Raising a Money Smart Kid

About six years ago, I worked at a financial institution that was across the street from a college. I lost count of how many times I would have college students come to my office and gripe about getting non-sufficient funds charges on their account. Some thought the Visa or Mastercard logo on their card meant their debit card was an actual credit card,and they had a grace period to pay back the charges. Others would actually say that they thought they had money in their account because they still had checks left! Haha! What used to really get on my nerves (sorry, just being honest) was when they would call their parents right in front of me and demand that their parents deposit money into their account to clear up the negative balance and NSF charges. I remember when I was 16 and had my first checking account and I got an NSF fee. I remember my dad telling me that I would have to deal with it on my own. He would say, it was my account, my problem. He wasn't being mean, he was simply helping me reach a mature approach regarding monetary matters.

I realize that not everyone has parents who teach them banking 101, and there are some parents that may want to teach their children about money, but simply do not know how to start the process. Among many of the free financial seminars that we offer, we have a seminar coming up that addresses the importance of teaching your children about money, expecially at a young age. Its called How to Raise a Money Smart Kid. Check it out at www.scfedseminars.org. I encourage parents of children of all ages to attend!

Are you talking to your children about money?

Chao for now,

Leslita

Do you have a "splurge" recovery plan?

Too many of us fall off the proverbial budget bandwagon and we give up. Get tough, suck it up, and hop back on. It will be a lot easier for you if you have a "splurge" recovery plan.

In my session on Budget S.M.A.R.T. we discuss many important tips to ensure that your budget works.

1. Do not try to budget every last dollar on your spreadsheet. Leave some room for error. It's like an overdraft protection program. And, you better only use it in times of need. Stay tough, stick to the course and don't let a little loose change eat a hole in your pocket.

2. Have a "splurge" recovery plan. Yep. Everyone has the tendency to splurge at one time or another. Whether it is part of your "lent" commitment, a diet plan, or exercise routine, just know that you may teeter a bit. You just couldn't help buying that new purse. Or, that fishing pole was calling your name. So, what is your plan to get those feet planted firmly on the ground?

Enough of this ... now go to it. Get that budget plan in action and I don't want to see any wasted time. Stay focused and for goodness sake stop letting one little slip mess up your mind. If you need some help, check out these free seminars.

It is Thursday ... time to talk tough with Troy. Please let me know your budget successes, failures, or questions.

P.S. To schedule the Budget S.M.A.R.T. session for a group of folks at your work, school, community, or church event, just let me know. It's free and I'm really funny (grin).

Considering a Career Change? 7 Factors You Should Consider...

As fellow blogger Kimberly mentioned, financial education is a big deal here at the credit union. In 2009 our recruiting department had the opportunity to facilitate over 20 career services seminars to over 400 job seekers throughout the Charleston and Midlands areas.

Naturally, the majority of the employed is staying put and not looking to make a career change until there are strong signs of economic recovery. However, most recently I have received requests from both the employed and unemployed in regards to the best avenue to take when wanting to change careers. I would like to share a couple of those key areas; these are areas you will want to strongly evaluate if you are considering a career change now or in the future:

Personality- Is there a good match between your personality and chosen career? This can have a significant impact on whether you find your work fulfilling.

Motivation- This is one of the most important factors for long term career satisfaction. Find a job that motivates you and you've found the right career. Motivation covers a wider range of topics, such as your interest and what gives you a sense of achievement.

Skills- Having the right skill set is the key which opens the door to many careers.

Values-This might include the lifestyle you want and the type of organization you want to work for.

Constraints- These might include the geographical location you want to work, qualifications, etc.

Ambitions - What are your long term goals?

Opportunities- Within a normal job market there some careers are more lucrative (i.e., nursing) then others…so you may want to keep this in mind. Currently, this is an employer’s market (there are many more applicants than opportunities). Employers are literally weeding through thousands of resumes to find that one gem. Take a moment to review some of my previous blogs on how to land a great job; they provide guidelines on resume writing, social media tips, etc.

