Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Journal.

It's Okay to Get Rejected from Every Job You Apply To
When I was in elementary school I remember thinking that 23 was old; like, 23 was the age you had your life together and were an adult. Well, I can confidently say I don’t feel that way now. Now, it’s more like I hope I have my life together by 27, but I’m only 20, so let's see how I feel at 25. To me, it's crazy when my mom tells me that after high school she moved into an apartment in Los Angeles with her brother, and they both had separate rooms and just minimum wage jobs, and had time for social lives on top of that. That idea that one minimum wage job can get you your own room in a decent apartment in Los Angeles is now impossible. Nowadays, we go to college, still use our parents' money and loan money, our minimum wage or slightly better job then pays for our extracurriculars and fun, followed by moving back home after college. Not because we want to, but because it's too expensive to live without help. The other day I was having a conversation with my parents about how people are getting married so late and I just responded, “We can’t afford living on our own, how do you expect two people to afford getting married?” Not the wedding part, but the fact that you can’t have roommates anymore to split the rent, it's just the two of you and one room. What a daunting idea just financially. After working my first job at Jamba Juice for a year and a half, I remember thinking to myself, “This job motivates me to do more with my life, because I don’t want to do a minimum wage job like this again.” My first job was a walk in the park; I was friends with the majority of my coworkers, my boss trusted me, I was promoted so I was the boss most of the time, the pay was good and the hours were even better. It just got so mind numbing that I tried doing any more work I could do.
By Leah8 years ago in Journal
Top 5 Short Term Investments
When I was in high school, I took a consumer finance class. I have always been inclined to be business minded and I remember being very excited about the class when I registered. It only took me a few weeks to realize I was going to be sorely disappointed. One moment that accurately describes the entirety of the class was when the teacher shared an anecdote of a woman who she claimed was “the best investor she knew.”
By Logan Baker8 years ago in Journal
Funniest Job Interview Memes That You Need to Read Beforehand
Job interviews are brutal. You have to practice all the standard job interview questions, brush up your job interview wardrobe, and even just hope you get a job offer at the end of the interview. It's easy to panic, especially when you are running out of savings and are worried about how you're going to make ends meet in the upcoming months.
By Buddy Brown8 years ago in Journal
Creative Investments for Young People
If you have read my previous articles at all then you will know that I advise to just “be creative” at least 20 times per article. There is a reason for this. I have found that the best and most lucrative investments come from being creative, and that makes sense when you think about it. You can’t expect to make as much money in a field that is already saturated with investors as you can in short term no one else has yet thought of. This is why people always talk about the millionaire innovators. It's easiest to make money if you are the first or only one in your field.
By Logan Baker8 years ago in Journal
3 Ways to Improve Your Writing Overnight
When writing, there are a few simple mistakes that any novice will make without realizing what they are doing. These mistakes mark a piece of work as unpolished, or written by a beginner.
By Lara Whatley8 years ago in Journal
Alternative Income
This article is about investing, which loosely means spending money on something with the expectation that it will one day be worth more money than what you put into it, thus creating a profit for you. No two investments are the same. Some investments require very little work while some require much more. However, almost all investments require one thing, capital. There are a few exceptions, but overall if you want to start investing, you are going to need some initial funds to get started. This can be hard to do when you are in college and already trying to balance paying bills with paying for your education.
By Logan Baker8 years ago in Journal
Starting an Online Magazine
At the beginning of 2016, I decided I wanted to create an online literary magazine. While taking a course about poetry with an emphasis on publishing and literary magazines, I was quickly inspired to create my own magazine and involve my peers in the process. I also soon realized that this would take A LOT of time, effort, money, and at least a few people. Thankfully, with the help of my husband and the few people who have stuck with the magazine and what it stands for, Independent Noise is still up and running. If you are interested in joining a literary magazine or starting your own, here are some starting tips.
By Elanda-Isabella Atencio8 years ago in Journal
You Do...Improv?
If I say the word "Improv," what does it make you think of? If I had to guess, it would be either the show Whose Line is it Anyway or that time your friend convinced you to go to some college show you never want to think of again.
By Craig Snider8 years ago in Journal
I Hate My Job, and Other Complaints
Over the Christmas period I spoke to a lot of friends who were deeply unsatisfied in their careers, and now that we have moved into the New Year, I am speaking to friends who are frustrated and need a change, for their own sanity more than anything.
By Luke McMillan8 years ago in Journal
The Woes of Job Hunting
I have learned very quickly, and harshly, that you usually do not get your dream job fresh out of college. Since graduating in 2016, I have worked 7 jobs. Those 7 jobs have truly run the gambit...
By Little Caviar8 years ago in Journal
Fashioning Business Ethics
Ethical Management and marketing techniques, within both fashion houses and high street retailers, have become a massive part of a brands identity, with some brand’s even establishing this concept of "fair fashion" as the center of their entire brand identity.
By Naomi Bennett8 years ago in Journal
Writing Your First Online Piece
For many people, writing something and putting it online for people to see and read is a very daunting prospect. The thought of either someone reading your words and hating them, or worse, nobody reading them at all, is usually one of the main fears. However, my main thing to remember is that there are so many people who read tabloid crap every single day about boring things...so I’m sure there is at least someone out there who will read what you have to say.
By Jessica Jayne8 years ago in Journal