates she may have been weird or different, but to the fashion world she is unique, talented and beautiful.  She no longer hides from who she, but embraces what makes her different.  At Make That Resume, we're all about being unique and that's why we love Diandra!

Real Life Twilight: This Guy Might Be A Werewolf

It's Friday and we're bored with regular life and looking forward to an exciting weekend.  And what's more exciting than running around in the snow almost naked?  So when we found this guy -- who does just that -- we thought 2 things: 1. He sounds a lot like one of those werewolves from the Twilight Series and 2. This guy could probably party like it's '99.  So who is he?  Fifty-one-year-old Wim Hof, dubbed "The Iceman," is a human paradox, capable of feats that have had him considered by some to be superhuman.  From running in the tundra barefoot to swimming in freezing waters, climbing Everest and submerging himself in ice for a record 72 minutes, this guy may arguably defeat Twilight's famed, hunky werewolf Jacob in a face-off (take note RV Salesman).  In an article from ABC News, he answers the giant question of "how are you still alive?" with a simple answer: "I know my body. I know my mind. I know what I can do."  Now, we're all for challenging yourself, knowing your strengths and accomplishing goals, but we had to take a step back and wonder how this Hollander hasn't been spliced by the Volturi yet for leaving the Quillettes' reservation and exposing himself to the human world.  We also wondered if Stephanie Meyer would out-do her own character, Bella, and hook up with this dude.  Anyway, you're probably wondering how this relates to job hunting, career goals, and resume writing?  Well, it may inspire you to do something different or creative that will compell companies to employ you (just don't kill yourself or do yourself serious bodily harm in the process, kids).  And that would be something to write about.  Otherwise, we have no idea.  We just thought this guy seemed cool. Happy Friday!

Heisman to Businessman: Eric Crouch's Rise from Fame to Success

He may not be "The Old Spice Guy," but Eric Crouch, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2001 while playing for the Nebraska Huskers, has made himself a career outside of the league.  As highlighted on Yahoo's rivals.com sports blog, injuries and playing the wrong positions kept Crouch from NFL superstardom, which serves as a good example of how sometimes talent doesn't equate with success.  That doesn't mean that you can't take advantage of what have done.  We're big advocates of being out of the ordinary and using whatcha got to do what you want and achieve your own goals and Crouch is a perfect example.  He now owns his own small business, Crouch Recreation, which installs recreation equipment in schools, parks and other areas.  An appropriate move for a man who clearly enjoys recreational activities himself.  It also doesn't hurt that people want to have a Heisman Trophy Winner show up at their place of work or school.  The moral of the story?  Work with watcha got, kid.  What you start out doing may not be what you always do so it's important to continuously evaluate your skill set and what might be right for you now.  So get to thinkin' and come get a resume.  You never know what might make you awesome at life.