In fact our age bracket, 18-24, is this recession’s second hardest impacted demographic. The Department of Labor concluded that the unemployment rates of this age group is actually about 5% more than the current national average, sitting at around 15%.

But here’s the scariest part, the fact is that multiple students graduating this May that I’ve talked to have no clue what they are doing, “I think I’ll take some time off…figure it out”, or “I’ll probably just work at camp this summer”, seems to be two of the most popular given responses, but when it comes down to tackling that mountain of graduation debt, a good summer job would be a smart place to start.

Newly graduated students who haven’t been offered a spot in their career field right out of college however are not the only ones looking for these summer jobs, for it’s the teen demographic ages 16-19 whose unemployment rates are double the national average…and then some, sitting at about 21%. Hence a certain crowding out effect may be going on this summer when it comes to the job pool. So, here are 5 practical job options for those recent grads in “limbo”, and us college students looking to save up in the summer:

1. Internships and apprenticeships are the best thing a college student and post-grad can try to look for; they really are an investment in your future. Part of being a successful working person in the real world, however, is being able to be an advocate for yourself and a researcher. “A lot of organizations that offer these programs don’t advertise them,” says Tom Cath, director of Valparaiso University’s career center in Valparaiso, Indiana. Now we’ve done articles solely on unpaid internships, and how though the experience is great to have, at the end of the day making money is a necessity, so Cath came up with another idea as to if an unpaid internship is all you can get: stipend pay. “Ask for stipend parking, meals, or transportation. Also, ask your school for academic credit in return. That way you’re at least getting a little financial help.”

2. Cooperative Programs are specifically designed to allow student to make money as they are learning, called “co-ops” for short. (Understand that this specific option would be most helpful to the student still in college, and not specifically helpful to those graduation, but we’ve got more for you later!) The way these work is by allowing a student to attend school one full semester and then work a full-time job, paid, the following semester in a field related to their specific major of study. The benefits of a co-op are really two fold, for the National Commission for Cooperative Education reports that students on average participating earn more than the normal summer job, around $200-$1,167, but around 95% of co-op students will be guaranteed a job or find a job immediately following graduation.

3. Research Grants should also appeal to those students who have yet to graduate, but also those looking to go into graduate school following graduation. Available through colleges themselves as well as through private companies and governmental bodies, research grants can help students pay for college, and if it applies even room and board while they study. But if your interested in these you must get on the ball early, concludes director of career management at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota Cythia Favre. “Normally students start looking for jobs in April, but for these programs you have to start in February or March. For fall semester, they need to start looking the (spring) semester before.” And they best place to begin looking is right in your school, or private company or governmental body if you happen to be working and no longer receiving you education.

4. Caroline Ceniza-Levine, a career coach and founder of SixFigureStart consulting in New York City, says that there are a lot of current students who don’t take advantage of how easy and available work-study programs are. So to all returning students, here’s how they work: The jobs themselves range from assistant to manager to clergy work, now its important to remember that this rout will not make you rich, due to the fact that the pay is usually around or just about. According to the Department of Education the federal government currently allows students to earn up to $3,000 in income without it affecting their financial aid package.

5. “It’s really easy. Get off your (butt), walk outside and look around for what needs to be done,” says Cameron Herold, founder of the Vancouver-based corporate mentoring company Back Pocket COO, he presents our final option: Start your own business. “Forget showing up in a monkey suit from nine to five. Students who really want to make money this summer will start their own business”, says Herold, “Students don’t really need any money or special skills to do it. I paid my entire first year of college selling wineskins door to door.” People still need those mundane tasks done, whether it be picking up the dry cleaning, organizing businesses or homes, baby sitting, or maybe even teaching fairly simple skill you have tot an elderly or foreign person, working a computer for example, the possibilities are endless, and the best part is you get to pick your price!

Graduating into a time when the number don’t lie, 2.4 million full-time permanent jobs open and 14.5 million people officially unemployed, means that those graduating in 2010 will be competing with a number of experienced workers for the very few available job openings. So every fresh graduate need to make sure they ‘dot their I’s and cross their T’s because the “new rules” of the employment game say that employers have more choices now, so they get to be picky.

Laura Labovich, a career coach for the company Aspire! Empower! says, “Graduating students need to spend substantial time becoming an ‘insider’ in either a specific industry or a specific function through association membership, volunteerism, informational interviews, and more, and if that can’t be done, be smart enough to have a plan B. You may need to work along side the new sophomore or maybe even high-schooler at that typical summer job, but keep your head up, and stick to a plan, you’ve got no where to go but up. Congratulations to the class of 2010.

Last year labor commissioner of New York, M. Patricia Smith, ordered examinations convinced that certain internships were in direct violation of labor laws. Currently, Smith is working federally as the Labor Department’s highest law enforcement official, coupled with the wage and hour division, to increase regulation across the country regarding this issue

The unfortunate fact for regulators is that many interns are understandably worried to “spill the beans” on their employers for fear of word spreading, and other potential companies not wanting to hire them…especially in these economic times. This means for Patricia Smith however, that forming cases and implementing the enforcement necessary is going to be difficult. One way she has found to help regulate has been via education: to colleges, students, and corporations on the legalities of internships.

