The Gradspot.com “Guide to Life After College” book, which features a humorous view of the major issues facing post-graduates, will be available this May online and in paperback for those graduating who need guidance after leaving campus.
The book is full of tips for graduates with sections on the top 10 best cities for graduates, finding an apartment, searching for a job and staying healthy with insurance, doctors and dentists.
In one section, titled “The Top 10 Things to do After Graduating,” seniors are advised to travel, volunteer and even get a tattoo.
A more serious page titled “Salary Requirements” offers suggestions on how to negotiate a salary by doing your research before an interview and giving a price range.
Web site Gradspot.com features topics similar to the book while offering an interactive place for grads to either read a daily column or discuss topics on message boards.
The site provides tips, tricks and entertainment to help seniors and recent college grads prepare for the reality of the real world.
Gradspot Guru, a service offered by the Web site, helps users with bank accounts, credit cards and boosting credit ratings.
“I’m stressed out about paying back my student loans,” said senior Barry Wang. “Gradspot would be a helpful place for me to figure out the next step before taking any big steps financially.”
Co-founder and CEO, Stuart Schultz, who graduated from Emory University in 2004 and editor-in-chief Chris Schonberger, who graduated from Harvard University in 2006, created Gradspot.com because they wished resources were available for them when they first left school.
“When I was transitioning from college to the real world, I recognized that, for the first time, I didn’t have any safety nets around me and there weren’t any specific resources that could help me tackle issues I ran into,” said Schultz.
“I don’t mean ‘How to find an apartment?’, but rather, ‘How, as a recent grad with not much income and no credit, can I find an apartment?'”
Schonberger, who turned to Gradspot.com himself while living in a place that leaked dirt from the ceiling, understands the transition from college to life in the real world.
“Between the tips and tricks, personal anecdotes and interviews, you get a real flavor for the mindset and experiences of recent grads,” said Schonberger.
“Just being grounded with the understanding that leaving school is not just about getting a job would have been a huge help to me when I graduated.”
With both Schultz and Schonberger’s recent graduation dates and young age, they wanted to create a resource that could speak to grads at a peer level.
“People want to know what it’s like to graduate and enter the real world now, not in 1975 or 1998,” said Schonberger.
“And while you probably respect old people to some degree, they’re not the best resource for learning about issues like cleaning up your Facebook profile for the job-hunt or using automatic bill pay through your online bank account to avoid late payments.”
The book is available this month on Amazon.com for paperback order or for free PDF download from the Web site. For more information, visit http://www.Gradspot.com/book.
