SoFi Blog

Figuring out what to do with your life: It’s the conundrum that keeps on going. Even if you’re among those who graduated and knew exactly what they wanted to do right out of college or grad school, you’re probably still plagued with some lingering questions around how to translate your passions into your career, how to take your career to the next level, and whether you should stick to the career you chose in your 20’s for the rest of your life.

That’s where Accelerate comes in. As SoFi’s first-ever career retreat for upwardly mobile professionals, we’re looking to help those that want more out of their work life.

When it comes time to talk money at the negotiation table, there’s a new law that could affect your next job interview. Namely, starting in New York City, Philadelphia, and the state of Massachusetts, employers can no longer ask what income you made at your previous job. (And luckily, more cities and states are following suit.) For job seekers, this is great news, and should ease some of the anxiety of figuring out how to negotiate your compensation package. Withholding current salary information can be a good way to make sure you’re not pigeonholed into a particular range when asking for a higher number.

When I was laid off from my corporate marketing gig in the fall of 2015, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. All I knew was that I didn’t want to go back to the handcuffed existence I’d spent so much time working within.

One day, while surfing the internet, I saw a part-time internship listing for a local fitness company. Even though I knew my eight years of work experience and MBA made me overqualified, I applied. My thought was that it seemed fun and could bring in a paycheck while I figured things out. As luck would have it, the owner agreed to hire me (with a Director of Marketing title, no less) for five hours a week of work.

It’s law school graduation season, which means the newest generation of lawyers has officially entered the playing field. If you’re anything like me after I graduated from Northeastern, you’re probably spending every waking minute studying for the bar exam and daydreaming about the moment you see your name on the pass list. While you might not feel like you have room in your head to think about anything else, managing your finances in advance of your first post-bar paycheck is one of the most important ways to set yourself up for financial success as a new attorney.

There’s no doubt that your squad makes your life better. Your friends pick you up when you’re down, celebrate your milestone moments, and hang out with you just because you rock in between. But beyond providing awesome support—and lots of laughs—several studies reveal that your friends can also influence your financial achievements, career performance and opportunities, and general life success.

Here are five ways, according to science, that your friends can help you get more out of work and life: