In an article in Transitions Abroad Magazine, Jennifer Hamm explains how more young professionals now are seeking work overseas than ever before.  The reasons for this are varied, but Margaret Malewski, author of GenXpat: The Young Professional’s Guide to Making a Successful Life Abroad, suggests that before, companies only dispatched senior staff abroad. Now, junior workers who demonstrate the desire to do so, can find work abroad because employers seek younger employees who are more flexible and mobile. The following are four basic tips for landing your dream job abroad.

1. Plan ahead.

It’s an indisputable truth–landing an international job is much more difficult than finding employment at home, the poor American job market notwithstanding. It will take a lot of planning and dedication. So the first step, really, is asking yourself if you really want to do this. If so, then start planning. If you’re still in school, then be sure to take classes in the language of your target country or countries. Consider studying abroad. Take classes with an international focus, like international business.

If you’re already working, find out whether your company has offices abroad. If so, then let HR know your interest in being transferred. Stephen Kantor, a twenty-eight-year-old banker who was assigned to work in Amsterdam for three years, explains that it was his assertiveness that got him the job. “No one was looking for me,” he said. “I looked at it as this is my career. This is something I want to do and the only one that is going to make it happen is me.”

If your company doesn’t have offices abroad, then consider taking a few months off to travel and volunteer, building some international experience and contacts along the way.

2. Get a Master’s degree

An MA is now considered standard for most international jobs, especially in the social sciences and business. Consider getting a Master’s degree abroad, too, so that you can build those all-important networks.

3. Travel and…Network!

If you don’t have any special skills that would make you more attractive than a local to an employer, then you probably aren’t going to seal the deal on a job abroad from home. This is especially true of Western European countries. In this case, you’re going to have to save some money, travel to your target country, and NETWORK.

Teaching English is a good way to earn a livable wage while looking for better job prospects and contacts. However, be advised that many schools require English as a second language teaching certificates. Consider doing freelance work in translation or editing, advertising private English lessons, or becoming an au pair for wealthy families interested in exposing their children to a different culture. All these jobs require some credentials or experience, but if you’re in-country and available, then employers are often willing to forego the credentials for convenience.

Also avail yourself of networking resources at home. Let everyone in your circle (cast your nets wide–include friends, family, alumni, professors, everyone) know that you want to work abroad. You never know who’ll have that connection that you need to find employment overseas.

4.  Tailor your resume…err CV.

Although they’re essentially the same thing, resumes are more commonly referred to as C.V.s abroad. Be aware that employers from different countries often expect something different than the resume you already have. For example, in the United States, it’s isn’t common practice to include a photo with your resume, but in many countries, it’s standard. For more information on international resumes, click here .

This guest post is contributed by Katheryn Rivas, who writes on the topics of accredited online universities.  She welcomes your comments at her email: katherynrivas87@gmail.com.

We’ve all got some big challenges to deal with these days: this wacky economy, maintaining cash flow, laying safety nets, building our companies, attracting more business, all while managing to stay sane and tenacious through these trying times.
That’s why we rolled up our sleeves and put ourselves to work on attacking this hairball of issues that literally can make or break your career…not to mention your spirits.

After months of all nighters and brutally long workdays, we’re finally ready to unveil a big new resource to help you find solutions to your biggest personal and professional challenges.

It’s called Fast Track to Success: 30 Days to Transform Your Life & Career.  Jam packed with perspective, inspiration and tips for leaping into action, this new tool is GUARANTEED to make a serious difference for you.  And you can take that to the bank!

How?  Fast Track is an online learning program that you can power through in as little as 30 days, 30 minutes a day.  Every lesson features online posts to read with full audio (read by me!) that you can download and listen to on the go if you’d prefer.  Then, once you’ve learned, it’s time to help you do.  Almost every lesson has a worksheet (or a few) designed to walk you though putting everything into action immediately.

Since this is all about getting to the next level, you’ll see not only your perspective, but outlook and opportunities evolve more and more every day!  We’ve even included a few videos to keep you fired up and opportunities every step of the way to share your thoughts or ask for help or advice from our team.  And again, we’re so confident this can help change your life for the better, we’re willing to guarantee it.  We’ll even send you a hard copy of our New York Times bestseller Secrets of the Young & Successful: How to Get Everything You Want Without Waiting a Lifetime as our gift.

To celebrate the launch of this new program, we’re going to spend the next 30 days sharing some of our best tips and tricks to take on this crazy economy on by storm, increase your opportunities, amp up your competitive advantage, and yes, make more money!

We want to share your best advice too, so keep your eyes peeled and we’ll offer plenty of opportunities on YoungandSuccessful.com, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to share your expertise and experience too!  So stay tuned and help us spread the word about anything you find particularly useful to your friends and colleagues.  We’ll all fare better and find the success we crave and deserve if we bond together and become a force to be reckoned with.

Here’s to all of our success!

Everywhere I go lately, small business owners, company execs and everyone in sales is preoccupied with closing deals.  The economy has certainly made business a lot more difficult to succeed in, and more than ever, we all need to constantly be analyzing how we’re doing things to keep getting smarter, better, more efficient and more effective.  And at the top of everyone’s list: making more money.

That all said, I want to share some hard earned insight that will hopefully save many of you a lot of time, money and aggravation.

When you’re courting a new company or client, the sales process can easily get dragged out over a matter of weeks, months, or worse, never really result in an answer at all – be it yes or no.  So, how do you cut to the chase and find out whether there’s really even a deal to be done in the first place?

A few simple questions can make all the difference.

1.  What exactly are you looking to have done?

2.  What does success look like for this project?

3.  Where does this fall on your overall priority list?

4.  Are you exploring solutions with other prospective consultants/contractors?

5.  What questions do you have about me/us/our work?

6.  What’s the time frame you’re looking to start and execute this in?

7.  What does your budget look like?

8.  Who is the ultimate decision maker? (Who controls the checkbook?)

9.  Do you have a specific process for closing deals like this?

10.  As for next steps, would you like me to send you a recap of our conversation and a proposal on how we might be able to help you/best serve you?

They say yes, and you have yourself a hot lead.

It may take a meeting or so to build rapport and get comfortable enough to ask these questions, but rest assured you’ll start closing deals a heck of a lot faster when you get answers to these questions early on.

Learn to succeed with investors–from a guy who failed.

Shortly after my college graduation, a few friends and I started a new media company. Within a few weeks we fleshed out the concept, wrote a business plan and set out to seek financing. With a little hustle, I managed to get us a meeting with a well-known investment firm to discuss the opportunity. Even though our business had yet to bring in a single dollar, and none of us had ever been the CEO of coffee shop let alone a multi-million dollar enterprise, we were all confident that we had a sure thing on our hands. After all, our financial projections forecasted gross revenues of $200 million. What investor could say no to that?

We’d be rich. All we needed to do was raise a small amount of capital–$15 million.

I remember thinking, “How hard could it be?” We were obviously, naïve, foolish and delusional.

There was one small problem with our plan. None of us had any idea how to pitch an investor. So I did what any clueless entrepreneurial upstart would do: Google searched “how to pitch an investor”.

Nothing that I read online could have prepared me for what was to come. We would quickly find out that our presentation was doomed before we ever set foot into the meeting. In reality, it was doomed before we started writing the business plan.