 How to Land a Great Job: You have 15 seconds to make a first impression

Who Do You Know?

 What Not to Wear

 Are You Connected?

If you are interested in participating in one of our local career services workshops visit www.scfedseminars.org for additional details.

Are you considering a career change or are you staying put?

Are you ready for the recovery?

• Can you identify signs of the recovery?
• What is the relationship between consumer confidence and the stock market?
• What economic indicators should you be looking at?

Every day the mainstream media bombards us with a barrage of economic information. Frankly, it’s tough to make sense of all the information coming at us. As a result, many folks tend to tune it out…at their peril.

No one has a crystal ball to predict the future, but one guy, Greg Stidom, will be sharing a unique perspective on the state of the economy in March. Greg is a Chartered Life Underwriter and a Chartered Financial Consultant. He’ll be talking with folks just like yourself about the state of the economy, what to focus on…and what NOT to focus on. He’ll also be talking about real life, sensible, investment strategies for today.

Join Greg at the Orangeburg Branch of South Carolina Federal Credit Union on Tuesday, March 30th from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Registration is easy. For more information, please call 803-813-8300 (local from Orangeburg) or 800-845-0432.

With Greg's help you'll be sure you are ready for the recovery.

Our stance on financial education

Financial education is a pretty big deal at the credit union. Every year we set increasingly lofty goals for the number of people we hope to reach by way of our free workshops, and every year we wonder if members and the public will come, yet the number of attendees continues to exceed our highest hopes. Something must be clicking. Last year, 5,738 people attended at least one of our free financial education workshops. If this is the first time you’ve heard about the program, then you should know:

• We provide group seminars at no cost to you, in a location convenient for you.
• Speakers can deliver financial education workshops on a variety of topics.
• Workshops can be tailored to groups of virtually any age or area of financial interest.

These days, rarely a week goes by without South Carolina Federal representatives being out and about in your community to present a free workshop. We’re at schools, churches, places of work, public libraries, civic group meetings, Chambers of Commerce and more.

To find out our next destination and select a topic you might want to learn more about, visit our schedule of free financial workshops at scfedseminars.org. If you’re part of an organization, classroom or company that could use a free financial education workshop, simply let us know. We’re waiting for your email at financialeducation@scfederal.org. We also have a financial education hotline to take your requests at 843-569-5631 (Charleston) or 800-845-0432, ext. 5631 (Nationwide). Or maybe you've got an idea for a topic we haven’t tackled yet? We’ll design a workshop around your needs. The email address and phone number above accept great ideas, too!

Let’s start the discussion now. What free workshop(s) do you think we should offer?

 

Bargain or Budget Buster?

In the spirit of traveling debit and credit cards this week, I'm happy to inform my readers that my debit card has been on a shoe shopping frenzy! I'm not talking about one or two pairs of shoes...I'm talking about 6 pairs of shoes!

I'm supposed to be teaching my blog viewers good spending habits, so why am I bragging about buying 6 pairs of shoes? Simply because I got a really good deal! I got 3 pair of dress shoes that were regularly $60 each for $14.75 each, a pair of genuine leather boots for $17 (regularly $100), a pair of comfy every day shoes for $4.28 (regularly $70), and a pair of leather loafers for my hubby for $10 (regularly $80).

You are either shocked by my great deals, or questioning my spending habits. Some may say that I am a great bargain shopper, while others might say that bargain shopping is only a bargain when you get a good deal on something you needed, or originally planned to buy.

Six pair of shoes wasn't a need. Clearly a want. I justify my fun shopping sprees by using the funds in my spending account. I basically save to spend. I put a certain amount of money in a spending account because I know I like to shop. That way I know I am not spending my mortgage payment or light bill money on things like shoes!

Where has your debit or credit card been lately?

Chao for now,

Leslita

Does this credit card stuff make you feel like taking a nap?

