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Apps

5 Apps for Grads

By Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter | Thursday, May 31, 2012 (permalink)
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Summer is about to arrive and that means the school year is just about finished. Know someone who is graduating and getting ready to go into the world? Why not give them some helpful smartphone apps. We’ve rounded up five apps that are sure to help grads succeed.

1. There’s no place like home

For many graduates, the end of the school year means they need to find a new place to live. Depending on the area there can be tons of competition for any one rental. Help your grad stay ahead of the curve with the Trulia - Homes For Rent mobile app. Users can create personalized searches based on location, rooms, and price range. There’s also the ability to add open house times to a calendar and get alerted when new properties come on the market. When grads find a place they like they can take notes about it and even post it to Facebook to see what friends and family think of the potential spot.

Compatible OS: Android, iPhone
Cost: Free
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on a compatible smartphone

2. Help Grads find a dream job

As most people in the workforce know, graduating school is just the beginning. Finding a job is an entirely new skill to learn. In today’s job market, there are loads of websites filled with new job listings. Visiting all those sites and sifting through listings daily can be exhausting. Instead, show your favorite grad how a smart mobile app such as Hire-A-Droid can do all the heavy lifting. The app is essentially a job search engine that accesses multiple job search sites in multiple countries. All the user has to do is enter the type of job wanted and let the app do the rest. If they find a search with good results, it can be saved so the lead can be followed up on later.

Compatible OS: Android
Cost: Free
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on an Android smartphone

3. This to do list can help save money

Due dates don’t stop when school is finished. They just are required for something other than schoolwork – bills. Help grads develop good financial habits early with the Billski Bill Tracker. While there are tons of apps available for keeping track of finances, the Billski Bill Tracker takes a different approach. It just reminds users when to pay their bills. With this app grads will only have to enter the basic information: bill type, amount, date due, and when they’d like an alarm reminding them to pay it. Paying bills on time can means loads of savings in late fees.

There is a paid version of the app available for $1.00 that allows users to backup and restore data to/from the SD card and view the screen in landscape or portrait mode.

Compatible OS: Android
Cost: Free or pay $1.00 for extra features
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on a compatible Android smartphone

4. Lend a helping hand in the kitchen

Most grads starting out probably aren’t cooking for a family of four, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get a chance to make any of their favorite recipes. Since most recipes are meant to serve four it can be difficult to get the measurements for just one or two right. Enter the free recipe converter. It has all the tools needed to help them adjust recipes so they can make the amount they want. This app does the math and so they can create the meal they want.

Compatible OS: Android
Cost: Free
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on a compatible Android smartphone

5. Stay connected in the cloud

Cloud storage is all the rage these days and there’s good reason. It’s an easy way to have and share access to documents, videos, pictures, music, and more. Why not keep in touch by sharing access to photos and other files on Dropbox. It’s an easy to use password protected app that lets users create folders and organize things like email attachments, albums, and songs that can be accessed via a data connection (WiFi or data network) without taking up storage space on a smartphone.

Compatible OS: Android, iPhone, BlackBerry
Cost: $4.99
How to get it: Visit the app market residing on a compatible smartphone