At the beginning of the meeting one of the investors asked me to hand him a one-page executive summary review. I hadn’t prepared a summary, so I handed him the first 11 pages out of the binder encasing my 95-page business plan. Strike one.

Less than four slides into my 32-slide presentation, the second investor interrupted me and said, “OK. Stop. I get it. You definitely don’t need $15 million.”

Defending our business plan, I overconfidently replied: “It can’t be done for less.”

“Really? It can’t be done, huh?” he responded with a smirk masking a hint of laughter. Strike two.

Both of the investors then proceeded to hit us with a barrage of questions:

“How much money have you personally put into your business? Anywhere near $15 million?”

“How can you possibly substantiate gross revenues of $200 million in year three?”

“Why are you trying to produce, market and distribute 10 products at the same time before you see if a single one sells at all?”

The questions went on and on. None of our answers were favorable. Strike three.

As you might have guessed, I didn’t walk out of that meeting with a $15 million check. I later realized, however, that this was one of the greatest educational experiences of my young career. I learned more about real-world fundraising in 30 minutes than many entrepreneurs learn in a lifetime. To this day, whenever I pitch investors for capital, I always remember these six hard-learned lessons:

1. Less is always more.

An elevator pitch is vital. Verbose presentations and lengthy explanations will not impress investors, and most likely will turn them off. Present your business in a manner that’s short, sweet and to the point. Investors need to be confident that your business will attract and retain customers. If they don’t grasp your concept in a short time span, they may presume that customers won’t understand it either.

2. Never hypothesize. Execute, execute, execute.

Inspire confidence with facts, not fiction. Most investors seek out low-risk businesses with proven managers that are as close to guarantees as possible. A company with cash flow, a track record and real-world experience has a better chance of getting investors than a business plan forecasting large returns. Find ways to test your business’s viability on a shoestring budget, and turn your idea into a functional business before you seek investment.

3. Leave the hockey sticks on the ice.

Excite investors about your big picture, but be reasonable and responsible. Avoid hockey stick projections. Respectable investors will not take you seriously if you present them with nonsensical financial graphs that claim your company’s revenues will grow from $100,000 to $50 million in three years. Show investors that you have a grasp on reality with three versions of financial projections: best case, moderate case and worst case. Base each of these models on facts, past and present performance data, industry and competitor analyses and a series of well-thought-out, defendable assumptions.

4. Learn to love discount stores.

Being cheap is chic. In an age where spending is out of control, you’ll need to prove that you are a fiscally responsible manager who knows how to get the most out of a buck. Give yourself wiggle room in your operations and marketing budgets, but avoid being excessive. Never ask for a large salary or big-budget perks. Investors want you to be in a position where everything is on the line.

5. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your business won’t be either.

Investors are wary of funding over-eager businesses that seem destined to bite off more than they can chew. Before asking for millions of dollars to fund 50 divisions and hundreds of product lines, prove how well you can create, manage and fulfill demand for a single product. Demonstrate that your business can crawl before you say it can walk. Perfect your marketing tactics, sales strategies and operational procedures. Investors appreciate companies with sustainable step-and-repeat business models that are poised for exponential growth. Remember, even Google’s success is based on a single product.

6. Choose not to be the smartest person in the room.

Know what you know, know what you don’t know and find the people who know what you don’t know. Build a team of credible experts. The smartest leaders in the world are those who surround themselves with smarter people. Investors are funding a management team as much as they are investing in a great business concept.

Are you a young entrepreneur with a unique venture? Email Scott about it at pitchme@askgerber.com.

Scott Gerber is Entrepreneur Magazine’s Young Entrepreneur columnist, CEO of Gerber Enterprises and founder of AskGerber.com. Visit AskGerber.com to find out how your business can get featured in Scott’s new book, Never Get A Real Job. For information on speaking engagements, media appearances or Gerber Enterprises’ portfolio of businesses visit www.GerberEnterprises.com. Follow Scott on Twitter @askgerber.

Just because we’re at the end of January doesn’t mean were letting you off the hook with your resolutions just yet. You may already be into the groove of the new year, but odds are there are still many things you can do to set yourself up for great success this year! Here are a few tips to keep you in the strongest state of mind:

1. Surround yourself with success
“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future,” is a great saying because it’s true! The people and influences we surround ourselves with play a huge role in how we think, act and form our own aspirations.  Rearrange your environment to include more positive, proactive, prosperous, generous and happy people.

2. Commit to making this your best year yet
Banish the doom and gloom attitude of ‘09!  All that fear and pessimism is barely going to get you by, let alone help you knock things out of the ball park.  Switch up your attitude to expect success.  Plan for it.  Build your daily life and plans around achievement and doing what you need to to get to the next level.  Reject status quo.  Instead, make it your fall back plan.

3. Solidify your career plan
If you’re not already committed to a well thought out path, stop RIGHT NOW and look at where you are, what your options are, and be more strategic with every new step you take.  Stop wasting time!  Get a grip now on how to leverage your talents, interests and style to make work something you love and are excited to talk about.  For free help, YSN’s Career Planning tool will help you discover your best path to success in as little as 20 minutes!

4. Show your appreciation
Tell the people you love that you do more often.  Articulate your admiration for your mentors, tell your neighbors how grateful you are for their kindness. As for clients, colleagues, managers, employers, don’t forget how critical they are to your survival and success.  Let them know how much you appreciate their trust and commitment in you and your company.  Little emails, notes, texts, calls and quiet conversations over coffee can really make someone’s day and reinforce your relationships.

5. Combat stress with healthier habits
Next time you feel sluggish, frustrated, fired up or depressed, pass on that third cup of coffee and take a walk around the block, go for a jog, hit the gym, cut up some fresh fruit, nibble on some protein, down a bottle of water, of just put some headphones on and listen to music you love with your eyes closed for a bit.  Not only will you get away from the stress for a few minutes, but you’ll feel stronger when you get back, and you’ll remind yourself that subtle little things you can do like this do make a difference, not just personally but professionally too.

6. Stockpile your options
Opportunity truly is everywhere.  Today, more than ever, you need to have a solid idea of your options so you’re prepared for anything.  Don’t let life or the economy sideswipe you or knock you around like tennis shoes in a dryer.  By lining up opportunities and having backup plans at the ready, you’ll feel more confident, less vulnerable, make smarter choices, and start to pay more attention to what really makes you happy and gets you closer to your goals.

7. Get your career on the fast track
Did you know that every day you have the opportunity to do little things that can make a significant difference in your success? That if you get a better grip on how to best position yourself, package your experience, and build your credibility, people will pay more attention to you and treat you with more respect?  If you surround yourself with experts, advisors, and mentors you’ll make smarter decisions.  If you arm yourself with the right information and insights, you’ll be smarter and probably make more money. Let us show you how with our NEW  Fast Track to Success: 30 Days to Transform Your Life and Career Program!

8. Plan things to look forward to
Looking onward and upward keeps us moving forward and helps maintain our excitement and enthusiasm for what’s to come.  Make plans to go check out a big conference or seminar you’ve been reading about.  Organize a get together with a bunch of friends who really inspire you. If you’ve been working like a dog, schedule a sleep day to shut off your phone, stay in bed, nap, watch movies and rejuvenate.  Set a goal to achieve with a deadline so you can go celebrate when you hit it.

