With summer upon us, some of you job-seekers may think about taking a break from your search. Instead, you might want to ramp up your efforts and consider the new season an opportunity to relaunch any unfinished career plans.

One inevitable aspect of the search? Interacting and engaging with connections—extending your network to tap into the hidden job market. Sudy Bharadwaj is the co-founder and chief executive officer of JackalopeJobs.com, which allows you to log in with your favorite social network and learn which of your connections work in companies that interest you. He has seen many job-seekers benefit from carefully accessing their extended network.

Here are Bharadwaj's nine suggestions for successfully networking your way to a job:

1. Connect with your network before you apply for positions.Even if you identify jobs via boards or postings, touch base with connections before applying directly. Many organizations prioritize applicants referred by employees. Some companies even give bonuses to employees who suggest candidates who are hired, so some networking contacts may have a financial incentive to pass along your information. Don't be shy about reaching out and asking for a hand.

2. Rotate your thinking. Bharadwaj suggests: "Instead of finding jobs and focusing on connections in those companies, consider targeting your connections first and investigating who among them may be able to provide a link to a potential opportunity."

To be successful, it's important to know what you want and to be able to articulate how you can help an organization solve its problems. Once you know what you offer and how it relates to companies where you want to work, it will be much easier toleverage your network of contacts who can help you land jobs successfully.

3. Encourage your network by making it easy for them to help you. Bharadwaj reminds job-seekers: "Your connections are busy—aren't we all? It's up to the job-seeker to be specific when asking for a connection. Forward the job description and information about your background and skills. Tell the contact exactly how he or she can help you."

4. Be concise and offer easy access to your information. It's likely your contacts will access your information or email inquiry via their smart phones. Include all key points in the body of your email, such as links to online social resumes or your LinkedIn profile, instead of asking them to download and view your resume.

5. Go wide. Spread out your inquiries; try not to ask one person for too many things. Most people will want to help, but if it seems you are knocking on their door every week, the welcome will wear out quickly.

6. Don't go too deep. Even though social networks allow easy access to distant contacts of contacts, you should focus your interactions on contacts who know you well. Bharadwaj explains, "Unless a connection is very close to you, don't bog them down with numerous requests. Your first-degree contacts are the ones most likely to go the extra mile for you."

7. Limit time requests. Unless you are already good friends with your contact, "Don't ask to meet for lunch or dinner, since it seems like a big time commitment," Bharadwaj says. "Instead, when asking for in-person meetings, offer to bring coffee to the office or to meet at another convenient location for a 15- to 30-minute coffee break."

8. Be patient. Don't give up on a connection if the first targeted job opening doesn't work out. Keep in mind, if a contact believes in you, and future opportunities at the company are good fits, you may be successful connecting with a job that isn't advertised yet. "We have seen successful job-seekers who do not get job No. 1, No. 2, or even No. 3, but whose networking enabled a relationship with a new connection that led them to landing job No.4."

9. Keep track and follow up. No one likes to feel used; be sure to follow up with contacts who help you and let them know you appreciate their efforts. Send a note or an email to let people know where you are in your search, and whom you've met per their recommendations. Send notes, links to articles they may appreciate, and touch base even when you don't need anything. When you do, you'll create relationships that extend beyond your immediate job search needs.

Miriam Salpeter is a job search and social media consultant, career coach, author, speaker, resume writer, and owner of Keppie Careers. She is author of Social Networking for Career Success. Miriam teaches job seekers and entrepreneurs how to incorporate social media tools along with traditional strategies to empower their success.

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Presenting to a group of people can be a daunting experience. 

There are some basic psychological facts that you should know about how people react to presentations — including how your body language affects reception and how to increase the energy level in a room. 

Behavioral scientist Dr. Susan Weinschenk gave us permission to publish the best advice from her new book, 100 Things Every Presenter Needs to Know About People, based on posts from her blog, Whatmakesthemclick.net.

People learn best in 20-minute chunks

According to an experiment conducted by Maureen Murphy, 20 minutes is an ideal time for a presentation.

To test this theory, Murphy had adults attend a 60-minute presentation at work. She then tested to see the difference in memory and reaction to the talk given in the 60-minute presentation versus the same talk given in 20-minute segments with short breaks in between. Murphy found that the people enjoyed the 20-minute presentations more, learned more information immediately after, and retained more information a month later. 

When presenting, take 2-3 minute stretch breaks to allow people to soak in the information provided. For useful examples on 20-minute presentations, watch TED talks.

Read more about Susan Weinschenk's 100 Things Every Presenter Needs to Know About People on her blog Whatmakesthemclick.net

The senses are always competing with each other

If you're giving a speech while a presentation is up, be aware that the visual and auditory senses are competing.

It's difficult for people to both listen to what you are saying, and to read the words on different slides. Too many words on a slide reads like notes. To combat this, use slides that are visual and easy to understand — such as photos, or diagrams that add extra content to the presentation. If you feel as if your speech doesn't need an accompanying visual aid, you can omit it.

Read more about Susan Weinschenk's 100 Things Every Presenter Needs to Know About People on her blog Whatmakesthemclick.net

The human brain craves the unexpected

Research by Gregory Berns shows that the human brain not only looks for the unexpected but actually craves the unexpected.

In an experiment conducted by Berns, he used a computer-controlled device to randomly squirt water or fruit juice into people's mouths while simultaneously scanning their brains. He found that the part of the brain that is active when people experience pleasurable events was also active when they experienced something unexpected. 

Build small, welcome surprises into your demonstration. Refrain from providing your audience with a play-by-play outline. If you're presenting slides, try throwing in a video clip or interrupting your speech with a relevant activity. 

Read more about Susan Weinschenk's 100 Things Every Presenter Needs to Know About People on her blog Whatmakesthemclick.net

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Last year, a reader named Andre emailed me, asking to write a guest post about overcoming his barriers as an introvert. He was originally going to write about his quest to manage being an introvert — which a lot of my readers would benefit from — but the initial drafts were too focused on himself. I passed.

In January, Andre signed up for my Find Your Dream Job course — a big challenge knowing that words like “networking” intimidated him. Hearing stories about people negotiating $30,000 raises is fun to read, but not very realistic for someone who has enough trouble walking into a room and introducing himself to others.

The results: In the last 6 months, Andrew doubled his salary to nearly six figures, and he dramatically improved his social skills. He’s an introvert who’s learned how to accept his social skills — but systematically improve them. And he has ruthlessly torn down his invisible scripts that held him back for so long.

I’ll let Andre tell you exactly how he did it. Take it away, Andre…

*****

There’s a reason why you weren’t hired for that gig.

And it’s probably not because of your skills or qualifications. In fact, what I find when I talk to my friends is that most people disqualify themselves from a job they love. (“I can’t apply for that. I don’t only have 4 years experience and it asks for 5!”)

Here’s the simple reason why you weren’t hired for a job you’re qualified for: RISK.

Hiring someone is risky for an employer. Forget about the hard financial cost.

