Did Blogging Help My GRE Preparation?
Work . 
Study.
Run.
For the past several months, my life has been nothing but these three things. Last weekend I took the revised GRE and this weekend is a half-marathon race. Needless to say, checking one item off has led to a massive increase in, or an illusion thereof, “free time”.
Despite the scores not being issued until November, I’ve already begun to reflect on my preparation methods and perceived performance. Ranking the sections by relative difficulty, I was actually least concerned about “Analytical Writing” and think blogging is to thank for that!
For background information…
In August 2011, the GRE Revised General Test replaced the GRE General Test*. The major overhaul of the exam incorporated a shift in focus along with structural modifications. The new exam format is broken down as follows:
| CATEGORY |
# OF QUESTIONS |
ALLOTTED TIME |
|
Analytical Writing |
1 essay / task |
35 min / essay |
|
Verbal Reasoning |
~ 20 / section |
30 min / section |
|
Quantitative Reasoning |
~ 20 / section |
35 min / section |
Negotiating Your Salary in a Down Economy
With the dismal career outlook, people are struggling to find new work and even maintain current employment. After days (if not weeks or months) of submitting resumes, tapping networks, attending conferences, or any of the other suggestions out there – job seekers may be content settling for whichever offer comes their way. Although the market is tough, the situation doesn’t warrant forfeiting your opportunity, and ability, to negotiate an offer.
Recently a friend asked for some feedback on his own offer. Foreseeing the near-term end of his existing circumstance, he was excited about the new prospect. Looking for recommendations on the compensation, he outlined the parameters of the position for me to help formulate a counter-offer. Whipping together a simple excel sheet, we discussed the results:
“Probably should ask for 30% more”, I stated.
“Really”, he wondered, “that’s not too much?”
Following our conversation about the job in general, we reviewed the reasons which justified the considerable increase:
1.) Changing Industries
Switching from non-profit work to the private sector, his current salary was likely lower than a comparable position in private enterprise.
2.) Cost of Living Adjustment
Moving from an already high cost-of-living location to an even higher cost-of-living location, accepting the offer as it stood would have been a decrease in his standard of living.
Continue reading “Negotiating Your Salary in a Down Economy” »
Going to College for Free
With two cousins heading back to college, several friends planning their graduate degrees, a few in programs now, and my own intentions of going back to school – the cost of higher education has been at the forefront of my thoughts.
Unfortunately for me, these costs will most likely be an out-of-pocket expense unless I can dupe someone into paying for it. And to be honest, it’s the primary reason for my hesitance in committing to the decision. Fortunately for my cousins, they are covered. One just finished his undergraduate on a full-ride and is headed to Carnegie Mellon for a PhD… also on a full-ride.
Talking about life in general, I commended him on how well he had handled his education. In true personal finance fashion, I noted the significant benefit (beyond the obvious accreditations) would be the lack of debt. Approximating the costs, we arrived at an estimated figure of $500,000.
Yikes.
And it’s not just me either. “Stop the Tuition Madness” as Money wrote about in their current issue. The article highlights different ways for students to cut back on their education bills. Out of the three students featured, only 1 of the strategies made seemed to make sense.
Money Strategy: Go to a Lower-Cost College Abroad
My Interpretation: You went to University of Where?
Of course there’s nothing wrong with other schools, but perception alone will be the limiting factor. The student even notes, “While Victoria may not be a house-hold name in the U.S., Gesten thinks it will be a net plus for employers once she explains where it is and what a good school it is”.
Let’s hope… From my own experience, this was not the case.
During a summer internship after my freshman year, I learned some colleagues were severely over-educated for their positions. Since most held Masters or PhD degree, we spoke about their frustrations with reporting to younger engineers, with engineering degrees, but less experience. All were educated in universities outside of the US, but relegated to lesser roles because their alma maters didn’t carry the same clout as US schools.
Money Strategy: Pay with Future Earnings
My Interpretation: Schools are catching Zuckie-Fever!
The Jobs Paradox: Where the REAL Money is
Update: After stumbling across this gem, the post needed to be updated! Forbes’ magazine ran an article starting with the sentence: “If you want to get really rich in medicine forget biotech or drugs medical devices is where the big money is“.
You’ve heard it before.
Maybe it didn’t register at first, but once you know what to listen for – you’ll realize you’ve heard it a hundred times.
Someone – somewhere – at some point, has told you where to find the “real money”.
Most likely it was another colleague, possibly a mentor, or it could have even been a client. The speaker will preface their statement with some sort of qualifier: “well, I have things pretty good here” or “this job pays well enough”…….but…..
That’s not where the REAL money is. The REAL money is in _______.
Whatever it is, you are not in it. Continue reading “The Jobs Paradox: Where the REAL Money is” »
Business School’s High Cost of Entry
For a moment let’s not concern ourselves with the $100,000+ tuition price tag or the 2-years of forgone salary. Simply preparing for, and applying to, business schools could cost you thousands of dollars!
With the top 10 business schools accepting 25% or less of applicants into their programs, competition will be fierce. Faced with only a 1-in-4 chance of acceptance, wouldn’t you do [spend] whatever it takes to increase your odds?
Applications consist of four main aspects: GMAT, Resume, Essays, and References. While there aren’t any “reference-for-hire” services yet, there are plenty of resources for the other three.
First, the GMATs. Going at it alone may only cost you $100 worth of books, or you may even be lucky enough to find them at the library for free. However, paying for more catered preparatory services (online review sessions, in-person classes, boot camps, advanced strategies, and private tutoring) can range anywhere from $1,000 – $5,000.
Then there are the consultants who perform cradle-grave services fFrom performing initial “likely candidate for…” evaluations to reviewing rejection letters. These consultants are here to help you at every turn… for a price.
Measuring Career Satisfaction Using Buckets
When someone asks if you’re happy in your job, the answer is generally “yes” or “no” after a short pause.
But something very interesting happens in between the question and the answer.
During that brief moment, your brain goes through an assessment to: compartmentalize, weight, and rank all aspects of the job which are most/least important to you. Your job satisfaction is then determined from the aggregate sum of these parts.
Imagine a set of 4 or 5 buckets. Each bucket has a label representing a desired job characteristic. There’s no set combination of buckets or labels – it’s entirely up to you. Just don’t end up with 10 buckets because then you dilute the importance of each. The labels could be anything: social impact, impressing the opposite sex, compensation, contribution, entertainment, work/life balance, ethical practices, whatever would constitute your “dream job”.
Once your satisfaction has been broken down into the buckets, it’s time to re-size them. Think about what’s most important. Determine how heavily each one weighs on your happiness. This will be a very personal process and different for everyone, which is why there are well-paid bankers who overlook their long hours or not as well-paid non-profit employees swelling with pride from their sense of purpose.
Continue reading “Measuring Career Satisfaction Using Buckets” »