Nancy J. Leppink, current director of the wage and hour division of the Labor Department noted, “If you’re a for-profit employer or you want to pursue an internship with a for-profit employer, there aren’t going to be many circumstances where you can have an internship and not be paid and still be in compliance with the law.” There are six legal criteria, federally mandated, used to justify when an internship can be unpaid, unfortunately what Leppink found was that many employers in Oregon, California, and other states were not even paying the interns whose job descriptions didn’t line up with the criteria, and that’s simply illegal.

Career Development Center director, Lance Choy, at Stanford University noted that there really isn’t any body or count of the number of paid and unpaid internships in the country, but he has seen data showing that numbers of unpaid interns are on the rise. And how could they not be? Many students just want to get into their field, and gain some experience for their resume, and employers want to keep costs as low as possible.

It’s an unfortunate situation one that New York University student, Dana John, highlighted this with her own personal experience. She spent her summer internship doing office work, as opposed to learning the “hands on” education of music business. She said, “It would have been nice to be paid, but at this point, it’s so expected of me to do this for free. If you want to be in the music industry that’s the way it works. If you want to get your foot in the door somehow, this is the easiest way to do it. You suck it up.”

And clearly the music industry isn’t the only industry where these sorts of internships appear, in fact Choy noted that in the last two years, at Stanford alone, the number of unpaid internships versus paid has more than tripled. Obviously something needs to be done.

After all, many students are having a tough time paying for books and supplies, never mind the ever increasing cost of tuition, couple that with an unpaid summer and you’ve got a recipe for and economic disaster in thousands of college kids finances.

Employers, however, don’t want to be in hot water either, and have asked officials to revamp the current Labor Department’s criteria, seeing as they were all derived from a precedence set by the Supreme Court in 1947. Chicago attorney, Camille A. Olson, concluded, “One criterion that is hard to meet and needs updating is that the intern not perform any work to the immediate advantage of the employer. In my experience, many employers agreed to hire interns because there is very strong mutual advantage to both the worker and the employer. There should be a mutual benefit test.”

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As frivolous as an Irish hat or a novelty T-shirt might seem in this economy, Saint Patty’s Day sales aren’t down in the Windy City either.  Anne’s Irish Knits, an Irish sweater store in Evanston owned by Anne McKeown is staying “very busy” and Ann insists “that the holiday is definitely getting bigger.”
In fact, this year’s total retail spending for St. Patrick’s Day was estimated to be around $3.44 billion.  This is up from $3.29 billion last year according to the National Retail Federation. NRF spokeswoman Kathy Grannis concluded, “I think St. Patrick’s Day has become more popular among consumer retailers that use it as a way to put the merchandise out right after Valentine’s Day.”
Interestingly, specialty Irish merchants weren’t the only ones to benefit from this very green holiday.  Zazzle, a private web vendor of designed-to-order T-shirts saw an increase in sales, too, when they gave discounts on all holiday-themed slogan shirts.  They even threw in cheaper shipping…now that’s lucky! Marketing director Michael Karns said the company sold 100 percent more in green goodies this year than last, and “This is actually the second year in a row that we’ve had a pretty substantial effort on our Web site, we’ve definitely seen the popularity of St. Patrick’s Day take off!”

1: The Cover Letter: Don’t be so “vanilla.” Human Resource offices get hundreds and thousands of resumes a year, so the best thing to do is stand out…in the right way.
G. L. Hoffman, chairman of Jobdig.com recommends that people “Spend two hours going through the company’s website, executive LinkedIn profiles, blogs, and industry articles—before you even touch your résumé or cover letter.” Translation being, if you’re serious about wanting to be hired, then you need to be serious about the company. So many hopeful applicants send in a generic cover letter, when what companies really want to see is that you’re interested in them.

2: Body Language: Book smarts aren’t everything. Everything from small talk, to being aware of your surroundings, to proper posture, and eye contact are crucial.

Karen Burns, author of “The Amazing Adventure of the Working Girl: Real-life Career Advice You Can Actually Use,” says, “If you lack self awareness, it shows. And it doesn’t look good.”

3. DON’T Just Sit There: Volunteer.

Yes, so unemployment may be what’s in the cards right now for you, but you can make the best of it. Being out of a job isn’t the best of circumstances to be in, no doubt, but what it does provide is sizeable chunks of ‘resume-boosting time.’ Burns continued saying, “Volunteering tells potential employers that you are an energetic, compassionate person who, even when faced with problems of your own, found the wherewithal to help others, and that you didn’t let your skills go to waste.” This is a very appealing characteristic to potential employers.