So, does all this mumbo-jumbo about the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD) make you think, "I don't need all this hassle. Ahhh, maybe I should just put my cards away and take a nap!" Well this is one time you don't want to be caught sleeping on the job. Many of the changes are simple and easy to understand, and your friends here at the credit union have posted some handy-dandy info online.

My plastic and I are tight. Just this weekend we went to dinner, the movies, bought some shorts (I'm a shorts and flippies kinda guy), and treated my wife to some new nails (she loved that surprise). I use my debit and credit card all the time. As a matter of fact I have the same box of checks since moving here in 2005.

When I use my credit card ... I pay it back. If not all at once, then I do not extend my purchases beyond a three to four month window. Just love the reward points!

After you've taken some time to read the online scoop, wake up your debit and credit card and get busy. If you are responsible about how these financial tools are used, then you'll never have a "credit" nightmare. Remember what they say, "You snooze. You lose."

Got some tough questions about what you read? I can take 'em. It's Thursday, so get talking with Troy.

Should your credit report cost you a job?

Many Americans these days are discovering the catch-22 of unemployment. And that is: You might fall behind on your bills because you've lost your job, and you might not be able to land a new job because you've fallen behind on your bills.

Whether this practice is fair or not is up for discussion. A House bill introduced in July 09’ aims to prevent such a situation. The Equal Employment for All Act would prohibit employers from using the details of a consumer credit report in making hiring decisions, with exceptions for financial firms and government agencies, as well as jobs requiring certain security clearances. This bill is in the first step of the legislative process so there is really no telling when or if it will ever be voted on by the House and/or Senate.

If you wonder why companies use credit reports in their back-ground check process, I can give you a couple of reasons. Many companies see it as a possible indicator of performance on the job. It allows employers to identify those applicants who are potentially financially overextended or on the brink of problems that could adversely affect their performance on the job. It could signal a pattern of instability, as well as an inability to meet obligations. Other companies may use credit reports if the position or organization provides financial services to the public.

If you are actively seeking work I recommend you obtain a copy of your credit report. You can get one free credit report each year from annualcreditreport.com. The report can help you identify inaccuracies on your credit record. If there is something you do not recognize or that you disagree with, dispute the information with the creditor and/or credit bureau before you have to explain it to a potential employer. Keep in mind that a small error can have a large impact on your credit score, possibly affecting your ability get a job.

Just so you know, employers have responsibilities they are required to adhere to when using credit reports in the employment screening process. Employers must ensure;

(1) individuals are aware that consumer reports may be used for employment purposes and agree to such use.

(2) individuals are promptly notified if information in a consumer report may result in a negative employment decision.

Congress expanded employer responsibilities because of concern that inaccurate or incomplete consumer reports could cause applicants to be denied jobs or cause employees to be denied promotions unjustly.

Do you think a credit report is an indicator of performance on the job?

What’s your system?

My wife is obsessive about receipts…and I owe her a debt of gratitude!

Since we’ve been married my wife has developed a fool-proof system for preventing credit card fraud. Ready? Here it is: Match every receipt to the monthly statement. What? That’s it? OK, to some, this may seem like a no-brainer. To others, a good idea, but one that takes too much time and organization.

Whatever reconciliation system you use, you need to make sure you have one. Too many studies show that credit card fraud is on the rise and could be an even greater problem in the near future.

Looking for an easy system that works for you?

• How about the old envelope system?
• We’ve heard a lot of folks are snapping photos of receipts with their cell phones.
• An online company, Evernote, will copy and save your photo or scanned receipts for FREE.

For me, saving paper receipts in an envelope is easiest. And whoa is me if I don’t have a receipt to match to a statement line item, especially if it’s something blatant that I purchased. After a couple incidents that required some investigative research (which showed it was my purchase!), that doesn’t happen too much anymore!

Do you have a credit card reconciliation system that work for you? Kevin the online service-guy wants to know!

