Send your designs to tshirt@ypchicago.org for a chance to win a one year YPC Membership and free YPC events for 3 months!

• The submission deadline is Sunday, August 29th 11:59:59 CST.
• Submissions should be high-quality ‘print ready’ design
• All submissions become property of Young Professionals of Chicago, NFP.

Good luck!

—

In case you want to use them here are some high quality versions of the YPC logo:

EPS Format

JPG Format

Specifically, we’re looking for somebody to lead the growth YPSpeak, recruit contributors, manage scheduling, and get the word out on social networks and in real life. This person would help grow our user community, help guide our ongoing web development to reflect what our community wants by being a liaison with our users, and help spread the word about YP Chicago and YPSpeak by attending YPC and other networking events. It’s a big, important job.

Given that we’re a small volunteer run organization this person would have a ton of impact.

If you are interested in this position please email Fred Cadena.

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Wired Magazine

People always seem to have expectations of us, especially as we get older. In a typical progression of American middle-class life, people go from being carefree teens and college students of whom not much is expected (and in fact mistakes are often expected to occur at this stage of life) to being adults in the “real world” in a matter of just a few years.

As productive grownups, we are expected to get a “good steady job” with benefits and a stable income, get married, buy a house, and have children-all at the socially-determined “appropriate” times. This is all well and good for people who happen to enjoy living life in this particular manner-but what happens to those of us who choose to take a non-traditional path?

Particularly as young professionals, we tend to delay marriage and children for longer than other people do. Some of us also elect to stay in school (or return to school) well into mid-life and to take greater financial risks by opening businesses, which can sometimes delay the establishment of that nice, stable life.

In my experience, the world really seems to frown on people who do things differently-so if “non-traditional” best describes your life path, I’m sure you’ve already experienced the judgmental comments and condemnations of others. These comments can be hurtful and cause us to question if we are really doing the right thing by thinking outside of the box and living differently than the majority of the population. It is always good to question and analyze ourselves-perhaps after such an analysis we may realize that in fact our way of life is not satisfactory, and that changes need to be made. However, it is important to remember that the only one who can judge the quality and relevance of your life is you.

Most of the time people who make such comments either do not understand the different path that you are taking, or are envious that you had the guts to go after your dreams and live life by your own rules (and are damn happy doing it!).

So, there are a few options in these situations. If you are inclined to do so you can try to explain to the judgmental person or people in your life your motivations and rationale for making the life choices that you do, and that in fact you are very happy living this way. Maybe they will understand, and you will develop an even deeper bond or friendship with them because you have shared a significant part of yourself. However, there is a possibility that such individuals will still find your choices difficult to understand and accept. If it continues to bother a particular person that you are marching to your own drummer in life, there is a good chance that they fall into the envious category previously mentioned. In this case, you may want to consider whether it is worth having someone in your life who judges you so harshly for who you are.

Of course, a problem with this is that many times the people who seem to judge us the most are our loved ones-parents, grandparents, relatives, and the like (generally people with a more traditional, “old school” type of mindset). These are individuals who we dearly love, and whom we know love and want the best for us as well. In the majority of cases we do not want to cut these people out of our lives, at least not completely. In these situations the best course of action may be to accept that this person does not have the ability to understand your life choices, and that their judgments likely (though not always) ultimately come from a place of love.

Being able to separate realistically while maintaining the positive aspects of the relationship in this manner can be a challenging and often lifelong task. But the more that you try, the easier it usually becomes. And when you are living your life in a way that makes you happy, all relationships often become more fulfilling and enjoyable as a pleasant after effect-so keep on doing what you do!

**** These tips do not constitute medical or psychological advice or counseling, please contact a licensed medical provider or therapist if you feel you need help.

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The answer to this question may be “yes” if the parties and their respective counsel cooperate. In July 2008, The Sedona Conference®, an organization of leading jurists, lawyers, experts, academics, and others, published “The Sedona Conference® Cooperation Proclamation.” The purpose of the Proclamation was to launch a coordinated effort to promote cooperation by all parties to the discovery process to achieve the goal of a “just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action.”  Specifically, in drafting the Proclamation, The Sedona Conference® sought to promote open and forthright information sharing, dialogue, training, and the development of practical tools to facilitate cooperative, collaborative, and transparent discovery. 