1. There’s the personal risk: The employer is going to spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week with you for at least months to come and what if you turn out to be downright boring?
2. There’s social risk: He’s going to introduce you to his team – what if you’re a douche bag?
3. There’s professional risk: Your potential employer IS, to some extent, putting his/her job on the line to hire you. You do realize that, right?

To use Ramit’s favorite dating metaphor: Would you make a decision to move in with someone if the two of you went out on two 1-hour dates?

This insight of minimizing risks changed how I approach a new job search. And together with Ramit’s course, I was able to achieve what I thought was impossible: I doubled my salary to nearly six-figures. And I just started working two years ago.

How did I do it?

Step 1: Prepare a Case Study

I am an introvert and I lack social skills.

So when Ramit recommended we take people out to coffee and do actual face-to-face networking, I balked. It took me a month before I had my first coffee-date. Here’s what I did in that time.

Introverts prefer written communication. That’s because we like to think before we speak – a practice that’s awkward in face-to-face situations. So what I did is to give the interviewer as much information as possible before the interview.

The way to do that is not to write an essay. Instead, I created a simple website with nothing but 5 image links to 5 case studies and a short 50-word introduction about me. Quick note: case studies are *not* portfolios. Crafting a great case study is crucial for this to work, but that’s another story. To give you an idea, the case studies took me 3 weeks to build – and that’s after I outsourced a good part of it.

After I get the call for an interview (this is not the coffee meeting), I sent the interviewer an email that says, “I can’t wait to see you on Monday. If you’d like to find out more about me before the meeting, here is a link that you might be interested in.”

To test the effectiveness of the approach, I installed analytics on the website. And because there’s no way anyone can land on the website (I blocked search engines) without the link, I know exactly how interested they are before I go into the meeting.

Remember that the VIP is already pre-sold by your connector so it shouldn’t be hard for you to get him/her to click on that link. I managed to get an interview with 15 potential employers and 13 of them visited the website before the meeting, even though only 4 explicitly replied to my email saying they would.

Out of the 13 who visited the site, 12 opened at least one case study. 8 scrolled all the way down in at least one case study – based on the time they spent on site (4 minutes 13 seconds), I assume they read it.

I noticed the interviewers who read the case study no longer asks me general questions like “tell me about yourself” – even though you should still prepare yourself for it.

Instead, they begin like an interested customer, saying things like, “So, I saw your case studies. That’s some impressive work. Tell me more about this.” This is great for introverts like me because we thrive on conversations when it comes to “the meat”. And instead of an interview, it’s now more of a consultation (I will discuss this later).

Another benefit of case studies is that they show you know what you are talking about. You can make claims like “I’m good at analytics” but showing the numbers to support that is a whole other story.

To the interviewer, case studies reduce the risk of you lying about or exaggerating your claims. It makes them feel more comfortable putting their career on the line for yours.

Step 2: Memorize Instead of Winging It

When I felt like I was ready, I asked a friend for an introduction to her boss as a test. It was a disaster because 5 minutes into the meeting, I simply ran out of things to say. You know, like an awkward date. But what I did is take a mental note of what happened.

I then went back home and analyzed the situation. What could I have said to make it NOT awkward?

Here are 4 things I learned:

1. If you think about it, there are only 6 questions you can ever ask: who, what, where, which, how and the more open-ended, “tell me more." Use that to keep the conversation flowing.

2. Keep in mind that all conversations should be about them. This is not the time to “talk about yourself” and “what you’re looking for” unless they explicitly ask you about it. When they do ask you about something, don’t ramble – and always end your answer with a question. Remember, questions keep the conversations flowing.

3. Chose your words wisely. Words like “furthermore," “however," “nevertheless," “last but not least” are all what linguists call transitional words. But not all transitional words and phrases are made equal. For example, the phrase “no way!” is better than “incidentally." Both show the two of you have something in common, but one shows excitement and the other doesn't. Other common phrases that show excitement include “Shut Up!” (use only within certain groups), “That’s interesting!”, “I know!” or “That is exactly why I…” or simply gasp.

Knowing which words to use comes down to two things: memorization and practice. For some people, this just “flows." And because it flows, these things often appear like “common sense."

For introverts, however, it’s anything but. I had to watch how people talk, record it and break down what was said.

I watched Ramit’s sample interview with Julie and memorized the answers Julie gave, word for word. If you just watch the video, the answers sounds so much like common sense, you’d probably shrug it away. But try to recite it and I guarantee you won’t be able to do it.

And for some reason, we have this assumption that we’ll be able to give an equally good answer when it comes to a real interview. In writing, many world-class copywriters advise their students to write and rewrite the best sales copy out there as practice.

It’s a lesson that contrasts with Western values. We reward originality and innovation and we call any sort of copying as plagiarism. In China, I still remember my Mandarin teacher asking us to copy the textbook and use the sentences in there in our composition.

The reason, they said, is because rewriting what the pros wrote helps you better internalize how it’s done. And once you’ve mastered that, you can then go out and do your own work.

I bring that philosophy to interviews. Memorize (copy) before you personalize and innovate.

4. Show your enthusiasm. Most people tone themselves down because they assume appearing enthusiastic is a bad thing. Everyone wants to appear “cool.” But here’s the truth: most people out there are plain boring. They could use a little more enthusiasm in life.

For example, in the past when an interviewer said, “That was impressive.” I nodded, smiled and thanked him. I was cool. Today, I would respond with something like this: “I know! *laugh* I busted my ass for that. Glad someone recognized it.”

This shift in behavior takes a bit of mindset change. The reason most people want to appear “cool” is because they want to portray a perception that they are used to these kind of recognition. But what they don’t know is that they appear distant.

My mindset about enthusiasm today involves two things: 1.That if you appear stupid, you won’t meet the interviewer ever again anyway. So why not just do it? 2. Enthusiasm is just more fun.

So what does step 2 achieve? Step 2 lowers the personal and social risks for the potential employer. The last thing they want is to work with someone boring!

Step 3: Follow Up

This is the simplest step, yet crucial. Ramit recommends following up with the person you met, hours or certainly within a day, after a meeting. I agree. The last thing you want is get a reply that says, “John who?”

Ramit also talked about sending a pre-written email for your connector to forward to the VIP – again, that reduces the risk of the connector making a fool out of him/herself while making the introduction.

The key to follow ups is don’t give up. You need to be persistent, but not annoying. What’s the difference?

If the connector didn’t reply to your first email, send one every week for a month and say, “Hi John, I just want to do a quick follow up regarding my last email (should be included in the current email). Can you help me out?” I got two replies after the fourth follow-up: one of them was out-of-town and the other was just really busy.

Remember, a rejection is always better than no response at all. When you do get rejected, follow up and ask for the reason why, like this, “That’s too bad. I was looking forward to the introduction. Can you give me a bit more information as to why? Just so I won’t bother you again in the future.” Most connectors are more than happy to say why – and sometimes it’s not even your problem.

For example, I had one connector who tried to ignore me despite having a great meeting. After a few persistent follow-ups, he finally replied and said that he was probably going to need something from this VIP, and he didn’t want to use his “relationship equity” introducing me to this guy.