4. DO Sweat the Small Stuff: Dot your “I’s” and cross your “T’s.

Alison Green, a hiring manager for a Washington-area nonprofit says, ”When you’re on a job search, a small blunder can take on far greater importance than it would in most contexts,” Green says. “Here’s what can happen in a hiring manager’s head when a job candidate makes a noticeable mistake: ‘She told me she was going to send me this writing sample Monday, but then she sent it on Tuesday without acknowledging the delay. This might be out of character for her; everyone screws up occasionally. But if I ignore this possible red flag and hire her, and then she turns out to be scattered and bad with deadlines, I’m going to be kicking myself for not having paid attention to this sign now.” This tip goes back  to Karen Burn’s advice on how important being self-aware is.  Whether you didn’t realize you were slouching or didn’t think getting valid, updated reference information was important, it is. Managers have no choice but to judge straight from first impressions, you only get one chance in the business world.

5. Stand Out: Tell them what they want to hear.

So many hopefuls don’t even realize how important standing out in a resume really is. Your resume is your only real place to show that you are different, that what you would bring to the table is unique, and most importantly that no one could do that job like you could. That being said, listing that you could complete the needed “x,y, and z” tasks isn’t sufficient. Green, a manager at askmanager.blogspot.com,  asks “Did you just go through the motions and turn in an acceptable, but not particularly star-quality, performance? Or did you do an unusually good job, one that impressed your boss and coworkers and made them devastated to lose you?”

6. Common Sense: It’s more than just looking the part.

The job might be great, but if you’re not the right fit, don’t waste your time (or theirs). Managers and hiring representatives receive hundreds of job applications and resumes from hopefuls who really have no business applying. Matching the job description is huge.  Green says, “If you don’t have an accurate understanding of what the job is all about, your opinion of how well-matched you are will be based on an erroneous foundation.”

7. Just Be Yourself: (Sort of).

Michael Wade, a management consultant, concludes that the average interviewer really dislikes interviewing. Who can blame them? They are asking the same questions over and over to complete strangers, there’s not really a comfortable element in there. Wade’s advice, “A job seeker can gain an edge by staying friendly, listening carefully, using body language to indicate amiability, and stressing that he or she gets along with colleagues.”

8. Have A Game Plan: A little planning never hurt anyone.

According to research done at the University of Missouri in 2008, after studying the 327 hopeful job seekers, from 20 to 40 years old, they concluded that, “following a plan from the start of a job search will significantly impact its success.” Curt Rosegren’s idea, a career coach, is very similar: processing goals are the key. These are not meant to be life-planning goals, but rather “roll up your sleeves and make it happen’ objectives.”

9. Pick Option C: Sometimes “A & B” simply wont work.

It’s obvious, in light of the recent economic downturn, that many employment fields were negatively affected. In saying that, however, there are still fields, such as the technology and healthcare areas that are thriving; Some are even doing better. Therefore, it may be time to break into a new field.  Suzanne Lucas, a human resources expert, supports this idea when she says, “If a position is hard to fill, they may be willing to hire you if you are willing to learn how to do the work, rather than requiring you to already be an expert.”

Of course, work is still going to be difficult to attain, but with these insider tips maybe you can catch the eye of one of those employers!

Macroeconomics: The first class on every business student’s checklist. In it, we learn the basic tenants of Economics- supply and demand curves, fiscal policy, what the term “GDP” actually means, and everything that falls in between. Perhaps one of the more important and most interesting lectures I remember was regarding economics’ history, specifically Keynes v. Friedman.

Whether you are fascinated by the business world and the history of economics or not, the theories proposed by Keynes and Friedman are all around you. Their tenants are debated, in some form or another, on Capital Hill every day. The Obama White House, for example, has recently come under a considerable amount of scrutiny from republicans, economists, and even some members of their own party. Why? , monetarist, author, and one of the most influential economists of the last 50 years explained in an interview with CNN’s Shawn Tully.

It’s either all right, or all wrong. This is the premise that Meltzer’s criticism of Obama’s financial decisions rests on. President Obama has frequently noted the thoughts of John Maynard Keynes as the basis of his monetary policies. One of Obama’s favorites: Keynes’s theory on hefty spending in regards to getting out of the recession. However, here in lies the problem for Britan’s famed economist. Obama’s White House is racking up huge debts, but failing to address the second part of Keynes’s model which states that if money is going to be dished out, there must be a plan to take care of it.

When asked what Meltzer believed Keynes’s opinion on the current administrations financial practices would be he responded,

“Keynes’s would roll over in his grave if he knew what was being done in his name…Keynes was opposed to large deficits, he believed they chilled rather than stimulated the economy. Today, deficits are getting bigger…with no plan to lower them. Keynes understood what the current administration doesn’t…that today’s debt increase must be paid in the future.”

Tully then asked one of the most obvious questions a true Keynesian would ask: “Wasn’t it Keynes himself who promoted temporary deficit spending during a recession?” His response, for anyone at all worried about the current administration’s practices was quite alarming. Meltzer said, “Keynes wanted deficits to be cyclical and temporary. He wouldn’t have been in favor of efforts to raise tax rates in a recession to eliminate deficits. He viewed that was suicidal. He…advocated running short term deficits to spur the economy.” Begging the question to even the most poorly informed of readers, “How exactly do the plethora of stimulus and deficits currently being proposed and ran by the Obama administration fit into Keynes plan?” Yet again, Meltzer doesn’t agree with the White House on this point. “ The type of stimulus he [Keynes] advocated was very specific. He said it should be geared towards increasing private investment…as opposed to big government spending as the source of job creation.” Another key point, “ The deficits should be self-liquidating…with higher revenues and lower outlays, the deficit would disappear.”

