Reviewing My Chances
“You never know where an amazing job opportunity might exist, so you have to pursue every angle and be open to any possibly avenue.” Lindsay Pollak Getting from College to Career, 235.
I am well aware by now that there are many ways in which to find a job, career fairs, networking, referrals, and LinkedIn. I know that using more than one source to find jobs is better than just focusing on one. However, I have always gravitated towards online job postings when researching what jobs are out there. It also gives me the opportunity to research the companies I may want to work for. This has worked in the past when I applied to jobs after my first undergraduate, and according to Pollak this isn’t a terrible thing. Though I am well aware that there are better options, but the online postings are more accessible.
“Job hunting online is a great way to research what kinds of opportunities are available, and it certainly works for some people.” (255)
I found three jobs on Indeed.com that appealed to me based on what was required for the job, which means I looked for jobs that were based in the realm of visuals. I am a photographer and digital editor, and those are the strongest skills I will carry into any job I get. I only assembled an application for one of these positions but I brought the other two along when I met with my career counselor.
“If you strongly identify with ethnic group, gender, cause or lifestyle, you may want to pursue opportunities in companies that are particularly noted for advancing employees like you.” (246)
The two jobs I didn’t set up an application for were Projects Picture Editor, Visuals for NPR, and Design Assistant with the Human Rights Campaign. Running with the theme of my summer internship, my thoughts were to go with non-profits, and I did find that kind of work more rewarding. The job I chose to set an application for was for a Digital Media Coordinator with the Maryland Zoo.
At first I was hesitant, due to the long list of functions and the fact that the word ‘coordinator,’ but after reading the qualifications section, I felt better about my chances, if I were to actually apply that is. Generally, when I’m applying to jobs, I look at what the company is looking for and if I think to myself; “I can do that!” for more than half the qualifications I go for it. This usually hinges on if I feel what I don’t know, I can pick up quickly. The job at the Maryland Zoo involved personal interaction and an emphasis on visuals on social media and web sites. I felt very comfortable putting together an application.
“Don’t be afraid of having too many options. Instead, embrace this exciting time in your life, and access all of the help and guidance available to you.” (262)
I don’t feel that I took advantage of the career center at my first undergrad, and I am fully appreciative of the efforts my current one makes for us. I am very appreciative of the help I received from the MCS career counselor, and I take to heart everything she tells me. This was actually not my first meeting with Kacie about my resume before, but I have come to learn that resumes are fluid.
After setting up my resume and cover letter, I made an appointment with the career center to review what I’ve set up. We mostly focused on the job I applied to, but the other two were glanced at.
One of the things that surprised me was how my cover letter only received a few notes. I hate writing cover letters. I feel that they are cheesy and up until now, I was never sure what I should include in them. However, my counselor assured me that the letter I wrote to the Maryland Zoo, but she did note that I could have edited some sentences and included my passion for the environment and science. These are true statements. I have always wanted to work in the sciences but I lack the math skills, but working at places like the Maryland Zoo would fit with this passion.
There was also the question about including my education at UMBC, but my counselor said that this was fine because Media Communications is such a broad field of study it assures that my skills go beyond one single field.
The big problems came with my resume. As I said before I have come to understand that my resume is a fluid object, constantly changing for the sake of the desired position of hire. She loved the brand, and insisted that I make sure that this makes an appearance on my personal WordPress page, which I’ll admit is a work in progress. She also pointed out that I needed to rearrange some of the items on my resume in order to cater to keywords on the job description.
I designed my resume on Photoshop, I’m a digital editor, so my resume is formatted with the software I am most efficient in. So to fix my resume I am reformatting my strengths section, fixing typography errors and including areas of skill that I neglected to include, such as WordPress and social media.
I am actually thinking about submitting my resume and cover letter anyways, just to see how I’d do. The unfortunate part of my situation is that I’m not graduating until December of 2018. It has hindered me already, and it is getting frustrating. However, I plan to use my last year to build strong portfolios and writing samples, while improving my skills to make me more desirable to organizations like the Maryland Zoo or the Human Rights Campaign.
