Interview with Freelance Writer Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a personnel administrator for a Miami-based employment agency and a freelance writer. When she is not helping recruiters or writing for clients, she runs Grad Meets World, a popular Gen Y blog where she discusses health, career, personal finance, entrepreneurship, and more. She is also the author of the highly anticipated ebook Grad Meets World: The First Year Out of College.

 

What is the biggest issue within generation-y?

Wow, that’s kind of a loaded question. I think our biggest issue would be learning to adapt. We happen to be coming of age during some crazy economic times, and as a result everything we were told while growing up isn’t happening. We have to realize that this isn’t our faults – we can’t pick when we’re born just like we can’t predict the stock market – and learn to adapt to a new situation.

 

What is the best financial advice could you give a young college student?

Get your finances together NOW. Make a budget. Start saving. See how much you owe. I know it’s a scary thought for a lot of people because many of them have loans and aren’t getting paid very much, but you need to face the facts. Ignoring your finances will only lead to some major headaches later on.

If you’re not sure where to start I highly recommend using Mint.com and reading Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You to Be Rich. Both will serve as great tools for getting your finances together as a member of Gen Y.

 

What is your ebook about?

Grad Meets World: The First Year Out of College is a collection of the best blog posts as chosen by the readers. It also has exclusive content written by myself and other Gen Y bloggers who are trying to make a positive impact on our generation. It provides tips and guidance for living the live you want, health and fitness, careers and job hunting, starting your own side business and personal finance. I’ve also packed in templates, resources and even playlists to help readers get started on their post-grad life.

 

What made you start a side business while working a full time job?

I actually started a business before landing my first real world job. I was unemployed for six months after college and started researching on how to make money as a freelance writer. Once I started seeing some success I couldn’t put it down so it continued with me as I entered the traditional workforce.

I like making my own rules. I also like the fact that I get to help other people in the process. Above all, it’s just smart personal finance to have a side business these days – especially with how uncertain the economy is.

 

What stage in your business would you like to be next time this year?

Wow, well I reached one of my goals this year – which was to make an extra $1,000 just from my side business. I’m hoping to incorporate the blog more into my brand, learn about passive income and perhaps start to provide some sort of blog coaching services. One step at a time though.

 

Have you always wanted to be a freelance writer?

Yep. I can’t think of a time when I didn’t want to write so I just found a way to make it happen.

 

Do you have any big projects coming up besides the release of your ebook?

I have ideas that I have been working with for a while. I’ve started experimenting with writing/blog coaching on the side with a couple of people who reached out to me. It’s all still in the works though.

 

What are three areas that young entrepreneurs should be focusing on to be successful after college?

1. Marketing. I never realized how important this actually was until I started my own business. You can have all the talent in the world but if you aren’t putting yourself out there no one is going to know about it
2. Creativity. Always keep the juices flowing. It does the mind some good. Try to come up with innovative ways to keep yourself and your audience intrigued
3. Finances. I had a rude awakening about