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Today is the day we have all been waiting for!

Today is the day to learn how to take the correct steps towards your career path from UNCW alums who have been in your shoes.

Today is the day to clarify and give direction to your career path.

Whether you want to learn how to become a News Reporter for Time Warner Cable News from Brandon Shope, or how to become the Development Director at Coastal Horizons Center from Jamie Thompson, the COM Studies Day panels are extremely beneficial! The first alumni panel will be held at 10 a.m., with an afternoon session beginning at 2 p.m. Come and hear the panelists detail their journey, answer questions from the audience, and provide advice that can help you!

If gaining knowledge from people who have looked at the world with the same eyes as you isn’t your cup of tea, then COM Studies Day has yet another answer to the question, “How can I use this stuff in the real world?”

The 14th annual COM Studies Day Dress for Success Fashion Show begins at 12:15, providing a variety of different tips and advice on how to dress for success in each professional situation. Come to the Warwick Ballroom and experience an extremely well-coordinated event that will show you exactly how to achieve the coveted great first impression for interviews.

Finally, COM Studies Day will be providing two separate networking sessions to learn more about the panelists and to make professional relationships. The networking events will last 30 minutes and will directly follow the morning and afternoon alumni panels.

COM Studies Day is one of the many ways the Communication Department provides ways to gain hands-on knowledge and real-world experience before you graduate. Don’t miss this opportunity to get ahead of your competition and possibly make an impression on a future employer!

-Lane, Allen, Austin M.

1. “Sooo what exactly are you studying lol”

A.) This isn’t your parents COM studies. While COM students today spend time studying the classics just like the ancient Greeks, they also study new media, advertising, research methods, video production, among countless other fields that are designed and curated to prepare them for a dynamic job market. A better question would be what AREN’T you studying. COM students are also either double majoring or minoring in some other field of study.

2. “You’re not going to be able to find a job!”

A.) Alright, buckle up while I explain just how wrong you are. First let’s look at the numbers, for UNCW the COM department produces at the same time one of the largest and most employable groups on campus. UNCW COM majors find jobs after graduation on average much faster than almost any other major on campus. And now let’s get into the why. Yes, a COM degree does teach you ‘how to talk’ among other things, but guess what, that’s a pretty important thing. When employers are looking for new hires they rank communication abilities above every other factor. Technical abilities related to the job usually fall near the bottom half of most lists.

So once a COM degree gets you through the interview, then what? The curriculum of the department doesn’t just teach you information, it teaches you how to learn, adapt, and work with others. A COM degree prepares a student to be a helpful and contributing worker in almost any field. After all, 90% of anything you need to know to do a given job you learn after you’re hired. So how prepared do YOU feel?

3. “It’s so eaaassssyyy”

A). I implore you to join me for a week of COM 200. But in all seriousness, the COM curriculum is no joke. What the department lacks in 9pm exams and complex formulas, it makes up for with a mountain of history and practical knowledge and exhaustive semester long group projects. And all along the way there are  classes that will punch you right in the face with rigorous exams and dense specific scientific information. If you think you’re going to skate through a COM degree, you’re gonna have a bad time. There’s a reason why we’re some of the most employable people to graduate UNCW, and it’s not because it’s handed to us.

– Austin, Kaela, and Jonny

http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/10/11/the-10-skills-employers-most-want-in-20-something-employees/#72f06732752d

This week in UNCW’s Communication Studies department, we are counting down the days to Com Studies Day! This Friday we are all given the opportunity as students to not only meet successful alumni, we are given the opportunity to begin to make a name for ourselves in the Wilmington community and surrounding areas. Since we are taught to make the most of our opportunities, it is vital that we make an impression on those that are working in the field that we want to go into. Com Studies Day offers us the ability to network, gain contacts and potential references and increase our understanding of what fields Communication Studies majors can go into.

