So this is the final stretch of your winter break. Some students are finally back into the swing of things and some of our students don't have to break open the books for another few weeks. Thankfully these tips can be implemented during any season or vacation to help prepare you for the workforce!

The economic climate may look incredibly bleak if you're underprepared. We know that our Rainmakers recognize this as a time of opportunity, to do their research and empower themselves. Education -- and not just "seat-time" in a classroom -- is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for your dream career.

1. Where do your passions lie? Does it include helping others, writing, traveling, speaking multiple languages a day? What kind of things do you see yourself doing? What organizations or causes would your values align with?
2. What does your dream career entail? How do you see yourself spending your time? Do you see yourself working with lots of people or on your own? Knowing what you want out of your career makes it easier to reach your goals.
   
3. What kind of jobs are related to your dream career? Keeping your options open about the kinds of work you're interested in will allow for lots of career flexibility later on. Coming out of school may have to start somewhere else on the totem pole: perhaps you're very interested in sports marketing but only a position in sports advertising sales is available. Experience and cross-training in a related field will help immensely when it comes time to land the position of your dreams.
   
4. Make sure that your skill sets match the fields you want to work in. If they don't currently match, brush up! That seems to be a no-brainer. As a student this is a perfect time to research and solidify your skills before you enter the workforce -- There's no real pressure as to the amount and speed at which you learn.

The secret of success in life is for you to be ready for your opportunity when it comes. (Benjamin Disraeli said it, not us.) This is the time!

As one of our loyal blog readers stated, "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass -- It's about learning to dance in the rain."

When I was a wee child in elementary school, I remember sitting at my desk and dangling my feet from my seat whenever the lesson got incredibly boring. We shared desks, and our classroom was the most tricked out trailer on the lot. It was a great school with excellent teachers despite the little resources we received from the state.

One day, I decided to ask my teacher why people went to college. She subsequently opened up a discussion in class and somehow, we all came to the conclusion that we wanted to attend college to develop a philosophy on life. In hindsight I doubt that a third grade class really knows what philosophy means, let alone a philosophy on life.

Fast forward to a few decades later. At any given moment I can go back and ask my parents, or any number of my peers (five of whom I reconnected with this last week!) and ask them that same question...and chances are, they'll tell me that they went to college to find a good job.

To some, a "good job" means a steady paycheck, a hefty paycheck or a prestigious title. To others it's a mean to an end...perhaps a good job that covers the bills and allows them to pursue their passion. (In LA I've happened upon a few actresses and artists who hold multiple jobs outside of their art.)

If you were to ask me, I've had a lot of great jobs -- a short stint in the military, a nursing assistant, a junior field archaeological assistant, video store clerk extraordinaire. To me, a "good job" was a temporary stepping stone to a great opportunity. After exhausting all of my other potential career avenues I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue my passion. I spent my college years carving out a niche while learning about the world around me and, most importantly, myself.

I was scared to pursue my dreams wholeheartedly because (sadly enough) I was uneducated about my prospects in the secretive, ominous job market that older people kept referring to. After conducting a copious amount of research I found that there were plenty of opportunities to pursue my dreams. After a few post-college "good jobs" I knew that I wanted to pursue the graphic + communication arts while helping make the world a better place. Enter The Rainmaker Network.

I haven't looked back since!

Post a comment and let me know what your dream job is. I'll try my best to get you there!

Today's blog for
How to Green & Further Your Career During Winter Break


A Green Resolution: Not Expensive, Not Difficult!

It's that time of year again where people spend thousands of dollars on resolutions that fall flat a few days into the New Year. Depending on your perspective, I've cleverly procrastinated this blog post to either 1) postpone my resolutions or 2)...postpone my resolutions.

Here are some relatively easy ones you can incorporate TODAY and not feel the pinch:

• Don't print emails unless absolutely necessary.
• Don't print paper proofs of any term papers or homework assignments. If you need some other people to proofread (we at the Rainmaker Network highly recommend it for those last minute term papers), password protect your work so that people can't openly plagiarize. A tutorial can be found at http://tinyurl.com/33h5ky
• Take it a step further: request that your professors receive term papers via email. Right now is an especially good time to convince them that receiving papers and homework assignments electronically is a great way to save paper, resources, time and money.
• Request that all of your appointments be held on campus and on the days you have classes. This is especially important if you are a commuter student. If you are involved with clubs and organizations that meet outside your normal school schedule, see if they wouldn't mind your presence at a meeting via Skype.
• Make carpool arrangements. It's as easy as asking around campus, utilizing free matching services online and networking. You can share the responsibilities, the gas bill, and the naps on the road.
• Take public transportation whenever you can, whether it's once a week or for one month straight. And, with all the money you save, reward yourself (with something sustainable and eco-conscious, of course!) or donate your savings to a good cause.
• Winter may be a bit chilly this year, but turning down your thermostat a few degrees will save you some change and save some energy.
  

Happy 2009 Rainmakers!

It's hard to imagine that 6 days of 2009 have already passed in the blink of an eye.

We at The Rainmaker Network are looking forward to an exciting 359 more days of the year...and we're looking to get started on the right foot. For the new year, our organization strives to develop more resources for students and partners -- not only online, either.

For those of you who are dying to meet us in person (who isn't?), we're scheduled to be on campus at CSU San Bernardino on January 20, 2009. We are the first lecturers at Senior Seminar, a series held annually for the CSUSB Department of Visual Art. For those of you who are not able to make the lecture but would still like to stay tuned...we are exploring our options on conducting a live-streaming Skype-cast.

Until then, you can catch us in between meetings and tea-time by calling us on Skype using the button below.