What are you doing?

That’s the Twitter question and you have 140 characters to answer it.

When the Twitter microblogging launched, I was incredulous.  Who really needed to know what I was doing at any given moment?  Why would I want to know what others were doing?  140 characters?  Give me a break.  I didn’t see a big future for Twitter.  It seemed like a fun new toy for the blogging-addicted, but little more.

Obviously, my social media prognostication missed the mark by several million users.  Twitter has gone from being “the next big thing” to “the current big thing”.  People are using those 140 characters per entry to network and to communicate on a variety of topics.  I initially gave up on Twitter after a few days worth of experimentation soon after its introduction.  Now, I can’t imagine not spending a little time there on an every day basis.

Twitter is a true multi-purpose platform.  Some users are there to gripe about life.  Others write haiku.  You have the politicals, the sports nuts and the kids just looking for another way to stay in touch.  You also have professionals who are using Twitter to share insights and to network with one another.

And that leads us right to the story of Alexa Scordata.  She was looking for a job.  She made connections on Twitter.  She asked if anyone was hiring.  They were.  Alexa will undoubtedly be at the office tomorrow.  She turned microblogging into employment.

As layoffs increase, firings mount and hiring remains all but frozen, those in need of gainful employment need to use every tool they can to find opportunities.  The massive reach of Twitter has created a new way to network, gather job leads and (as in Alexa’s case) find a job opening.

So, what’s the trick to finding a job via Twitter?  There really isn’t a single trick.  It’s actually more a matter of using the site in the right way while keeping your mind on your end objective (employment) throughout the process.

That means you’ll want to go with a good handle (your name and/or profession can work) instead of busting out something along the lines of MrFantasticPants007.

It also means following leaders in your field and providing your audience of followers with top-notch information and material.  Lindsay Olson, a professional recruiter who uses Twitter to find potential hires explains, “”I would rather see someone who posts good-quality information than what they had for lunch”

Finding work via Twitter isn’t simply a matter of straightforward self-promotion.  In fact, that mindset can actually lead a person in the wrong direction.  This online social space is best used as a means of establishing “brand”, making real connections and providing others with something they can use.

That’s what Alexa apparently did.  Obviously, it worked.

If you’re interested in pursuing employment options via Twitter, you might find these resources valuable:

Leverage Twitter for Your Job Search. ProBlogger Darren Rowse cranked out a winner that covers the stories of three different individuals who found jobs via Twitter and that offers a list of strategies you can use to get the most out of your Twitter-based job search.

The Beginner’s Guide to Finding a Job with Twitter. This post provides a great 20-point plan for using Twitter as  job search tool.  Jason Share covers the use of Twitter from cradle to grave.  His recommendations can make even the greenest Twitter novice look like a suave pro.

The Pell Grant has been a flagship federal college education funding program for years. A Pell Grant, unlike a guaranteed federal student loan, is outright aid that doesn’t require a dime of repayment. Pell Grant awards have helped literally tens of thousands of Americans to receive higher educations that they may not have otherwise been able to afford.

Pell Grants are awarded on the basis of the student’s financial needs after the calculation of an “expected family contribution”, or EFC. Basically, the government determines how much a family should be willing to pay toward the student’s education and subtracts that some from the maximum Pell Grant award level.

Unlike student loans, which are eventually repaid, the “free” nature of Pell Grant money would make the program seem vulnerable to political pressures in an era where entitlements are scrutinized and spending is closely watched. Either due to its value or the political risks associated with trimming the program, however, the grants find a way to survive through every legislative session.

Even though Congress was in a cost-cutting mood when creating the most recent spending bill, the Pell Grant program escaped unscathed. In fact, the award levels for 2009 are actually marginally higher in both versions of the spending bill than those for 2008.

The increase will amount to less than $200 even under the most optimistic scenario and that bump probably doesn’t even allow the awards to keep up with constantly climbing tuition rates.

That means the increases aren’t as high as some would have liked. Angela Peoples, speaking as the Legislative Director for the United States Student Association expressed the cautiously optimistic perspective many have toward the grant program’s immediate future, stating “We would have liked to see more increases, but we appreciate the levels recommended so far.”