9. Become a tourist in your own town
Start to enjoy your own surroundings more.  It doesn’t matter where you live.  Start to explore like you’re new in town.  Go check out the sites, restaurants, even libraries or theme parks that you haven’t seen or been to in a while. Drag a friend along with you and have a blast.  Find a new appreciation for the place you call home and the fascinating and funny characters who live in your city, town, village or neighborhood.

10. Build your community, build your career
Getting involved in local causes, charities, fundraisers and committees can not only help you make an impact in your own backyard, but you’ll make some great friends and connections too.  Rallying behind a cause (whether local, national or global) gives you a very special opportunity to work with community leaders, entrepreneurs, corporate execs and other special people you might never have met.  Joining forces with them builds unity, camaraderie and a real sense of community.  Best of all you can make a difference in the lives of others…and the rush you get from that is second to none.

For the tens of thousands who lost their jobs this year, and the millions of others fearing for the jobs they still have, YSN.com’s Jennifer Kushell shares these tips to survive the initial shock — and bounce back like a star.

1. Breathe. Stay calm.
The worst decisions are made under pressure, stress, or in a state of fear. Don’t allow yourself to be rash or irrational; keep your wits about you and commit to making it through this in one piece. Get a sense for what this layoff really means to you and what the real repercussions will be. Assess your safety nets: What are your back up plans? (All the way down to spending time with the folks in your worst case financial scenario.) Hopefully you’ve done enough to guard against that, and if so, take some solace in the fact that you’re prepared to weather a little uncertainty.

Links:
6 Steps to Survive Being Laid Off
Remember to Breathe
26 Steps to Stay Calm when the Situation Goes Bad
7 Powerful Relaxation Techniques

2. Look at this as an opportunity.
You know what they always say, “It’s not what happens to you, but what you do about it.” That might not be what you want to hear right now, but think about it: This sudden change could have a silver lining — so commit yourself to finding it. Take some time for yourself, even just a few quiet hours alone and reflect on all the things you truly liked and disliked about your job. What would you have done differently? Were you there because you had to be, or because you wanted to be? Ask yourself how you can now take the next step learning from your past experience. Is there a chance to take a step up? Or to change industries or careers entirely if you weren’t as happy as you wanted to be? So many times, abrupt changes like this are exactly what people need to get out of a rut and move on to something they’d really love to be doing.

Links:
Find that Silver Lining
Attitude is as Important as Skills

3. Audit your online identity.
Start paying close attention to your reputation management, to the platform that you’ve built for yourself online (if any) and to what new people will perceive about you when they google you. If you don’t like what you see online, or want to take control of that first impression you’re giving off, build a professional identity you can be proud of with a PROJO – your professional mojo. It’s a next generation resume/portfolio that you can share with contacts, add to/promote in your signature line, build out and keep up to date with your latest accomplishments to ensure that when someone searches for you, they find the “goods” on you, but the good!

Links:
Build your PROJO
Clean Up Your Online Act!
Manage Your Online Reputation

4. Stay connected to your network.
You probably have a lot more friends, colleagues and supporters than you realize. Survey your address books, PDA, business card files and social networks to see who’s really in your inner circle and wider network and who might be able to help lead you to some new prospective opportunities. Talk to friends and family and see who they know.

Then start reaching out to catch up with everyone you can. Befriend old friends online, shoot out a bunch of emails, even invite a few for coffee or drinks. Start talking to everyone you can! Ask your contacts who else you should be talking to, then reach out to them. Update your online profiles with the latest news and let people know that you’re actively exploring your options. This is not the time to hide out and wallow. Just make sure you force yourself to smile and at least appear to have a positive outlook for the future! Repeat the mantra to yourself: “onward and upward!”…until you believe it.

Links:
Keep Those Contacts!
Networking Your Way to a New Job

5. Assess your financial situation.
The first serious thing you need to do once you have the ability to think calmly and rationally (see #1) is to figure out the true state of your financial affairs. If you can, sit down with a financial consultant who will know how to ask you the right questions to get a proper assessment. Take a very careful look at any severance (if you’re lucky), benefits packages (like insurance policies, 401ks, etc.) that you may be able to “roll over” from your old company’s plan. (Take care of this right away too!)

Links:
Create a Budget — and Stick to It!
YSN Secrets #20: CAAAAASH

6. Ride the coat tails of senior execs.
If you’ve done a good job of befriending and staying tight with your bosses and other senior management, it might just pay off in real dividends now. Keep in close contact with them!!! The more connected they are, the faster they will probably find their next great opportunities and look to set themselves up for success in their new spot. When that happens, seasoned execs take quick steps to surround themselves with people they know and trust. They build teams from people they know — and that could include you! Make it known that you’re up for the new adventure if you are.

7. Use your leverage.
What can you do to leverage the experience you’ve had so far and the skills you’ve been building? What do you know that others want to? (Besides proprietary trade secrets!) How can you use what you’ve learned to your benefit and to others? You don’t have to play hardball or let your ego run wild to put your experience and expertise to work for you in a positive and proactive way. A great way to do this, and make some quick money, is to do some consulting work. Taking a few projects on will keep you in the game and buy you time to figure out your next move. Who knows, you might actually like it so much you decide to make it your new business!

Links:
Tips to Help You Stand Out in Your Profession
Learn to Understand Your Own Intelligence

8. Open yourself up to new opportunities.
Employment prospects or ideas you hear about from friends and relatives might not sound quite right at first, but give them a chance to explain — and yourself a chance to explore a bit. Don’t limit your attention to a very narrow set of options right after a layoff. Try to imagine yourself working in a whole new scenario and consider whether you might find happiness in some other industry or way than you’d previously envisioned. Ask a bunch of questions…even just to humor yourself. You might actually learn something you never expected or discover a connection to something that does actually fit you.

9. Stay healthy…or make this your big chance to GET healthy.
Whether you’ve been really diligent about taking care of yourself while employed or have totally forgotten what an athletic shoe feels like on your foot, make your health a major priority now. Take the time to sleep, get some fresh air, walk, run, do some yoga — whatever makes you feel your best. The endorphins will help a lot in bringing a smile and positive outlook to your face. You’ll also project more confidence as you go out to pursue other opportunities. You never know who you’ll meet along that run either!

10. Use this as preparation for the next big shake-up in your life.
Right now this might seem like the end of the world, but the good news is that if you can weather this storm, you’ll only be better prepared for the next one. Though we’d like to say this will never happen again, the truth is that life is a cycle of ups and downs, and preparation is the key to surviving it all.

If you are ready to look at the big picture, listen to our Secrets of the Young & Successful podcast series and create the life you’ve always dreamed about — no better time than the present! You can also come and talk to others about what’s happening to you in our discussion forum. You never know where the next great idea or opportunity is waiting…

Good luck!

If you’re starting to feel the “holiday blues” because you’re out of work or eager to change jobs, stress no more!  The holiday season offers a golden setting for you to meet new people and find opportunities before the New Year! Think about it: There are so many parties and gatherings happening this time of year that you can meet just about anyone you need to in order to advance your career or business! And best of all, you can do so in a casual, merry setting where people are ready to relax and socialize. Here are 5 ways to maximize your presence at those gatherings:

1. Take the opportunity to start a conversation with that agency VP you’ve been eager to meet. If you are the host, be sure to send invites to your important clients and the people you want to impress.

