The Best Herb Out There? It’s Mint (.com).

Maybe you already know about the best Web site ever, but, my friends, I have just been enlightened. It’s called mint.com. For those of us working with a limited budget (along with a coffee and shopping habit), mint.com is a helpful tool for tracking where the hell all your money is going.

You simply input your online banking logins and passwords (I have my checking/savings and credit card accounts on there), and it puts all of your incoming and outgoing transactions into categories. With those categories, mint.com tracks your spending on a really nifty flash player pie graph. You can click through to find out the percentage of your monthly income you spend on groceries, rent, utilities or, say, coffee. You can also narrow it down even further to find out how much you spend each month at a specific restaurant or store, say, Starbucks.

The site also allows you to set budgets for categories, like groceries, and will email you in the event that you go over your allotted budget for the month. In addition, you can compare your spending habits with other people in your city (I’m not yet sure why you would want to do this, but with mint.com you can). The site provides information on available high interest savings accounts, and in the coming months, it will also allow you to track your investments.

If you’re worried about security, you shouldn’t be. Mint Software, Inc. is a licensee of the TRUSTe Web Privacy Seal Program. You’re not convinced by my naive understanding of internet security? Check out How Mint Keeps You Safe. They’re better at explaining it. Happy budgeting!

image from mint.com

August 20, 2008. Tags: , , , . Life-in General. 1 comment.

New Job 101: When to Call in Sick to Work

Although it’s still summer, today’s deary and cold Oregon weather has reminded me that winter is just around the corner. As we all know, with winter comes free stuff (hello Christmas!), the red, amazingly festive Starbucks cups and cold and flu season.

Gone are the college days when, after a single cough and a little sniffle (or a big hangover), we decided to skip class and just go back to bed. Now that we’ve transitioned into the working world (what I like to call “adult life”), I think it’s important to know just when it’s ok to call in sick.

You should call in sick when you have…

…a high fever. This means over 101. Most of the time when your fever is this high it will come with a whole slew of not-so-fun symptoms that will make going to work suck anyway. If you’re fever is below 101 with mild symptoms, take a Tylenol and get to the office.

…pink eye. Not sure if you have pink eye? Then you don’t have pink eye. Trust me, you’ll know when you have it. If your eyes are itchy, red and puffy and your eyelashes are completely stuck together when you wake up in the morning, wash your hands, throw away your mascara and go to the doctor instead of work.

…a bad migraine or significant body pain. If you throw out your back, screw up your knee or have a really bad migraine, just call in sick. Neither intense pain nor mood-altering muscle relaxers allow you to be productive at work.

…a cough, congestion and sore throat. With a mild case of one or two of these, you’re probably ok to show up, but if you have a severe case of all three, you should think about taking it easy. Not only are you probably contagious, but you’re cough, sniffles and inability to verbally communicate because of your sore throat will annoy the hell out of everyone around you, so just stay home.

Still not sure if you’re sick enough for the day off? Check out these for more information and advice on how to tell if you’re too sick to work.

image from inmagine.com

August 20, 2008. Tags: , , , , . Career Advice, Life-in General. 1 comment.

A Skinny Salary and a Fatty Figure…How to Stay Fit at Your New Job.

Welcome to week three of my new job. In case you were curious, everything is going amazing, and I couldn’t be happier. However, there is a slight exception to my working bliss: I end up sitting for a majority of my day. What’s the big deal, you may be wondering? Well, for many people who are chained to their cubicle five days a week, sitting for eight hours a day can mean not only feeling unhealthy, but it can often lead to extra pounds.

So, in the hope of preventing the newby nine (the new job version of the freshmen fifteen), I have decided to find some helpful tips to help you (and me) stay healthy and active, even if our job keeps us flat on our ass.

Stock up on healthy snacks. Snacking on healthy food may help you resist a trip to the candy bowl in the clerks’ office. Bring a bag of raw almonds, sliced veggies, or some fruit salad. It’ll only take you five minutes to pack before work, but it might save you a couple of extra pounds in the long run.