And if you think that rarely happens, think again. That experience is very similar to the story Keith Ferrazzi told in his bestselling book, “Never Eat Alone”. Keith had what he thought was a great meeting but was rejected because the connector saw relationships as a limited pie. These things happen. Embrace it. And thank your lucky stars you didn’t end up working with these people.

Step 4: Interview

Before I started Ramit’s course, I was already a student of sales and marketing. So while I was socially-awkward, I have always been able to write good copy (again, introverts, use your preference for the written word to your advantage). That skill got me about 80% response rate from the resumes I send out.

The problem was that I failed at most interviews.

Ramit’s tips changed that. One powerful tip he shared publicly is the Briefcase Technique. Using this strategy, I wrote a full-fledged report – one that would have had cost the VIP at least $5,000 if they were paying an agency to do it. It took me two weeks to generate that report – with help from my outsourced team.

During the interview, the VIP gave the report only 3 minutes of his time. Now some people may despair at that, but here’s the thing: when he put it down, he said – and this is his exact words, “This is great. I have no doubt about your technical skills now.”

The case studies did a lot of convincing for me. But it’s that report, in other words, that completely took away the professional risk of hiring me. Now I just have to appear friendly.

So here was how the interview that doubled my salary went: It started with a discussion about my case studies. Then it proceeded to a discussion about the report. Only the last 10 minutes of a 1.5 hour interview were spent talking about things like what I want to achieve in the future and my personality.

It’s not that these things aren’t important. They are. But most of them are covered when we were talking about the problems I faced in the case study, how I handled the problem, why I thought that solution was best, who I approached to help me, how I got that person to help me, etc. I showed, instead of told. It’s the perfect way to boast, without boasting.

Before I end this part, I want to share three more tips. These I learned when I attended Tony Robbins’ $10,000 Business Mastery Program and met Chet Holmes, author of The Ultimate Sales Machine, face-to-face. He said:

1. First he told me to watch my tonality (probably because I was nervous when I spoke to him). Tonality, he said, is responsible for more of my communication than the actual words I say. The best way to understand this is by watching this video – the first part of the video is how most interviewees sound like. (And if you want to improve how your voice sounds like, this video should help. Bottom line: talk to interviewers like you would with a friend.)
2. Some people are fast talkers while others are slow talkers. Pacing yourself and mirroring their style will help you score points in the subconscious mind of the interviewer.
3. Ask intelligent questions that only people “in the know” would know to ask. For example, asking what is expected of you in 3 to 6 months is quite standard. But if you ask what the interviewer thinks of a controversial issue in the industry, that shows you’re plugged in. For example: what do you think about the use of overly thin models in marketing campaigns?

So there, 4 simple steps I took to double my salary. Remember, however, that simple is not easy. Have you tried any of these tips? Did I miss any awesome tips you have? I’d love to hear about your experiments in the comments below.

This article was written by freelance writer Andrianes Pinantoan. You can find him on Google+ or @andreispsyched.

* * * * *

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Be happier.

In fact, this was Harvard Business School Professor Deepak Malhotra's advice to 2012 graduates. 

And via Harvard happiness expert Shawn Achor's book, The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work:

...the impressive meta-analysis of happiness research that brought together the results of over 200 scientific studies on nearly 275,000 people—and found that happiness leads to success in nearly every domain of our lives, including marriage, health, friendship, community involvement, creativity, and, in particular, our jobs, careers, and businesses. Data abounds showing that happy workers have higher levels of productivity, produce higher sales, perform better in leadership positions, and receive higher performance ratings and higher pay. They also enjoy more job security and are less likely to take sick days, to quit, or to become burned out. Happy CEOs are more likely to lead teams of employees who are both happy and healthy, and who find their work climate conducive to high performance.

And if you want to get happier you should start here.

Follow me on Twitter here or get updates via email here.

Related posts:

10 things you need to know to be happier

8 ways that money can buy happiness

How to make yourself happier in just a few seconds

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People who have an overwhelming fear of being discriminated against — for anything from their gender to sexual orientation — have a higher chance of leaving their jobs. 

According to a study published in the Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology journal, the constant need to "supress or conceal [your] identity" can have a negative impact in your personal satisfaction, which leads to increased turnover — and that costs companies money.

"The workplace is becoming a much more diverse place, but there are still some individuals who have difficulty embracing what makes them different, especially while on the job," says Michelle Hebl, co-author of the study and a professor of psychology at Rice University. 

But when people "embrace their social identity in the workplace," their relationships with co-workers will improve as well. 

"And quite often, what's good for the worker is good for the workplace," Hebl says. "The employees feel accepted and have better experiences with co-workers, which creates a positive working environment that may lead to decreased turnover and greater profits."

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Confidence is key to getting ahead in your career, but how can you communicate your expertise without sounding boastful?

To help you assert your talents in a polished, professional way, we've come up with some key suggestions that make tooting your own horn a cinch.

Whether you're planning for an upcoming review or seeking out your next promotion, here are four smart, savvy tips to follow.

Be prepared.
In order to properly and thoughtfully sing your own praises, it's best to prepare for those moments year-round. First, keep an email folder where you can save all the positive feedback you receive, and then use specific quotes as a reference during your reviews.

Next, make sure to monitor and note all the important statistics for your position, like major sales, new clients, and year-over-year improvements. Managers can't remember each and every assignment you've ever completed, either, so maintain a running list of your major projects and the goals that you achieved.

Be humble.
Modesty and positivity are crucial. There's a fine line between expressing your potential and conveying arrogance, so try to tread carefully. For one thing, you need to make sure that the accomplishments you're highlighting are your own. If others contributed to your success, then give your colleagues credit too. That won't take away from your efforts; in fact, it shows both leadership and intelligence. Likewise, it's best to acknowledge any mistakes or shortcomings that arise — just be sure to end on a positive note by calling attention to any lessons that followed.

Read on for more tips to help you get ahead.

Be timely.
You can toot your own horn all you want, but if you disrupt or annoy your manager, then she's not going to listen to your points. Don't ambush your manager when it's convenient for you. Instead, schedule a meeting dedicated to your review or wait until the appropriate time presents itself. Location is important too, so be sure to reserve a conference room or another private location for your appointment.

Be professional.
A good rule of thumb: to maintain healthy relationships and a favorable reputation, you should brag to your manager, not your coworkers. There's no reason to discuss your career status with anyone other than your supervisor or the HR department. That being said, you should work with your manager to refine your job description and professional goals during review sessions. Then, when tracking your accomplishments, you can refer to those specific, mutually defined responsibilities.

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By Christopher Maag

Getting financial help with college was one of the major reasons why Benjamin Armstrong joined the Marine Corps.

But when the veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars finally started using the G.I. Bill to attend Texas State University in 2004, he accidentally missed out on the Marine Corps College Fund, which would have paid $12,000 toward his education.

"I was not prepared" to make the best use of the military's financial aid, Armstrong says.