1. Find out if any of your friends are allowed to bring guests to their company’s holiday party, even if they don’t work in your desired industry. You never know what kind of connections you could make or who else might attend as a guest. Your friend’s coworker’s wife could work for the company of your dreams!

1. Find out if your local young professionals association or other industry/career organization is hosting a holiday event open to the public. It’s a great opportunity to meet, learn and network.

1. Keep things casual. Don’t delve into business talk now – use this time to establish a relationship with the person instead. Remember, the best jobs are never advertised, so by using your social savvy to make those important connections, that golden opportunity might just come across your desk when you least expect it!

1. Remember to bring your business cards, collect cards from others, or exchange contact information, and above all, follow up!

We at YSN are thankful for your readership, and wish you all the best this holiday season!

Heading home for the holidays can be stressful. Everyone wants to know what you’ve been doing with your life, how school or work has been going, if you’ve found someone special, and if you’re on a solid track.

Before you start sweating, here are three ways to prepare yourself for the conversations you don’t want to have at Thanksgiving, but most certainly will:

1. Think about the conversations you’re going to have and what you are going to say about the choices you’ve made. If you aren’t sure about your plans, don’t say “I have no idea what I’m going to do.” Instead, try “I’m actively exploring my options right now.” That kind of spin takes you from hopeless and lost to confident and proactive with some simple repositioning.

2. Know your audience and be aware of their “push” buttons. For example, your dad might care about how much money you’re making, while your mom might be more concerned about your happiness. Speak directly to their unique questions and concerns and they are sure to be more supportive.

3. Recognize what makes YOU happy and how you define success. Even though your definition of success may differ from others, it’s important to acknowledge the validity of all sides and respect how others might see the world – while impressing upon them how important it is for you to find a path of your own.

Remember, they love you. They don’t have to say it to mean it, and at the end of the day, they only want you to be happy.

For many, finding a job or even the thought of searching for the right career can be daunting. We apply ourselves everyday towards success, whether through a test, presentation or performance, but navigating through the job recruitment system takes particular strategy. These other experiences can help you prepare, but when it comes to connecting to a career, there are a few key steps to help you focus and light the fuse.

1. Assess your assets. Between your resume and your personal talents, you have a leg up on your competition in some way or another. It’s time to start thinking about what your propellers are. Think about three major things you can bring to the table, and make sure these key words are visible in your resumes, applications and informational interviews.

If you’re having trouble picking out industries you may enjoy working in, make a list of things you enjoy, and things that you explicitly are not interested in. This creates your pool of interests and your boundary lines. Your major may not necessarily correlate with your interests, and that’s okay. Do you like traveling? If so, look for positions that allow you to move beyond the desk. It’s these simple personal tendencies that can make a big difference in your search.

2. Navigate before driving. Unfortunately, there isn’t a GPS system to acquire the perfect job or internship. So, it’s important to map out your plan of attack. This involves brainstorming and researching. Ask yourself a few questions with a long-term perspective. What do you want out of it? Why do you want this? Do you know enough about the industries you are interested in? Is there anyone in the industry who can give you insight? Dream big and act upon it. It’s scientifically proven that those who approach situations with a can-do attitude actually…can do it!

3. Branch out. While career fairs and career expos are helpful and encourage interpersonal interaction with campus recruiters, it’s also important to take a few paths that aren’t as mass marketed. By funneling through the same channels as everyone else you are increasing your competition, and decreasing your chances of being noticed. Accompany this by finding a unique avenue.

4. Have confidence and keep talking. Once you have researched, planned and taken action, don’t be afraid to peacock your distinctive qualities. The best way to do this and leverage your job candidacy is to network. Networking is valuable at a social, professional and virtual level. You never know the windows that can be opened by just talking to people and sharing stories. Be sure to slip in your career goals, and stay authentic.

Attend networking events and join social networking groups online (Ning, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, InternCircle, etc.) Cultivating a personal network will be key to your future career support. You never know when you are going to need to lean back on your network, so don’t be shy about reaching out and sharing bits and pieces of your professional self.

Article written by Chelsea Prince the founder and Editor-in-Chief of InternCircle.com, the first social networking site for interns and employers, which also serves as a central clearinghouse for internship recruitment. Chelsea operates an advice column for interns at Intern Circle, and contributes weekly advice.

A few weeks ago Jen wrote an article on personal branding for our friends at Brand-Yourself.com (a site dedicated to help you analyze, manage and monitor the components of your web presence and create an online identity you’ll want employers to find). In case you missed it, we wanted to make sure we shared Jen Kushell’s 10 Tips to Supercharge Your Personal Brand with you!

Remember the last time you cringed when you heard the way someone described who you are or what you do? Maybe you’ve found yourself sweating over how to describe yourself or your latest project. How about those business cards of yours, that bio, your website or that promotional reel you created? Those giving you any stress? All of these instances and elements are part of your professional branding.  How effectively you brand yourself has a lot more to do with your success than you might think.

Companies focus on branding when marketing new products or businesses to consumers because they know that public perception can make or break their success.  In your career, it’s helpful to consider yourself as a product that you have to sell or promote to clients, employers, admissions boards and colleagues. Try describing your brand out loud. How does it sound? Are you impressed or bored? What do you want other people to think of when you pop into their minds?

How you are perceived by others should of course be proportional to your success. But in reality, it often isn’t.  Far too often we see people who are painfully unknown or struggle to get the word out, even though they’re highly accomplished.  Even worse, is when some build strong compelling brands and convince others that they’re top notch, when they’re really just a bunch of smoke and mirrors.  I always like to think that integrity, honesty, substance and providing true value are the foundation of any great brand.

Here are a few tips for developing a solid brand of your own:

1. Think about the things you want to promote about yourself and start to build a list of things you need to communicate or bring to life for others to recognize why you’re worth paying attention to.

2. Start to gather a wide range of assets you have that illustrate your history, experience and success to date.

3. Create a branding statement: Include the answers to the following questions: Who am I? What am I proud of? What am I good at? How am I unique or different?

4. Gather endorsements and quotes from notable people, admirers, fans or ideally happy clients.

5. Forget your resume and build your bio, on a single sheet of paper in paragraph form, that tells your story in a compelling way.

6. Build a professional online profile (YSN.com is great for young professionals and entrepreneurs!), your own blog, or web site so you can leverage all of these great assets, elements and descriptive info, not to mention be easily found online.

7. Make sure that you have an impressive presence on the top social networking and other sites prominent in your industry.

8. Keep well designed business cards with you everywhere you go.

9. Make an effort to leave a lasting impression on most everyone you come in contact with – even the ones you don’t meet in person. Pay attention to your grammar and tone in e-mails and phone calls. (One of my favorite tips for very important calls or phone interviews: Look in a mirror when you are speaking and smile. Your smile can translate into a positive impression to the person on the other end!)

10. In person, make sure to smile often, look other people in the eye, and offer a confident handshake. Pay attention to the way you dress.  Speak loudly, confidently and with certainty. Carry yourself with your head up, shoulders back and with quiet confidence.

And lastly, be someone that you and everyone you know can be proud of.  Be the kind of person others are eager to spend time with and introduce to their friends and biggest contacts.  Keep getting the word out and building your platform too.  Follow these steps and I guarantee you and your brand will really start to shine!