The award level still falls short of $5,000. That makes a Pell a great tool in making college more affordable, but something far short of a complete answer in terms of putting a higher education in reach of everyone.

That’s why experts like Tally Hart, the Financial Aid Director at The Ohio State University would like to see even bigger increases. Hart remarked, “”While I’d love to say ‘double it,’ I think that’s probably unrealistic. I think more realistic would be increases in the $2,000 to $3,000 range for the largest Pell Grant recipients.”

Those favoring increases in Pell Grants may have a new friend in Washington. Although there’s no indication that Barack Obama would double Pells in the way Hart might like, there’s little doubt that he’d be amenable to considering increases.

Obama’s first major bill as a Senator, in fact, was a 2005 measure that aimed to increase Pell Grant awards. While on the Presidential campaign trail, Obama advocated “eliminating subsidies to lenders and pushing all borrowing into the direct lending program. He said that eliminating subsidies would allow for a significant boost in support for Pell Grants.”

Obviously, our economy has undergone some significant changes since the Democratic primaries and there will undoubtedly be a variety of policy areas that Obama and his Administration will address differently than they may have originally planned. Nonetheless, it appears as though the Pell Grant program will remain a functioning component of the federal student aid regime and there’s a great deal of evidence to support the prediction that the program will actually be strengthened and enlarged.

If you’re planning to enroll in college and are able to demonstrate financial need, you don’t need to worry too much about the longevity of the Pell Grant. All indicators point toward maintaining the policy through 2009 and well beyond.

It doesn’t take a Harvard MBA to figure out how to improve your financial well-being.  In fact, even becoming rich isn’t that complicated.  The process is downright simple.

Spend less than you make.  Invest the excess intelligently.  Maintain the pattern.

That’s right, becoming wealthy is a matter of three core principles.

The last component, which is really a matter of discipline, doesn’t get as much attention as it probably should.  That’s because it’s less about crunching numbers and explaining processes as it is about making a personal decision to manage your finances correctly.  It’s more a matter of psychology than one of finance.

The second component, smart investing, gets a lot of attention.  Everyone is looking for an edge and wants to find the best ways to put their money to work.  There is no shortage of investment advice.  We cover some of those issues here, and so do countless other analysts, advisers and finance-related resources.

The first component presents a very interesting case.  Spending less than you make actually involves two separate, but equally important, variables.  It’s a matter of expenses and income.

While the world at large is happy to offer up all sorts of advice about how to make more money (much of it little more than crazy schemes and pipe dreams that form the basis of bad late night infomercials), you don’t see that much of it in the realm of serious personal finance advice.

Instead, there’s a focus on economizing.  You’ll find much more wisdom (and craziness, for that matter) about cutting costs than you will about generating more income.  When you remove investment advice from consideration, there’s very little real discussion about how to make more money.

Why is that?  What’s the cause of that imbalance?

First, the highly individualized nature of earnings makes it difficult to offer solid “make more” advice.  What might work for someone who’s working in pharamaceutical sales is unlikely to have a great deal of transferability to someone who’s working the night shift in a retail environment.  You can’t really explain how doctors can make more money and hope it resonates with contractors.  Sure, there are some common principles, but individualization really reduces levels of applicability.

Economizing, on the other hand, is something everyone can do.  The CEO of a company can cut down on gasoline use by checking her tire pressure.  So can a plumber.  It doesn’t matter if you own a professional sports franchise or if you sell popcorn at the game, using the library is going to be cheaper than going to Barnes & Noble.  You get the idea.  Economization is universal, earnings are individual.

That’s a sound reason for those in the personal finance niche to focus more on cost-cutting measures.  However, I think we sometimes run the risk of neglecting earnings.  Even if universally applicable advice isn’t available, encouragement and reminders are.

You work on both sides of the equation in order to live within your means, which will then set you up to do what it takes to insure your financial well-being.  You can spend less.  You can also earn more.

That bears repeating.  You can earn more.  A commenter at Free Money Finance correclty observed:

So many people say “live within your means, don’t spend more than you earn” is that discounting you life or restricting you from feeling the fullfilment of dreams. I agree with the putting a bit of the $$$ away into forms of investment and continue growing future wealth. The problem I have, is with the thinking that people are restricted to how much they can earn. There are so many possibilities for motivated individuals to create opportunities for themselves.