After a few early stumbles, Armstrong earned his bachelor's degree in 2008 and his master's in 2011. And since G.I. Bill covered the vast majority of the costs, Armstrong finished school with minimal student loan debt.

"I basically got two degrees for $2,000" in student loans, he says. "I just feel blessed and excited."

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the cost of college. The average university student graduates with over $25,000 in student loans, according to the Project on Student Loan Debt.

Americans owe more than $1 trillion in student loans, more than they've charged on their credit cards.

But there are ways for students of all ages to earn college degrees without racking up mountains of debt. Some, like the G.I. Bill, are well-known, and have been around for generations. Others, including law school programs that wipe away graduates' student loans in return for work in the public interest, may be less well-known but just as helpful.

[Related Articles: The Best Student Loan Advice on Twitter]

Whatever the mechanism, most of these alternative ways of paying for college share a similar goal: Helping young people enjoy the opportunities that come with having a college degree without the crushing debt that prevents many graduates from enjoying those opportunities.

"We want to make sure that concerns about debt or income are not stopping any of our students from going out and changing the world in whatever way they choose," says Janet Conroy, a spokeswoman for the Yale Law School, which offers a generous loan repayment program for graduates who pursue low-paying jobs or public service.

Adam Levin, chairman and co-founder of Credit.com, recently proposed a new National Service Corpsthat would help hundreds of thousands of young Americans pay for college in exchange for two years of service to their country. While larger and broader in scope than any existing service program, there are many precedents for this kind of aid. Here are some of the more popular programs people already use to help pay for college and graduate school.

The Military

The grandfather of all college aid programs is the G.I. Bill. Originally introduced in 1944 to help soldiers returning from World War II avoid the unemployment and economic stagnation that often follows major wars, the G.I. Bill has been expanded to help generations of military service members attend college and improve their professional skills.

It's been expanded, and it's also become much more complicated. There are actually two G.I. Bills, plus a host of other programs offered by the Veterans Administration to help veterans and their families go to school. Some of these programs are stand-alone, and can only be used by themselves. Others can be layered one after the other, so that one student can tap multiple programs to obtain a number of different degrees and certificates.

"It is fairly complicated," says Armstrong, who works as coordinator of student veteran services at the University of Texas at Austin. Even though he is immersed every day in the intricacies of the G.I. Bill, he often turns to experienced experts at the Texas Veterans Commission for help answering more complicated questions.

"I haven't mastered it yet," he says.

At its simplest level, the G.I. Bill takes two different forms: The Montgomery G.I Bill, and the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. The biggest difference between the two is how they pay, says Ron Kness, who retired after 36 years of military service and now helps veterans navigate military's educational benefits for veterans as a G.I. Bill expert on GIBill.com.

Under the Montgomery, the older version of the G.I. Bill, veterans pay tuition, living expenses and other fees from their own pockets, and later are reimbursed by the government up to $1,473 per month for full-time students.

Under the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, meanwhile, the government pays tuition and fees directly to the school. The bill also pays a monthly housing allowance that varies based on the student's zip code, plus up to $1,000 a year for books.

Many students prefer this newer version of the bill, Armstrong says, because direct payments from the government to colleges makes it easier for veterans to plan their finances.

"The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill is, without a doubt, the best G.I. Bill veterans have ever had," Kness says.

The two bills are not necessarily exclusive, either. If a veteran plans to go for a master's doctorate or other advanced degree, she can start out on the Montgomery G.I. Bill, which covers up to 36 months of schooling. After that, they can switch to the Post-9/11 bill and get an additional 12 months.

"Since the introduction of the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, it is really common for veterans" to string the different benefits together like this, Kness says. "The 36 months takes them to their four-year degree and the additional one-year get them half-way through their advanced degree."

Nor are veterans limited to attending in-state public universities. Thanks to the Post-9/11 bill's Yellow Ribbon program, students can get additional financial help to attend private schools if tuition at their institution exceeds the $17,500 traditionally paid by the Veteran's Administration. In addition to the different versions of the G.I. Bill, the Veterans Administration offers other financial aid programs for veterans and their families. Here are a few:

-       Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP), to help reservists called to active duty during wars and national emergencies.

-       Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP), in which service members can deduct money from their paychecks to fund later schooling. The government matches these contributions 2-for-1.

-       National Call to Service Program. In return for service in the active duty military and the National Guard, students can choose from a range of different education benefits, including a one-time cash bonus of $5,000 or repayment of existing student loans up to $18,500.

-       Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP), which gives up to 12 months of retraining assistance to unemployed, middle-aged veterans to attend community college or technical school.

-       Survivors & Dependents Assistance (DEA), which helps the spouses and children of deceased or disabled veterans pay for up to 45 months of education.

If you're considering the G.I. Bill or other military programs to pay for college, the Veteran Administration's website is a good place to start, here. But don't stop there, Kness and Armstrong agree. Scan the Internet for forums, like the one Kness runs as "Ask the G.I. Bill Expert." Each state has its own veterans commission, which is staffed with G.I. Bill experts. Also, every school that accepts funding from the G.I. Bill must have someone on staff to administer it, and these employees often understand how federal and state benefits can combine to pay for more of your education.

"In most cases, the onus is on the veteran to sort through everything and to make the best decision on what they can find," Kness says.

National Health Service Corps

Between college and medical school, the average new doctor graduates with a crushing loan of student loan debt. That debt often changes how young doctors think of their careers

"A lot of my classmates originally wanted to open their own practices," says Rashid M. Rashid, a dermatologist in Houston, Texas. "After school that all changed. They said, 'I have to make my money immediately because I've got so much loan debt.'"

For people who want to practice medicine without the need to make lots of money upfront, the National Health Service Corps offers to repay loans for people who agree to work in underserved, often low-income areas. The corps' Loan Repayment Program offers up to $60,000 in tax-free loan repayment in exchange for two years of full-time service, or four years of part-time.

After two years, corps members can apply to re-up and earn even more money.

"With continued service, providers may be able to pay off all their student loans," says Michelle Daniels, a spokeswoman for the Health Resources and Services Administration, which runs the program.

There are currently over 10,000 corps members across a broad range of professions, including primary care physicians, dentists, social workers and family therapists. Another 524 current students are receiving scholarships from the corps; in return they will be expected to work in underserved communities upon graduation.

Current students cannot necessarily depend on the corps to cover their loans, however. Rather, graduates must already be working at an approved health care site, or have a job offer to begin working at such a site within 60 days of submitting their application, to be considered for a repayment award.

This means that, rather than serving as a stepping-stone to more lucrative careers in medicine or mental health, the National Health Service Corps usually helps people who are committed to serving the poor for years to come. The loan repayment and scholarship program "provides the financial freedom to follow their passion for serving the underserved," Daniels says. "NHSC members typically become part of the communities where they serve, and more than 80 percent remain in underserved communities after they complete their service commitment."

AmeriCorps

Ben Duda spent two years traveling America building houses, restoring trails and repairing 4-H camps as a member of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), which is part of the federal AmeriCorps program. For all this work he earned just barely enough to live on -- Duda and his fellow corps members pooled their meal stipends together to buy enough groceries to survive.

