Inside Scoop: The Industry
When entering any industry or job, it’s always good to know a little background information about what it’s like or what to expect when you break in to the job market. The biggest thing that I’ve learned in the production industry, is to really find mentors, to always ask for advice, And to really get hands-on experience. While under the supervision, through my internship, i’ve really learned that networking and making connections with people from all outlets in a job it would really makes the job worthwhile.
I think that “job seekers, they say, need to get off-line and start meeting people in person” (Gershon 89). There really is no need to apply to 20 jobs, and maybe hear back from one. In my internship class and workshops, I’ve learned that out of 100 applicants that are undergrad, only about 30% actually hear back from employers. That statistic itself tells you that applying to jobs and there really is no need to apply to 20 jobs, and maybe hear back from one. In my internship class and workshops, I’ve learned that out of 100 applicants that are undergrad, only about 30% actually hear back from employers. That statistic itself tells you that applying to jobs endlessly Will not get you the job (majority of the time). Networking is a great place to make connections with peers and potential future employers. “People you meet in a networking event could potentially turn into your friends, as well as perhaps be people who might be useful for you to know professionally” (Gershon 95), if you think about it having friends that have a daily life similar to yours can be very beneficial in a social aspect.
As I started my internship I noticed that I really need to start networking and making connections in order to get a better foot in the door. I learned that always willing to do any extra work, login anymore hours, or do any of the boring work is something that supervisors and producers really take notice in. The other thing that people really appreciate is you asking questions, although you may think they are stupid to ask, trying to gain more knowledge in your particular job is not stupid at all. So the thing that I did was performed informational interviewing in order to gain more knowledge about what I was really going to get into and what to expect in this industry. Although I was able to interview those supervisors at my internship and was able to tell them that I wanted to interview them, I “recommend that people avoid using the words informational interview when they request a conversation with someone” ( Gershon 96). An informational interview was more of a one-way type of conversation, and the fact that you were getting information from someone else. You don’t want to seem like they are being hounded and constantly ask questions, it is important to keep it casual while also keeping it a goal to get any questions you may have about your future employers answered.
I was able to interview Zach Seidel, Shanna Moser, and David Castellanos. All of which work in our Athletic Communications Department here at UMBC. I have worked under each of them and taking instruction from all of them through my internship, they all have really paved path for me to continue within this industry.
Shanna Moser, is the Assistant Director in the Athletics Communications Department. Well interviewing her, although it was not recorded, she was able to give me a bigger detail and what the work really entails. From traveling a lot, to doing research on not just those student athletes or athletic programs in the school that you may work for, but also the schools and other conferences that other teams play against our play for. She talks about how many international students come to a wide variety of schools all across the United States, and how connecting in finding out why and how they got to a place such as UMBC, was an incredible story in itself. She also told me that the way that she meets and is able to recruit new interns, is just those who are interested on campus. She finds people who know how to work Photoshop and Final Cut Pro, programs that were prior little time and effort to fully understand. I think the interview with her was very beneficial and knowing how much workload you really are doing on a computer, in the field, and just threw meetings between your staff in those employees at other schools.
My interview with David Castellanos, David is a Assistant Director in the Athletic Communication Department at UMBC. During my interview with David, he made me think and gave me a different perspective on the industry. He was really able to show me how networking really works well Zack gave me a rundown and Shanna gave me what the workload would be about. David Was able to tell me how he got his job, through simple networking of knowing people and meeting people throughout the course of his college career into the early stages after graduating. I think it was a great example of how networking really works and encourages me in, and hopefully other people, that really putting yourself out there and talking to others is how you can truly create a great network and make real connections and friends in any industry.
In my interview with Zach Seidel, The Director of Multimedia here at UMBC, you have noticed that he talked about networking and really the way that they meet new people is word-of-mouth. In the “Down and Out and the New Economy” by Ilana Gershon, it talks about paying it forward. I have made great connections with my supervisors, and the one way that they really find other future interns employees is through people like me. As I was interviewing Zach Seidel I was able to have a conversation with him about how he meets future interns. The paying it forward part of this chapter came to me where it says “ in which one person offers information in the same conversation the other person offers information here she imagines is of equal value” (Gershon 99), I was able to introduce him and talk about some of the people that I would believe would be a great intern and aspect in this department. It was an exchange of information was equal importance.
So as you can see, everyone in every industry has a different perspective on what it is like to be an employee in their position. Through interviewing, I was able to get a full and well rounded answer to all my questions. I was able to find a different path that all of my supervisors saw were important and hope to apply those tips and informative answers in my daily life.