The Sedona Conference® Cooperation Proclamation recognized that lawyers have both a duty to be zealous advocates for their clients as well as conduct discovery in a diligent and candid manner. The Proclamation also noted that cooperation does not conflict with the advancement of a client’s interests— it actually promotes them.

The Proclamation suggests the following methods for accomplishing this cooperation:

1. Utilizing internal ESI discovery “point persons” to assist counsel in preparing requests and responses;
2. Exchanging information on relevant data sources, including those not being searched, or scheduling early disclosures on the topic of ESI;
3. Jointly developing automated search and retrieval methodologies to cull relevant information;
4. Promoting early identification of forms of production; and
5. Developing case-long discovery budgets based on proportionality principles.

Through January 2009, The Sedona Conference® Cooperation Proclamation has been endorsed by at least 44 federal judges, including three judges from the District Court of the Northern District of Illinois. 

The legal community is beginning to recognize the pitfalls associated with conducting electronic discovery under the 2006 amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and devise solutions to those pitfalls which are geared towards applying the rules in a practical and cost effective manner. If you would like further information on The Sedona Conference® Cooperation Proclamation or recent publications on this topic, or require assistance in navigating through a dispute which may involve electronic discovery, please contact us.  

• lacking credit.
• struggling with your student debt.
• confused about 401(k)s.
• thinking about buying a car or condo but have no idea if that’s even plausible.
• wondering just how in the heck you’re going to find the extra cash to start a savings account.
• getting married and don’t know what to do about finances.
  

For some reason or another people just love to make fun of Suze Orman—I’ll admit, myself included. She’s one of those motivational speakers we all like to roll our eyes at. Like, “if that lady tells me balance my checkbook one more time, I’m gonna scream.” So how did I come to read and ENJOY an entire book of hers?

Last year while perusing the incredibly small selection of business books at Women and Children First up in Andersonville, I came across a book with a title I couldn’t resist. Young (“Hey, I’m young-ish!”), Fabulous (“I’d like to think I’m pretty fabulous”), and Broke (“Yep, most definitely”). Her short, choppy ‘do and those pearly whites stared back at me, and I knew I was fated to fork over my last $16.

Divided into 10 sections about 10 very important aspects of your young, fabulous, and broke life, each chapter provides insight, answers questions, and sums it all up in plain language–nothing fancy, just a conversational tone with facts, facts, and more facts. It’s a great point of reference as well. It isn’t one of those books that you read from cover to cover; instead, choose which sections “speak” to you.

1. Know the Score.
Orman stresses that this is the most important aspect of your financial life–your FICO score. Whether you’re searching for a new apartment or trying to secure a loan for your new car, this score will make or break your interest rates. In this section, she reviews identity theft, how to keep your FICO score strong, and why to avoid bankruptcy at all costs.

2. Career Moves.
And I quote, “You are way too young fabulous to sign up for a life of drudgery.” It’s something a little bit difficult to wrap your brain around, but money should not dictate your life. In other words, don’t stay with a job just because it (almost) pays the bills. We’re young enough (and most of us are mortgage-free and child-free) to be able to switch careers without much consequence. In this section Orman also gives us some pointers on how to make ourselves indispensible, how to get a raise, and why going to back to school should only happen if you’re wanting a career change–not as an excuse to get out of a situation that doesn’t work for you.

3. Give Yourself Credit.
You might think that Orman’s advice to a broke person would be, “Avoid credit cards like the plague!” But it’s not. In fact, she admits that credit is important most especially if you are broke. One piece of advice that really surprised me was that you should use your credit cards as a lifeline when you don’t yet make enough money to live on. As long as you pay the minimum every month and don’t have a huge interest rate, in the end everything will be okay (Suze says!). Do avoid cash advances, though, which are a total rip-off.

4. Making the Grade on Student Debt.
Suze reiterates all of the stuff you should’ve paid attention to and retained from your loan counseling each year throughout college. But seriously, who really retained that stuff? No one. The good news is that student loan corporations are way more forgiving than credit card companies, so if you find yourself unemployed you can always get your loans deferred for up to three years.