"It's not glamorous, it doesn't pay well," says Duda, executive director of AmeriCorps Alums, a network of former AmeriCorps members. "I think the appeal has got to be the experience itself."

Duda also received an education benefit of around $5,000 to help pay for college or graduate school. He wound up using it towards his master's degree in public policy from Johns Hopkins University. (Currently AmeriCorps pays education awards of $5,500, but because that amount is taxed, the actual benefit drops to around $5,000.)

That may not sound like much, especially when the average college student graduates with more than five times that amount in student loan debt. But if used wisely, an AmeriCorps education award could make a significant dent in students' college costs.

Since the average tuition at community colleges is $2,963 a year, according to the American Association of Community Colleges, the AmeriCorps education award could cover nearly all the tuition for a two-year associate degree. Many of those credits could be transferred to a four-year pubic university, where tuition averages $8,244.

Meanwhile, the experience of being an AmeriCorps member itself may be just as educational as college.

[Related Article: For Middle-Age Students, Is College Worth the Risk?]

"It's a way to do some meaningful, impactful work" and decide if that's the kind of work you want to do as a career, Duda says.

AmeriCorps volunteers work on education, health care, community building and environmental projects around the country, often serving in low-income areas. The program includes a number of different volunteer programs, including NCCC and VISTA, which was created in 1965 as the domestic version of the Peace Corps.

About 80,000 volunteers are currently serving the three programs, says said Kate Enos, a spokeswoman for the Corporation for National and Community Service, which runs all three. But even given the modest living stipend and education award that comes with AmeriCorps service, competition for those slots is fierce. AmeriCorps received 582,000 applications for its volunteer positions in 2011, the corporation reported, an all-time record.

Law School Loan Repayment Programs

After graduating from Yale Law School in 2002, Kristen Jackson won a prestigious job clerking for a federal judge, followed by years working to protect immigrant children as an attorney for Public Counsel, a nonprofit law office in Los Angeles.

But Jackson also graduated with $102,000 in student loan debt (which meant about $150,000 with interest.) That translated to monthly payments of $900. Working at Public Counsel, which paid her $35,000 when she started in 2003, Jackson could not afford to both pay for school and follow the career path she loves.

But thanks to Yale's generous Career Options Assistance Program (COAP), Jackson was able to work for years without paying a dime for her student loans. As her income rose, she gradually became responsible for an increased amount of her loan payments.

[Free Resource: Check your credit score and report card for free before applying for a credit card]

In the end, Jackson figures COAP will have covered about half of her school debt.

"It made a huge difference," says Jackson, 40. "If I didn't have that loan repayment program, I would definitely not be doing my job, and my career would be much different. There would be no way I could afford it."

Many law schools offer such loan repayment assistance programs. The goal is to remove the pressure many graduates feel to take a job with large corporate firms, which often pay large salaries, just to make enough money to pay off their loans. Yale is famous for being especially generous, and for putting fewer limitations on who can qualify; any graduate who makes below a certain income can receive full or partial forgiveness for their law school loans (the amounts vary based on marital status and other factors.)

That means Yale Law graduates are free to pursue whatever career path they want, whether it be as a lawyer, elementary school teacher or janitor.

[Related Article: How I'm Repaying $120,000 in Student Loans]

"We don't want money to be an impediment for people to follow their dreams of using their law school degree," says Jan Conroy, a spokeswoman for the school. The program costs the school more than $3 million a year.

Other schools handle this task differently. At New York University, for example, law school applicants can try out for Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholarships, which pay full tuition for three years of law school to top students who pursue careers in public service. Other students can apply for the school's Loan Repayment Assistance Program, which wipes clean their entire law school debt as long as they work in public interest law for ten years after graduation and earn salaries of less than $80,000.

"This commitment to easing the burden of student loan repayment allows our graduates the flexibility to pursue a wide range of careers in nearly every corner of the globe," according to the program's website, "from advocating for homeless youth in New York City to working for death penalty reform in China."

If you're applying for law school and believe that the world of big corporate firms is not for you, you may want to factor each school's loan repayment program into your decision.

This article originally appeared on Credit.com. Christopher Maag is a contributing writer for Credit.com.

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As a candidate, you know that people considering you for employment judge you on everything, right?

Clothes. Your Car. How you talk. Whether your spouse is smoking hot.

Hold up, what was that last one?

Your spouse—he or she needs to be smoking hot. You didn't get the memo?  

I made it gender neutral because I'm a long term HR guy and that's how I roll. But let's face it, men are pigs. So it stands to reason that men, not women, would be the ones to judge the ultimate accessory held by a candidate—the wife. Don't believe me? Here's the rundown from Coachingsearch.com (hat tip to a blogging friend who doesn't want his name on this), which covers comments made by the Vanderbilt head football coach on the topic:

"Breaking: Do not apply for a job on James Franklin's staff if your wife is not a smoke show.

While in Destin on Wednesday afternoon, Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin told Clay Travis on 104.5 The Zone that he evaluates the appearance of coaches' wives during the interview process.

Franklin, in a relaxed mood near the beach, explained, "I've been saying it for a long time, I will not hire an assistant until I see his wife. If she looks the part and she's a D1 recruit, then you got a chance to get hired. That's part of the deal. There's a very strong correlation between having the confidence, going up and talking to a women, and being quick on your feet and having some personality and confidence and being articulate and confident, than it is walking into a high school and recruiting a kid and selling him."

Does this apply to more than football? Probably.

The general rule of thumb is that the spouse starts becoming a factor once you start getting into leadership positions, especially with smaller companies where great sacrifices might be required on the part of families—that's when the hiring executive wants to meet Mrs. Candidate, more often than not to gauge whether she'll be supportive of the sacrifices required, and also to sell her in to the promise of the role, etc.

So it stands to reason that a high attractiveness level might be a plus in that situation, if not a requirement via the progressive views of James Franklin.

Women: does this ever hold true for the male spouse of a key female candidate? That would explain my wife's amazing career success before she opted out of the game. I'm just sayin'...

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A competitive spirit has its place in the office. It can be a positive force that pushes you to do your best work, thereby strengthening your company and increasing your job security and potential rewards.

Some people, however, become possessed by the competitive spirit. They begin to view work as a zero-sum game and coworkers as obstacles to their advancement. At this point, when a coworker is willing to step on your head to reach his goals, competition becomes negative.

There isn’t much you can do to change the behavior of hyper-competitive coworkers. But, you can take steps to neutralize them and protect yourself.

1. Maintain Focus

Don’t let an overly competitive coworker draw your attention away from your job. Focus on doing solid work and continuously improving – not on besting a particular colleague. Simply put: Don’t compete – except against yourself. Use your past performance to set future goals and work towards those results. You’re more likely to succeed if you focus on the positive goal of continual self-improvement, rather than on outdoing someone else.