Credit card changes are coming

The CARD Act – more formally known as the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act – will take effect February 22, 2010. Our goal this week at SiMPLECENTS is to help you understand these changes and how they will affect you and your credit card(s). 

President Obama signed the CARD Act into effect so it pertains to all financial institutions and card issuers. In fact, changes first were introduced this past summer and next week’s changes kick off phase two of the plan. This article from creditbloggers.com offers a solid overview of the Feb. 22 changes, while this one from February’s issue of Real Simple magazine breaks down how the changes may be to your benefit.     

Stick with us this week as we do our best to shed some light on the subject. Also consider joining us April 20 or 22 at the Charleston County Public Library for our FREE workshop, "Puzzled by Plastic." Registering for your seat is simple when you scroll to the very bottom of this page at scfederal.org.  Have questions we can tackle in the meantime about the new credit card changes? Post a comment for me!

Dining Out Made Healthier...

It's no secret that I love to eat out! Some may argue that this hobby of mine is both wallet breaking and unhealthy, but I only use funds from my spending account (not bill account) to dine out and I usually always order a healthy side to go with my main meal. Most restaurants will let you substitute a traditional side (i.e., fries) for a salad or upgraded side (i.e. baked potato, vegetable medley). The catch is, that they usually charge $1.50 of more to do this. I am a fan of saving a dollar here and there, but I think it is well worth the extra dollar or two to get a heart healthy meal.

Many restaurants now have healthy meals on their menu. They are usually the same price or a little more than their regular entrees. So the next time you eat out, choose a healthy entree even if it is a few dollars more expensive. It is better to pay a dollar or two now than hundreds of dollars later in doctor bills.

Some people may argue that the heart healthy solution would be to just cut dining out all together. For those of you who know you will continue to eat out, just remember to balance out your meal with a salad or veggies even if it means paying a little extra!

What techniques do you use to turn your dining out experience into a healthy one?

Chao for now,

Leslita

Does the kind of car you drive help control your blood pressure?

This week we're blogging about "heart health." Instead of writing about it medically, I’m going to lay out an issue and then describe how I work through it.

People who drive in the passing lane with no intention of passing gets my heart pumping and my blood boiling!

I mean, where do these folks get these instructions? I was taught that there is a driving and a passing lane. Just because you happen to go the speed limit doesn't mean you get to drive in the passing lane exclusively. Why can't these folks just move over until I pass and then go back until the next "me" comes along?

So then, how does this "heart pumping/blood boiling" topic relate to the kind of car you drive? Well, that’s because "I drive a 'Jesus' car." Now, before you decide to stop reading and start thumping your chest (one way or another), you'll need to know the whole story and how that title came to be.

It was obvious to me and my passengers that some accountability to control my fist pounding, naughty expletives, and erratic hand gestures was needed. So, my wife bought me a license plate. I know there are multiple techniques that could have been used ... but, this one just seemed to fit.

I thought to myself, now how can anyone driving a car with a "Jesus" license plate act as idiotic as I was? Can you image how it would look to have that license plate staring at you through the rear view mirror? You look back and see some out of control driver pounding on the steering wheel and waving his arms with all the animation of someone fighting off a raging beast.

So, if you're driving in Charleston in the passing lane and a car with that license plate approaches you quickly from behind, rest assured that he is now cutting you some grace. He is committed to driving with the intent to save a life, instead of taking it.

It is Thursday ... drive those comments my way. Are you gonna talk tough with Troy, or what? Am I going to have to come out of this seat and .... (oops, guess if I'm going to continue like that, then I'll need another license plate for my computer; now, won't I?)

…one in three kids are overweight or obese

First lady Michelle Obama recently sat down with "Good Morning America's" Robin Roberts to discuss her focus for 2010: battling childhood obesity. Michelle Obama formally announced what she called a "very ambitious" program to end the American plague of childhood obesity in a single generation.

"We all know the numbers," Obama said. "I mean, one in three kids are overweight or obese, and we're spending $150 billion a year treating obesity-related illnesses. So we know this is a problem, and there's a lot at stake."