5. Save Up.
Turns out you don’t need to make more to save more. Orman swears that you can find extra cash if you really look hard for it. For example, waiting a couple of weeks longer to get your hair cut will reduce the number of haircuts by two every year. That’s at least $100 if you’re a female in Chicago. But wait, there’s more. Don’t start a savings account until you invest in your 401(k)–that is, IF your company matches (that is, for every dollar you invest, your company invests a dollar or a percentage of that dollar).

6. Retirement Rules.
This section deals with the two main retirement funds Suze recommends for us: Roth IRAs and 401(k)s. Now here’s a statistic that blew my mind, and a supreme example of why saving for retirement starting NOW is imperative: If you invest $300 every month and earn an 8 percent average annual return from the ages of 25 to 40 (stay with me here), you’ll have invested $54,000, and the account will be worth DOUBLE THAT. Suppose you never invest another penny. By the time you’re 70, you will have $1.05 million. Now suppose you don’t start saving till 40, and you invest $300 till you’re 70. You’ll only have $450,089 to your name. What a difference starting early makes.

7. Investing Made Easy.
If you’re going to listen to anyone about investing, listen to a stockbroker. And Orman was one for years. Remember: Stocks are only for long-term investments where you don’t need the money for at least five years. If you’re wanting to save an emergency cash fund, do not invest in stocks. Start a savings account instead. A safe bet, if you’re interested in investing and you’re all but broke, is to invest in mutual funds–not stocks.

8. Big-Ticket Purchase: Car.
Buy your car. No leasing! If you lease, you’re just going to be making payment upon payment upon payment. When you do buy, buy something you can afford–like, not a Mercedes. Cars are the worst investment you’ll ever make, according to Suze. They depreciate the moment you drive them off the lot, as you’ve probably heard. Another word of advice: Keep your car for as long as possible. When you finally own your car, you’ll have more cash handy for other investments.

9. Big-Ticket Purchase: Home.
This is the section I paid attention to the most, since I barely have a clue what the word “mortgage” even means. Suze explains mortgages, property taxes, down payments, seller’s and buyer’s markets, home inspections, and home insurance. This section is a crash course in Home-Buying 101.

10. Love & Money.
What to do when you get married? Orman suggests merging accounts and paying for all living expenses from this account, but making sure to keep your own checking account with your own credit card. Other things to consider once you’re married and/or have a family are life insurance, a living revocable trust that includes a durable power of attorney, and a will.

After you’ve implemented some of Orman’s suggestions, I hope you’ll find yourself young, fabulous, and on your way to unbroke.

P.S. Turns out Suze’s alright. I stand corrected.

Advantages

• The ability to do meaningful work and to create positive change for a community or a cause. While some may call one an idealist, it’s nice to have a heartfelt reason to get out of bed on the coldest of Chicago mornings.
• An opportunity to wear “several hats” due to understaffing. For instance, when our staff was downsized I was asked to take over writing grant reports and requests, which served as an important learning opportunity.
• A greater organizational culture of like-minded people. While not always existent, many nonprofits bring together like-minded people, allowing a safe space to share your opinions on matters. This makes for a much more enjoyable lunch hour if you can talk about the news together without disagreeing on every subject. Also, such an environment can inspire teamwork and collaboration instead of internal competition.
• Fancy titles. In order to make up for lower wages, many nonprofits will provide you with a super fancy title that can assist you down the road, if it fits on your business card. For instance, at one time rather than being an “Executive Coordinator” my title was “Executive Coordinator of Board and Staff Relations.”
• A more casual work environment with a more relaxed dress code, flexible schedules, or even dog-friendly offices. At my current office, we all get to coo when our Executive Director brings her puppy into work.
• More generous benefits. While nonprofits are known to provide lower wages than other sectors, they do tend to offer excellent health benefits, retirement packages, and even more vacation time.