BAD customer services is worse than NO service at all.  I shouldn’t hang up the phone or leave a store with more anger and frustration than when I began.   I know we’ve all had our experiences that were memorable – either because it was over-the-top fabulous or because it was pull-your-hair-out disgraceful!

I happen to be in the business of Client Relations and Customer Support; however I like to call it the business of people.  My skills in customer support have translated nicely into my personal and professional relationships.  Just following a few simple rules can make a customer tell his friends about the great service they received and invite more business.

I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not always EASY to put on a happy face and give outstanding support, but it is the most important part in sustaining a thriving business or relationship.  So for those of you who currently hold customer support roles remember these basic rules. And for everyone else – you may not be on the front lines dealing with “customers or clients” but practice these simple rules and I promise you’ll see a positive difference in your professional and personal relationships.

1. Treat others like you wish to be treated. It’s the golden rule that applies in all situations. If you can’t personally relate to a person’s question or issue you need to stop and put yourself in their shoes.  Ask yourself, if this was me how would I want someone to assist me and put me at ease.  Even if you think their issue is minor, treat it as monumental and that person will never forgot how you cared for them.

2. Understand the issue before suggesting a solution. You can’t really help someone if you don’t truly understand their issue.  None of us want our time to be wasted with a canned response or a ‘solution’ that is temporary just to get us off the phone or out of your hair.  You’ll save everyone a lot of time and attitude by asking questions to figure out the best way to help.  If you don’t immediately know the answer or how to help, take the time to do some research of your own.  We are all more receptive to a person who can admit that they don’t know the answer but who assures us that they will find it.  It’s a comforting feeling to know that the person with ‘the power to help you’ is on board to get you the results you are looking for.

3. It’s OK to vent. Inevitably you will encounter people who immediately approach you with a negative tone, attacking words, or placing blame.  Whether it’s an email, a call, a voicemail or an in person encounter you must react internally before reacting outwardly.  Human nature tells us to react to this type of behavior with defense techniques so we can protect ourselves.  Customer Support is not the place to react emotionally.  If you get an email that is rude or mean take a minute and vent your thoughts to yourself or even to a coworker who you trust.  Once you’ve gotten all your immediate feelings out you will be able to reevaluate the situation with an empathetic eye.  You can do the same thing with a phone call or an in person situation.  Put the person on hold or if necessary excuse yourself for just a moment to calm down and remind yourself that this person is just upset –it’s nothing personal.  Take a breath, maybe say a few ‘choice’ words in your head (or out loud if you are alone) and then smile-a-mile and return to the phone or the customer who is waiting.  Just don’t take longer than a couple of seconds otherwise you will seem aloof and that will just make them more angry.

4. Smile. The previous tip brings me nicely into the smile factor.  Even if a person can’t see your face they can hear that you’re smiling.  Whether on the phone or in an email if you are smiling it will come through to the person you are assisting.  Just like when you approach someone in a store or at a restaurant to ask them a question you can tell if they are going to be helpful based on their facial expression.  If you are greeted with a straight face then you are going into the conversation with the notion that you may have to work harder to get the help you need.  If you are greeted with a smile then you immediately feel like you are dealing with a friend or with someone who will try to understand where you are coming from.

5. Always offer more than is expected. Helping someone with a concern is standard and expected in the business of customer service and support.  However, going above and beyond is how you’ll get loyal customers and raving fans.  It is up to you to take a disgruntled customer and turn him into one of your biggest fans.  It’s that moment when you have your biggest opportunity to impact him to be a real believer in what you and your company stands for.  By not only resolving his concern in a timely manner but offering him even more for their inconvenience lets him know you are sincere about making the experience a positive and unforgettable one.  If you can’t throw in any ‘extras’ for their experience you can still go over the top with your words and time.  Be responsive and personal with your words so they know that you care about making them happy.  Always ask if you can help with anything else or if you satisfied their needs.  Go as far to give them your direct line or email address in case they have any other problems.

As we celebrate (and lament the decline of) the fine art of customer service, we at YSN.com thought it would be fun to ask our friends on Twitter their thoughts about lousy service.  The response came fast and furious – unlike most of the customer service reps these stories illustrate! (Guess we shouldn’t be shocked though.)

In tough economic times like these, it amazes me that so many of the gainfully employed don’t recognize that it is a privilege to be working, not a right.  Those especially in customer service roles should be grateful, not just to those who sign their paychecks, but most importantly, us customers who’s patronage ensures there are jobs to be had in the first place.  There is simply no excuse to be in a role like that and be rude, to ignore customers, not acknowledge they’re standing right in front of you waiting, or to be more focused on conversations with their friends than clients.  I also personally go nuts when service people take their sweet old time or go really slowly when I’m clearly in a rush.  Would they rather I skipped coming in at all?

As a business owner myself, I bristle when I see employees disrespecting the fact that they are representatives of the business they work for, not to mention entrepreneurs or other leaders who’ve probably have had to kill themselves and put their own lives on the line to get the organization to where it is today. It’s so easy to damage a reputation (yours or others), and all of us need to, in my opinion, be a heck of a lot more respectful of that.

So owners, executives, managers, entrepreneurs, employees and especially customer services reps BEWARE….we’re all watching you!!!!

Here’s what we heard about common customer service pet peeves from our friends on twitter.  By the way, if you’re not already following us, I’m @ysnjen and our blog team is @ysn_careersos.

@asinclair12 Waiting forever on the phone to speak to a representative only to get hung up on and have to call back again.

@marketingfails Pull up at the drive-thru, hear a friendly female voice on recording, and getting a depressed “Hello” in a deep baritone male voice.

@vickitruitt Associates that appear annoyed by your very presence. It’s as if providing their services to you is a huge inconvenience. Hate that!

@james_laker When a salesperson says, “it’s the policy” & goes into script & makes no effort to resolve a dispute!

@EntMagazineTan I loathe intentionally circuitous call centers so you’re stuck in “automated” limbo. Verizon, I’m giving you the stink eye!

@DramaFreeLiving I detest sales staff that isn’t knowledgeable about products/services. If I can’t get answers,why should I buy ?

@TarahFeinberg The worst! RT @PhilipNowak: @ysnjen Biggest Customer Svc Pet Peeve: I can’t do that. Let me speak to a mgr. Hold. Mgr app request in 30s.

@trainerLaura My customer service pet peeve is an apathetic reply to a request. The “I’ll do as little as I possibly can” attitude.

@thekimschneider Rude customer service associates. If someone can’t be 100% delightful and work in cust. serv. they shouldn’t choose that job

@marcusclarkus In any service situation coming upon a group of people and they act like you are putting them out when you ask for help or direction

@marcusclarkus When you are being helped and someone excuses themself to take a phone call. Like a ringing phone takes precedent over a live person

@jimmyaungchen@ysnjen pet peeve = indifference / cold voice

@YSN_careersos: Calling for help with technology questions and quickly discovering that I know way more about technology than the customer service rep.  Then being stuck on the phone for 20 or 30 min while they go through a new learning curve.

@EntMagazineKym Blind transfers from call center reps. why should I have to explain my problem over and over as the issue is escalated?

@timjahn When you’re unable to get a hold of the company via any channel

@Stefaniya Any employee of the place where I’m shopping/eating getting served/checked out BEFORE me in line.