So, while you’re spending time poring over your budget and researching investment opportunities, make some space for thinking about your earnings situation, too.  Making money is no more difficult than spending less of it.  Economizing is great.  If you do it well, you can be on your way to a fantastic financial future.  Imagine what you could do (and how much more quickly you could do it) if you were coupling those cost savings with an improved income?

US unemployment rates are higher than usual and there’s little reason to believe that trend will reverse itself any time soon.  We’ll see a new jobs report today that shows an additional upswing in unemployment and the folks at Goldman Sachs are predicting a 9% jobless rate by the fourth quarter of next year.

In light of that creepy news, plenty of people are beginning to worry about their personal job security.  The idea of losing your income is frightening and it leads many to wonder what they can do to protect themselves from unemployment.  Is there anything you can do to keep your job at a time like this?

Many people will tell you that you can save your job.  They’ll offer a series of recommendations designed to keep you firmly entrenched in your existing position while others line up at the unemployment office.  Some of their suggestions include:

Be a darn good employee. You’re less likely to lose your job if you’re really, really good at it.  It’s hard to fire the person who works the hardest.  If you’re making money for the company, the company will want to keep you.  So, working like mad, showing up early, staying late, and doing all of the things that a perfect employee would do should insulate you from job loss.

Become indispensable. If the company can’t operate without you, they can’t can you.  If replacing you would cause undue stress and turmoil or would involve massive expense or reorganization, you can feel secure in your position.  Even the dumbest manager won’t yank the engine out of car, right?

Get smarter and smarter. Make sure you’re well-informed.  Take advantage of training opportunities.  Sneak off to night school and get that BA you bailed out on a semester early.  Collect initials behind your name and framed certificates and credentials for your office wall.  They won’t can the smart ones.  The smart ones keep their jobs.

Those are three examples of decent advice about keeping your job.  If you’re a good worker who is critical to daily operations with a high level of industry knowledge and training you’ll be less likely to see the ax at your throat than if you’re a lazy non-contributor whose sole source of education involves losing those electronic trivia games at the neighborhood bar.

However, you shouldn’t believe that doing these things will bulletproof you.  If your company is in all-out, panic-driven, hysterical, on-the-brink-of-going-under cost-cutting, being a marginally better cubicle dweller than the guy next to you probably isn’t going to give you a lot of security.

Plus, being indispensable is easier said than done.  Plenty of people have believed that they had nothing to fear as the HR department’s grim reaper roamed the halls, only to find themselves filling out unemployment benefit forms the next afternoon.  Most of us believe we’re a little more important than we actually are.  Everyone is replaceable and even if they weren’t, it requires a tremendous leap of faith to think that the hiring/firing decision makers will recognize the difference between the must-haves and the optionals.

And more than one cardboard box has been lugged home weighted down with framed diplomas.  Being the smartest guy or gal  in the room can’t hurt you all that much, but sheepskins won’t stand in the way of the unemployment guillotine.  Sometimes, it seems like a good idea to can Mr. or Ms. Smartypants in order to cut costs or to make sure that there isn’t someone “too smart” around to see what’s actually happening in a troubled work environment.

The moral of the story?  It’s three-fold.

First, have a Plan B.  Set aside some cash to hold you over if you get the ax and have some idea of where you might go if you’re the recipient of a pink slip.  Escape from Corporate America reminds us:

So yes, you should keep performing well. This is no time to slack off. But stop gossiping, worrying, and biting your nails. Instead, use your spare time to step up your passive job search efforts and start looking for your next position. Even if you don’t end up needing a new job, it’s always a good idea to keep your options open.

Second, realize that there are certain things that you simply cannot control.  You can influence your employment situation, but you can’t control it outright.  There are larger forces at play and unless you’re the person on top of the corporate flowchart, you don’t wield the power necessary to guarantee continued employment for yourself.

Joyce McGreevy from Salon wrote an excellent article about how all of the things you’re supposed to do to avoid downsizing don’t always work.  Although “How to Keep Your Job” is over ten years old, it’s very timely reading today:

Remember, once you have a job, keeping it is easy. Just be a team player, stand out from the pack, put on a happy face, look serious, be innovative, don’t rock the boat, consider all options, stay focused, communicate openly, keep your own counsel, treat your staff like family, keep your personal life out of the workplace, swim with the sharks and keep your powder dry.

