See how much you can trust the world's most popular job site.

Applying for a new job has surely evolved over the years. Gone are the days of walking into an office and handing in your resume personally, the job application process much like the job search process, has moved entirely online.

One of the many job sites that have capitalized on this change is Indeed.  Indeed is currently the most popular job search engine around. Despite its popularity, however, many people have asked about the legitimacy of jobs posted to its platform.

Applicants are understandably cautious, as scammers are using fake job postings to steal information and make a quick buck. 

So are jobs on the popular site legit? Can you trust job posted on Indeed? We're here to answer just that.

Looking to work from home? Check out our list of the best work from home job boards.
Pictured: Illustration of lady working on her laptop by the window. source: www.pixabay.com

The search for work from home jobs are now at an all time high. With more focus being placed on work/life balance, and increased worries about public health emergencies, work from home jobs are now on everyone's radar. Once a niche career choice limited to call center like jobs, you can now work from home in pretty much any industry you can think of. Jobs in tech, marketing, human resources now offer remote jobs doing everything from web development to digital marketing to recruiting. There are even companies that are staffed by a fully remote workforce. With that being said, however, remote jobs still trail there office counterparts, which means finding them is going to take a little bit of work. Don't worry we've done all the hard work for you, here are the best places to find work from home jobs.

The best side hustles for college students. Some side hustles can be completed right from your dorm room!

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Let's face it, college is expensive. Between tuition, books, room and board, going to college can easily run you into the tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands dollars. For this reason many students find that getting a job is one of the best ways to manage expenses.

However what happens when your job just isn't cutting it? Well enter a side hustle. A side hustle is great stress free way to make extra bucks to cover your day to day expenses in college. Not only do you get to choose your own schedule, but you also gain relevant experience that may help you in your future career. Also some side hustles have main hustle potential, and may replace your current job. Here are the best side hustles for college students.

Interested in a fast pacing, ever evolving career? Then SEO Specialist may be right for you.

SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization, is one of those hot careers brought to us by the internet. As an SEO Specialist your job is get your client's sites to rank high (preferably number one) in search engines when certain search queries are used. It is basically a type of digital marketing, and you'll find many digital marketers with skills in SEO.

One of the many great things about becoming an SEO Specialist, is the flexibility. As an SEO Specialist you have the option to work with a marketing agency, or freelance and work on your own. Demand is also high as many businesses are now moving online; and many new businesses are being started who require people skilled in ranking high in search engines. With that being said here's how to become an SEO Specialist.

What Are The Responsibilities of an SEO Specialist

Chances are at some point you've had some question that you needed answered. Whether it's related to school, an item you need for your home, or a trip you plan to take, your first instinct in this day and age is to search Google (or another search engine) for the answers you need. Well the websites that you first see are not there by accident. They have been "optimized" so to speak, so they show up when you enter your search query. A website that ranks high is more likely to be clicked, and therefore more likely to have there goods and services found by prospective customers.

Your job is to work behind the scenes to make this happen. Your responsibilities will include things like keyword research which is just a fancy way of saying researching search queries, making changes to websites to match those search queries, and creating content. Here is a great article by HerCampus summarizing the day to day responsibilities of an SEO Specialist.

How to Receive Training as an SEO Specialist

As a new age job that was created after the dawn of the internet age, there are very little formal training options for becoming a SEO Specialist. It isn't necessarily a career path that necessitates getting a four year college degree, and you'll find that many employers don't request college degrees from potential new hires. So how do you get started in search engine optimization?

Read

One of the best ways to get started with this field is by simply reading. Books are a great resource as many of them have been written by top search engine consultants, and contain tips you may not find anywhere else. Some of the top recommendations for those interested in learning search engine optimization are SEO 2019: Learn Search Engine Optimization with Smart Internet Marketing Techniques by Google Certified Professional Adam Clarke, and The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization. 

Websites, Groups,  and Forums

SEO is an ever changing field. Techniques that were once popular can be made obsolete with just one update. For that reason while books are a great resource, it's essential to have resources that can keep up with this fast changing field so you'll always be in the know. Websites such as Moz by SEO gurus Rand Fishkin and Gillian Muessig, provide tips and techniques as well as constant updates on changes in the field. The website also provides a forum where experts in the field discuss changes and shares tips. Facebook Groups are also another great resource, though many of the top groups tend to be closed.

Take Courses

Courses are a great way to see search engine optimization in action, and see how techniques are executed to drive results. Best places to find courses in SEO are Udemy, Hubspot, Yoast Academy, and SEO Bootcamp by Moz. Hubspot is free and great for beginners. Udemy offers affordable courses that can help you expand your knowledge. For more in depth coursework Yoast Academy and SEO Bootcamp by Moz are a great choice. 

Get Certified

As mentioned before there aren't four year college degrees in search engine optimization available. Certification isn't also a thing in the industry, but for those who would like to have a piece of paper to show there are options available. Hubspot, a well recognized marketing company, offers certifications with there courses that can be displayed on your LinkedIn page. Moz also offers certificates for successful completion of there highly rated SEO Bootcamp.

How to Gain Experience in SEO

So you know how I said there really aren't many formal education options available for this field? Well that's because your reputation as a good SEO Specialist will come down to experience. Bragging rights in this field isn't getting a 4.0 GPA in college, it's being able to prove you can get a site ranked on the first page, and having a business reap the rewards associated with that.

Start a blog

Content is a huge part of search engine optimization. The more content a site has, the more likely it is to rank in search engines. So it helps to know what content to write, and exactly how to optimize the content so it is ranked highly in search engines. A great way to practice this is to start a blog. Blogging is a great way to develop your writing skills, put your SEO techniques into practice, and see the results.