You don’t have to be an economist (or even a business major) to understand why the administration’s fiscal policies are under fire. Tully notes that you can’t run up a debt without a way to cover it. If the Obama administration is not following in the footsteps of their claimed “Keynesian foundation”, then what path are they following? The image of Keynes rolling over in his grave is not the most comforting to the average American…The bottom line is that Obama’s government has, even by Keynes standards gotten too over-zealous. If we are “redistributing income away from the people and companies who do the investing”, then we have potentially put ourselves in a very compromising situation.

Now, looking at the two options as variables, the later might change, be it baby sitting or working at a clothing store. However, the idea is that due to the current economic status more and more companies are only able to offer minimal to unpaid internships to prospective interns. And this is where the tough decision comes in.

Everyone knows college is expensive: books, tuition, travel, room and board, it’s as if the costs are endless, and only getting higher. North Parkers, have all of that plus the private school price on the tab, so what do we do? Well, we work. I think it is fair to assume, however, that the vast majority of college students are in school to do something more than flip burgers or manage a store in The Mall of America. Ironically we’re always told that those are the kind of jobs that won’t get us anywhere…but as they say, those are the jobs that “pay the rent”, or the tuition in this case.

The assumption, of course, is that the internship will lead to a real job offer, or at least get your name out there to those people that have the power to at least recommend you to others in the field. Annie did give two wise stipulations, the first being that it’s smart to make sure that the gig entails more than just getting coffee or picking up the dry cleaning. Second, one should look into whether or not your prospective “employer” ever hires past a summer internship, and if so how often it’s done. It may seem like, to the most practical or logical of students, that taking the money and running is the best idea. However, if reasons one or two (or both) apply, they should be taken with a grain of salt.

Two points on this case: First, college students need to really grasp the facts that internships are rare; having such a choice is a blessing in itself. This exact topic came up in a recent MSNBC article which concluded that not only are companies taking on less interns, but as a result of the current unemployment downturn there are large numbers of seasoned workers with multiple degrees biding for these same internships. So, it’s not so easy for the bright-eyed college students entering the workforce.

The second point, however, is a little more reassuring. For this we’ll look to the business practices of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Holly Paul, head of recruiting at PwC explained that the main purpose of an internship is to give companies the chance to see potential employees in action with the intent of screening who would benefit them as a full-time worker and who would not. Paul continued, saying, “We’ve worked hard over the past two years to create a program that gives interns a wide variety of experiences so we can clearly see how they will perform – and to show them enough of what we do so that they can decide whether we’re the right place for them, too.”

This year the firm will bring in 2,000 interns. While still high, this number is down 5% from 2009; The most the promising part of interning with a company like PricewaterhouseCoopers is their statistics on jobs offered to post-graduates. Around 70% of all new full-time employees at PwC start out as interns.

Realistically, though, not everyone will receive offers from a corporation like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Morgan Stanly, or other Fortune 500 companies, as internships there are considered to be in the top 10% of all programs. However, Holly Paul highlighted the most important part of the internship process in the later half of her quote when she noted that they wanted to make sure the company or career is the “right place for them too.” So, unless the internship offers you no opportunity to learn a skill or make it into a career path, money really should not be the primary factor in deciding on an internship or not. Remember, an internship should be looked at as a practical approach to potential decades of happiness in a job your passionate about, and that, in itself, is priceless.

Unemployment: Then: 6.4%, Now: 10.2%. Consumer Confidence: Then: 38.0%, Now: 82.5%. American’s Without Health Insurance: Then: 45.7 million, Now: 52 million. (Mark Murray MSNBC)

George W. Bush left 2009 with a 31% approval rating, a staggering 26% of the country satisfied with the nation’s direction, and all the ‘then’ statistics listed above in the care of the new “chosen one”, to fix and lead America into eight years of “happily ever after”. At some point America must realize most fairy tales don’t come true.

Case and point, no matter where you lie on the political spectrum, republican, moderate, or democrat, the numbers don’t lie. Obama made a plethora of admittedly much needed, honorable, but extremely large and arduous promises to pursue right of the bat. How’s he doing? According to a recent CBS news poll, mid January 2010 marked the first time the president’s approval rating dipped below the 50 % line to 46%, the principal issue for American’s being his means of handling of the economic recession, the ol’ bailouts and tax credits approach. Fast forward to the end of the month, after unveiling new initiatives in his State of the Union Address, America was presented with another hopeful attempt of fixing the most important ‘leg’ of the financial crisis, the unemployment rate.

According to a FOX News Business article, this past Friday Obama released his new plan: $33 billion in tax credits to help encourage small businesses into hiring more employees. This proposal would allow for a $500,000 each tax credit for each new worker hired this year, corporations however would be capped at $500,000 to help assure that most of the help would go towards small businesses. Shortly after Obama unveiled his newest plan, he spoke to plant workers in Baltimore saying, “The economy is growing but job growth is lagging…now is the perfect time for this kind of incentive.”