2. Cultivate Relationships

Work to build and maintain strong, professional relationships with other colleagues. Again, don’t focus on the overly competitive coworker. Instead, put energy into gaining respect in the workplace and becoming a well-regarded and valuable member of the team overall: Deliver on commitments; praise others; accept constructive criticism; collaborate well; and be a positive presence. Work toward virtuous goals and leave the negativity of the hyper-competitive coworker behind.

3. Convert

Try to get an overly competitive coworker to start viewing you more as a collaborator than a rival. When the coworker in question does something well, casually recognize it during a meeting with a quick compliment. Ask for his advice on a project you’re working on – and if he provides a useful suggestion give him credit when appropriate. If you try these methods, however, and he isn’t receptive, just leave it alone. Maybe he’s just too far gone into his competitiveness.

4. Defend Yourself

Sometimes taking steps, such as those mentioned above, to neutralize an overly competitive coworker just aren’t enough. Blatant attacks against you or your work – and attempts to steal ideas and credit from you –  must be answered. Before you go to the boss, however, be sure that the violation is serious enough to warrant such action. You don’t want to be a tattletale. And when you do talk to your boss, keep it professional, be specific and be able to support your position. Don’t get personal; don’t whine; and don’t gripe.

5. Evaluate Culture

Take a look around your workplace. How many of your colleagues would you describe as overly competitive? If the number is high, there may be bigger forces at work. An abundance of hyper-competitive coworkers could be an indication that there is a workplace culture — either encouraged or ignored by those in charge — that creates and fosters that behavior. If that’s the case, and you are unhappy with the situation, it may be time to think about looking for a new job with a company that has a culture more appealing to you. 

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Everyone does it: We all make decisions based on a little data and a lot of experience.

Other people might call that acting on a hunch or going by gut feel—especially if they disagree with your decisions—but if you have a wealth of experience to draw from, often those quick decisions turn out to be correct.

Like where hiring employees is concerned: Over time you've learned to quickly size up a candidate, sometimes within a few minutes, based on one or two actions or comments. (If you're a job seeker and feel that's unfair, you might be right, but it's also a fact of hiring life. Complaining about the injustice of it all doesn't help; accept that interviewers often make snap decisions, and use that fact to your advantage.)

That's because as interviewers people are naturally influenced by first impressions. And they're definitely influenced by what experience indicates are key or pivotal moments.

Here are some of my snap judgments, both positive and negative:

1. When the candidate says she's excited about the opportunity:

You should be happy to get an interview. You should be excited about the job. You're in the pre-hiring honeymoon phase: If you're not excited now, you definitely won't be six months later.

Plus a candidate that pushes too hard into the land of "let me see if this job is a good fit" makes the interview painful for the interviewer. Even if by the end you decide you really want the job, you probably already lost me.

Bottom line, if you haven't tried to know enough about the job to know whether you're excited about the opportunity, I'm not impressed.

2. When the candidate complains:

Some people complain, totally unprompted: About their present employer, their current salary, their commute....

Complaints about being micro-managed are a downer; I'd much rather you say you're eager to earn more responsibility and authority. I know you want to switch jobs for a reason... but tell me why you want my job instead of why you want to escape your job.

3. When the candidate needs to make "car payments":

Years ago I was in charge of part-time employees at a manufacturing plant. Full-time employees were required to work heavy overtime but part-time employees were not. That made covering open slots—and, selfishly, my job—a lot harder.

When I asked part-time candidates about their willingness to work overtime, I loved the ones who said, "I want all the overtime I can get. I bought a new car and the payments are killing me."

Every job, no matter how high-level, has at least one major requirement: a particular skill, a key attribute, a specific quality, etc. Understand and meet that requirement and as a candidate you're 80 percent home.

4. When the candidate takes over:

Everyone appreciates a leader. Except in an interview.

I want you to be self-assured. I want you to be confident. I don't want you to try to take over. That's irritating at best, insulting at worst.

Subtly shape the interview and lead the conversation into areas that showcase your strengths and I'm impressed. Railroad me and I'm not.

5. When the candidate owns a problem:

Say you're late for the interview. I don't want to hear a long story about traffic and bad directions and no parking.

Instead, own it and then try to solve the problem.  Say, "I'm sorry I'm late. I ran into traffic. I know that throws off your schedule, so if you don't have time now, I'll be glad to reschedule whenever it is convenient for you."

Take ownership, don't make excuses, and offer ways to make things better.

Nothing ever goes perfectly, so knowing you will take responsibility and work to fix problems is a major positive.

6. When the candidate isn't ready:

One of my pet peeves is standing in a grocery store line and the person in front of me waits until all the items have been scanned and bagged before he starts searching for his wallet.

The same is true in an interview. Don't sit down and start sifting through your briefcase. Don't spend five minutes laying out your materials.

7. When the candidate asks throw-away questions:

When you're asked if you have any questions, don't make up a couple to try to impress me. If you have no questions, say so.

And don't ask about something you could have easily learned on your own. And don't ask questions designed to make you look good.

In short, don't ask what you think I want to hear. It leaves a terrible last impression.

8. When the candidate asks for the job:

Salespeople ask for the sale. Candidates should ask for the job.

I definitely appreciate when a candidate says, "Thanks for the interview. I really enjoyed speaking with you. And I would really love to work here."

Why should I offer you something you are not willing to ask for?

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When you're reaching out to your network to help you find a job, the last thing you want to do is annoy your contacts.

Before you make that next call or send that next email, make sure you're not committing any of these 10 cardinal sins of networking:

1. Making it all about you. If you're only in touch when you want something, you'll quickly turn off your contacts. Instead, turn this around and think about how you can help others, whether it's connecting them to a job opportunity or forwarding an interesting article. Finding ways to be a helpful resource to others can be the best way to get help in return.

2. Not forming real relationships. Networking isn't about making as many contacts as possible; it's about making quality contacts. If you look at people as merely a way to expand your circle, your efforts will probably fall flat. Instead, make it your goal to build genuine relationships.

3. Acting entitled to someone's time or access to their connections. Giving you those things are favors, and you significantly lower your chances of getting them if you don't reflect an understanding of that. Always make it clear that you know you're asking for a favor, that you'd be grateful for any help they can provide, and that you'll understand if it's not possible.

4. Not thinking about what the other person wants. Before you ask someone to help you, stop and think about what they might hope to get out of it. Generally, people doing you a networking favor would like to feel that you recognize and appreciate their efforts—and perhaps even that you admire their work, if it's true. Take the time to tell them that.

5. Misappropriating someone else's contacts for yourself. One reader told me about a contact who connected with her on Facebook, then promptly sent friend requests to all her Facebook friends who were connected to the field that he was trying to get into. "That's obnoxious enough on its own, but many of them were my social friends, not professional contacts, and on the wrong side of the country anyway," she said later. "Not cool, guy."

6. Offering help and then disappearing. If you offer to introduce someone to a contact or put in a good word with an employer, make sure you follow through. The other person is counting on you, and it's frustrating to be on the receiving end of an offer that never materializes.

7. Lying. If you say, "Jane Smith told me to call you," and it turns out that Jane Smith didn't say any such thing, you'll have permanently burned your bridge with both parties.