@Sue_Anne @PRsarahevans Customer Service hours. CS should be a 24/7 activity. If you close pre-7 pm, that’s bad.

@JeremyMeyers I’d rather have someone who knows what they’re doing not be able to help than someone tell me to reinstall windows.

@LuAnnGlowacz Employees required to use my last name (Mrs. Glowacz): impossible to pronounce. Always painful & annoying.

@JeremyMeyers When someone is quite apparently reading from a script rather than making an honest attempt to help me fix my problem

@ekinsky #1 = lying to me (everything else pales in comparison) #2 = sending me in circles in hopes I’ll give up

@lorirusso Often it feels as if customer service reps are paid to identify obstacles rather than find solutions. Rarely seems like they *want* to help.

@sixstringsnc Indifference, rudeness (of course), condescension, lack of appreciation for my patronage.

@Scottk Walking into a store and not having anyone acknowledge me!

@KatieYSN When 5 people are behind a desk and 20 are in line and no one is paying attention to them.

@JoshuaHoppes Calling a number and getting an automated system machine.  (Within 3 seconds of saying that I actually felt a sense of rage bubbling up inside!)

@MoniquePeltz Calling and speaking to someone who doesn’t speak the language well and is so blatantly reading from a script.

@erbower The “deli experience” – what would you like? 1 lb of turkey. Ok, turkey, how much again?

@chrisandersonis When I am more friendly during the transaction than the customer service representative. It’s the worst when ‘thanks’ is met w/nada.

@lizaweiner Speaking 2 reps who don’t speak English &/or call center connections overseas is poor, difficult 2 hear/understand

@FarfsGirl My biggest customer service pet peeve is when I know they are reading from a script. just answer my questions/solve my problem

@PhilipNowak Sir, I can’t do that. Let me speak to a manager. Hold. Manager approves request in 30 seconds.

@studentforcenow The call being dripped while being transferred from one rep to another ….. I always ask the first rep stay on the phone

@PutFeed A person you either have to flag down, or to the next extreme, need to try to avoid.

@PutFeed Salespeople who flock at your like vultures.  Do I look like a dead body?:P

Have your own pet peeve to share or just get off your chest?  Add it below in comments!  And feel free to pass this article along to your friends or as a hint to someone or some company you think deserves a kick in the customer service pants.

At very least, we hope this article gives us all something to think about.  I also hope that we as customers don’t forget ourselves to be a bit nicer, friendlier, and more patient with those who are actually working hard at their jobs and maybe just are struggling through a rough day of their own.

Customer Service is the lifeblood of any successful company although it never seems to get the publicity it deserves. Happy customers are repeat customers and repeat customers refer new customers. So it stands to reason that focusing on customer service and meeting your customers’ needs, you are actually going to drive new business. All that without the expense of large marketing campaigns with low conversion rates and high overhead costs. Executive’s call this recurring revenue and recognize it is the base for building sustainable revenue streams affectionately called “Cash Cows!” But the point of this blog is not to make you understand why customer service is so important but to offer some tips for effective customer service.

1. Set Clear Expectations During the Sales Cycle – This is one of the most underrated factors in making your customers happy. All too often the sales team sets unrealistic expectations in order to make a sale thereby making it impossible for the customer service team to deliver. To avoid being doomed from the beginning. Sales and customer service should work together to set clear attainable customer expectations increasing the likelihood you meet their expectations and increase the chance the customer is happy with your product.

2. Refund Generously – This tip comes more from experience than the rulebook for business. One of the best ways to calm down an angry customer upset with your product and ready to explode is to refund their money. Not part of it, but a full refund. When offered without resistance, customers become immediately stupefied you’re willing to refund their money without them having to justify why your product stinks and complaining incessantly. Once the shock subsides, they become incredibly grateful. This protects against negative word of mouth and most of the time leads to the customer using your products again. What executives need to understand is the short term loss to the bottom line by refunds is returned tenfold by keeping the customer happy which leads to future business.

3. Track Customer Issues – This one is simple. Learn from your mistakes. If a customer is willing to proactively provide feedback regarding your products and services, you had better be willing to listen and evolve your product to meet the needs of your target market. One of the best sources for new product development can be found by data mining your customer service issues.

4. Proactive vs. Reactive – If you’re doing a product upgrade, re-branding your company or changing your core product line, it’s a great idea to be proactive with your customers. Send them email notices, letters and phone calls to inform them of the changes and collaborate on a transition strategy for them proactively. They will feel like a valued customer and therefore become more understanding as you make the transition yourself if and when issues arise. This also helps establish clear expectations leading to increased customer retention.

5. Be Honest! – The last and probably most important tip for effective customer service is to be honest with your customers. Admit mistakes and provide solutions to their problems. Work with the customers instead of against them. If you are being honest and are committed to resolving their issues, the likelihood of retaining them as customers and building a long term profitable relationships is vastly improved. Plus, not everyone likes to hear the truth, but everyone will definitely respect it!

Back to school season still makes me cringe a bit.  I’m just being honest.  Like most I assume, it wasn’t always easy for me.  Now that I’m a young professional…err..full fledged adult (oye)…I have a whole new view on Back to School season.  In one word:  Perspective.

So, for all of you loading up those new backpacks, sharpening your pristine yellow pencils, and scheming about how you’re going to smuggle your cell, iPhone, iPod, Zune, video games or other banned technology into your classes, LISTEN UP.  (Parents too!)  I may be able to help you see this whole experience – that is, your life as a student – in a very different light that can almost guarantee your success in the long run, but way more importantly, your personal confidence and happiness.

Hopefully these can save you or your loved ones a little unnecessary stress in their remaining life as a student.