Most economist agree with Obama’s logic that a focus on small businesses is essential, as they are the largest source of employment, throwing money at the problem however, doesn’t guarantee employer confidence. And that’s just the issue, though the economy and GDP have began to grow again, companies are still apprehensive to end their hiring freezes; understandably most have zero confidence.

Obama hopes that this new tax credit proposal will work to nudge small businesses to begin hiring more, while consecutively lowering their taxes. If all goes as plans he estimated that over 1 million businesses could benefit.

Cyber Monday falls on the first working day after Thanksgiving; eager consumers begin to scrounge the internet for the best gifts with the best price tag, and this years Monday is no different. In fact, according to the industry group Shop.org, “roughly 45 percent of online retailers expect their holiday sales to increase this year by at least 25 percent compared with 2008.” The group continues concluding,” People view the Internet as the place to save money and find the best prices through comparison shopping.” And saving money, especially in light of our current economic state, is at the top of everyone’s list.

With country-wide unemployment rate at 10%, its no secret that this holiday season consumers are expected to spend even less that last season. The National Retail Federation ran the numbers finding that last year the amount of holiday spending totaled $705.01, this year the numbers expected to be around $682.74.

Interestingly enough, since 1999 internet sales have gradually increased. Newsweek reports that since then, the industry has increased from $4.6 billion to $31.5 billion reporting consistent 20 percent growth, decidedly due to the rise of companies like Amazon.com, eBay, and Overstock.com.

The premise behind why these online retailers have been able to be so successful may have something do with the fact that they are able to extend savings to shoppers with the money they are saving from a sizeable reduction in overhead costs. Shop.org reports that this Cyber Monday, 9 out of 10 online retailers planned to extend promotions from all day sales to no cost on shipping; about 15 percent of online business this year will wave the specific amount of money usually required to access free shipping privileges.

Another reason for the industry’s success is linked to their ability to capitalize on social networking sites popularity and mass audience. Twitter and Facebook have allowed companies like American Eagle, Gap, and Staples to circulate coupons and generate even more business. According to Shop.org’s executive director, “ social media stimulates sales and creates demand, it’s a great way to communicate with your customers.”

Andrew Lipsman, director of industry and analysis for the research firm ComScore reports that the best part of the online industry is that its success is seen throughout an entire month, rather than defined in just one day. He does concede that though Black Friday is a “cultural phenomenon”, it just may be time for a new tradition. So, next Thanksgiving, save braving the crowds and try on Cyber Monday for size!

According to the Collegeboard, North Park’s student body breaks down into the top 5 majors, Business/Marketing 18%, Health Professions14%, Education 9%, Communication Technologies 8%, and Biology 9%. So, how are we faring for the future workforce? A CNN Money report concludes: “remarkably well”.

Eight of the best ranked jobs of 2009 according to the article are all potential forms of employment linked to NPU’s top 5 majors. So, if you are a student about to jump into this understandably frightful and unpredictable workforce, take heart, there are still jobs out there with great pay and high growth expectancy. For example, students coming out with a business degree could look into becoming a CPA or sales director, ranked 6 and 10 on the list respectively. Those in the health care field have a plethora of options: Physicians Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, or Physical Therapist show extremely favorable futures as they are numbers 2, 4, and 7 on the list. College professor fills spot number 3 to accommodate the education requirement, and IT Project Manager and Network Security Consultant round out the list under Communication Technologies given to slots 5 and 8.

Now, if staying in Illinois is a top priority, Fortune 500 has a list for you. Archer Daniels Midland, State Farm Insurance Cos., Boeing, Walgreen’s, Caterpillar, Sears Holdings, and Kraft are ranked between numbers 27-53 on the Fortune 1000 listing as the 7 most successful and best corporations to work for locally. But, if food processing, insurance, planes, retail, or construction don’t do it for you, perhaps take a look at the complete Forbes 500 and see what it’s got to offer. Mega-merchandiser Wal-Mart and computer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard come in at number 2 and 9 in terms of sheer gross revenue adjusted for excise taxes, aka which companies are making the most bank.

Interestingly enough, both Wal-Mart and Hewlett-Packard have released plans to reverse the hiring freeze in effect by so many corporations and keep themselves on the map. Wal-Mart is looking for employees for new locations, human resource managers, pharmacists and customer service associates, according to the New York Times. The merchandiser is looking to fill over a thousand positions through next year. Similarly, Hewlett-Packard is hiring in human resources, research and development, marketing and finance.

Through just two examples of some 28 ranked companies that have revealed plans to hire through April of 2010, just about every major of North Park’s graduates is being represented. So, don’t get too sidetracked, grads, at our economies state– finish strong and go get those jobs!

Women have come quite a ways. You wouldn’t be mistaken if you made this statement, however, an equally true statement is that women still have a long way to go. 1998 was the year the first “50 Most Powerful Women” list was published, and during that year, only 2 of the women on that list ran Fortune 500 companies, while 13 do, now.

