Category: COM Studies Day 2013

Do you have any advice for traveling abroad?

Jessie – When traveling try to blend in and make sure to research the culture you are going to be visiting.

Kati – Do a lot of research and have a plan, but also be flexible! Your expectations can easily be misguided. Don’t be so caught in your plan that you can’t roll with the punches.

Do employers look at travel abroad experience positively?

Jessie – Absolutely, I work in the department I do now because I have the experience abroad.

Closing notes:

The COM Core Skill – Confidence – has gotten a lot of attention today!! Let yourself shine!

How to stay positive in the job search after graduation?

Leland – Take the steps you need to take to get to where you want to be, and it is never a straight line, so be flexible!

Brenzy – Take the experience you have the opportunity to. Learning what you don’t like is just as important as learning what you do want.

Matt – You don’t really know what your dream job is until you get out there. Things like your boss, and business culture are important.

Kati – Keep an open mind, always be looking. If you aren’t really liking something, figure out what direction you would rather be moving in. Don’t wait for the breaking point before you start looking for a new path.

Is there one communication skill that you can think of that will make you stand out to an employer?

Consensus – CONFIDENCE

Matt – Be prepared for any kind of interview.

Jessie – Be honest. Don’t say you have skills you don’t.

Is there one specific advantage that being a COM Major gave you?

Jessie – I think the versatility really sets you apart because it makes you a flexible employee.

Leland – It develops people skills, you have to know how to adapt to people and situations.

Kati – It provides such a broad foundation and you can dabble in a lot of different areas. Mediation was something that really came in handy, and I wasn’t sure it would be useful but it has proven very helpful even in the last six months. It’s such a risk to say I just want to do accounting for the rest of my life. COM gives you the opportunity to change careers if you want to.

Matt – I wouldn’t have gotten hired for my first job if I hadn’t taken the PR classes. Having those diverse classes sets you apart because you can do a little bit of everything.

Do you think employers would rather see a lot of experience or longevity with a company?

Leland – Longevity is definitely important because they want to see that you were loyal to a company before. It shows you can be committed to a job.

Kati – I think there is a balance because you don’t want it to seem like you can only do one thing.

Jessie – Because I have such a diverse array of experience, and positive references, I got the job I have now. Whether I was there for a month or a year, I had great references to call upon.

Matt – I don’t think longevity means anything.

What kind of role does Adobe InDesign play?

Jessie: I use it to manage our websites, to create headers, to add creative elements to make things more visually appealing. I also used it for Warrior Dash, definitely for advertising and marketing.

Matt: The more software you know how to use, the more indispensable you are. The more often your boss is coming to you to ask you to do something, the better. Even if you don’t learn it in class, it is something you should learn how to do.

Kati – You can always get someone else to produce whatever you need done, but you don’t want your project to be held up especially when working with clients. The more you can handle yourself the better!

Kati – Start blogging because it gives you something to talk about, interact with other people who blog about similar things. Figure out what platforms you want to use and how you can build UNIQUE content that is relevant to what you want to do. I actually had a reporter contact me because I shared my blog on twitter. It was an awesome experience and it gave me additional exposure.

Matt – Figure out what your personal brand is, and focus on building that personal brand. If you are on Facebook in a personal way, be sure to have your privacy settings in place. Employers are smart. Everyone at the very least, if you are in college and you want to get a job, you HAVE to have a LinkedIn profile. I’ve had people head hunt me because of things I’ve done online.

Brenzy – If you don’t have an online profile, that’s weird. I want to see something. Have a picture on your LinkedIn, have a resume on there.

Jessie – Facebook has been a huge tool for my photography business. I think it is important to share a content that is engaging.

Leland – Everything you do and put out there, give it your all. There is no such thing as bad experience, ever at all.

What were you doing when you started your internship in news ?

Leland – I would shadow, and learn the techniques of shooting video. I’m a one man band, I shoot, edit, write all of my own stuff. Just getting to be an observer really helped me out. Being a good intern is what lead to me hiring them. You work for free, but it pays you back later. I don’t think I would have a job without my internship.

What is the hardest thing about starting your own business? Advice?

Matt – For me, giving up the salary was hard but I had support. Makes sure you have enough income to cover your bills, and have a business plan in place. Networking is important, and by that I mean making contacts and maintain relationships.

Are there any classes you thought were useless but have proven to be beneficial?

Matt – Capstone! If you know how to interview well and you have your portfolio with you, you will be a strong candidate. I’m really grateful that I took that class.

Brenzy – Especially what I learned with resumes, I hire now and I don’t look at resumes

Leland – I would say research methods, I have to track people down and make them talk to me. Every now and then I have to crack open a book, and I’m glad I have that background. The things I learned in that classroom I use everyday. Broadcast Journalism and TV Aesthetics was extremely helpful. What really brings a story to life are the pictures you associate with it. There’s a format to it, and not knowing that will hurt you.

Kati – Being in social media, I think it really important how to find someone online. Your online contacts can lead to interviews. Every interview is good practice. Never turn down an interview. When Jennifer Chin is being nitty gritty and dissecting your grammar, PAY ATTENTION TO IT! I find myself doing it all the time. Solidify your writing skills. As much as most COM Studies Majors dislike it, math is important! So is excel!

Jessie – As much as I hated Research Methods, it came in handy when I was applying to my grant in Europe. I also took a class that gave me an intro to the adobe suite and that has really proven useful.

All of you taking COM 200 right now, it is important stuff!!

The Dress for Success Fashion Show was a success! Pictures to come a little later on, so stay tuned… but right now we are heading into our afternoon panel. Panelists are: Jessie Baker, Brezny Qualls, Leland Pinder, Kati Heffield, and Matt Vaughan.

Jessie’s Opening Advice: After graduation, just go for it! She dropped everything and moved across the globe. She’s worked as a photographer, event planner, and now she is an admissions officer!

Kait’s Opening Advice: She got to drive a cow around for her first job after graduation, and then she decided to head back to school to get her Master’s degree in Marketing. Now she works in a small marketing firm called Eleven Mass Media as a Social Media Marketing Specialist.

Leland’s Opening Advice: Leland works for News14 Carolina and he loves it!

Brenzy’s Opening Advice: It’s been two years and she is on her fourth job. Don’t worry if your first job out of college isn’t your dream job. Brenzy landed her dream job and then she realized how important the culture of a business is to her, so she kept looking! She found a culture she likes with The Select Group in Raleigh and she is the Internal Relationship Coordinator.

Matt’s Opening Advice: Matt had an internship with Star News which lead to him getting a job before he graduated! (Awesome!) He started moving up and then realized that he wasn’t going to make any money so he decided to flip and go for PR. He was able to work for one of the largest PR companies in Raleigh. ASK QUESTIONS and LEARN as much as you can! He then realized he wanted to work with small companies and started his own business. It’s been up for 2 and 1/2 years and it is the most rewarding thing he has done! Get into as many class as you can, know the right questions to ask, and have confidence!

Thank you to the panelists, and everyone who came out! The Dress for Success Fashion Show begins in just 10 minutes in the Warwick Ballroom… see you there!