It happens. We're human. And so are our bosses. Which is a really important key to remember when you're dealing with anything in life - we're all human.

Now, for those times that we forget that, I fervently believe that if you want to get far in a traditional career path you need to add one important skill to your repertoire. It's not a skill on your resume or one you learn at school. In fact, I'm pretty sure no degree can prepare you for what I'm about to say. The number one skill you need to acquire if you're going to make it in a traditional career is this:

You need to know how to manage your boss.

Kate White mentions this in her latest book, I Shouldn't Be Telling You This, and I soon realized that knowing how to manage your boss can make or break you. It can make all the difference between having a miserable time and a good professional relationship.

So how do you do this? How do you learn to manage your boss?

Read on Fireballs...

Know how they function as a human being.

Bosses are human. They deal with life stuff - and some of them don't know how to handle life stuff very well. As a result they may tend to project outward at employees or cause some trouble. Once you become aware of this a) you learn not to take it personally so you move on and b) you don't get sucked into their drama.

Knowing your boss' patterns as a human being will really help you professionally. You'll know when to avoid them altogether or learn when you should be paying a little more attention to your job.

Is this manipulative? Absolutely not. You just learn how to make your work life easier. In fact, this makes your relationships in general easier.

Notice your boss' managing style.

Pay attention to what your boss likes. Do they like an occasional email with your progress? Don't wait until they ask for it before writing it. Do they like to use you as a sounding board? Use the opportunity to help them talk through solutions.

Every boss has a different style of managing and handling employees, so it's essential that you start paying attention to how your boss manages those underneath them.

Notice your boss' communication style.

Okay, this is something I have definitely had to learn the hard way in the past. Is your boss quick and short when looking for answers, or do they drag out stories before they finally get to the point? Noticing these habits will help you communicate with your boss when you guys are working together. You'll notice if you need to keep answers short and sweet, if they want background info or if they just like to talk. Communicating to your boss in the way they communicate to you will lead to a better understanding of each other and help the day flow more smoothly.

If your boss is incompetent, make their lives (and yours) easier.

I stumbled upon a great article from Forbes that talks about this very thing. You can actually assess your boss' personality to come up with a strategy to a)calm them down and b)get off your back. Take a look at this awesome example from the Forbes article:

What if your manager is downright incompetent? Zofi has a solution for that, too. One of her clients worked at a medical device manufacturing company and reported to the daughter of the owner. The company made sophisticated medical resonance imaging machines that were constructed from parts produced in various countries including India, China and Israel. Overwhelmed by the challenges of coordinating so many disparate sources, the boss became extremely anxious, constantly pestering the employee for information and even interrupting her when she was in meetings or on the phone with long-distance suppliers.

"My client was getting sick over it," Zofi recalls. "It was affecting her personal life. She even thought about going on Prozac." Zofi counseled the employee to assess her boss's erratic personality and come up with a strategy to calm her down. Instead of confronting the boss directly, Zofi's client reached out to the foreign suppliers and gathered information. She wound up creating spreadsheets that laid out the status of each part and when it would come into the manufacturing facility. "She gave her boss a comfort zone," Zofi notes. The strategy worked. In addition, the employee formed good relationships with the suppliers, which helped everything run more smoothly. "She doesn't love her boss," Zofi notes, "but she's still got a job, and she's dealing with it."

 Don't ever fuel the fire.

If your boss is having a bad day, pissed at your coworker or just not in the right frame of mind it's definitely not the time to ask for a favor. Also stay away from conversations involving other coworkers or their personal lives. You don't want to fuel any fires and you definitely don't want to end up being a punching bag.

(If you work in a very small office this can be really hard. Just try to your best to notice when your boss goes from business to personal and then steer as far away from it as possible.)

Knowing how your boss functions, paying attention to their managing style, communicating to them in their language, make their lives easier and staying away from drama will help you tremendously as you start moving in your career. Sure, we'd all love to have great bosses, but sometimes even the great ones get on our last nerve. Knowing how effectively manage it, however, is where your power lies.

What are some effective ways you have found for managing your boss? Got any crazy boss stories? Share them in the comments!

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and life coach that has been featured in online publications such as Forbes and The Consumerist. Her blog was also named one of the 100 Blogs You Need in Your Life by Leaving Work Behind. Her experience working in career consulting, her adventures in entrepreneurship and her passion for the success of Gen Y has led her to create a community of millenials who strive to create the post-grad lives they dream of. She is available for hire for writing and life coaching.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook - LinkedIn - Pinterest - Google Plus - Flickr - StumbleUpon - YouTube

This month we're dishing about Rockstar Blogging - a guide to help you earn over 1K in sponsorship, get free stuff and get noticed by brand you love!

One of the coolest thing I have found through my blogging journey is the ability to get free stuff from brands. Lately, I've had more companies and people reaching out to me offering me awesome products to review and give away - from books to calendars - and you all have responded very well to this!

Because of this I thought it would be a great idea to teach some of YOU how you can do the same on your blogs! So I brought in the Giveaway Queen herself, Shannyn Allan from Frugal Beautiful. Shannyn has created a Rockstar Blogging to help bloggers of any stage  use their work as leverage to make extra income, get free stuff and get noticed! Shannyn and I have dished on this stuff before, and with her advice I've been able to get more free stuff to give away and share with you guys - from books to calendars and even a Kindle Fire!