The far-reaching, nationwide campaign called "Let's Move" calls for initiatives that target what Obama calls four key pillars: Getting parents more informed about nutrition and exercise, improving the quality of food in schools, making healthy foods more affordable and accessible for families, and focusing more on physical education.

My thought on the issue, why wouldn’t we want the best for our children? Why shouldn’t we become more proactive in helping our kids obtain optimum health and possibly a longer life-span?

My 1 year old loves fruits and vegetables but my 3 year old wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole! I look forward to hearing additional details about, Let’s Move especially making healthy food more affordable and accessible for families across America.

A tip for parents with children who won’t eat their veggies: I recently purchased a book called, Deceptively Delicious. The author tells you how to incorporate vegetables and fruit purees in foods your children like. Eventually, I want my 3 year old to learn to love fruits and vegetables but for now, “deception” will be how she eats her veggies.

What actions will you take to elimate childhood obesity within a single generation? 

Fred’s new lease on life

Back in September, 2008, Fred was monitoring an “aortic aneurism”. It was Friday morning and he had just completed a series of medical tests when the unexpected news came from his doctor: He had five arteries each with >50% blockage. Five days later Fred was on the operating room table having quintuple bypass surgery.

Fred, who manages the sales finance team here at South Carolina Federal Credit Union, was born and raised in the south. He readily admits he enjoyed eating great southern cooking: chicken, biscuits, etc. But Fred was also very active. He enjoyed the outdoors, exercised regularly, and was an avid boater. The bypass surgery changed his life considerably. In discussions with Fred, he spoke highly of the recovery consultation he received from Roper cardio rehab specialists. His new heart healthy lifestyle can be distilled down to the following three points:

1. Cardio exercise is a must!

2. Eat heart healthy food.

3. Get regular checkups

How’s Fred doing today? In a word…GREAT! He’s lost weight with his new heart-healthy diet. Gone are the burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, and sausage biscuits. Fred heads to the gym religiously and does his cardio on the treadmill. He also sees his physician regularly.

Fred has a new lease on life. In talking with him it’s evident this Valentine’s Day will be extra special for Fred and his family. We want to thank him for sharing his story and reminding us of the importance of living a heart-healthy lifestyle!

Put your heart in it

Whether or not you’re a fan of Valentine’s Day, you can’t deny that the imagery of hearts is just about everywhere in the weeks prior to Feb. 14. This year, look upon those red and pink holiday symbols as a reminder to show yourself some love and take better care of your heart. After all, February isn’t just for Cupid; it’s also American Heart Month.

Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States, and that there are some very concrete steps you can take to reduce your risk of death from a coronary event?

This Valentine’s Day, set down that box of chocolates and really show love to yourself or someone you care about by putting your heart into it. Schedule an appointment to have your and your loved ones’ heart health checked by a doctor. Commit to one or more healthy practices that can ensure your ticker and that of your family keeps on ticking. And read our SimpleCents blog this week for tips from which you can learn from and personal anecdotes to which you can relate. What heart healthy change(s) will you make?

Lessons for life formed in youth...

I was 15 years old when I got my first job. I was a file clerk at a general surgeon's office. My duties weren't strictly filing patient documents. I also had to answer the phones, schedule appointments, and even take patient samples to the hospital next door which gave me a queasy stomach!

I photocopied my first check and still have it in one of my photo albums. I made a little over $80 my first week. After about a year, I was able to buy my first car which made me feel very proud of myself. It made me feel as though alphabetizing all those hundreds of files finally paid off!

Going in to the work force at a young age taught me the value of a dollar. It taught me that money didn't grow on trees and shouldn't always come from mommy and daddy. It felt good to have my own money to be able to pay for things like a car and car insurance.

