Posts published on December 19, 2017
Self-marketing in college
BY MELISSA BURNS
Self-marketing is becoming a buzz word these days and it seems that there is more than one reason for that. There are many ways to describe this term, but the simplest one is that self-marketing is the activity of promoting your own activities and making them public in a proactive way. This is an opportunity for a person to showcase their skills, experiences, values, and visions to future employees.
The truth is that there is fierce competition in the job market and this is the reason why college students should start working on self-marketing even during college. This is the most convenient method of establishing trust of future employees and colleagues. We have deliberately mentioned trust because when you get someone’s trust, there is a great chance they will be straight with you and take you into consideration for new jobs. Now that you know how important self-marketing for students is, let’s see how you can conduct self-marketing as college students.
Invest in your online presence
When we say “invest” we don’t mean spending money. We are primarily talking about energy and time. Use your knowledge and skills as well as your opinions on a wide range of online platforms. For example, you can start a blog where you will; discuss different things that can make you stand out. In addition, you can also be present on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. The latter is especially important because a huge number of employers are active on this professional social media network.
The basic goal is to help other people and gaining their trust. Answer the questions they have, showcase your knowledge in specific areas and get involved in online discussions.
Don’t hesitate to share your skills and ideas
Every person is unique. The same goes for college students who are living the days when they are probably most inspired and innovative in their lives. Every college students possesses unique experience, knowledge and skills. Use these things to offer your help. After that, other college students will come to you for help whenever they need some help.
Always be authentic
In order to grab the attention of future employees and colleagues, you should try to stay authentic. People respect individuals with a specific point of view. Of course, this point of view must have some argumentation behind it. In this way, you will stand out from the crowd. Remember that your opinion might not always be popular, but you should not mind that because this is what authentic means.
Don’t be afraid to speak up
Being humble is a good thing, but this doesn’t mean that you should avoid expressing your opinion. This is especially true for situations in which you can relate your accomplishments to a specific work agenda. This will help you get noticed and remembered.
Self-marketing should start during college days because finding the right job after college can mean a lot today. use the above-mentioned tips to gain trust and respect.
Melissa Burns graduated from the faculty of Journalism of Iowa State University. Nowadays she is an entrepreneur and independent journalist. Follow her @melissaaburns or contact at burns.melissaa@gmail.com
New Data Shed Light on Demographics of Student Loan Defaulters
BY KYLE EPSTEIN
Washington, D.C. — A new issue brief from the Center for American Progress paints a comprehensive profile of who comprises the 1 million student borrowers who default on $20 billion in federal loans each year. The final installment in a series on student loan default—which has focused on the student loan default crisis for African American borrowers and for borrowers with children—uses new federal data to highlight the demographics of defaulters, the amount of time it took borrowers to default, and what happened after they defaulted.
“You can’t fix what you don’t understand,” said Ben Miller, senior director for Postsecondary Education at CAP and author of the brief. “It’s difficult to craft an effective solution to the default crisis without a complete picture of who student loan defaulters are and their path into and out of default.”
Until now, robust data on student loan defaulters has been almost nonexistent, affording policymakers little context with which to address the growing issue. But using new data from the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, CAP’s analysis paints the following portrait of student loan defaulters:
• Defaulters represent a large portion of today’s college students. Nearly 90 percent of defaulters also received a Pell Grant at one point; 70 percent came from families where neither parent earned a college degree; 40 percent came from the bottom quarter of the income distribution; and 30 percent were African American.
• Defaulters borrowed less than nondefaulters. The median defaulter owed $9,625–$8,500 less than the median loan balance for a nondefaulter.
• Defaulters are not immediate dropouts. 49 percent of students who defaulted dropped out of college, while just 10 percent finished a bachelor’s degree.
• Borrowers take years to default. The median defaulter spent two years and nine months to default after entering repayment.
• Only slightly more than one-half of defaulters fixed their most recent defaulted loan.
To create a truly equitable system of higher education, it’s imperative that federal policy not let this situation persist. Policymakers must recognize that default does not occur in a vacuum and consider the many factors that are forcing borrowers into default and dictating how long they stay there. Notably, the data do not include any information on the usage of income-driven repayment plans, making it impossible to know what role those solutions may be playing in averting the default crisis.
While the federal government alone cannot solve the default crisis, it can make a significant impact by better ensuring that federal aid programs, especially options for defaulted borrowers, are structured to help students find success in repayment.
Click here to read the issue brief, “Who Are Student Loan Defaulters?”
Related materials:
• New Federal Data Show a Student Loan Crisis for African American Borrowers by Ben Miller
• The Student Loan Default Crisis for Borrowers with Children by Colleen Campbell
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Kyle Epstein at kepstein@americanprogress.org or 202.481.8137.
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The Center for American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity for all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to these values and we aspire to ensure that our national policies reflect these values. We work to find progressive and pragmatic solutions to significant domestic and international problems and develop policy proposals that foster a government that is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
