As a young professional, you're stressed out about a multitude of things: finding a job you're happy with, getting ahead, staying ahead and trying to enjoy it all at the same time. In an attempt to make your life a wee bit easier, we’ve created a hot list of useful resources that caters to the important facets of your professional life.

Networking/Career

Kick-start that career jump
Looking to make a smooth transition from college life to the fast-paced setting of the working world? We recommend turning to the web for the latest professional resources. Having hosted the largest virtual career fair, AfterCollege.com utilizes an exclusive network of academic departments and student groups to deliver targeted employment information to college students. Post your résumé and qualification on Alumwire.com to snag the latest internships, co-ops, and entry level positions.

Establish your name
Now that you’ve made your first mark on the business world, it’s time to establish your name. We suggest jumping on the social networking bandwagon and getting yourself interwoven into the web of online who’s who. While the number of professional networking websites is endless, we suggest using the most popular one: LinkedIn.com. Sign up, create a profile, and link away to all your business contacts on the network. The bonus: you can get introductions to individuals you’d like to network with through one of your personal contacts. You never know, you might be two degrees away from Ted Turner and not even know it.

On-the-Go

That morning kicker
Don’t have time to wait in a mile-long line for your morning dose of espresso? Order it in advance through you cell phone and when you're ready to pick it...skip the lines! Visit www.gomobo.com to learn about how your early cup of joe is just a cell phone call away!

Getting from point A to Point B
Not only were you leaving for your 8:00 a.m. meeting, but you managed to get completely lost on your way there. Forget trying to get directions at a random gas station or convenience store. Use Google.com’s new text messaging service to get those last-minute directions sent right to your mobile phone. You can also use this handy service to check restaurant names, phone numbers, addresses, and movie times.

Making the most of that mid-day meal
Is that extra hour you spend fighting the lunch crowd cutting into your daily productivity? Why not get your food delivered to right to your desk and get a free plane ticket in the process? Consider using www.expresslunchtogo.com to receive frequent flyer miles every time you use their website to order take-out food from your favorite eateries.

Cut out the busy work
Don’t have time to get your daily errands done during business hours? Get errands done without having to leave your desk:

• For dry cleaning, try looking for innovative services like FlatRateCleaners.com, which promises to deliver your clothes during the evenings when you’re back from the office.
• For birthdays and celebrations, avoid mailing gifts all over the world and check out what websites like utshob.com have to offer. For young professionals with roots in countries such as Bangladesh, the website allows you to choose gifts such as birthday cakes and pledges to have it delivered to the recipient within 48 hours (from a reputable bakery in Bangladesh).

Gear Up On Gadgets

Battle the frost bite
No matter which side of the country you reside in, the winter chill is always dreaded. Keep yourself warm and revved up by purchasing a pair of Tec Fleece Ear Warmers with Stereo Headphones by 180s. Ditch the early morning gloom by using this stylish ear gear and listen to your favorite beats while keeping warm.

Talk in style
Skip the generic-looking Bluetooth headset and bring sexy back with this chic, black and silver Sony Ericsson’s new HBH-IV835. Enabled to use the latest Bluetooth 2.0, Digital Signal Processing technology to filter out unwanted background noise and make volume adjustments, this classy headset will surely make you stand out in the crowd – in a good way.

The future of phones
The Nokia N95 is nothing short from a masterpiece of mobile technology. With 2.6” display, integrated GPS functionality, a five megapixel camera, and built-in stereo speakers, the features of Nokia N95 speak for themselves. A numeric keypad slides out from one end of the phone while media keys slide out from the other side, joining to create a fully loaded display screen. The holidays are coming around, so use that excuse to treat yourself to talking in style.

Entertain yourself
Don’t waste your time pouring over entertainment booklets to tear out the latest deals and discounts. Cityguide.aol.com offers the greatest selection of entertainment information for locations throughout the country. The site offers a comprehensive list of the best restaurants, bars, and nightlife by major cities. If you are into coupon-cutting, entertainment.com offers a coupon database of 65,000 local merchants that offer '2-for-1,' 50% off and other valuable discounts. If you’re just looking for some entertainment to kill time (like on an airport layover), use movielink.com to download and watch movies for a few bucks.

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Rupa, 20, was born and raised under the warm sunshine of the Bay Area, California but decided to pursue a BA in English and Sociology at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign (and yes, she enjoys living in the cornfields).

The views and opinions expressed in these comments do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The CulturalConnect.

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