1. The most popular and highest achieving kids in school are NOT always the most successful in the real world. Success in the academic bubble does not translate to success in work and real life.  This is really important to note, whether you’re living out what some will one day refer to as “your glory years” or you’re struggling at the bottom of the social or academic heap.
2. Everyone is cool and special and interesting in some unique way. Give people a chance.  Don’t be too quick to judge or disregard people because they fit in or don’t.  That’s just immature and childish.  Don’t blow off anyone.  Everyone has feelings, insecurities, ambitions and dreams of a brighter future.  Be kind to people.  That karma will stick with you for a lifetime.
3. The nerds make all the money in the end. No joke.  The least popular, most focused, often anti-social people are thinking day in and day out about the big things they’re going to do with their life.  And trust me, not all, but some will become the most influential and most successful people you know.  Personally, I’ve grown to love and admire “nerdy” people. They’re often the smartest, most interesting, and most creative of us all.
4. Being different is actually good. There’s so much pressure to fit in and be like everyone else in school.  For some of us, the pressure is so stifling you start to lose sight of who you really are.  And this is exactly the time you should be starting to discover yourself.  You’ll soon find that being just like everyone else is in direct conflict with what you really need to do to succeed in life – differentiate yourself and build your competitive advantage.  What makes you different, if positioned the right way, really can be what makes you special.  It’s a paradigm shift for sure, but a valuable one to note as early on as you can adopt it.
5. Pursue what you love regardless of what people say. The rules of what is cool and not in school are manufactured in a totally subjective bubble of people with painfully limited perspective on the world.  Whatever it is that you’re really into, that you want to stay up late reading about, that you’re thinking about when you should be focusing on a lecture or studying…. may be the key to what you build your life and career around in some way.  Don’t ignore it.
6. Extracurricular activities and internships are as important as academics…in some ways even moreso. Any projects, organizations, leadership roles or jobs that take you off campus or enable you to interact with the outside world are invaluable experiences.  The more you interact with adults, businesses, community groups and execs, the more comfortable you’ll be networking with them when you need a loan, a job, advice on your career, admission to grad school, etc.  It will only help you to start building those relationships now.
7. Courses and majors in school do not perfectly correlate to opportunities in the working world. This may seem obvious to some and be a total surprise to others.  Like, “What do you mean I can’t find a job as a Liberal Artist or Political Scientist?” These are courses of study, meant to expose you to new industries, fields, and cultures.  Don’t always take them so literally.  Consider them a new frame of reference, a jumping off point to discover a slew of different career paths and possibilities.  Most importantly, don’t let the course catalogue or your class list limit your thinking about your broader options later on.  There is a huge world out there and millions of different things you can do.  Discovering what’s right for you is a process.  Start thinking about it early enough to give yourself time to explore and enjoy the journey.
8. Teachers and professors should be your friends. These are your best mentors and source of perspective when things at school get rough.  They also live in the real world and can not only help you understand what you’re real opportunities might look like, but also prepare you for the MASSIVE transition into the next chapter of your life.
9. Your parents and family really do have your best interests at heart. It may not always feel that way and they may not always understand why you do some of the things you do, but give them the benefit of the doubt.  Don’t make life harder on them.  They’re doing the best they can.  And the better your relationship with your parents or guardians, the easier your life is going to be.  Period.  You may move away and grow up, but never forget the people who got you here.
10. Life is complicated. Get used to it.  Consider yourself in training for the really big stuff to come.  Learn to deal with conflict, confusion, challenges and tackling things you don’t understand while you have a safe environment to do so.  You’re in the petri dish about to be let out into the world.  Things that bog you down or cripple you in school may afflict you in some way throughout your life if you don’t master some vital coping skills.  Beat people up in the real world instead of being “a man” and you could get arrested.  Cheat at work, rather than a test, and you could be fired or sued.  Act like you’re better than everyone else, and you may end up with no friends.  There are consequences to all this bad behavior as the stakes get higher and you get older.  Master your own class in dealing with people now and reap the benefits for a lifetime.

Growing up isn’t easy. The sooner you start to get a broader perspective on your time in school, the happier you’ll be … not to mention, more successful as an adult.

YSN – Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development

Over the past few weeks we’ve talked a lot about finding internships and launching new careers; But some of you reminded us that many of you aren’t just starting out.  You’ve been working for years now.  But maybe you’re looking for something new.  A change perhaps?  So, this week, I wanted to dive into a whole other perspective on career transitions – changing careers, or what is often called “recareering”.  It’s way more common than you might think, and it can actually be exactly what you’re looking for to shake up your own career and start anew.

There are a lot of reasons that people decide to “recareer”— that is, start over with a new career.
Some get tired or fed up with the path they’re on and decide to try something completely different.  When industries or companies start shifting or collapsing, some are forced to look for different kinds of work.  Others leave the workforce to raise a family, pursue higher education or just take time off.  And then there are always those who just like to jump around to keep things interesting…or because they lack direction or a bigger picture career plan.

Regardless of the reason, recareering doesn’t have to feel frightening or dreadful.  It can, after all, be the beginning of a whole new life and adventure.  If you or someone you love is considering, or in the process of making a dramatic career change, here are a few tips to keep it the most positive and productive experience possible:

• Don’t let your past experience limit your options.

• Try to get away from your usual environment for a bit to clear your head and allow yourself to fanaticize about what your future could look like.

• Think about all the things that you’ve dreamed about doing throughout your life, even casually or jokingly.  Allow yourself to go as far back as childhood.  Consider whether there might be any merit to those prospective paths.

• Define what success might look like for you.  Don’t allow others to define it for you.  This is your life.  Not someone else’s you’re planning.

• Build a laundry list of things you could do.  Don’t edit yourself down by what’s practical just yet.  Be sure to include both industries you’re interested in (ie: sports, publishing, international trade) and any functions or roles (ie: sales, accounting, teaching, lab technician).

• Separately, make a list of your biggest goals and priorities (ie: paying off debt, saving for your kids’ education, buying a house, achieving a comfortable life/work balance, etc.) Use this list of your top 5 priorities and goals as a decision making filter.  As you consider different opportunities, work your way down the list to see how many objectives you can achieve with each prospect.  Then start to focus in on the options that will allow you the resources or space to achieve what matters to you most?

• Consider what made you unhappy about your past career.  How can you avoid it or minimize those elements or characteristics?  Also think about what you liked the most or excelled at.  How can you try to incorporate them?

• Once you’ve honed your list down to 3-5 of your best new career opportunities, dive into some heavy duty research.  Research industry blogs, newsletters, books, trade magazines, associations, conferences, and any other great hubs of information you can find to learn more.

• Reach out to your network and find connections to people in those areas of industries who you can talk to and ask for some advice on next steps for you.

• Study you resume and consider all the transferable skills, experiences and relevant expertise you can leverage in these new career paths.

• Work on your verbal and written pitch and start using it to get you the best new opportunity you can find!

• Lastly, be sure to pursue something you really like, or at least find really interesting or challenging.  Find a way to monetize doing what you love if you can. It truly is possible to make money doing just about anything.  You just have to be clever and creative enough to figure out how to package it so others will pay for it.

Think of recareering as a new adventure, an opportunity to start fresh, start over…and the future will suddenly look much brighter…even if the path ahead is still a bit fuzzy.

Jennifer Kushell, Co-Founder & President of YSN.com – Your Success Network.

For many, what you study in college tends to influence the field you end up working in. But when it comes to celebrities, this is not always the case. Not all celebs studied film or went to schools like Juilliard in New York City. Check out how far some of your favorite celebs digressed from their original college majors …

1. Michael Jordan: Michael Jordan is widely regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time, and also one of the most admirable athletes of all time. He first garnered national attention when he played for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, during which time he won the 1982 National Championship with his team. Also at UNC, Michael Jordan studied cultural geography, though he never graduated. Jordan dropped out one year shy of graduation to play pro.

2. Jay Leno: Talk show host Jay Leno enjoyed a successful stand-up career and fill-in host for Johnny Carson before he became the full-time host of The Tonight Show in 1992. Since that time, Leno has become known as an iconic American entertainer and antique car collector. But before making it big, Leno was a speech therapy major at Emerson College. He graduated in 1973.

3. Regis Philbin: Talk show host Regis Philbin has been on the air since the late 1950s, on game shows, TV specials and talk shows. On his shows, Regis enthusiastically broadcasts his support for his alma mater Notre Dame, where he majored in sociology. Philbin graduated in 1953 and took odd jobs in radio and broadcasting to gain experience for his future career.

4. Kate Beckinsale: British film actress Kate Beckinsale has appeared in movies like Van Helsing, Underworld, Much Ado About Nothing and Click, a testament to her range as an actress and as a celebrity with a loyal cult following. Beckinsale was born and raised in London, England, and attended Oxford with the intention of studying French and Russian literature. Instead, she was offered the role of Hero in Kenneth Branagh’s film production of Much Ado About Nothing and eventually dropped out of school.