Intern/ Build a Portfolio

Not confident in practicing on your own? Well you'll be happy to know that there are internship opportunities available in SEO. Many agencies hire interns to assist with there workload, and in return pass on valuable knowledge you'd likely never have learned on your own. Having a mentor to guide you on your journey may also make you more confident in your abilities, than learning on your own. Internship options can be found on Indeed.com as well as internships.com.

Where To Find Jobs in Search Engine Optimization

The great thing about being a SEO Specialist is there is a demand for your skill which means you can pretty much find jobs anywhere. One of the best places to start your search is Indeed.com. The popular job site is great for finding jobs with marketing agencies as well as companies who hire there own in house SEO specialist. If freelancing is more your thing, Upwork is a great site to register with, and is used by many prominent companies to find freelance SEO Specialists.

Do you have any other tips about becoming a SEO Specialist. Tell us in the comments below, our readers would love to know!

See which companies help you pay for college

So my fellow college students will definitely agree that paying college is no easy feat. I mean even with help from parents, grants, scholarships, it's still possible to come up short on your tuition. One of the ways to help pay for college is through tuition reimbursement. 

Tuition Reimbursement is an often overlooked form of financial aid available to many to help decrease the costs of earning your degree. Higher Education has over the years become a necessity, opening doors for many to gain access to jobs that offer a higher salary and excellent benefits. Tuition costs have unfortunately been on a steady increase year over year, with one year costing as much as $40,000 at some institutions. 

Fortunately there are many companies out there that place a high value on a college education, and express this through offering tuition assistance. Tuition assistance can include tuition reimbursements, student loans at extremely low rates, tuition discounts, and college credits for courses taken at work. Below you will find a list of companies that should be on every college students list because of their tuition assistance programs, which in some cases are even given to Part Time team members. Some of the companies on the list may surprise you and feel free to add to the list.

Banking:

The Banking/ Financial Industry on a whole is extremely generous when it comes to offering tuition  reimbursement and it is pretty much considered a standard benefit by most.

Bank of America

BB&T

Capital One

Wells Fargo

PNC Bank

Jp Morgan Chase- Tuition Reimbursement tied to performance

Suntrust Bank

TD Bank

Citi Bank

Discover

American Express

Deloitte

Space Coast Credit Union

Technology/Wireless:

Sprint

AT&T

T Mobile

Verizon

Best Buy- Full Time Team Members Only

Apple

Amazon- Select majors only

Ebay

Retail/Services/ Food and Beverage:

Starbucks- They announced that they will offer free 4 year degrees in partnership with the Arizona State University to all employees, this makes Starbucks one of the most generous companies where tuition reimbursement is concerned.

Aeropostale

Nordstrom

Toys R Us

Ross/ DDs Discounts- Limited tuition reimbursement in the form of a scholarship based on academic performance

Publix Supermarkets

Safeway

Costco

Walmart - Tuition Discounts

Home Depot

TJX Stores (Marshalls etc)- Tuition reimbursement available only for those at the Corporate Home Office

Target

Fedex

UPS

Convergys

Macy's-Tuition Reimbursement available to select employees

Bloomingdales- Tuition Reimbursement available to select employees

Saks Fifth Avenue

Hollister

Gap Inc. (Stores include Old Navy)- Limited Tuition Reimbursement for Full Time employees and only for select courses

Limited Brands (Stores in Include Victoria Secrets)- Tuition Reimbursement available only for Full Time Employees for select majors

Office Depot

Office Max

Ikea

Wegmans Food Market

Men's Warehouse

Airline Industry

American Airlines

US Airways

Spirit

Are there any companies we forgot to add to the list? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.

So it's syllabus week, and the professor states that all the exams will be open book tests. At this point you're probably thinking wow, what a time to be alive! Don't get too excited, at least not just yet. The truth is open book tests can be just as challenging, and depending on the material it can actually be harder than traditional tests. Here are 3 must follow tips for acing an open book test. Good luck!

Actually Study

 

You should prepare for an open book test like you would any other

One of the biggest mistakes students make when it comes to open book tests is to not study. Many students incorrectly assume that studying is a waste of time since the answers will be just a page turn away. Big mistake!

As I mentioned before open book tests can be just as challenging, so you'll want to ensure you're very prepared. Also if you're not familiar with the book, you could end up spending more time searching for answers instead of actually doing the test. So it's best to prepare for an open book test like you would any other test.

Use You Index and Glossary

Your index and glossary makes finding info during an exam faster and easier

In an open book test, a lot of time can be spent searching for answers, especially if you're not familiar with the book. One of the best ways to prevent this is to make use of index and glossary.

After reading the questions, highlight the keywords, then use the keywords to search the index for the relevant pages. For simple definitions, the glossary will prove helpful in finding words you may not understand, and may have trouble finding in the book.

Use Your Notes

Your notes will be easier to navigate than your textbook

As a college student, you should always be taking notes. Note taking is a great way to retain info, and to ensure you actually understand the material. For open book tests, it may also be easier to navigate through your notes than say a 500 page textbook.

Using your syllabus or exam guidelines, make notes of relevant material, and categorize by heading. Then instead of using your textbook, use your notes.

Do you have any other tips for doing well on an open book test? Tell us in the comments below!

These tips will help you land the job

Interviews have really evolved over the years. I don't know about you but it seems to me that hiring managers are always coming up with new ways to weed out the undersirables. While their tactics may work on other lame under achieving candidates, don't let it catch you. One such tactic is the phone interview. Once upon a time you could pretty much guarantee that an interview meant only a face to face encounter. Now with technology, changing job requirements (think work from home), and a super competitive work environment, phone interviews have become pretty commonplace as well. Before you get all excited, thinking that phone interviews are a walk in the park. Just know that phone interviews come pre-packed with it's own set of challenges. Here are the phone interview tips every college student should know.