I'm fortunate enough not to just consider Shannyn a colleague but also an incredible friend with a HUGE heart and lot's of spunk! We had so much fun making this video for you guys and I hope you all get as much out of it as we did!

What You'll Get From Rockstar Blogging

A specific action plan to help you earn 1K+ in sponsorship, free products & get noticed by brands you love. You'll learn how to:

• Understand what companies look for in sponsoring a blogger.
• Write the “Perfect Pitch” and talk to major brands.
• Grow your traffic & social media followings for free using giveaways.
• Prep your blog so brands will seek you out to send you free stuff.
• Build brand relationships effectively to earn free travel or sponsorships

You also have different options depending on your needs:

• ROCKSTAR BLOGGING

  Includes the guide to becoming a Rockstar Blogger

  • Rockstar Blogging 51 Page Guide

  Click here to learn more & purchase.

• GOLD PACKAGE

  Guide, Worksheets & Video

  • Rockstar Blogging 51 Page Guide
  • Supplemental Worksheets: Perfect Pitch Essentials and Rockstar Pre-Reqs
  • Action Guide: “The Freebie Filled Gift List:  How To Score Your Christmas Gifts For Free"
  • 2 Exclusive Video Interviews. With Rockstar Bloggers Kylie Ofiu & Kelly Whalen.
  • Access To Video Rockstar School. 4 Video Lesson Modules

  Click here to learn more and purchase.

   

• PLATINUM PACKAGE

  Guide, Workheets, Video & Personal Consulting

  • Rockstar Blogging 51 Page Guide
  • Supplemental Worksheets: Perfect Pitch Essentials and Rockstar Pre-Reqs
  • Action Guide: “The Freebie Filled Gift List:  How To Score Your Christmas Gifts For Free"
  • 2 Exclusive Video Interviews. With Rockstar Bloggers Kylie Ofiu & Kelly Whalen.
  • Access To Video Rockstar School. 4 Video Lesson Modules
  • Special Launch Day Bonus: Free Personalized Site Feedback/Critique for first 10 buyers!

Click here to learn more and purchase!

February Subscriber Bonus: 10% off Rockstar Blogging!

Alright my little fireballs, all of you who are already subscribed to the blog have received a 10% discount code for Shannyn's awesome program Rockstar Blogging! Just look on the sidebar all month long for your code. And no worries, I will be sending out a huge email blast with the code as well, plus your monthly dose of personal insights from me.

New subscribers: When you subscribe to the Grad Meets World email list you'll also get the 10% discount code in addition to the Post-Grad Tool Kit which is full of guides and templates to help you start a side hustle, make a budget and start kicking some major ass in your life. Simply use the box below, under the header or on the side bar to subscribe!

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and life coach that has been featured in online publications such as Forbes and The Consumerist. Her blog was also named one of the 100 Blogs You Need in Your Life by Leaving Work Behind. Her experience working in career consulting, her adventures in entrepreneurship and her passion for the success of Gen Y has led her to create a community of millenials who strive to create the post-grad lives they dream of. She is available for hire for writing and life coaching.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook - LinkedIn - Pinterest - Google Plus - Flickr - StumbleUpon - YouTube

You can't work with everybody.

Subsequently, there is such a thing as an ideal client. One that you will enjoy working with, is cooperative and that you can actually help.

Since starting my own coaching practice in 2012 I have discovered this to be true. Now I know why life coaches and trainers everywhere have such detailed intake forms - they want to make sure the relationship will work. They want to make sure that this is a person they can ACTUALLY work with and help.

It was very rocky at first because I had no idea what my ideal coaching client would be. I like to face my scary demons head on so I just jumped into it like I usually do. Though the experience was rough I learned a very important lesson: I need to get very very clear on the kind of person I want to coach. Because the reality is that although I may try, I cannot help everyone. My services are not suited for everyone and in turn not everyone is suited for my services.

(I learned other things to - like trying to stay present, focusing on practicing power listening and a few other things I need to work on; but those are separate blog posts.)

By testing different techniques on different people I've been able to start narrowing down the kinds of people I want to work with and how I can better serve them. I want people who are a lot like me - ambitious, fire starters, hard workers, focused and with a good sense of humor. Of course I will have to refine this as I go on and with time I am sure this will become more clear.

The same rings true for my freelancing endeavors. I've had some clients that I adore and we really rock it! And I've had clients that were a complete waste of time (spider porn and bed bugs, anyone?) Furthermore, the same theory applies to this blog. Though most people love the content I have gotten flack for some of the things I write. But hey, I write for a specific group of people and it's never going to be everyone's cup of tea.

How this applies to you...

I'd like to take the time to point out how this theory applies to everything regardless of whether you're working the daily grind or running your own business. Hell, this even applies to dating and frienships! You or your company have something to offer to the RIGHT people. These are the relationships that will flourish into something dynamic and beautiful. These are the relationships that will click.

So whether you're a salesman, a blogger, a coach, a personal trainer, a secretary, a musician, a web designer or a dog walker it's very important to keep in mind the kind of people you'd like to work with. Otherwise it'll be a lot of wasted time and effort topped with frustration for the both of you.

You can start by asking yourself a few questions (these are some of the questions we ask at work as career consultants and I've begun using it in my coaching and freelancing):

What characteristics/personality traits does your ideal client/customer have?

