Right now, you cannot get a waitressing job without having recent years of waitressing experience.

Wait. That’s perfect for college students though. So if you can, take your job as a sales associate, or a bartender full-time to pay the bills while you search for a real job.

Recession survival tips for the Class of 2009 by Beth Kobliner for Brazen Careerist

If you’re working hard to make money, whether you’re working a part-time job full-time or you have a great entry-level position, you’ll want to put the cold hard cash you’re pulling in to good use. Beth tells the Class of 2009 how to make the most of those measly pay cheques.

So how do you get ahead in the worst labor market since the early 1980s? You don’t have much power over big-picture economic factors, so it’s even more important than ever to take charge of what you can control: your career path, your networking activities, your spending habits, your debt and your savings.

How to deal with reference checks by Penelope Trunk

Penelope’s telling you to get off your butt and replace reference checks with something better: networking. It works in a similar way, in that someone who knows you talks about you to a potential employer. However, networking is better because your reference doesn’t have to wait to hear from your potential employer before they say something nice (or naughty) about you. Reference checks are outdated and useless in a lot of ways, especially since many large corporations will refuse to say anything more than that you worked there.

There is no rule that says you have to use your last employer as a reference. Explain to a prospective employer that you are giving the name of a person who knows you well and can speak to the issues this particular employer is interested in. Then give the name of a ringer. For almost a decade my favorite ringer was my boyfriend, who dated me and hired me and gave me glowing reviews even after he dumped me.

10 tips for moving out of the dorm at Kill Jill Goes to College

Chances are, those of you who didn’t high tail it off campus as soon as your last exam was finished are moving this weekend as your lease expires. Whether you’re moving back home, subletting someone else’s place or moving into a new apartment on your own, Kill Jill’s tips should help you out. If you’re anything like me, by the time you’re done school you’ll have moved a total of six pain-in-the-ass times, or more.

You’ve drank you last beer (or, in my case, margarita and glass of wine) and you’ve said your goodbyes. Summer is here, classes are over and it’s time to head back to wherever you call “home.” But packing up your stuff and getting it there can be a pain. Here are some tips to make the task a bit easier.