8. Not saying thank you. Say thank you every time someone helps you, and you'll increase your chances of getting their help in the future. Whether it's taking your call, connecting you with someone else, or forwarding you a job lead, you should always send a thank-you note.

9. Not following up. It's frustrating to spend time giving someone advice and then never hear how their situation turned out. Make sure that you check back in with people who spent time talking with you, and let them know where you ended up.

10. Not networking. Believe it or not, not networking can frustrate your contacts just as much as everything above. One reader told me, "I hate finding out months down the road that someone could have either provided a service I needed or have been just the right fit for some job or gig I knew of, but they were too shy to open their mouth about a potentially mutually beneficial arrangement. It's intimidating to give yourself props, but it can't be more intimidating than missing out on an opportunity, can it?"

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It's been a little over a year and Kenny Nguyen, the 21-year-old founder of Big Fish Presentations, is telling Fortune 500 companies how to do presentations the right way. 

"I realized the world's top companies have forgotten how to present and rely on software to do the talking," Nguyen told us.

Since its inception at Louisiana State University's student Incubator in March 2011, the company has grown immensely. 

Big Fish Presentations was featured on Inc.com's list of "America's Coolest College Start-ups in 2012," which led to work for Fortune 500 company Entergy.

In just over a year, Nguyen's team managed to bring in $125,000. The company attracts clients in the health care, industrial and technology industries. Some of its past clients include Raising Canes, BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana, Civic Entertainment Group, and Cabela's. The team is currently working on a project for database software company, Oracle. 

One out of the ten people in the rapidly-growing company is only 19 and the team consists mainly of students. 

Big Fish Presentations was formed when Nguyen was disappointed after watching a boring presentation from a Fortune 500 company. "We wanted to change that, and create a company that works with other companies to turn presentations into experiences."

With just $1,000 to start with, Nguyen set out to turn his vision into reality. Nguyen not only wanted to create great presentations, but to make the person presenting them look great, too. He believes that visuals should be an extension of the speaker, because no matter how well-designed a presentation is, without the right energy and communication from the presenter, the entire project fails. 

"We don't work like traditional graphic design agencies," says Nguyen. "We also work with the presenter to effectively communicate the message."

Other services offered by the company include commercial video production, copywriting, animations, coaching, custom template design, photography, and presentation workshops and seminars.

Within three months, the team was able to move from the university's incubator into an 800 sq.-ft office nearby. Because of the company's growth, they will soon be moving into a 1,200 sq.-ft office to accommodate production equipment, such as a green screen and lights, and to better equip them in handling their increasing workload.

Louisiana isn't the only state they service. Since competing in New York City at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (hosted by Entrepreneurs' Organization), they've acquired many clients in New York, and even as far as the U.K. 

Nguyen, who works primarily on the business development end, has huge plans for expansion. "We're looking to continue expanding in New York and in San Francisco, as they are hot spots with growing companies. We're currently pushing an initiative with agency partnerships where we act as their cost-effective/valuable presentation design team for their clients or their own pitches." Soon, they'll be releasing an e-book on the power of story-telling and introducing a re-design of their website in July. 

"We would also love to break into the entertainment and sports industries for our video production services," says Nguyen. 

With a team consisting of mostly undergraduate students, balancing school and a growing business is no easy task. Student designers typically spend 25 hours a week during the semester working on presentations and more than 30 hours during the summer.

According to Nguyen, prioritizing is key. "As a college student, you have so many opportunities to distract you, but at the end of the day, I know what I'm doing is making a bigger impact on the world," he says. "To keep myself in check, I keep a daily to-do list with me on my computer, highlighting the most important things I need to get done that day." 

DON'T MISS: 26 Books About Success That Every Entrepreneur Should Read >

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O.K.—I promised you an image upfront, so here it is.

Here’s what the image means. If this image can’t be the end result of your performance review process, you’ve likely over-engineered what you’re doing with performance management.

The image itself is pretty basic. It’s the classic 9-box grid of performance vs. potential. In this picture, all your employees are plotted on a performance vs potential grid.

Once you close out your process, you should be able to take a look at this picture as an HR pro, and you should be able to use the picture to drive a bunch of cool conversations related to what’s going on with the talent in your company.

Can’t do that with how you handle performance today? Then you can’t really run a high-end talent review with your leadership team or the managers you serve. You’ve likely got a bunch of numbers that put people —all people—to sleep related to performance at your company. You know it’s true. So why not take a look at something new?

Start with the picture. It’s the end. Then work backwards. Reverse engineer the process.

What’s more engaging? Telling your team that the average rating across the company was 3.24, or throwing a picture up that shows the 9-box with all of your talent scattered across it?

The picture wins.

That’s why our next Webinar is focused on performance: Attend “Zombies, Grinders and Superstars: The FOT Talent/Succession Review” (sponsored by Halogen) to get the following goodies:

• How to use your performance review process to generate a picture like the one above
• How what you do with performance management at your company is directly related to how you approach talent reviews and succession
• Why corporate values don’t belong anywhere near your performance management system
• How items called “potential factors” add flavor to your approach to performance/talent/succession, and how to create potential factors for your company to use in the talent review
• How to use the talent review process to calibrate performance ratings across your company, box in managers who are soft on performance and create a greater sense of pay for performance in your organization
• An outline and best practice notes on how to run a talent review meeting, with formats that differ for your company’s Leadership Team, a division/departmental group, or a high potential employee program.

This webinar comes with the Fistful of Talent guarantee:  60 percent of the time it works every time. Join the FOT crew as they tell the truth and cut through the smoke and mirrors related to Talent Reviews as a part of your succession program.

Ready to reverse engineer your performance review process and actually have a chance at meaningful talent conversations with your leadership team or managers at your company?

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Wall Street is notorious for the grueling interviews they put potential interns and employees through.

The questions asked are erratic, and range anywhere from complex industry questions to brain teasers to situation questions that may test your moral fiber.

So when the posters at the forum Wall Street Oasis posed the question "What's the hardest interview you were ever asked?" we couldn't help but be interested in what the posters had to say.

We found that most of the "hardest questions ever" were open-ended situation inquiries that had no right or wrong answer, so we threw together the best of them. Think you have the "correct" answer? Think again. And for more advice from the experienced Wall Street Oasis posters head to their conference on July 28th.

Q: What line on your resume is the most bullshit?

Asked by a UBS managing director.

Source: Clever Name on Wall Street Oasis

Q: "What's your outlook for US cucumber prices over the course of 2012?"

This might put you in a pickle.

Source: SFTechUES on Wall Street Oasis

Q: Do you view this as your dream career?

Of course you're supposed to say yes, but it's the follow up that's a killer.

Source: Dank Nugs on Wall Street Oasis

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One of the surest signs that recent MBAs are struggling to repay their graduate school loans is the recent comment one Harvard Business School graduate made to a Chicago Tribune reporter—that he felt like he had a gun to his head whenever he thought about the $101,000 he owed. 