What interests them?

How cooperative are they? (What is your definition of cooperative?)

Are they realistic in their wants/needs?

What kinds of problems do they have? (Be specific!)

How committed are they to the service/project/change?

Do you think they can actually pay you? (Haha! Very important one at the day job!)

These are just a few questions you can ask yourself in terms of narrowing down the clients you can serve. Now when it comes to what clients you'd LOVE to work with try making a list of 10 client attributes - as in, you won't let anyone hire you unless they match these guidelines. Here are some of mine:

1. They are committed, focused and ready to crack open instead of dilly dallying around. I want action takers!

2. They have a big vision they can actually see in their mind. Maybe they don't have all the details, but they can definitely smell the outcome.

3. They pay on time, and gladly.

4. They actually enjoy my brutal honesty and understand it comes from a place of love and compassion.

5. They treat me like a partner to share ideas with, not a guru or a life saver.

6. They like to have fun and joke around!

7. They recommend me to others.

8. They respect time schedules. I'm picky with my calendar.

9. They appreciate my services and show gratitude.

10. They have a sense of humor!

The theory of only working with the right clients is nothing new. In fact, it's basically mentioned in every marketing and business blog there is.

Think Traffic mentions how people who are considered experts in their field do not take on just anybody as a client. They have an application process, a waiting list and only offer free services occasionally.

Marie Forleo talks about the importance of identifying ideal clients in her video "Do Your Clients Drain Your Energy?". (Very good video!)

Ramit Sethi (I Will Teach You to Be Rich) and Derek Halpern (Social Triggers) also talk about the importance of knowing what kind of customers you want to work with on a podcast they did together.

And of course, you can't have a post like this without mentioning Seth Godin, who pretty much coined the idea of building your tribe. (If you don't know who Seth Godin is at this point you need to watch this and this.)

So as you can see, some of the leading online experts in marketing, sales and numbers all seem to agree on the same thing.

Bottom line: Get clear on who you WANT to work with.

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and life coach that has been featured in online publications such as Forbes and The Consumerist. Her blog was also named one of the 100 Blogs You Need in Your Life by Leaving Work Behind. Her experience working in career consulting, her adventures in entrepreneurship and her passion for the success of Gen Y has led her to create a community of millenials who strive to create the post-grad lives they dream of. She is available for hire for writing and life coaching.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook - LinkedIn - Pinterest - Google Plus - Flickr - StumbleUpon - YouTube

Last week I had the absolute pleasure of going to see one of my sheroes speak live and in person. On Thursday night I went to The Standard on Miami Beach for Gabrielle Bernstein’s May Cause Miracles Book Launch Event.

If you’ve been following the blog for a while then you know I am a huge fan of Gabrielle Bernstein and her work. I have been following her for a little over a year and can testify that what she teaches about spirituality, positive psychology and meditation actually works!

I use her tools, techniques and teachings on a daily basis and have truly seen miracles occur - from managing my day job and having abundance to this blog becoming a major vessel for an empowering message. And, if you saw my Kick Ass Books for an Awesome 2013 video then you know that her teachings helped me have the easiest breakup recovery ever.

It is her work that helped me not only witness, but stop playing crappy records in my head. I now notice when I have thoughts like “My job blows”, “I’ll never make enough money”, “My ex is an asshole”, “I suck” etc. etc. Now instead of getting caught up in them I disengage and choose to see love instead. This kind of perception has literally created a better outward experience and has certainly helped me better deal with life’s occasional obstacles.

Gabrielle Bernstein has taught me and countless others how to live in an empowered love filled way. Following her work has literally changed my life for the better and I am constantly sharing these tools with you all because I whole heartedly believe in their power. (By constantly I really do mean constantly. You can read about my journey following Gabby here, here and here.)

So as you can imagine I was pretty excited to see one of her lectures live instead of on Vimeo. And I was certainly completely ECSTATIC when I got to meet her!

I met Gabby Bernstein! Squeal!

Autographed copy of May Cause Miracles and a pass to enjoy The Standard Hotel & Spa. Miracles indeed!

Seriously, dream come true! It's moments like this that make me realize how grateful for everything. If it wasn't for writing this blog that constantly forces me to look inward, take care of my side of the street and most importantly serve others, I may have never stumbled upon this incredible teacher. And I certainly wouldn't have had the balls to hand her a business card (Yes, I did do that. Make that two best selling authors I've slipped my business card to!)

You know what else makes me feel grateful? This beautiful setting on the water. I am so blessed to live in such an incredible city!

Getting ready for Gabby on the Bay!

I know a lot of you already follow Gabrielle Bernstein, but for those of you who don't here is a rundown of some of my favorite lessons:

Forgiveness is the bedrock of a happy life.

Relationships are assignments.

Gratitude is the only attitude.

Focus on the content instead of the frame.

Treat your romantic relationships as more brotherly and treat your friendships as more romantic (Good one!)

The Universe has your back.

Win an Autographed Copy of May Cause Miracles!

