2016 Senior Showcase WrapUp
I am a Senior at The College of New Jersey majoring in Interactive Multimedia with minors in Marketing and Math. I have demonstrated expertise in online media through both advanced college course work and job experiences. I am highly motivated and organized with a strong commitment to producing high quality work in a timely fashion.
This past year I have been working on my thesis project with my colleague Jenna Vitale. We decided to create a website for Tinder, but with a twist. Instead, the site would be used to match people pursuing a part-time job with an employer or a business with a new employee. All you have to do is sign in with LinkedIn, fill out a form, and start matching by swiping either left or right. The tools we used to build this are HTML, CSS, JavaScript, MySQL, PHP, Adobe Photoshop, and the LinkedIn API.
Not only did we just create the website, we also were given the opportunity to present it at the IMM Senior Showcase. The showcase is an annual event that highlights the seniors’ thesis projects. The best part is that every thesis is different so you will encounter a variety of mediums including web, animation, video, art, music, games, etc. In addition, there are light refreshments, alumni panel discussions, and musical performances. This event is definitely something you don’t want to miss out on!
My colleague and I encountered a few challenges along the way when working on our thesis. First, we were very tight on time. We were coding right up until before the show. Luckily, we were able to finish and have it working for everyone to see. Also, another challenge was finding a name that is both original and fits in with our idea. It took weeks to finalize it, but we are very happy with the name JobOpp.
The first piece of advice I would give to future students is to pick an idea that you know will challenge yourself. You will learn a lot throughout the process and have a project you will be very proud of. Jenna and I didn’t know all the tools we needed to complete JobOpp from the start, but with a lot of research and late nights we were able to finish it with a huge smile.The next piece of advice I would give is to spend most of your time on your project. This project is going to be the most important part of your portfolio to show off to employers so you want it to best exemplify your abilities. Lastly, I would tell future students that your project doesn’t stop after you graduate. Continue and expand on your idea. Jenna and I plan on going further with JobOpp and hope to have it as the next big way to find a part-time job!