I’m “hot for teacher”, but in a strictly financial sense.

If I could give people a one-word recommendation for their own financial success and that of their children it would be “education”.

Education is a great thing on a variety of levels, of course.  Education correlates to better health and longer life.  There’s also that very true thing about the way knowledge enriches your life.  Even if a good education didn’t put a dime in your pocket it would have tangible and intangible advantages that made it worthwhile.

But it’s also a massive winner in personal finance terms.

I just took a look at BizJournal’s list of the 20 highest-paying occupations.  All of the usual suspects are there–CEOs, lawyers, doctors, engineers, dentists, etc.–and almost all of the jobs have one thing in common.  They come with significant educational requirements.

The power of education isn’t just in its ability to land you a gig as a commercial pilot or an optometrist, though.  There’s more to it than that.  It’s not just a matter of hooking up with one of those top-20 jobs.  The correlation between education and earnings remains strong across the board.

According to a Census Bureau study, education really matters.  According to an article addressing the Bureau’s work, “In 1999, average annual earnings ranged from $18,900 for high school dropouts to $25,900 for high school graduates, $45,400 for college graduates and $99,300 for the holders of professional degrees (medical doctors, dentists, veterinarians and lawyers).”

If you do the math, a person with a Master’s degree is going to make a whopping $1.3 million dollars more than a high school graduate, on average, over the course of a lifetime.  Not interested in a grad school stint?  You still shouldn’t skip the undergrad experience.  State Farm insurance states, “According to The College Board, college graduates earn 80% more on average than high school graduates.”

Obviously, even an education obtained at the most expensive schools would still offer an amazing return in financial terms.

That’s why anyone who’d like to see their earnings increase should consider advancing their education.  If you dropped out once upon a time, find a way to get back into class.  The stigma of the “non-traditional student” is all but gone and most schools offer flexible programs designed to assist those who have adult responsibilities to manage while trying to complete their educations.

If you finished your education and have a degree, consider going back for more.  Gabby Hyman, in an article sponsored by the Keller School of Management offers:

The facts are clear: to make the most money, no matter your chosen field, hitting the books helps. Once upon a time, holding a bachelor’s degree and landing a job with a solid employer meant life-long career stability. In today’s world, ongoing job training, the pursuit of advanced degrees and leapfrogging from company to company–or starting your own business–are hedges against an uncertain professional existence. When it comes to earnings and education, more is better.

There are a couple of lessons to glean from all of this.  First, if you have a chance to go to school, do it.  Second, if you have children one of the best things you can do is to encourage them to get a solid education–and prepare to help them, if necessary, to pay the bills associated with it.

Let’s play with that $1.3 million dollar figure for a moment to underline what a great deal education really is.  This is what that really means to an eighteen year-old potential college frosh:

Let’s say that a four-year undergraduate degree and two years of grad school will cost a whopping $120,000.  That accounts for $20K per year in tuition.  Let’s also make the very generous assumption that our hypothetical student will need another $120,000 in loans or other spending to make ends meet while studying.  We’re going to tack another $150,000 onto that total by making the probably-unrealistic assumption that he or she could be making $25K per year somewhere out in the workforce if he or she wasn’t going to school.

Total “cost”:  $390,000

Compare that to $1,300,000.

The educated hypothetical student is still going to be about $1 million dollars ahead when the dust settles–even when using inflated cost projections.  And he or she is also going to live a longer and fuller life.

Education is an amazing investment.

I am excited to start writing for Personal Finance Analyst!  Through this site, I look forward to sharing personal stories and my outlook on financial situations facing many of us today.

In the past, I’ve owned and managed two small businesses.  One I sold when I married, the other was sold when my husband and I decided to move to Arizona.  The businesses gave me experience in marketing, budgeting, employee management and time management. This experience has proved useful even though we no longer have those small businesses.

Currently, my husband works as a salesman earning 100% commission and I am a freelance writer.  Over the years I have learned to carefully budget and stretch our dollars to cover the lean times.  I will share many of these strategies through future posts.