Since I purchased a VIP ticket for the event I got an EXTRA copy of Gabby's latest book, May Cause Miracles. And guess what?  I got her to autograph it for you! Just use the Rafflecopter widget below (you may need to click refresh) to enter! I can't wait to share this amazing guidebook with one of you lucky readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and life coach that has been featured in online publications such as Forbes and The Consumerist. Her blog was also named one of the 100 Blogs You Need in Your Life by Leaving Work Behind. Her experience working in career consulting, her adventures in entrepreneurship and her passion for the success of Gen Y has led her to create a community of millenials who strive to create the post-grad lives they dream of. She is available for hire for writing and life coaching.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook - LinkedIn - Pinterest - Google Plus - Flickr - StumbleUpon - YouTube

Hello loves! It's been a complete whirlwind of amazing things around these parts! Between my latest Lifehack article going live, my YouTube channel tripling in subscribers, blog coaching clients, creating my life coaching structure and getting ranked as one of the 20 Must Read Career Blogs for the Young Job Seeker by Under 30 Careers I've been celebrating for a week!

But wait - it gets better!  On Friday January 11th I was asked to be on a HuffPost Live panel to talk about millenials, boomerang kids and the economy! Several of you watched LIVE and showed some serious love! You guys really came out to support us against the typical millenial bashing that usually occurs in the media. YOU GUYS ROCK! Check out some of the awesome comments below:

You can watch the entire segment by clicking the image below. Or click here.

Tweetable:

NeuYear Calendar Giveaway

Okay guys, and now for the second part of this post. I want to give a HUGE shoutout to NeuYear for sending me over a FABULOUS calendar! Those of you who are on the Email Insider list already know how in love I am with these calendars - and a couple of you have even purchased one! But for those of you who don't know, the guys over at NeuYear created these beautiful 2013 calendars that let you see the entire year, allow you to track your goals, allow you to give yourself weekly ratings and are design friendly!

In celebration of a New Year and an awesome week, the guys at NeuYear sent me an EXTRA calendar to give away on the blog! Just use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

30% Discount on NeuYear Calendars for Email Subscribers

If you can't wait for a raffle then make sure to subscribe to the Grad Meets World email list! NeuYear has created an exclusive 30% discount code just for GMW subscribers! Just sign up at the bottom of this post and you'll instantly get your 30% discount code.  Here's to a fabulous New Year!

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and life coach that has been featured in online publications such as Forbes and The Consumerist. Her blog was also named one of the 100 Blogs You Need in Your Life by Leaving Work Behind. Her experience working in career consulting, her adventures in entrepreneurship and her passion for the success of Gen Y has led her to create a community of millenials who strive to create the post-grad lives they dream of. She is available for hire for writing and life coaching.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook - LinkedIn - Pinterest - Google Plus - Flickr - StumbleUpon - YouTube

I'm a book junkie. I've constantly got something new on my Kindle app in an attempt to learn new things and create a stellar life. Since the New Year is around the corner I figured a lot of you are working on some nifty resolutions - whether it's health, money, career or all-around ass kicking. So in celebration and in hopes of a spectacular 2013 I've compiled a list of books to help you live your best life in the coming year.

Make sure to watch the video for juicy deets and my own personal experience with these books. Below the video you'll find all the links you need to get your hands on the awesome reads. Enjoy!

Health:

Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr

Spirituality/Positive Psychology:

May Cause Miracles: A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness by Gabrielle Bernstein

(Bonus: I'm totally digging Doreen Virtue as of late. If you're feeling open minded or your spirit needs a boost I highly recommend this.)

Money:

The Mint Manual by Tim Murphy (Check out a full length review here.)

The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money and Miracles by Marianne Williamson

Kicking Ass:

Audacity Rules by Coach Jennie (Check out our one-on-one interview here.)

Amazon Store

For more of my favorite personal development books visit my store on Amazon.

Tweetable:

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and life coach that has been featured in online publications such as Forbes and The Consumerist. Her blog was also named one of the 100 Blogs You Need in Your Life by Leaving Work Behind. Her experience working in career consulting, her adventures in entrepreneurship and her passion for the success of Gen Y has led her to create a community of millenials who strive to create the post-grad lives they dream of. She is available for hire for writing and life coaching.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook - LinkedIn - Pinterest - Google Plus - Flickr - StumbleUpon - YouTube

Photo by Amanda Soler Photography

 In a nutshell.

I tried things differently this year. It was a year when my post-grad anxiety started to subside, I succeeded in starting to put my health first, reconnected with Miami and even started dating again. Despite the hardships that sometimes ensued, like upsets at work or serious heartbreak,  it's the best year I've had in a long time. It's also the most calm I have felt in what seems like years. No regrets.

I also made tremendous progress financially, within my career and in my personal relationships. A lot of it is thanks to this blog and it's readers. You guys not only inspire me, you also help keep me accountable and for that I am forever grateful.

2013 will be dedicated to planning workshops (already have two in the works!), partnerships and creating a space where millenials can share, grow and learn from each other as we create our careers, our health, our personal experiences and our lives. I want this to be a space where you guys can come for positive reinforcement, resources and connections.

With that being said, please make sure to fill out this survey so I can better serve you in 2013.

Thank you all for another incredible year!

The Ultimate 2012 Round Up

What a year for Grad Meets World! Apparently some of the topics discussed got some serious attention! With that being said here are the top posts from the year:

10 Top Notch Gen Y Blogs of 2011 

Why It's Okay to Be a Boomerang Kid (This little number sparked quite a controversy and even got my blog featured on The Consumerist! You guys had some awesome things to say in what turned into a healthy debate.)

