Issue Date: April 22, 2007
Surfing for that summer job
Low unemployment and high demand for summer help mean opportunities are plentiful this year for young workers. But you should start now and do some fact-finding.
LOOK LOCALLY. Sometimes, the best jobs are right in your own backyard, says Randall Hansen, founder of quintcareers.com, a site for young job seekers. Ask your family members, friends and teachers for leads.
WORK THE WEB. Sites such as CoolWorks.com, SummerJobs.com and ResortJobs.com are great for college students seeking positions at summer resorts and sleepaway camps. Don't forget mainstream sites, like CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com. Also, be sure to research professional networking sites in interesting future career fields, says Diane Domeyer, executive director for OfficeTeam at Robert Half International. Or, try a consolidator such as Indeed.com, which categorizes job listings from many different corporate sites, Domeyer says. Use your college major or areas of interest as keywords in your search.
BE SMART. Avoid a job-hunting site that charges a fee or guarantees a placement. When sending out blind résumés electronically, don't include personal information (photo, address, etc.). E-mail addresses are fine. And if there's something on your MySpace page that you wouldn't want a potential employer to see, take it down, Domeyer says.
Walecia Konrad is an award-winning consumer writer.
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How healthful is airline food? It varies widely.
Healthiest snacks? United Airlines
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A diet tip for health-conscious travelers: All airplane snacks are not created equal. A recent survey by a nutrition and fitness website says the packaged mini-meals that most domestic carriers now offer vary widely in their dietary value.
DietDetective.com gave United Airlines the highest ranking because its in-flight snack menu has "the most variety and the most healthful choices." United's Rightbite snack package, containing seasoned tuna, organic crackers, hummus, raisins, multi-grain pita chips, gouda cheese and a mini-Toblerone, has 580 calories and costs $5.
Tied for second place were Continental Airlines (a 285- to 316-calorie snack pack, with a turkey or ham sandwich, carrots and a small candy bar) and JetBlue (trans-fat-free packages of chips, crackers, cookies and nuts with 100 to 210 calories each).
The lowest score was awarded to Delta Air Lines, whose boxes containing chips, nuts and other snacks were deemed unhealthful as well as unsatisfying.
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GameSmart John Biggs
Recharge your Wii
With the release of "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07" on the Nintendo Wii, fans of the innovative console are quickly discovering that the only thing worse than coming down with virtual golfer's elbow is dealing with a dead Wii controller.
The Wii uses a unique system to translate physical actions -- putting, swinging, slicing -- into on-screen actions. The "Wiimote" uses two AA batteries, and Nyko has created the Charge Station ($29.99) rechargeable battery system, which ensures that no dragon goes unslain. The kit includes two rechargeable batteries and a stand that charges two controllers simultaneously. The battery packs replace the traditional AAs, and the battery covers have a rubberized finish so the remote won't fly out of your hand as you drive one on the green or fight off alien hordes.
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Exercise is a key to academic excellence
Playing sports can help boost grades.
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It turns out that physical activity can improve not just kids' health, but also their grades. A study released by the American College of Sports Medicine found that 20 minutes of vigorous activity at least three days every week was needed for children to excel academically.
"Physical activity may reduce boredom and increase attention span and concentration," says Dawn Coe, lead author of the study and assistant professor of exercise science at Grand Valley State University. "Increased activity levels may also lead to higher self-esteem. And all of these factors may play a role in the relationship between physical activity and academic performance."
What are some of the recommended activities? "Any activities that get kids moving," Coe says. "Sports, dance and playing active games -- not video games -- all help to increase vigorous activity levels."
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