The Money JAR

Everyone who is interested in exploring a career in the trades can find a place! Anjanet Banuelos Bolanos is a member of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA) and started her career as a construction worker and laborer when she was in her early 30s, as a single mother of three children. There are over 100 different specialties as a laborer, and Anjanet explains the pros and cons of working in the trades to Mindy and Rishika. Anjanet encourages students interested in the trades to explore these opportunities and consider joining a union.

There are plenty of careers out there for students who are interested in working with their hands and learning on the job rather than looking into colleges and getting a higher degree. Mindy and Rishika spoke with John Tillotson, an instructor with Oregon Sheet Metal Institute, about his personal career path in the trades. He talks about his experiences in carpentry and sheet metal, and encourages students interested in learning more about the trades to reach out to local trade unions and training centers to learn more.

College is just one path that a person can take in their life, but it's an expensive option. Fortunately, there are many ways to pay for college! Mindy and Rishika spoke with The College Investor expert, Robert Farrington, about what options are out there when students consider how to pay for college. There are tons of ways to make it through college without sacrificing your future financial security, and we encourage students considering college to talk with your parents and think through your financial options after you listen to Robert's excellent tips on how to pay for your degree!

In high school, or even middle school, students may start to think about their higher education plans. College is a great option for people interested in expanding their theoretical knowledge, exploring specific subjects, and training or preparing for specialized, technical or academic careers. Rishika and Mindy have both gone through the process of applying to college in 2020. Rishika applied to many colleges and will be attending her first choice, the University of Michigan, which is outside of her home state of California. Mindy helped her daughter through the application process, and Elle will be attending the University of Oregon, which is in her home state.

Rishika and Mindy talk about what the process of applying for college was like, sharing their perspectives as a student applicant and as the parent of a student who is exploring and applying to colleges. Listen to hear what tips they have for preparing to apply for college!

The Money JAR has spoken with experts on how to get a summer job, but we are also sharing the perspective of two high school students who worked at summer internships and gained industry experience. Mindy spoke to twin sisters with wide-ranging interests about their internship experiences during the summer of 2020. Lily and Phoebe Garrett discuss the processes they went through when applying for an internship (both a formal process and an informal query), what a typical day looked like in sports engineering for Nike and product testing for a tech start-up, and what lessons both of these young women learned at their internships that they will carry on into their future careers.

Last week, we encouraged students to start their search for a summer job or internship. This week, we have tips for how to show off your best self to potential employers on paper and in an interview. Mindy and Rishika spoke with career counseling expert Linda Favero about crafting a resume that highlights how awesome, unique, and valuable you are. Linda also talks about how to prepare for an interview, from doing your research ahead of time to sending a follow up afterward.

Summer is right around the corner, and for many folks who are in high school, this is a great time to start thinking about a summer job or internship! The process of getting a summer job can seem daunting, especially if it's your first job, but we found some great experts to give advice on each step in the hiring process.

This week, Mindy and Rishika spoke with the President of Junior Achievement of Northern California, Cristene Burr, who is one of Rishika's mentors! Cristene discusses how to find the kind of summer job you will want to do, and how to build or share your relevant experience. She shares networking tips as well as job search suggestions for teens to try.

Financial technology, or fintech, is a growing market for delivering financial services in an increasingly digital-focused age. Rishika and Mindy are excited to learn about what possibilities fintech holds for young people who want to gain greater financial literacy. Hear from UX designer and financial advisor LaToya Westbrooks about her path to working in the fintech world and how to explore fintech, personal finance, and investing safely.

The stock market is often in the news, but what does it mean when it's up or it's down? What does it mean to invest? Can you invest when you're under 18? Should you invest young? Rishika and Mindy came to stock analyst Jason Moser with a lot of questions about how to understand the stock market and investments when you're a young person, and he had great answers about taking charge of your financial future and feeling a sense of ownership about the businesses you shop or eat at in your own life. Jason also explains some key stock market and investment terms and shares pathways to investing young.

Disagreements, arguments, and conflict are a part of the human experience. There are ways to disagree productively, though, and it shouldn't have to be a source of anxiety to bring up a problem in the workplace or at home. Rishika and Mindy speak with negotiation and conflict resolution specialist Dr. Joshua Weiss about how to have a constructive argument with people who have different views from your own, whether it's your parents or your supervisor.