After highschool, I went to college. It took me from 2000 to 2007 to get my Bachelor's degree. Why so long? Because I worked full time and went to college part time because my parents helped me pay for as much of college as they financially could, but I had to help pay the rest. Working 40 hours a week and having to go to class from 6-9pm four days a week proved to be very exhausting, but I was determined to finish my degree and not let anything stand in my way.

The moral of my story is that jumping in to the workforce at a young age helped me build character and responsibilty. It made me realize that working hard and studying hard results in success and allows you to have a feeling of accomplishment for one's self that no one can take away from you!

What lessons did you learn at your first job that have stayed with you to this very day?

Chao for now,

Leslita

... what "works" for you?

My first job (aside from the daily chores around the house) was that of a newspaper writer, editor, publisher, and delivery boy. I grew up in a small town of about 250 people in Harrison County, West Virginia. In October of 1969 (at the age of 9 and 12 respectively) my brother and I decided to make some money for Christmas. Since I had some creative talents and a desire to write, we began a family-run Newspaper business.

Using a collection of information from the local paper, Reader's Digest, the Bible, and a few other publications, we wrote our weekly subscription for almost two years. Mom and I would type it on a Royal typewriter, which could crank out about three or four copies when we used carbon paper. Yes, carbon paper. For those too young to remember, just follow the link; you'll be amazed. After school, we'd gather up the newsprint from the previous day's production and head out for a little door to door sales. (Too funny, huh?) The papers were sold for a whooping 5 cents each, although sometimes we'd score big and get a quarter.

That early entrepreneurial spirit is now reflected in five work-related tips that have served the hallway well over the years.

1. Work at going to school. This is not me telling you to get a job working at the school. I mean treat going to school as a job. If you do that job well, then your education will be your weekly pay check. It is a proven fact that folks with an education may earn upwards of 3 to 4 times that of someone who either performed poorly, or did not finish school.
2. Work for yourself. Start a small business and work it in the evenings or during the time off from a job that pays the bills. I think you know what I mean here without a lot of explanation. If not, then comment below and I'll fill you in.
3. Work as an unpaid intern. There are many companies who partner with local schools and colleges to offer course credit for intern work. Currently, the credit union offers several unpaid intern positions. It is a win-win-win all around. The student receives real life experiences beyond the classroom, and has another entry for a resume. The credit union is contributing to the educational system and its community, plus has the added benefit of potentially training a new hire for future employment.
4. Work any job within your field. Sometimes it means that you accept an entry level position paying less than what you had expected while you gain valuable experience. This is a very good idea for young folks living with mom and dad. Case in point: my daughter wanted to work in criminal justice, so she accepted a job working security in the shoe department of a major retail store, which paid less than the job at the cosmetic counter. During the  interview and selection process she was told that her degree and security experience had landed her a job as a Police Officer.
5. Work your contacts. Yes, good ol' fashioned networking pays big dividends. Don't be afraid to ask your contacts for help. For example: your pastor is someone in your contact list, probably a Facebook friend, a person who tweets, or an avid blogger, too. He may not know of a job for you, but he will surely know someone who does. Therefore keep this in mind... it's not just who you know that counts; it's who you know that they know.

So, now you've heard it straight from Troy talking tough in the hallway. "What works for you?" This blog may not be as tough as other posts, but it is Thursday and nonetheless your chance to talk with Troy.

BTW... a special shout out to my new friends at WAY FM 100.9 that I met on Saturday, January 23rd who said they'd like to talk tough with Troy on Thursdays (grin).

Are You Connected?

As of December 2009, the number of unemployed persons is at 15.3 million and the unemployment rate at 10 percent. At the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons was 7.7 million, and the unemployment rate was 5.0 percent. The bottom line is the traditional approach most job seekers have taken in the past is no longer viable.

Traditional methods would steer you towards looking for job ads and faxing or e-mailing a resume to a company, completing an on-line application, or even posting a resume on-line…then cross your fingers and hope that you will get a call back.