I consider it my responsibility to manage my family’s money to the best of my ability.  I also want to share what I’ve learned with others to help them make the most of their family’s money.  I plan to provide plenty of good ideas to the readers of this blog.  I will focus on specific topics during the week, as follows:

Mondays — General Money Savings Tips
Tuesdays — Real Estate Issues
Wednesdays — Frugal Grocery / Meal Ideas
Thursdays — Kids and Money
Fridays — Current Affairs / Financial News

I’ll get started tomorrow with a few great money saving ideas as we head into the holiday season!

Well, for one… the Martha Stewart Everyday collection

The collection includes charming Martha-esque accessories for the bedroom and bathroom, plus other accents for the home.  They’ve even got a Martha Stewart Everyday nonstick stir-fry pan for only $21.99.  And apparently, the customers like it.  It was rated 4.5 out of 5 stars. This pan will get me one step closer to becoming a Martha’s cooking school graduate.

For two… K-Mart pioneered the blue light special

Who didn’t love a blue light special?  A surprise sale on pots and pans or whatever else the manager fancied.  But you wanna know the odd thing… although I have heard a lot about these blue light specials, I have never actually seen one.

Back in the day, my aunts, Joyce and Sandra, were known as the K-Mart sisters.  They went to K-Mart everyday, and occasionally two or three times a day.  They probably caught every blue light special at their favorite K-Mart store.  And it was easy to tell when they had gotten lucky.  They would return bearing gifts for all.  T-shirts, silverware, towels, bed sheets… you name it, they had it.  And they would boast for days about the how much they saved.

K-Mart has long since done away with the blue light specials, but my aunts, the K-Mart sisters still love them just the same.  Actually, when Aunt Joyce retired, she took a part time job at her favorite store. She’s worked there for a couple of years now and she enjoys it.  She likes the staff. She likes the customers. And of course, she loves the employee discount.

For three… K-Mart have jobs, and lots of them!

When I last looked, they were advertising almost 500 vacancies. K-Mart offers a variety of employment opportunities ranging from entry level to professional.  And because K-Mart has thousands of stores and distribution centers across the United States, great K-Mart job opportunities are likely near you.

On the West Coast - a Recruiter opportunity in Sacramento - Recruiters are responsible for hiring new employees, conducting new employee orientations, and various other human resource functions.  The average pay for employment recruiters in this area ranges from $46-$62,000 a year.

In the South - a Loss Prevention Manager opportunity in Miami - Loss Prevention Managers are responsible for developing and implementing policies and procedures that will safeguard a company’s assets.  The average pay for Loss Prevention Managers in this area ranges from $59-$79,000 a year.

In the Midwest - Assistant Store Manager opportunities in Tulsa - Assistant Store Managers help the Manger with the daily operation of the store.  They are usually the first line of management contact for employees and customers.  The average pay for Assistant Retail Store Managers in this area ranges from $29-$40,000 a year.

On the East Coast - a Pharmacist opportunity in Niagara Falls - Pharmacists are responsible for running the pharmacy, deciphering doctors scribblings and dispensing medication. The average pay for pharmacists in this area ranges from $92-$114,000 a year.

Search for more K-Mart job opportunities here.

Plus, K-Mart offers its employees many benefits, such as medical and dental insurance, disability benefits, stock options, employer matching 401K and paid time off.  Oh, and did I mention the employee discount?

If you are looking for a great career opportunity, be sure to consider K-Mart.

It seems that my son and I have the same conversation every week.  He is 14 now and he has this fixation with driving.  Even though it is 2 years away, he has already told me what he wants for his 16^th birthday… a Jaguar.  It just tickles me how easy it is for my children to make plans for my money.

My response to the Jaguar thing… it’s not happening.  I don’t even drive a Jaguar.  His response… but momma you said you want your children to do better than what you have.  Kids are funny.  You see how they conveniently twist words to make it suit their needs… wants.

Yes… of course I want my children to have more than I have… more happiness, more joy, more career success, more riches… every parent wants that for their child.  But I have to explain to him that I want him to have more than me on his dime… not mine.  I want him to have a better job or make more money than I do so he can afford to buy a Jaguar if he wants one.

Me buying a 16 year old boy a Jaguar, while I am in a Camry… ain’t happening, kiddo!