The Disadvantages

• Lower wages. This is a huge disadvantage of working for nonprofits—employees are usually paid less than comparable for profit and public positions. However, mid- to upper-level nonprofit managers in larger organizations oftentimes have similar salary ranges to comparable positions in other sectors. So if you have under five years of experience, you should plan to have a salary in the low-$30K range at a nonprofit.
• Burnout is common at nonprofits. Due to both the personal and professional investment of the employee in the mission of the nonprofit organization, oftentimes the individual will blur the line between personal and work time. While I am not burnt out yet, I oftentimes find myself taking work home and going the extra mile just because of my emotional attachment to the subject matter and cause.
• There is a larger amount of turnover at nonprofits for many reasons. People move on to better-paying jobs, go back to school, switch sectors, or burn out. Additionally, there is a lack of professional development and leadership training opportunities to continue to engage employees, which affects the organization’s ability to retain employees.
• Nonprofits lack resources and are chronically underfunded which lead organizations to rely upon volunteers or to overwork the already burnt out staff.
• It is difficult to measure success. A strong motivator is the ability to measure success, and at for-profits this can usually be easily measured in profits. However, it’s more difficult for nonprofits to measure success when success is measured in the advancement of a cause, especially when the cause requires a long-term strategy to achieve its ends.

For more information on nonprofit careers, visit Idealist.org.

We are launching this year’s first-ever fall fundraiser with a bang, or a riddle rather. While displaying the theme and all the accoutrements would be ok, we wanted to produce a little mystery for our YPCers to solve. So, while you wait with baited breath and exhausting anticipation for the many, many details to come, answer this riddle and you can receive $5 off your event ticket.  

Shorter days and longer nights 
Make for mysterious gatherings and festal sights

Relax and mingle with the unknown 
And prepare for fun we may or may not condone 

The everyday is veiled from show
When we dim the lights and turn the bass down low 

What appears anonymous on surface may be
Something familiar cloaked in secrecy  

Uncover the theme of our affair
And a discount on your ticket we will share 

What we can tell you about the event: 

Saturday, October 24 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Mars Gallery (1139 W. Fulton Market)

• Open bar and appetizers
• Raffle
• Silent auction
• Great music
• Ridiculous amounts of fun
• After party at Market with drink specials

YPC will offer reduced ticket pricing for the first 100 people to register, $30 for YPC members, $40 for non-members. Prices will go up closer to the event.

Need An Economic Barometer? Check These Four Indicators.
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Your backyard. Your underwear drawer. Your Spam. And your medicine cabinet. All four can show you just how recession-proof you are.

How To Buy Your First Home.
Money Under 30
Scary business! But it doesn’t have to be. Plus, if you act now, you can qualify for the 2009 $8,000 tax credit. Yes, you get that money IN CASH if you buy a place.

Unemployed? Now What?
Under 30 CEO
This article contains four sound pieces of advice—like reach out to every single contact you know and bite the bullet and work as a temp. Hey, it’s money. And it’s all about the benjamins, baby.

Being Real Will Get You The Job, Seriously.
Brazen Careerist
Boon Chew offers up his take on how to get a job—by being real. Plus, at the end of the article he shares all of these innovative strategies on how he’s landed jobs in the past. Thanks, Boon.

Guide To Getting Hired Quickly.
My Life ROI
This blog entry recounts and reviews an article posted on CNN’s Money website back in May. It’s still relevant though. The guy who wrote it apparently got hired in three days. Now, I’m not being a total pessimist here, but isn’t that totally lucky? Still, great tips.

Debt Douchisms.
Punch Debt In The Face
Honestly, I just like the title of this article. Okay okay, the content is relevant, too!

Kill Your Stress: Eight Stress-Busting Secrets.
Dumb Little Man
Not just physical, and not just mental, this article covers allllll the ways we can just chill out. For more ways to chill, check out my recent post on maxin’ and relaxin’.

Good Interview Tips.
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Not the most alluring blog title ever, but it’s true to form. Check out these eight tips for a surefire way to have a successful interview experience.

Cigarettes vs. Coffee: Which Is Financially Worse For You?
Budgets Are Sexy
Buy a pack of Camel Lights every day? Or a skinny triple mocha from Starbucks? Which is worse for your wallet? Well, since cigarettes are, like, $7000 a pack, we guess cigarettes. Although, what if you drink a lot of coffee? The jury’s out.