While progress should always be recognized, from this statistic alone, it’s still looking pretty lonely up there at the top of the list. Dr. Ilene H. Lang, president of Catalyst, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization that studies women at work, concludes there are a few reasons to explain this reality. Firstly, the ideology of women in the work force has advanced, undoubtedly, but there are still ever present “environmental and cultural barriers for women in the work force”. Secondly, partially because of the first reason, there are not many businesswomen role models, therefore “the path for women to get to the top”, according to Bonnie W. Gwin, president for the Americas at executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, “isn’t quite easy or clear.” Thirdly and perhaps most interestingly, is a theory held by Rebecca Shambaugh, president and CEO of a leadership consulting firm.

Her theory says that women will sometimes keep themselves down by stating, “there is not necessarily a glass ceiling, but sometimes a sticky floor, it’s the fear of the unknown.” So, how do we quell this problem? By accepting that one woman, movement, or organization cannot change centuries and decades of thought that have gone into shaping the opinion of women in the highest aspects of the work force, but rather doing something about the variable we can have control over, education. Interestingly enough, women account for roughly half of the workforce, but only one third of graduate business schools, according to Forté Foundation.

The Forté Foundation began in 2001 with the singular purpose of changing that statistic. Their mission statement of sorts is simple: challenge more women to get MBA’s and give them information on how to achieve it. Perhaps even more interesting is that the Forté Foundation is supported by 21 companies, from Goldman Sachs to American Express to Avon and IBM, plus around 40 business schools. The foundation is holding rounds of conferences in 5 major cities to discuss and answer questions on topics ranging from the financial aspects of getting an MBA to the academic levels in mathematics.

For example, mathematics are required in graduate school and every student needs to learn how to do well in them.  Elissa Sangster, Forté’s Executive Director, concluded that an MBA is really “an investment for life,” for with an MBA you are given a comprehensive skill set and networking privileges that will give you access to people who will only look to further and support your future career. Moreover, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics has found generally the more education a person has, the less likely they are to be unemployed– how true is this,  even in our frail economy?

Currently, the unemployment rate is around 10%, but for those with a master’s degree, it’s a mere 2.4%, quite an astonishing number.  Dr. Lang’s Catalyst organization did the math recently and found that in the current recession, 19% of women lost their jobs, but only 6% of men found themselves unemployed. Her response to this was that women typically do not have the dynamic professional networks that their male co-workers possess. And what would help to bolster change in this regard? Perhaps getting that MBA, (we can do it!)

Now it’s not to say regulation hasn’t been discussed, some would even venture to say the topic is over discussed, with only a minimal to mediocre outcome. If your thinking happens to fall within these terms, take heart, you’re not alone.

Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, challenged Congress this past Friday to pass legislation to ensure that all precautions to defend against a second financial crisis will be taken. Simply put, his proposal prompted Congress to move toward an over hall of the current regulatory system.

Here’s where this “too much, or not enough of a good thing” comes into play. It’s no secret that some type of regulatory reform was needed after the near collapse of the economy at the end of 2008. The American people spoke, and wanted a reform that would uphold the rights of everyday consumers, but also protect against and prevent the scandalous practices that caused this current fiscal predicament.

In response, President Obama in June of 2009 attempted to successfully quell both major concerns through two means. First, we’re re reminded of the phrase, “too big to fail”. This theory probed his proposal to give the Federal Reserve Board even more oversight with financial giant’s whose potential monetary issues would create giant liabilities for the U.S. economy. Second, an organization called the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) would be created. The CFPA would act as a new tool to regulate by extracting certain privileges from current agencies’ to supervise types of consumer debt.

Bernanke however, has continually put himself at odds with the Obama administration regarding the CFPA. This past July, Bernanke told the Senate Banking Committee that he believed the Fed had “the necessary expertise that would be difficult to replicate” when asked about the creation of this new agency. Clearly, his opinion has not changed.

Upon speaking to Congress last week Bernanke called for a mechanism of sorts. This would promote and foster improved procedures for regulators to track, and hopefully foresee dangers within the economic system. He likened it to the relationship seen between the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and what they do for troubled banks.

Ultimately, though Bernanke may win points with his argument that the Fed has a firm monopoly on knowledge when it comes to regulation, all one has to do is look back to last fall and suddenly his organizations credibility is jilted. It was after all, the Federal Reserve that allowed for these problems to occur, which consequently lead to the unchecked financial crisis.

The battle for who will get to determine what the Regulatory System will look like and what it will do is still being fought. For now American’s will just have to wait and see whose win it will be.

According to abcnews.com, the Credit Card Act of 2009 that goes into effect in February will restrict anyone under 21 from getting a credit card. The two exceptions to this are having a parent, guardian, or spouse co-sign, or if the underage person has proof of sufficient income to cover their credit obligations.

Connie Prater, a senior writer for creditcards.com, says that the law is an attempt to help young people avoid accumulating debt early in their lives. Although paying your credit card bill seems like a pretty basic task, most young people do not.