4 Signs That You May Be an Entrepreneur at Heart

10 Odd Things You Should Never Do at a Job Interview

Some of my personal favorites...

Love and Relationships

How Do You Deal With a Breakup? 7 Steps for Getting Over a Breakup 

The Love Manifesto: 23 Principles to Help You Thrive in Your Romantic Relationships

Side Hustling

How I'm Making Over 1K from My Blog This Month

10 Lessons Learned from 2 Years of Freelancing

3 Ways Your Blog Can Make You Money Without Being Sleazy

Career

Just for the Ladies - Resources to Help You Kick Ass in Your Career

20 Lessons Learned from Conducting 200+ Interviews

 5 Ways to Get Your Life Back from Your Job

How to Network Like a Pro (The Non-Sleazy Way)

Money

10 Biggest Obstacles to Financial Success in Your 20s

Calling Yourself Out on Emotional Spending

Health

Learning to Love Your Body

How Do You Practice Self-Love?

How Poor Health Can Cost You A Lot of Money

Favorite Things I've Written for Other Websites

6 Things That Keep 20-something Women from Financial Success - Forbes

How LocalLEVO Is Helping Me Through a Breakup - The Levo League

Interview Tips from Hiring Recruiters: How Not to Be an Idiot in a Job Interview - The Levo League

New Grads: Are You Being Unrealistic in Your Job Search? - SALT

Top Free Networking Tools and Events for Post-Grad Millenials - SALT

Can You Come in for an Interview - Tomorrow? - The Daily Muse

4 Ways to Deal With Big Life Changes - Lifehack

3 Ways Freelancing Can Land You a Full-Time Job - Simply Hired

How I Plan on Getting My Savings Back After Spending $6,000 - Careful Cents

20 Lessons Learned From 2 Years of Blogging

Grad Meets World turned 2 years old this year! 2012 truly represents a year of tremendous growth for this blog and myself as a person. With that being said, here are some of the most important lessons I've learned.

1. It's okay to be vulnerable for your readers. In fact, it makes for true connections.

2. Building a practice of any kind - saving money, exercise, meditation - is like strengthening a muscle. It takes time, work and dedication, but the rewards are sweet.

3. You can use your own hardships to reach out to others and help them.

4. At the end of the day we're all human. We have the same victories and we have the same hurts.

5. It's more than okay to take a break and recharge.

6. I'd rather have fewer clients who pay well then a bunch of projects that pay shit.

7. My life coach training constantly pushes me out of my comfort zone.

8. The only certainty in life is uncertainty - it's what you make it mean that matters.

9. You have to think of the bigger picture in terms of your career - not just what your paycheck is. That is to say, what's going to benefit you in the long run? What extra stuff can you do? How can you go big?

10. Learning how to manage your boss is probably more important than actually managing your job.

11. Forgiveness is the bedrock of a happier life.

12. It's okay if you have a different path than what others want for you.

13. Make your friendships more romantic and your romantic relationships more brotherly. (Favorite lesson from Gabrielle Bernstein & A Course in Miracles. Really came in handy this year.)

14. I'm not going to die if I don't pay off my credit card in full one month. I just have to make sure not to make it a habit.

15. Sometimes it's okay to take a risk with your money. And it's certainly more than okay to invest in yourself.

16. Your relationship with yourself is the most important one you will ever have.

17. Your family cares for you and they want what's best, but sometimes you have to tune them out in order to become who you are meant to be.

18. Having compassion for someone who hurt you is not rolling over and playing dead. In fact, if you can see the humanizing factor in every undesirable situation you're going to heal much faster (and more gracefully) than you ever imagined.

19. You can be open and honest in every aspect of a romantic relationship and it'll work for however long its supposed to. If it ends it's not because of being so open, it just wasn't meant to be. Simple as that.

20. Networking and getting involved in your local community is one of the coolest things you can do for your career - and for yourself.

Personal 2012 Milestones

Partnerships: I teamed up with American Student Assistance as one of the writers for their SALT blog. It's been an incredible experience as I share my career experiences with others who are just starting out. They are also some of the coolest people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Keep a look out in 2013 for a Career webinar by yours truly and SALT!

Writing: This year was HUGE for me as I got published on one of my favorite business publications - Forbes! This was all thanks to the incredible team over on Glass Heel. Make sure to check these ladies out for anything you can possibly need to go from cubicle to board room! I also started writing for The Daily Muse, Lifehack and continued writing for my favorite career ladies over at The Levo League.

Community: I went on a networking marathon during the latter half of 2012. I am proud to be a part of The Levo League's LocalLEVO Miami chapter and have connected with such incredible ladies as a result! I also got to meet The Levo League co-founder Amanda Pouchot, Community Manager Maxie McCoy and The New Professional's/The Daily Muse's Angeline Evans! Furthermore, I got together with local Spirit Junkies and Gabrielle Bernstein enthusiasts to start a group of women who are there to support each other, help each other and be like spiritual running buddies. It's truly been an incredible opportunity to meet so many like minded ladies living in my own community! Here's to helping each other elevate not only our careers, but our lives as well.