Brown-bag it. Not only is this a good idea for your wallet, but it’s also a great idea for your waste line. Packing a lunch gives you more direct control over what you’re eating and prevents the possibility that you’ll grab that extra brownie at the deli.

Inquire about services. Many larger companies provide a corporate discount toward a gym membership. But sometimes companies fail to effectivly advertise the program to employees. Shoot an email to someone at HR (or walk to his cube) to ask what your company offers. If they don’t already provide such services, get some of your healthy-minded coworkers together and pitch the idea to your boss. It never hurts to ask.

Alter Your Commute. If you live within walking or biking distance of your work, take advantage! For those of us who must use motorized transportation, park as far from work as possible to get an extra five minutes of walking time or get off/on the bus a couple blocks from your destination. Walking five minutes here and there can really add up.

Move it. Walk to your coworkers cube instead of messaging or emailing, park a little farther away than usual and take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Head to the Water Fountain. Drinking water is good for your body (haven’t you seen the aquafina commercial with baseball manager Lou Pinella?). In addition, getting water when your bottle is empty (and the bathroom breaks that result) will get you up out of your chair and walking around.

Pop a Sphered Squat. Exercise balls can make great desk chairs. Clear it with your boss first, of course, but sitting on an exercise ball while at your desk can improve posture and make your muscles work double-time. Plus, they come in really fun colors.

Want more tips for staying healthy at work? Check these out:

photo from inmagine.com

August 18, 2008. Tags: , , , , . Career Advice, Life-in General. 1 comment.

Keeping You Apartment Clean: The Last Frontier of Adulthood.

In case you didn’t already know, the vast majority of topics that I choose to cover on PRprep are ripped straight from the headlines of my everyday life. How to turn down a job offer, succeeding in a new career, and financial planning are all issues that I have faced in my post-college, newly adult life.

So, in the interest of continuing to provide you with advice and tips for succeeding at life, I’ve decided to address an issue currently plaguing my life: keeping my apartment clean.

I’m a relatively tidy person normally. But in the midst of my new, busier life as an adult with a job, I’ve found it a little more challenging to, say, pick up my clothes, do my dishes, vacuum my rugs or dust my furniture. Needless to say, advice is imperative.

Clearly procrastination is a huge reason why my apartment remains so utterly unkempt, but I’m already doomed, so let’s get to the advice.

Tip # 1: Stick to a schedule and establish a routine. Making a list of everything that needs to be done and how often you should do it (daily, weekly etc) can help you stay on track. *I plan to stick my list on the fridge.

Tip # 2: Get all the right tools. Having cleaning supplies already avaliable can make it easier to jump into ridding your pad of filth. Although some things depend on the kind of surfaces in your apartment specifically, there are some standbys that everyone needs: a vacuum, rags and brushes, a mop and bucket, glass cleaner, wood polish, disinfectant for kitchen and bathroom counters…and the list goes on…

Tip # 3: Clean regularly. (Herein lies my most illusive foe). Do the dishes as soon as they hit the sink. Put your dirty clothes directly into the hamper. Wipe down the counters after you cook. Taking the extra minute or two to clean things as they happen will save you several hours of cleaning down the road.

In case you need extra help. Here are some more tips from the experts… Good luck!

image from momadvice.com

August 10, 2008. Tags: , , , , , . Life-in General. Leave a comment.

My Adult Life: Week One — The Seven Truths of Starting a New Job.