A Sallie Mae study showed that 84 percent of college undergrads have a credit card and, on average, half of undergrads have four or more credit cards.

Only 17 percent of these undergrads said they pay their bill(s) in full each month, leaving the remaining students with balances and accumulating monthly finance charges on those balances.
The same study found that the average credit card debt of students, not including loans, is just under 3,000 but it is much more in many cases.

The problem with credit cards is that it is much easier to spend your money. You do not see the physical cash going out of your pocket and may not realize how much money you have spent until your bill comes. In the respect that it is preventing students from accumulating extra debt early in life, this law is a good idea.

However, as good of an idea as it may be, many people are opposed to such a law. Prater said that many students who are 20, financially independent, and living independently are being treated like children even though they are responsible adults.

Others who are opposed say that not all people under the age of 21 have someone who can co-sign due to their own poor credit or debt. Still others say that having credit more difficult to obtain will harm students as good credit is a “backbone” to getting everything from a car to a job.

You may want to consider the great responsibility that comes with a credit card before rushing to apply for one, but it may be beneficial for you to get a credit card before February 2010.
Here are some helpful websites for those of you considering applying for a credit card before it is too late:

• pbs.org/yourlifeyourmoney
• feedthepig.org
• foolproofme.com

1. Indianapolis. Home to the Indy 500 and the Indiana State Fair.  Good news for business majors – according to factmonster.com the financial sector in Indianapolis is growing rapidly.
2. Philadelphia. Here you will find a number of professional sports teams and their famous cheese steak.
3. Baltimore.  Located right on the East Coast, Baltimore is famous for its crabs.  It is also home to the Orioles and the Ravens, for you sports fans.
4. Cincinnati.  Home of the oldest baseball team: the Reds. Cincinnati is also home to the third largest Oktoberfest in the world.
5. Cleveland.  If you love music Cleveland is a great city.  This city is home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and one of the best symphony orchestras in the nation.
6. New York.  Home to Lady Liberty, Ellis Island, and the great New York Yankees.  It is also a great city for theater and the arts.
7. Phoenix.  If you drive just a few hours north of here you will wind up at the Grand Canyon, a natural wonder of the world.
8. Denver.  The mile high city.  Beautiful scenery and a great place for those of you who love outdoor winter sports.
9. Chicago.  Do you really need much of an explanation here?  Hopefully after your time at North Park you will know if this is your kind of place to settle.
10. San Antonio. Home of the Alamo and less than an hour away from Schlitterbahn, the world’s best water park.

If none of these sound appealing to you head to findyourspot.com.  This website gives you a quiz based on eight categories and comes up with a list to your 24 best cities in which to live.

The unemployment rate for 20-24 year-olds was fourteen percent this past March, up nearly five percent from a year before that.  This rate has probably gone up since March, considering that the total unemployment rate has reached a twenty six year high of 9.8 percent (15.1 million people). 

In addition to the 15.1 million Americans who are out of work, 9.2 went from full to part time status.  Although the unemployment rate is still expected to go up as the nation enters recovery, it will all come to an end…eventually.

So what does the market look like for the juniors and seniors who will be graduated in less than two years?  I decided to save you all some time and research unemployment rates in the most popular North Park states.

Beginning with Minnesota, I get this feeling that approximately 90 percent of the student body is a native of this lovely state.  Ok well, maybe that number is a little exaggerated, but this one is not: eight percent.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an eight percent unemployment rate in the state of Minnesota. 

This is almost two percent lower than the national rate, so some of you may want to consider going home, eating some bars, and finding a job.  At least you’ll be well fed and in better luck than most.

Bad news for those of you from the “high five of America,” Michigan: your home state has the highest unemployment rate out of all the others.  With 15.2 percent unemployed, at least you will have a good chance of finding someone to hang out with if your job prospects don’t work out.

If you want to stick around the state of Illinois maybe you should reconsider some near-by alternatives.  The unemployment rate in Illinois is an even ten percent.  However, if you head an hour or so North to Wisconsin you will be greeted with only 8.8 percent unemployment.  Or, you could head several hours West to Iowa, where unemployment is only 6.8 percent. 

The West Coast has varying unemployment rates.  Those headed back to California or Oregon may want to reconsider, the unemployment rate is 12.2 percent in both states.  If you are dead set on the West Coast, head to Washington where the employment rate is 9.2 percent, which is under the national rate.  Maybe having a job will make up for the fact that it rains nearly 364 days out of the year.

If you wanted to meet half-way between here and the West Coast you might end up in North or South Dakota, the two states with the lowest unemployment rate in the nation.  You will be greeted with only 4.3 percent unemployment in North Dakota and 4.9 percent in South Dakota.  I do not know much about these states, but maybe you could find your calling there.

Other than the Dakotas and sub-zero temperatures north of here, the East Coast is the place to go.  This has nothing to do with the fact that I was born and raised in the state of New York, it is based strictly on facts.  New York’s unemployment rate is currently at 9 percent.  Massachusetts has a rate of 9.1 percent and Maine is down at 8.6 percent.  In Connecticut it is only 8.1 percent.  And good news to those of you headed home to New Hampshire after graduation: the unemployment rate is only 6.9 percent. 