Life Coaching: In April 2012 I officially started my life coaching certification course. The entire process has been a huge eye opener and I see myself using the skills I've learned in my writing, in my personal relationships and at my job. I've also taken on a couple of clients (both long time readers of the blog) to help me create a program and test out exercises (thanks to the both of you for being so patient with me!). In 2013 I will be putting things to the test with workshops and webinars. Make sure to sign up for the email list to stay updated!

Fitness: December 26, 2012 marks one year since I decided to practice yoga on a regular basis. Regardless of what is going on in my life I always find myself back on the mat. I've had the absolute pleasure of getting to know incredible teachers at Prana Yoga Miami and take tools I learn on the mat into my daily life. Yoga is truly a gift and I am thankful to have incorporated it into my life. In September 2012 I also picked up mixed martial arts/boxing and have been steadily going ever since. I can feel (and see) the changes in my body and it feels great! If you're ever in Miami make sure to check out Arena Combat Sports for a hell of a workout and some pretty cool people.

On a personal level: I have made some incredible connections this year as I maneuver my way through the crazy city of Miami. There's always something going on in this vibrant town and for that I am so grateful! I also opened up on a much more personal level through a romantic relationship, released some fears that had been holding me back and got a huge lesson in compassion and forgiveness. I've really opened up this year - both in my personal life and on this blog - and the process has been a beautiful one.

What's next in 2013?

1. Live workshops and webinars!

I've teamed up with some incredible people, both locally and online, to bring one of my blog dreams to reality - workshops and webinars! I've got a fitness goals workshop in the works with an awesome Miami personal trainer & I'm teaming up with a couple of great websites to create career development workshops in the Spring. Keep an eye out for more info!

2. Newsletter

One of my goals for 2013 is to write up monthly email blasts for my loyal subscribers. You guys are the lifeblood of this blog and if it weren't for you this blog wouldn't be what it is today. I plan on cracking myself open and going deep in these posts so make sure to sign up for insights you'll only get via email.

3. How can Grad Meets World improve?

My goals is to help you guys in your post-grad lives. I get a lot of material from my own life as I learn to maneuver finances, my career and personal relationships but I want to make sure these things are helpful for you. Please feel free to use this contact form to send me any insights or suggestions. Or, please make sure to fill out this survey.

Thank you again for another incredible year for Grad Meets World! May all your goals, wishes and dreams come into fruition as we enter a New Year!

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and life coach that has been featured in online publications such as Forbes and The Consumerist. Her blog was also named one of the 100 Blogs You Need in Your Life by Leaving Work Behind. Her experience working in career consulting, her adventures in entrepreneurship and her passion for the success of Gen Y has led her to create a community of millenials who strive to create the post-grad lives they dream of. She is available for hire for writing and life coaching.

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(Tim Murphy may sound familiar to some of you guys. He's the genius behind ApplyMate, a free tool that helps you keep track of job applications. It's a very spiffy tool I'll definitely be using to make my next career moves.)

Most of you may already have Mint accounts, but do you really know how to use it? Like, do you know about all the cool features that are available to you like bill reminders, transaction categories and apps? Seriously, have you even taken the time to get into the nitty gritty of Mint?

Probably not. And if that's case don't worry, I hadn't either in the two years of having an account.

That's why The Mint Manual is so helpful. It teaches you the ins and outs of everything Mint - from the website to the mobile apps.

Below you'll find some of my favorite parts of the eguide:

Synchronization

While many big time banks offer online portfolios where you can sync all of your accounts, none of them are as fluid or as easy to use as Mint. (Believe me I ended up trying my hand at a couple with the bank switches earlier this year.)

The one thing that made me fall in love with Mint back in 2010 was the ability to see all of my accounts in one place. I’ve got my checking, savings, credit cards, Roth IRA, brokerage and so forth in one easy to use overview when I log in. For those of you have have student or car loans, you can add those in there as well.

This is really awesome because you’re probably using more than one institution for your financial stuff. For instance, I have my checking and savings with ING Direct but I have my Roth IRA with T. Rowe Price. Being able to see all of my accounts updated in one place is a huge time saver when I’m trying to figure out where I stand financially.

Granted, this is the easy part. All of the stuff Murphy talks about in his guide is what will really make your jaw drop at how amazing Mint really is as a financial tool. Below you’ll find some of my favorite parts of the guide that truly helped me organize and maintain my finances using Mint.

Upcoming Bills

While I was aware of this feature I never actually used it until I read The Mint Manual. Usually I’m pretty good about knowing when bills are due, but it’s nice to have an extra reminder.

In addition, Murphy brought up something I hadn’t even thought of:

“If you have your account set for ACH withdrawal (automatic bank deduction), an upcoming bill alert, can help prevent those automatic payments from overdrawing your account.”

Now that’s a way so save you from those nasty bank fees!

Murphy walks you through every step to setting up the bill reminders so that they are right for you. He even goes into tricks to keep in mind - like making sure to periodically sign into Mint in order to ensure that you actually keep receiving email reminders.

Categorization

I’m an organizational freak and as such I remember trying to categorize my Mint transactions nearly a year ago. It was kind of a tedious process so I completely gave up and forgot about it.

Thanks to Murphy’s manual I not only categorized ALL of my transactions, I also did it in a very time effective way. He goes into explicit detail on how to categorize, why you should categorize and how to save time doing it.

It’s a great way of seeing where your money goes on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. As such it’s stellar tool for creating budgets, seeing where you can make necessary spending cuts AND seeing how much you’re spending in bank fees.