At $60,610 per year in tuition and fees, Harvard is the most expensive private business school in the country, according to data from the 46 U.S. private business schools that reported to U.S. News for the 2011-2012 school year. The Business School at Columbia University ($58,350 per year) and the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania ($58,244 annually) were close behind—both ringing in at well above the average cost of $44,066 per year in tuition and fees for private business schools. 

At the 10 least expensive private business schools, the average cost in tuition and fees was much lower: $28,963. The Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University—Provo, ranked 34th in the U.S. News Best Business Schools rankings, topped the least-expensive list with an average annual cost of $10,600 in tuition and fees. 

BYU was also the highest-ranked school on the list of 10 lowest-priced private business schools, according to the Best Business School rankings. The next highest-ranked school was the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University, which ranked 64th and costs $32,058 per year in tuition and fees, putting it 7th on the least-expensive list. 

Only schools that reported the yearly cost of tuition and fees were included in this analysis. Private schools that provided tuition and fees data to U.S. News based on per-credit hour costs or overall costs for the entire length of the program were excluded. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report. 

Below is a table of the 10 lowest priced private business schools based on tuition and required fees for 2011-2012 (figures do not include room and board, books, and other miscellaneous costs):*RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one fourth of its ranking category. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.

**While the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University—Provo is a private institution, the school offers two different tuition rates—one for students who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one for non-LDS students. BYU's tuition for Mormon students is lower than the tuition provided in this article. 

Don't see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News Business School Compass to find data on cost and much more. 

U.S. News surveyed more than 400 schools for our 2011 survey of business programs. Schools self-reported a myriad of data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News's data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Business Schools rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News's rankings of Best Colleges or Best Graduate Schools.

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Recently a Reddit user asked professionals to post something that's common knowledge within the industry but mind-blowing to the general public.

Since then, more than 8,000 people have replied with some shocking facts.

We pared down the most lurid details shared, including what percentage of children have a different biological daddy than they thought and why you shouldn't snort cocaine before going to the dentist.

NOTE: Reddit uses anonymous sources, which we can't verify. Posts are edited only for clarity.

"Geneticist here: it is estimated that about 10% of children in genetics studies are "non-paternities", meaning 10% of the kids in the studies don't have the same biological father as we are told they have. "

Source: Reddit, edited for clarity.

"You could die if you do cocaine the day before a dentist appointment. Tell your dentist."

Source: Reddit, edited for clarity.

"Grapes for cheap wine are machine-picked, meaning they're full of rot and spiders."

Source: Reddit, edited for clarity.

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In the hunt for employment, one's connections have long been recognized as an invaluable way to get a foot in the door.

In the Huffington Post's "Becoming Fearless About Work" video, featuring women at the forefront of their fields, author and journalist Jean Chatzky urges the unemployed to seek out these contacts, and sign off the web.

"If you've been unemployed for awhile, you gotta get off the computer," says Chatzky. "We have this perception that hiring is online these days. And it's not true. Connections are made in person."

With an endless sea of career and networking sites to choose from, it can be easy to forget the importance of reaching out to a person or company beyond a resume drop or e-mail.

Chatzky reminds us that the most successful job seekers are those that understand the importance of putting a face to a resume and express their interest in person.

NOW SEE: 22 Executives Share The Best Advice They Ever Received >

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• "Learning occurs best when important information is selected from less important ideas, when selected information is organized graphically, when associations are built among ideas and when understanding is regulated through self-testing"

• Know the rules your brain works by and general tips for getting smarter.

• A negative attitude increases motivation to learn. Cheerful students think they're doing well but have lower GPA's. Good moods can harm your memory.

• Being social before a test increases performance.

• Testing yourself is the best way to study -- even if you fail the tests.

• "A well-timed sugary drink, thirty minutes to an hour before you have to remember or take notice of something particularly well should improve how well you remember it." Or just have coffee and a donut.

• Turn off the music and don't study in groups.

• Gesturing improves your ability to learn.

• Do not forget your good luck charm.

• Talk to yourself.

• Take naps after you study.

• Doodle.

• Don't be afraid to fail. In fact, you might want to do it deliberately.

• The Socratic method works.

• Teach others.

• Find a way to relate to the material.

• Turn off the computer and write by hand.

• There is a way to increase learning as you sleep.

• Don't cram. Spacing out learning is a powerful way to increase performance.

• More tips are here and here.

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It's no secret that the tech world has been a boy's club since forever. You don't have to look much farther than the Kleiner Perkins sex scandal that's been rocking the Valley for proof.

A group of tech industry giants have come up with a smart way to fix that. On Tuesday, Twitter, General Electric, Google and eBay said they were backing an organization called “Girls Who Code.”  This is an organization that teaches high school and middle school girls how to become programmers in an 8-week summer program. Each participant will be matched with a woman mentor at a tech company.

There's a pilot planned for New York this summer, but with the financial and volunteer support of big tech backers, organizers hope to roll it out to other cities in 2013.

Girls Who Code was founded by Reshma Saujani, a hedge fund lawyer and former New York City deputy public advocate. Saujani says that even though 57 percent of college graduates are women, only 14 percent of computer science and engineering graduates are.

In a blog post, Sara Haider, an engineer at Twitter who goes by @pandemona, explained why Twitter was getting involved.

"Of course we have self-interest in this too: having more female engineers on staff leads to having an even better working environment at Twitter," Haider wrote. "But more importantly, we want to support engineering education and make it more accessible to young women."

Nice.

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One of the toughest things to do when getting to know people professionally is remembering their names. And it's also an extremely useful skill to have when you're networking. Showing a stranger that you remembered her name can portray you as someone who pays attention and even someone who cares. Here are some tricks to remembering any name:

• Ask for their business card: When you meet someone in a networking situation, ask for their business card. Jot down a few notes about the person and his appearance so you can differentiate him from the other people you've met. You can always refer back to the card if you forget someone's name.
• Repeat it in your mind: After you've met someone, repeat her name in your mind a few times until you feel like you got a hang of the name.
• Write it down: Some people write down people's names in a private place like a bathroom on a scrap of paper or a notebook.
• Ask again: At the end of your conversation, ask the person you're speaking with to repeat his name just to make sure you have it right. Hearing it again will help you memorize it as well.
• Visualize an image: Attach an image to the name. For example, if you meet a Catherine, then try to connect the image of a cat with the woman. That way, when you meet the woman again, the image of a cat will pop up, and it will be easy to work out what her name is.
• Identity associations: If you picked up an interesting or distinguishing fact about the person you're talking to, then repeat the associations in your head. For example, Matt resells rare shoes on eBay or Kelly participates in triathlons.
• Inject it into conversation: Say the other person's name as often as you can during the conversation without it getting awkward. For example, inserting the name casually in sentences like "I really agree with you, John" or "John, how are you liking living in the city?" will do wonders for memorizing names.
• Rhyme it: We're more apt to remember rhymes, so try to rhyme a name with a characteristic in your head. For example, Gary who loves Dairy. Play around with the words and come up with a phrase that will stick.

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