Anyway, I told him that I would possibly buy him a car but under certain conditions.  I pay the car note and he will pay the insurance.

Insuring a 16 year old male driver is like taking on another mortgage.  It ain’t cheap.  But I figured that by making him pay the insurance he can be more responsible and conscious about his actions.  He will be able to see how his actions have consequences: If he makes good grades, his insurance premium goes down…If he gets a ticket or gets into an accident, his insurance premium goes up… etc.

These are things that he can control.  And when you are financially responsible for the consequences of your actions… you tend to do things a little differently.  However, if I were paying the insurance premium, he would never see the results of his good or bad behavior.

My son does not like the compromise.  He says he cannot afford to pay insurance because he does not have a job.  Well… at 16 he will be legally able to drive… and at 16 he will be legally able to have a job.  So this works out well… he will have a car to drive to work to earn money to pay for that car.

So I told him… while he is searching the web… looking at all these pictures of Lamborghinis and Aston Martins and fantasizing about how cool it would be to drive up to school in an extravagant car… he also better start looking for job applications so he can pay for that car.

A good job for a teenager is being a Subway sandwich artist.  I am kind of partial to Subway.  For one, I like the food.  But working there should not be as laboring as at other fast food chains.  His clothes would not smell like dirty grease.  He would not have to stand in a hot kitchen.  Plus, he will be able to have a flexible schedule.  That way he can work around school and other activities.

I directed him here.  I told him to print it out, and 2 years from now bring it to the local Subway.

Want a less demanding job?  Want a more challenging job?  Don’t get along with your boss?  Moving to another state? Want a job that is more personally satisfying?  Want to change career paths? Need a bit more moola in your paycheck?

Well… change jobs. This is nothing unusual.  People change jobs everyday… just fill out some apps and send out a few resumes.  And if you are worthy (which I know you are), a company will snatch you up sooner or later.

But if you love the company you work for now and could not dare envision working anywhere else, then you’ll need to use a different method.  With a well written job transfer request, you’ll likely be granted the intra company move that you so desire.

How to write a job transfer request?

Keep in mind that this is like any other job application.  Your request should be professional. It should also be well organized and methodical.

So don’t just sit at your computer and begin typing.  Come up with a plan.  To prepare… get out some index cards and a pen.  Jot down every important point you want to make.

And because I adore my PFA friends so much, I have volunteered to be your guide. Well not so much of a guide… maybe a better word is prompter or reminder… 

You see… the older I get, the more prompting and reminding I require.  I’ve got a perfect example…  Last night I was sitting on the sofa watching CNN and I got this overwhelming craving for some walnuts.  So I got up, went to the kitchen, opened the pantry door… and completely forgot what I was looking for.  I only wished that I had somebody to remind me of what I needed to do (get the walnuts), but I didn’t.  However fortunately for ya’ll, you’ve got me to be your personal reminder.  I’m not saying that you are old and forgetful or anything… I was just saying, I’m here to help.

Ok, I kinda went off on a tangent.  I’m back now.  So you’ve got your index cards and pen?… Forgot the pen? Oh, goodness, go get one, I’ll wait.  I told you that you needed my prompting and reminding services:-)

Got the pen?  Ok, great… now I will begin prompting… 

First, explain why you are requesting a transfer.  Good examples are… you want to challenge yourself and grow or you are leaving the geographical area.  Bad example… my boss is a *$&% and if I have to work with him one more day… I will choke him. Even if that is true, keep that part under wraps.  This is not the time to show signs of any psychotic tendencies.

Second, showcase your talents.  Point out your education and experience.  And there is no need to be modest… draw attention to your accomplishments.  If you reduced turnover by 20% in your office, mention it.  If you developed and implemented a successful training program in your department, mention it.  If you increased your revenues by 8% while simultaneously decreasing expenses by 15%, mention it.  You have to sell yourself.  Don’t just assume that the transfer is a given. 

You have to make the company aware your abilities… then explain how your abilities can be an asset to them.  You want to show how the transfer can be mutually beneficial… to both you and them.  They have no reason to grant your request if they are not benefitting. 

Alright, now that you’ve got your key points all lined out, organize them, and start typing.  

My work is done here.  So I’ll leave you to your typing. 

By the way, good luck!