I’ve decided that contrary to conflicting opinions, real, adult life begins when a person starts at a real job – one at which you work five days a week (or more), where you’re at the absolute bottom (or maybe a just a head above it), and one that is generally remarked by those closest to you as a “career” (i.e., a job that you plan to do for longer than just until you find a better one). This is all very interesting to you, I’m sure, but if you’re wondering where this is going…

This week I started my new “real” job as an almost-bottom-of-the-totem-pole PR girl. And the experience of my first five days has led me to several truths about starting a new job. Although these hard won tips are based from situations in my PR life, I’m sure that they must apply to other industries as well. Here we go…

Number One: You might like the people you meet, but you wont love everyone. It seems like a no-brainer, but really, some people just wont be your favorite flavor. Try to be understanding and patient. Give them a chance, and they might just surprise you.

Number Two: Regardless of how much you sleep, you will be exhausted. (I’ve got my fingers crossed that this extreme fatigue dissipates soon).

Number Three: You might not be where you want to be, either positionally or locationally. So what if your cubicle is next to the men’s bathroom or in the basement next to the office supplies? Everyone starts out at the bottom – you wont be there forever!

Number Four: They want you to look busy. True, you should be asking for something to do if you’re without a task. But if on any given day, you’re boss or team is too busy to babysit you, you should at least look like your working. Researching the company and its competitors, reading your job manual or tracking media coverage with a Google Alert are great ways to keep yourself looking and being busy. Note: If you think I’m telling you to avoid actually working, let me clarify. You’re just starting out and will probably not be very busy at first. Instead of Facebook stalking your friends or standing around looking bored, do something productive.

Number Five: Being yourself may not be the best idea. That is, if being yourself means casually swearing like a drunk truck driver, winking and blowing kisses at every hot guy that walks by or ending all sentences with “fo’ shizzle, my nizzle”, you might want to tone yourself down a bit… at least until your second week.

Number Six: Everyone will know you’re the newby. Whether it’s your overly conservative or way-too-college casual wardrobe, your over-the-top friendly, caked-on smile or your child-lost-at-the-supermarket face, the people in your office will be able to tell you’re new from a dozen cubicles away.

Number Seven: You wont be new forever.

Is there a new job truth you’ve discovered? Let me know.

image from onesourcedevelopment.com

August 9, 2008. Tags: , , , , . Career Advice, Life-in General, PR. Leave a comment.

Eight More Excuses for Why You Haven’t Found a Job Yet.

There seems to be a pattern emerging among many of my friends. Although they are all well-qualified, driven and actively seeking jobs, a majority of them are coming up empty handed. So, in honor of my flailing friends, here’s an article with some reasons why your job search may be taking longer than you (or your parents) would like.

Eight Reasons Why Your Job Search May Be Taking Longer Than It Should by Andrew Jensen from Associated Content outlines the top reasons you may be missing the employment mark.

One. Expectations are Unreasonable: If you feel like your job search has been taking too long, try adjusting your expectations for how you define “too long.” It could take you between six months and a year to land your dream job. So, be patient.

Two. Shooting Too High: You could be applying for jobs that your experience doesn’t yet fit. Be honest with yourself. Get others’ opinions on what jobs you should be applying for.

Three. Not Focused Enough: Focusing your job search on a single industry or a handful of companies works much better than blanketing your resume to a hundred companies across the internet.

Four. No Clarified Goals: Before you start looking for a job, you need to define what you’re looking for. If you know where you want to go, you’ll know where to start.

Five. Ineffective Search Methods: Are you only applying for jobs online? Are you mass distributing your resume without direct contacts in the companies? There are more effective methods. Use them.

Six. Resume Problems: Have a professional look over your resume to look for basic editing errors, gaps in experience or formatting issues. You’re resume is your first impression. Make it a good one.

Seven. Interviewing Problems: If you’re getting interviews but no offers, your interviewing skills are probably not up to par. Do some research or meet with a professional for one-on-one interview training. It’ll pay off.

Eight. Poor Use of Time: The more time you spend maintaining relationships, networking and job searching, the more effective your search will be, and the faster you’ll get that job.

Nine. Impending National Recession? Well, maybe.

Image from newsbusters.com

August 3, 2008. Tags: , , , . Career Advice, Life-in General, graduation. Leave a comment.