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dren's college education, but a willingness to pay doesn't always correspond to an ability to pay, according to an annual survey commissioned by Discover Student Loans. Scholarships, grants and savings can help cover some expenses, but student loans can be needed to help cover the full cost of attendance. It's important for students and parents to understand their options and carefully compare federal and private student loans so they can choose the loans that best fit their needs. "Parents and students should devote as much time to identifying and determining ways to responsibly pay for college as they do to the application and admissions process," says Danny Ray, president of Discover Student Loans. "Con- Q& A ducting research, networking with other families and taking advantage of helpful online resources and tools such as net price calculators are just a few examples that will provide a better sense of the true cost of college." Tips for paying for a higher education A few additional tips students and parents should keep in mind when navigating the college financial aid process include: • Maximize free money: Grants, scholarships and other free financial aid can help students pay for some college costs. Resources such as StudentLoan.com and Studentaid.ed.gov can help students and parents identify and apply see TRUE COST . . . page 7 It's time to kick job searches into high gear By Diane Stafford The Kansas City Star (MCT) jobless assistance programs will end. About 1.3 million workers who The all-important holiday shopping season is something of a gift now get federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation to job hunters. Employers in the checks will lose them in the week retail, online, warehouse and before New Year's unless Conshipping worlds are hiring. gress reauthorizes the program. These may not be career or target jobs. They're unlikely to be And don't count on that. An additional 850,000 workers full time with benefits. But the jobs can be a foot in the door for will exhaust state unemployment eligibility in the first three new or long-term job hunters who need income and something months of 2014, with no access to further federal benefits, unless to fill a blank spot on their Congress acts. Again, don't resumes. expect it. Job hunters who've been colThere is substantial research lecting unemployment and delayshowing the imbalance of skills ing searches until after the holiand experience between many days should re-think their strategies. If nothing else, be motivated job hunters and the jobs that see IT'S TIME. . . page 7 by the likelihood that extended It's new manager's role to curb problem employee By Marie G. McIntyre McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT) Q. As a new supervisor, I don't know what to do about one of my former coworkers."Dan" is a loudmouth braggart who always tries to be the center of attention. He inserts himself into every conversation and interrupts people while they are trying to work. A. Despite the history of complaints, apparently no one has had the gumption to confront Dan's performance problems.Your cowardly predecessor took the easy way out and ignored these deficiencies, so kudos to you for at least recognizing the need to address them. However, I'm puzzled by your fear that taking such a step would To make it worse, Dan is lazy and incompetent. He repeatedly makes mistakes and never attempts to correct them. Despite being extremely forgetful, he refuses to write down instructions. I don't know why he's still here, because people have complained about him for years. be viewed as "making waves." Unless your organization has an exceptionally wimpy management culture, tackling a difficult performance issue should actually enhance your reputation as a savvy supervisor. The first step in any corrective action process is to obtain backing from above, so you will need to agree with your boss on a plan Now that I'm in charge, I'm sure the group expects me to do something about Dan, so I don't want to let them down. At the same time, however, I'm afraid to make waves because I'm the newest member of the management team. How should I handle this? for Dan. Since the previous supervisor may not have shared this information, start by explaining exactly how Dan is creating a business problem. For example:"You may not be aware of this, but Dan has been hurting our group's performance for quite a while. He refuses to correct his frequent errors, and his disruptive behavior is distract- ing to other team members. I would really appreciate your support in resolving this issue." Because Dan has more experience being a problem than you have being a manager, consider asking your boss to sit in on the initial discussion with him. Getting the attention of a recalcitrant employee frequently requires some additional firepower. Q. This is not about envy, because I have no interest in his job. I've My new boss lacks the manners and finesse typically expected of an executive. He dresses like a gangster, talks like a simply never seen a manager act like this, and I'm not sure how to deal with this type of person. thug, and constantly gets phone calls from family members. A. Considering that this guy is your boss, his personal peculiarities are really not your concern. His own manager is the one who must determine whether his "manners and finesse" are appropriate for his position. Given his recent promotion, however, management apparently feels that his abilities outweigh any superficial idiosyncrasies. So instead of continuing to downgrade your manager on style points, concentrate on get- ting this important relationship off to a good start. If he begins to sense your scornful attitude, your own future might not look too bright. Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and the author of "Secrets to Winning at Office Politics." Send in questions and get free coaching tips at http://www.yourofficecoach.com, or follow her on Twitter officecoach. 2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • November 28, 2013 Volume 16 • Number 12 November 28, 2013 A publication of Conley Media college. An early step in the process should be determining the difference between the published cost of attending a particular school and the available scholarships or financial aid from the school. This is called the net price of attending a university. Most colleges have a net price calculator on their websites to assist in this determination. Additionally, students and parents should try and forecast the true cost of college beyond courses and textbooks - including all the unforeseen costs, such as supplementary study materials, transportation, technology, extracurricular activities, any of which can push students and parents into unexpected debt. Eighty-one percent of parents plan to help pay for their chil- GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS True Cost ... from page 1 Account Executive: Donna Armstrong 262/513-2698 darmstrong@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dwayne Butler 262/513-2626 dbutler@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262/513-2690 Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2004 by Conley Media Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. It is the advertiser's responsibility to be aware of the laws pertaining to employment advertising. Subscriptions are available for $34 (non-refundable) for a 6-month subscription. Call 262/513-2698 for information. To place an ad: Call us at 262-513-2698 or fax us at 262-542-6082 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays

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