So there you have it North Park, the facts to help you make some educated decisions.  Keep in mind that there is more to a state than its unemployment rate.  So if you can find something else that’s good in North Dakota, go for it!  I, however, will not be following suit.

The official website of Chicago 2016 gives its visitors an opportunity to take a virtual tour of the sites for the 2016 Olympics throughout Chicago.  It looks pretty sweet – archery and marathons near Buckingham Fountain, rowing and canoeing in Monroe Harbor, eleven different sports under a single roof at McCormick place, and track and field events in Jackson Park.  After watching the tour, I was ready to become an active advocate for Chicago 2016.

Aside from everyone thinking how cool it would be to host the Olympics, it is important to look at what it would mean for Chicago economically.  The effects of hosting the Olympics are many.  There are a lot of people who, with very good reasons, feel very strongly on both sides.

The committee who wrote the plan for Chicago 2016 estimates an economic impact of over twenty-two billion dollars between the years 2011 and 2021.  Studies have been done by outside firms in an effort to confirm this number, yet most other estimates fall between four and five billion as the net effect of the Olympics.  Regardless, this is a huge number. 

The Olympics would also bring a variety of jobs to Chicago as the city would prepare for, and host, the games.  An Economic Impact Analysis reports that the equivalent of 315,000 full time jobs for one year would be created in the eleven years surrounding the games.  The Chicago planning team posted a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ saying that at least ten percent of those jobs would go to minority or low to moderate income workers.

Other positive outcomes of hosting the Olympics include restoration of venues, promotion of neighborhoods, and “no direct displacement.”  Mayor Daley also assured residents that city dollars would not be used to pay for the Olympics.  Jonathan Fanten, president of the MacArthur Foundation, states, “There is no doubt that hosting the Olympics would bolster Chicago’s standing as a global city.” 

The opposing side’s argument is just as convincing.  Those against Chicago hosting the Olympics cite the more recent Athens games in 2004 and Atlanta in 1996.  Both cities remain virtually unchanged, other than a couple extra venues around the city, many of which remain unused yet still require millions of dollars to keep running.  

Many think that the money being spent on the Olympics would be better spent elsewhere.  While this argument may seem like a moo point, because Mayor Daley stated that none of the city’s money would go to pay for the Olympics, it is not.   It is important to mention that a 500 million dollar guarantee from the city was signed as insurance against overfill expenses.  

Although the Chicago 2016 has a goal for no direct displacement, displacement will occur.  It is inevitable.  Bronzeville families will suffer as an area where new housing will be developed and transformed into an Olympic Villiage .

Others are worried about harming historic locations throughout the city.  The architecture on the Michael Reese Campus was designed by Walter Gropius, a legendary architect.  New venues pose a threat to existing buildings.  Also, Washington Park holds historical value and has landmark status.  Building a “temporary” track and field stadium would take away from this. 

The 315,000 jobs to be created are great for eleven years, but then what?  Those jobs become obsolete once construction ends and the Olympics have left the city.  All the people who were happily employed for this period are then left to find new work, which won’t be easy to find with 314,999 others in the same position. 

In the end, there is no concrete answer.  The benefits to hosting the Olympics are many – who does not want more jobs, improved neighborhoods, and restored parks?  However, we must not forget the thousands in Bronzeville who will be displaced so that Olympic Village can be built.  The decision is no longer in our hands; if the bid is given to Chicago, Mayor Daley will gladly begin preparations. 

The current recession started in December 2007.  A recession is defined as two or more consecutive quarters of decline in the GDP.  For those of you who think I just started writing in another language, a recession is when the value of all the goods and services produced in the United States goes down for two three-month periods in a row. 

The past nearly two years have been the worst our country has seen in decades.  The unemployment rate has risen to 9.7 percent, the highest it has been in twenty six years.  In the city of Chicago, unemployment is over 10%.  For the people who have felt this effect of the recession, the notion of an end is a gift from above. 

Unfortunately, the employment situation will get worse before it gets better.  The unemployment rate is predicted to rise above ten percent.  It is said that it will take up to four years before the rate drops back to the normal five percent range.  With this in mind, Bernanke cautions that the pain will persist.

Recovery is being weighed down by several factors.  The real estate market is still a mess, rates are still falling and some predict that it will continue to fall until next summer.  Michael Williams, Dean of the graduate business school at Touro College, uses this as evidence that the recession will be prolonged. Also, it is still very difficult to get credit; this is discouraging spending, and people are still trying to reduce their debt.  Households are still being cautious - they are spending less and saving more.

Obama has urged Congress to enact legislation to prevent a similar disaster from occurring in the future.  He is pushing for this to be done this year.  Bernanke states, “I feel confident that a comprehensive reform will be forthcoming.” 

The good news is that Bernanke is technically right.  Recovery has indeed begun and growth is occurring.  The economy in the United States has increased 3-4 percent this quarter (the months of July, August, and September).  Only time will tell how long it is until our country is back to normal, but at least our country’s economy is growing…for now.