SoFi Blog

In all my years working with graduate school candidates in the recruiting and career counseling fields, one of my favorite challenges has been helping them switch careers.  Lucky for me, this shift towards a new career path is a phenomenon that’s on the rise.  While I wouldn’t recommend changing careers on a repeated basis, I do believe that one or two thoughtful, well-planned transitions can actually be good for your career.

Each quarter, the SoFi Career Coaching Team sifts through a mountain of employment data in order to identify the latest hiring and salary trends for our Career Trends Report. Our aim? To gauge the demand for undergraduate and graduate level talent, provide insight into hiring practices across industries and regions, and help our members and other early stage professionals make informed decisions about career development strategy.

In today’s digital world, it’s easier than ever to find and cultivate the contacts you need to bolster your job search and career growth – and networking-focused apps can help. Check out these three great tools — Charlie, Conspire and Contactually — that the SoFi Career Coaching team regularly shares with members.

Last month you may have seen the proposal to end federal tax benefits for 529 college savings plans, which sparked intense backlash and was withdrawn quickly. Even if you haven’t been following that news, or aren’t yet saving for your children’s education, 529 plans are an interesting example of how the wealth-minded manage their finances.

Got big plans for your career in 2015? The good news is there should be plenty of opportunity – if you know where to look and how to position yourself accordingly. That’s what the latest SoFi Quarterly Employment Trends report revealed when we released it at the end of last year (the full report is available to SoFi members – contact me for details).