It’s also a great way to see how much is money is actually coming in - for instance, I have separate sub categories for my regular paycheck, commissions or any freelance work. This is particularly handy for those of us who have fluctuation income because of commissions, bonuses or work we do on the side.

Favorite Tip: You can set “rules” for transactions so you don’t have to manually categorize reoccurring transactions. For instance, I set up a rule so that anything that says Walgreens, Navarro or CVS is categorized under Health > Pharmacy.  Any transaction that says Prana Yoga is categorized under Yoga so I can track how much I spend on getting my “Om” on.

This was by far the most tedious task for me and was very grateful for The Mint Manual’s easy to follow break down of the process.

Budgets

Try as I may I’m pretty awful at sticking to a budget. I know how much my bills are going to be and I do manage to save half of what I make on most months, but I still end up spending more money than I would like.

By following Murphy’s guide I was able to create Mint budgets that worked for me. I was also able to organize them according to the necessary categories so Mint would be able to accurately track my budget.

Favorite Tip: There’s an "Everything Else" category under the Budgets section. This is all the stuff Mint wasn’t sure how to organize according to your budgets. Murphy’s guide walks you through how to set this up in a way that you can accurately see whether or not you’re sticking to your budget.

Investment Tracking

This is what truly makes Mint stand out from the crowd as other accounting software doesn’t even have this option. You can customize your investment performance based on how you want to view it and The Mint Manual teaches you how to do just that.

iPad App

Murphy walks you through the entire Mint iPad App so you get the most out of it. The Mint Manual shows you how to get all the information you’d get on the website by navigating through every detail of the App.

iPhone and Android App

The Mint Manual also goes into how to use the Mint App according to which phone you use. Additionally, it goes into the differences among all of the applications - whether it’s web, tablet or phone. It’s very handy when you’re checking your finances on the go.

Overall The Mint Manual is a fabulous tool for organizing and maintaining your finances with Mint. I suggest taking just one afternoon to sit with this manual and your Mint account. Since Mint is so great about recognizing and categorizing your patterns one afternoon is pretty much all you’ll need to customize it for your needs with The Mint Manual. Otherwise it may take you ages without this handy resource.

Best of all The Mint Manual basically pays for itself. At $29 just dodging one of those bank fees already covers the cost of this stellar financial resource.

Click on the banner below to purchase your own copy of this awesome resource! [affiliate link]

You can also spread the love with this Tweetable:

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and life coach that has been featured in online publications such as Forbes and The Consumerist. Her blog was also named one of the 100 Blogs You Need in Your Life by Leaving Work Behind. Her experience working in career consulting, her adventures in entrepreneurship and her passion for the success of Gen Y has led her to create a community of millenials who strive to create the post-grad lives they dream of. She is available for hire for writing and life coaching.

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With all the talk lately about student loans being the new sub prime mortgage it can be easy to feel confused about higher education. Questions like: “What major will get me the better job?”, “Is the degree even worth the loans?” or “Is grad school going to help me out?” all come up at least once during our time as students and professionals.

Maybe you decided to put off college over the cost. Maybe work experience came first. Maybe you’re debating about whether or not grad school will get you a better paycheck in the long run. All of these are valid situations that occur daily in the lives of young professionals. Perhaps you may even be considering some of these options yourself.

But where can you find some decent information? The news obviously isn’t helping anymore and schools have been getting in trouble for either inflating employment numbers or doing some sketchy stuff with loans.

Enter the Wells Fargo Community - an online resource for anyone figuring out how to pay for their education.

I have to give some major kudos here. Wells Fargo realized that there was a serious need to help educate people about student loans and higher education. After all tuition keeps going up, fees have increased and student loans have become an animal of their own.

That, however, does not mean that seeking higher education is impossible, which is why Wells Fargo created this community to connect students and parents with information straight from the horse’s mouth. And guess what, you don’t have to be a Wells Fargo customer to join!

Here’s some of the stuff you’ll get just by joining the community:

• Links and information to resources that will help you make an informed decision.
• Engagement with Wells Fargo representatives to help you come up with a plan that works for you.
• Student and parent impressions of college visits.
• Access to information from financial aid officers and guidance counselors.
• A community where anyone involved in the student lending process can help each other out through message boards, blogs and more.

Overall it’s a nifty little place where you can find real time information on the student lending process. Should you decide to continue your education you also have access to people who can get you started right away.

Paying for higher education is not something that should be taken lightly. With that being said I’m glad companies like Wells Fargo are creating communities where people can connect, share and get the information they need.

Whether you’re entering college, going back to finish your degree or considering grad school it’s important to make the best decisions for you and your money. For more information on how the Wells Fargo Community can help check out the video below:

Are you planning on going back to school?

Where do you find information about student loans?

Let us know in the comments!

For more information about the Wells Fargo Community, please visit Wells Fargo Community's site. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. #WFCommunity #spon

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and life coach that has been featured in online publications such as Forbes and The Consumerist. Her blog was also named one of the 100 Blogs You Need in Your Life by Leaving Work Behind. Her experience working in career consulting, her adventures in entrepreneurship and her passion for the success of Gen Y has led her to create a community of millenials who strive to create the post-grad lives they dream of. She is available for hire for writing and life coaching.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook - LinkedIn - Pinterest - Google Plus - Flickr - StumbleUpon - YouTube

This should be required reading for anyone in the working world, but especially for those of us who are just starting out. Although I like to think I have an edge on how the business world works simply because I work in recruiting, I actually noticed that I have indeed made several of the mistakes mentioned in this book. In fact, since I’m conducting job interviews on the daily I’d say at least 75% of the people I meet  continue to make several of the professional faux pas reiterated in this guide regardless of how many years they’ve been in the workforce.