Now, fast forward to the week after Communication Studies Day. We have met a copiousness of professionals and have seemingly made an impression on a select few; but it seems that you have forgotten to get their cards with their information and didn’t have a resume on hand to give them. That’s where, what should be your new best friend comes into play, LinkedIn. LinkedIn brings us an entire new perspective on social media and allows us to connect with thousands of professionals all across the world. It gives us an easy way to showcase ourselves in the best way possible and make connections with people in different fields that we may be interested in. It is a way to gain references and even start the career you’ve always dreamed of.

So go ahead, put yourself out there and get on LinkedIn. You never know what it might do for you!

-Sloane, Pauline & Addison

Happy Monday, Seahawks! This Friday is Com Studies Day, and it is sure to be a blast with many opportunities to learn more about the major, meet new peers and even opportunities to win prizes.

There are going to be multiple events throughout the day. There are going to be two alumni panel sessions and two networking sessions for students to meet with faculty and alumni to learn more about what the department has to offer. There will even be a fashion show to display appropriate business attire to students!

Com Studies Day is meant to provide students with opportunities to talk to faculty and alumni to gain a better understanding of what the major has to offer, as well as getting advice for the next step after graduation. The events are open to all students of all ages, you don’t have to be a Communication Studies major to attend! The benefits of these events can help freshmen learn more about the major, help seniors plan their future after school, and help everyone in between achieve their goals and make the most of their time here at UNCW.

Admission to all events are free, be sure to bring your One Card to sign in to each event! Stay tuned this week for more info, and be sure to like the Com Studies Day Facebook page to stay updated!

Schedule of Events:

• 10:00-11:00 — Alumni Panel in Leutze Hall 125
• 11:00-11:30 — Networking Session in Leutze Hall Lobby
• 12:15-1:15 — 14th Annual Dress for Success Fashion Show in Warwick Center Ballroom
• 2:00-3:00 — Alumni Panel in Leutze Hall 125
• 3:00-3:30 — Networking Session in Leutze Hall Lobby

UNCW offers many different clubs and organizations that students can be a part of. If you are a student who wants to utilize your talents in Journalism, Film Editing, Graphic Design, Sports Casting, Marketing, Film, or Writing, then TealTV is the organization for you. TealTV is UNCW’s student-run broadcast organization that provides an experience in media production and is a part of the student media organization. They have multiple shows that they create and market as well. Most of the shows have a connection or a tie in with UNCW or Wilmington. Some of these shows include Dub After Dark, Port City Spotlight, and the Seahawk Central News. This is a great way to link the student organization to the school and the community, and TealTV keeps the brand apparent in all of its titles.                                             

TealTV is composed of many different concentrations, or teams. Like any running business, each team specializes in a certain branch that benefits and further progresses the organization as a whole. Some of these teams include the: Marketing Team, Writing Team, Sitcom Team, Film Editing Team, Sports Team and Anchors. Based upon each specific TealTV member’s interests and skills, the members are split up into teams that meet separately throughout the week. Each team delegates tasks amongst themselves to produce results that spark not only UNCW students, but a wider demographic as well.                     

Every team amongst the organization teaches their members valuable skills that can be strengthened throughout their time at UNCW and even during their careers. Not only this, but TealTV utilizes each member’s skill sets to bring about the best of on campus news broadcast. Since its inception, TealTV has given students the ability to strengthen their public speaking skills, communication skills, team working skills, and time management skills. TealTV familiarizes its members with technical skills while also giving them some real life working experience. Ultimately, TealTV is a job that you can enjoy. With the use of a strong reliance on social media, YouTube, and an on campus television channel, TealTV catches the attention of its students by developing stories that cater to their interests and are relevant to their lives at UNCW.

TealTV is currently utilizing a Spring Break photo contest to increase viewership and student involvement. They have all the info needed on their website which will be tagged below. Comment on which student organizations you would like to see in the future! 

-Austin, Jonathan, & Kaela

http://www.tealtv.org