5. Will Ferrell: Since the early 2000s, Will Ferrell has become one of the most critically and commercially successful comedians and actors in entertainment, thanks to an ever-growing film career following his popular time on Saturday Night Live. Ferrell is best known for films like Old School, Stranger than Fiction, Anchorman, and Talladega Nights, but unlike other entertainers or comedians, Ferrell didn’t study the arts in college. As a student at the University of Southern California, Ferrell majored in sports broadcasting and sports information.

6. Eva Longoria Parker: After a mostly under-the-radar acting career, Texas-born actress Eva Longoria became an overnight obsession when she joined the cast of the new ABC television drama, Desperate Housewives. She is still one of the most popular actresses on the show, playing feisty, superficial Gabrielle Solis. Before her big break, Longoria was a beauty queen who also earned a degree in kinesiology from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Though her major probably hasn’t helped her with her acting career, Longoria’s interested in kinesiology and sports may have led her to be attracted to her husband and San Antonio Spurs player Tony Parker.

7. Maggie Gyllenhaal: Award-winning actress Maggie Gyllenhaal often takes on thoughtful, intelligent roles in lower budget films like Secretary and Sherrybaby. And though she’s started branching out by starring in bigger blockbusters like The Dark Knight, Gyllenhaal still likes to pursue work in theater and in films that carry a deeper meaning. It should be no surprise, then, that the pensive Gyllenhaal studied literature and Eastern religions at Columbia University in between film projects

8. Forest Whitaker: Forest Whitaker is an Academy Award-winning actor who is greatly respected by the acting community as well as the general public. But before he became a devoted film actor, Forest Whitaker studied opera at the Music Conservatory at the University of Southern California.

9. Sean Penn: Sean Penn is a critically acclaimed film actor who has starred in important films like Milk, Mystic River, Dead Man Walking, and Being John Malkovich, among many others. Penn is also known as being a highly intelligent, though somewhat erratic individual, and he even spent time in jail after assaulting a photographer. But in his younger days, Penn seems to have sold himself short, studying auto mechanics at Santa Monica College.

10. Matt Groening: The Simpsons creator Matt Groening has won 11 Primetime Emmy Awards and is a greatly respected cartoonist, screenwriter and producer. The Portland, OR, native is the son of Margaret and Homer Groening, his father being a filmmaker and cartoonist as well. Matt Groening attended The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, in the 1970s. Groening studied philosophy at school, before moving to LA to become a writer.

By Amber Hensley, OnlineCourses.org

There are still plenty of internship opportunities for this summer. Remember, over 70 percent of college graduates have internships. These are crucial opportunities for students to develop workplace experience. Internships are great for learning how to network, observe the workplace, and perform entry-level tasks.

Check out the Intern Queen’s Internship Listings on http://www.quarterlife.com/intern. There are over 300 opportunities all over the country still available for this SUMMER !

Here are a few examples of the opportunities available:

New York, NY – Bond No. 9 Fragrance Company (Public Relations Intern)

Anywhere/Virtual Listing – TheSurvivorsClub.org Virtual Internship

Los Angeles, CA – Blue Lion Productions Internship

Naples, FL – Conservancy of SouthWest Florida Internship

Lauren Berger is called “The Intern Queen” after completing 15 internships during her 4 years of college. Lauren is the expert on everything internship-related and she actively pursues opportunities to help educate Students, Parents, Professors, and Employers about internships.

Every year, the Dr. Seuss classic “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” sells close to 300,000 copies, primarily because it’s one of the most popular high school and college graduation gifts in the US. Thanks, Mom, Dad and Grandma! Now, I can go off into the world and achieve! No offense to the Dr., but here are 5 real graduation gifts – for the millions of college graduates entering the worst job market in decades – that are bound to be more helpful than a book written for 3rd graders:

1. A Subscription to a Business or Trade Magazine

2. The YSN Premium Career Planner

3. Business Cards

4. Business Clothes

5. A Smart Phone

Read the full article for examples and ideas of great graduation gifts.

YSN – Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development

YSN’s career expert Jen Kushell, @ysnjen, was just named one of the top 50 people to follow on Twitter for young entrepreneurs according to BradleyWill.com. Some of the other top people in this list include: @DanielleHerb (15 y/o Entrepreneur, Speaker & Horsemanship Coach for Kids w/ ADHD), @TheRiseToTheTop (TV Show Host who Entertains, Empowers, & Energizes Entrepreneurs), and @RyanStephens (Social Media Sports Marketing Blogger/Analyst).

To see the full list of experts in branding, coaching, entrepreneurship and more check out the full article.

YSN – Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development

5 tips on How to Ease the Pain of Returning to Work.

I recently had the luxury of skipping town for a little vacation. And, although I only took 3 1/2 days off, I was slammed with things to do and emails to read (300 to be exact) upon my return to the office. I took a real vacation, meaning — I left the computer and blackberry at home, so to no surprise of my own — there was a lot to catch up on when I returned. Getting back into the groove of things was not easy but there were a few things I did to ease this transition, which I’m happy to share with you!

1. Out of Office Reply: Setting an auto responder before you leave takes about a minute and will let your contacts know that you are out of reach, so that they don’t anticipate an immediate response. If you have a colleague who is willing to take care of your urgent inquiries, leave their name and email address in your away message – this will really ensure that your contacts are taken care of should they need immediate assistance. Another benefit of the out of office reply is that it buys you some time upon your return. Most people understand how hard it is to jump back into the swing of things … so they don’t expect a reply immediately. Unless, of course, there’s a project on deadline or an URGENT matter, most people will give you a few days to get caught up. So breathe — read your emails one by one and answer them in order of urgency.

2. Arrive an Hour or Two Early: If you are able get a decent night of rest before the big day back, plan on arriving to work an hour or so before you normally arrive. Usually this is a more quiet time in the office — and should allow for you to make a dent in your “catch up” before people start asking to see pictures and hear stories from your trip.

3. Adjust to Your Time Zone ASAP: If possible, and I say IF because I know that you can’t always control the timing of your flight home and the feeling of jet lag, adjust to your time zone. If you can get your body to catch a few extra zzz’s or stay up a few extra hours to get your body back to your normal time zone, do it. The sooner you can acclimate your body to your natural time zone the easier it will be to get back on track and focus at work. Naturally, this is much easier for domestic travelers. If you are traveling internationally try to schedule an extra day upon your return to sleep. I know this sounds crazy … especially if you just took a week off, but in the end — you will be much more productive when you get back to the office.

4. Make a List: Before you leave, go through your To-Do list, if you have one, and prioritize it according to what MUST be finished before you leave and what can wait until you return. Essentially everything on your list is important and needs to be accomplished, BUT it’s just not humanly possible to get through everything before you leave. Do yourself (and your vacation) a favor and realistically parse your list into before and after tasks. If you stay hyper focused and make a dent in this new list, you will not only have an easier time relaxing during your vacation, but you’ll be prepared and organized for your return.

5. Keep the First Day Back Light: If you can avoid scheduling any big meetings on your first day back this will help a lot. Block out time to get caught up and be sure to revise and re-prioritize your To-Do list as soon as possible. Knowing exactly what is expected of you that first week back should help ease your nerves and help you ease back into working again.

Article Written By, Monique Peltz

YSN – Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development