Quite simply, this book is pure gold for anyone who wants some insight on how the professional world actually works. Furthermore, it’s a handy guidebook for anyone wanting to be successful the right way - through abundance, gratitude, hard work, creativity and teamwork.

It’s a book I wish I would have had two and a half years ago when I was a fresh faced college grad trying to job hunt in the middle of a recession. It’s also a book I wish many job candidates would read BEFORE I have to interview them. Below you’ll find a list of some of my favorite highlights from the book.

False Expectations About Entering the Corporate World & 6 Things I Wish I Knew About Companies Before I Started My Career (Pages 22-23)

As someone who works in recruiting I nearly cried from laughing so hard when reading these pages. Partially, because I had these expectations myself a couple of years back, but also because I’m constantly interviewing people who think raises happen often, promotions are easy, starting salaries are what their schools told them they would be and that companies should fit their needs.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about being successful and kicking ass in your career. I’m also all about flexibility and having a life outside of your office, but we really need to quit the entitlement crap.  All that’s going to do is get you a very very rude awakening when entering the working world - and sometimes I’m the one who has to give candidates this awakening. Talk about awkward.

The STAR vs The DOPE (Chapter 2 and beyond)

This book provides a unique guide for the working world through two juxtaposing personas: the STAR (Savvy, Tenacious, Adaptive and Resourceful) and the DOPE (Disses Opportunity, Potential and Earnings).

The STAR, also known as the Successful Young Professional, possesses the several qualities outlined throughout the book that will help you thrive in the working world. Meanwhile, the DOPE manages to screw everything up by being negative and looking out for himself.

What’s really great about using the two personas is that they teach you lessons that can not only apply to your role in the professional world, but they also relay meaningful lessons to take into other aspects of your life such as a belief in abundance, celebrating others and the power of perspective.

The House Analogy

McDaniel uses a simple to understand analogy in order to explain how to set ourselves up for success in our careers: building our careers is like building a house. You have the foundation, the framework and the exterior.

In this case each step is as follows:

Foundation: The core principles that will help you as you build your career.

Framework: Nine attributes and characteristics that serve as the structure of your career - from being resourceful to making decisions.

Exterior: This section has less to do with what you do and how you do it and more to do with how others perceive you to be. This represents the visible exterior of your career and covers effective communication, your attitude and how to network.

Get comfortable with failure.

This book provides a very empowering perspective on the idea of failure. McDaniel gives it you straight: we’re human and we will inevitably fail at something. We will make mistakes along our career path, we will have to learn some things the hard way and not everything is going to go according to plan.

The difference between a successful young professional and a mediocre worker is their level of resilience. Those who have gotten comfortable with failure can pick themselves up as many times as it takes until they get it right. Unfortunately, most people give up at the first sign of rejection, their first mistake on the job or at their first inkling that something will go wrong.

By the end of the book you have a clear cut guide on how to rock your career for the long haul. These aren’t quick fixes, they are foundational insights to help you run the marathon that is your career.

Kick Ass Career By 2013 Giveaway

In celebration of all our career goals for 2013 I decided I'm going to give away a FREE copy of The Young Professional's Guide to the Working World. If you're looking to rock your career for the long run, regardless of whether you are just starting out or have been working for a while, this book will help you achieve your goals. Want in? Here's how to participate:

1. Tweet about the giveaway. You can use any of the following pre-made tweetable. (1 entry per tweet)

2. Share on Facebook. You can use the following guide: (2 entries per post)

@GradMeetsWorld is having this awesome book giveaway for job hunters & young professionals! Check out The Young Professional's Guide to The Working World! http://bit.ly/Y6GceT

3. Email your friends or email subscribers! Please make sure to copy me so I can count your entry amanda [at] gradmeetsworld [dot] org. You can also use the following template: (3 entries)

My blogger friend Amanda Abella from Grad Meets World is having an awesome book giveaway to help young professionals with their career goals. She's dishing about Aaron McDaniel's The Young Professional's Guide to the Working World on her latest blog post and is celebrating by giving away a free copy!

Please check out her awesome blog for career advice and feel free to participate in the giveaway! Visit http://www.gradmeetsworld.org for more info.

Thanks!

4. Tell us what some of your professional goals are in the comments section! Got a website? Share it! Want to be an entrepreneur! Dish it out, honey! (4 entries)

Here's to beautiful and abundant careers for everyone in 2013!

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and life coach that has been featured in online publications such as Forbes and The Consumerist. Her blog was also named one of the 100 Blogs You Need in Your Life by Leaving Work Behind. Her experience working in career consulting, her adventures in entrepreneurship and her passion for the success of Gen Y has led her to create a community of millenials who strive to create the post-grad lives they dream of. She is available for hire for writing and life coaching.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook - LinkedIn - Pinterest - Google Plus - Flickr - StumbleUpon - YouTube