One of my recruiters reviewed an article which concluded that 80% of people get their jobs by knowing someone. Eighty percent! Now don’t get me wrong, having a great resume is usually pretty crucial to earning an interview. The question is how do you get your resume noticed? If you reviewed my posting, How to Land a Great Job, Part 1: You Have 15 Seconds to Make a First Impression, you received some tips from an employer's perspective on how to make your resume stand out amongst the thousands; however, we cannot ignore that this is the era of social connectivity.

With the evolution of the internet over the past couple of years, you can play a more active role in landing that great job by exploring the networking tools available right at your finger tips!

There is a great on-line tool called LinkedIn, which works similarly to Facebook, but is designed for professionals. You make a profile, which is really a virtual resume of sorts, and invite current and past colleagues and classmates to be a connection. Also, don’t underestimate Facebook and MySpace. You might think of these websites as purely social-casual forums, but think of all of those people who may work for companies or even know people in your industry that may have some jobs coming available soon.

A final thought. Many companies are beginning to see the usefulness of these social-networking sites, and there is a huge trend in which recruiters are finding candidates for jobs through LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace. My tip? Keep it clean...make sure you are proud of the on-line face you present.

Are you connected?

A little hard work never hurt anyone

This week the credit union kicks off the search for our new 2010 Young & Free South Carolina Spokesperson. It got me thinking and reflecting back to some of the early jobs I had, lessons learned, and a solid understanding that a little hard work never hurt anyone.

Growing up in Vienna, Virginia, a small town in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., I began working in my early teens. My brother and I developed what turned out to be a thriving neighborhood lawn mowing business. About that time I learned ventriloquism and started entertaining at neighborhood birthday parties. My parents were supportive, but ensured school work was always the top priority.

While in high school I worked evenings cleaning offices at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). A gun-toting CIA security guy walked behind me as I vacuumed offices and emptied full ashtrays. Looking back, it seemed like everyone in those offices must have chain-smoked all day long! My other high school job was working at a lumber store, primarily to make $$$, but also to meet girls. The store owners hired the best looking high school girls as cashiers.

Fast forward to college. While at Virginia Tech I worked part-time during school in the cafeteria and then summers as a construction laborer. In fact, after a summer of backbreaking construction work, any thoughts about not going back to college in the fall were out the window. That hard work sure helped me crystallize my priorities!

What has all this taught me? First, a little hard work never hurt anyone. In fact, it helped me set definitive goals and become more financially independent. Second, it taught me how to be a more responsible individual. Third, all these jobs eventually helped me understand the importance of post-high school education.  Finally, having parents who instilled a strong work-ethic was a blessing.

That’s my perspective on work. Care to share yours?

My first job -- and one that’s much better

My first paying job was in a bagel shop, where I learned several lessons: (A) loyal customers really like their faces and their preferences to be remembered, (B) food service workers generally are an underappreciated lot and (C) apparently, I breathe through my hands because wearing plastic gloves causes me to overheat in seconds.

Far from glamorous, that first job at Chesapeake Bagel Bakery gave me some pretty key insights about life (in terms of Items A and B, at least). In the long run, it made me a better employee because I absorbed a common truth about people wanting to be noticed and appreciated (Item A), and a better person because I experienced the rude behavior that service workers too often endure from their customers (Item B) and vowed never to do that to anyone waiting on me.

A far less “dirty job,” yet one that could teach you or yours oodles of worthwhile lessons about life and work, is open right now at the credit union to someone between the ages of 18-25: 2010 Young & Free South Carolina Spokesperson. While this job lacks the appeal of my bagel gig with its polyester aprons and cream cheese scoops, the one year position with Young & Free SC does offer a salary, benefits and perks, including use of a Toyota Prius and paid gas for a year. In return, we’d ask you not to master the art of the Cheese Melt, but to create, edit and upload video to YouTube, blog, mix with people at events and shed light on financial topics for people your age – even if you’re still learning, too.

Not bad, huh? And you’ll never end your day by mopping a floor with bleach water. Could you or someone you know take this job?