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3 Ways to Be Helpful to Your Network

By U.S. News & World Report

It’s no secret that networking is a great way to remain successful in your career. It’s the best way to find a job, stay on top of trends in your industry, get advice on your career goals and performance and leverage resources in your given field. We work on perfecting ways to contact new people and figuring out how to maintain a relationship with them to potentially ask for advice, mentoring, a job opening or information.

[See: 10 Ways to Perfect Your Personal Brand.]

But too many times we focus on what we can receive from our network connections and not what we can bring to the table to contribute and be a resource for others as well. Just like anything else, the golden rule applies here too: treat others as you want to be treated. If you want to find great resources in your network, be a great resource for them as well. Even if you feel like you don’t have anything to offer others in terms of career assistance, there are things you can do to help others you may not have thought of! Learning to be a great resource in any way you can will make others more likely to connect with you and keep in touch. Here are three things to keep in mind to be a great resource.

— Write or provide quality content. Don’t slack off here and cut and paste articles you want to share just to say that you are sharing with others. Sharing articles with others related to their industry is great, but it should be something useful. Make sure it is actually relevant, that it shares new and interesting information and have an opinion about it. This means that you should also read the article first before sharing it and provide a few thoughts about it as part of your share. Do you like the article? Why do you like it? How can it help your network? These questions will help you to evaluate if it’s quality content or not, and give you some ideas about comments you can make. Being a great resource for others doesn’t mean constantly posting things, it means posting content that others, and you, actually care about. Thoughtful comments on what others post is also helpful, by the way.

[See: 10 Ways Social Media Can Help You Land a Job.]

— Determine your specialty. To be a valuable resource to others, you have to identify what you have learned or studied that most other people haven’t. Or what unique combination of skills, experience or expertise you bring to the table. What new information can you offer others? Perhaps you worked on a specialized project earning your MBA, or you took a technical class on the side while working full time, or you have written a presentation or articles on a certain subject that others could benefit from. Don’t worry, even if right now you are thinking you don’t have anything special to offer your network, know that you do. It doesn’t have to be too complicated and it doesn’t have to be something earth-shattering. Knowing something that others don’t could be something as simple as knowing where to get the best business cards made in town at a local store to support local business. It could be a unique way you solve a simple, but difficult problem common to everyone in your industry. Start by making a list of information that you have that could be valuable to others in your industry.

[See: 8 Ways Millennials Can Build Leadership Skills.]

— Don’t be stingy. This is a mistake when it comes to networking. A network is a community for sharing information, and good resources share without expecting anything in return. So offer your knowledge freely. This creates a level of trust with your network, and they will want to share information with you. Of course, be selective about what you share. If you have found a new business that looks promising and are thinking of going for a job interview, keep that to yourself. Don’t share trade secrets or company secrets, of course. That goes without saying. Do share knowledge and advice that’s appropriate for public consumption with the spirit of being helpful to others.

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3 Ways to Be Helpful to Your Network originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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