Dear High School Self…

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Claire

I distinctly remember pacing my dad’s home office one afternoon senior year of high school. I was almost in tears, worried about the future. At this point, I didn’t even know where I was going to college yet so in retrospect, it was way too early to be thinking about planning out a potential career. It was probably the stress of applications and senior year talking but I was so potently distraught that it is almost hard to think of the memory now.

I wish I could go back to that panicking 17-year-old and tell her not to worry (not that she would have believed me). I would tell her that things will work out how they’re supposed to. The best piece of career advice I could give to myself then would be to take a deep breath because you can’t see what the future holds yet.

I hadn’t yet gotten to college where I would discover, through experiences and my majors, that I wanted to work in entertainment. You can’t always plan and figure out the grand plan because you simply lack the experiences necessary to make the path clear.

It is so easy to get into a trap of worrying about what you’re going to do after graduation. When were younger, the idea is impressed upon us that we need to “decide what we want to be when we grow up”. After listening to many people’s stories, I have found that there really is no ultimate goal of something to be. Your career path can be as fluid and as nuanced as you are. People change over time, and their goals will change. What sounds appealing now may not in a years’ time. And that’s ok! Work with the information you’ve got, give it your all, and things will come together like they’re supposed to.

An Interview Nightmare

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Claire

An update from the depths of the semester: While I am still deep in the summer internship search I am thrilled to announce that I will be interning part-time at Activision/Blizzard Studios! I am incredibly excited about this opportunity and cannot wait to get to work. Even though I have the position secured I am still searching for a second opportunity to fill the rest of the week. That brings me to what my blog topic for today: Interviewing.

I just had one of the most nerve wracking interviews of my life. I got an email from a major studio recently requesting an interview and I couldn’t have been more excited! It sounded like my perfect internship. I did everything you’re supposed to: I researched the company, I prepared points about my past positions, and I viewed my interviewer’s LinkedIn profile.

I thought I was completely prepared when I sat down for the interview. I found out a few minutes into the call something that pulled the rug out from under me. Due to a communication issue, I believed that the position was for scripted TV Development (shows with pre-written scripts). But the position was actually for an internship in unscripted TV (reality TV and game shows)! I felt the blood drain from my face I was so shocked. Everything I had prepared for the interview was useless.

I thought on my feet as best as I could and still had a pleasant conversation but, needless to say, I didn’t get the position. While disappointing, I’m trying not to be too hard on myself because I’m not sure the error could have been prevented. I’m still searching for a second opportunity to fill out my week, but at least now though I have survived the worst and I know things will work out alright in the end.

Managing Deadline Stress

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Claire

In the last week I have found myself extremely stressed about upcoming internship deadlines. This stress comes amidst looming paper deadlines and the stress that comes from the semester hitting its stride. The endless applications and emails to send out have been especially weighing. It happens every year but it doesn’t mean it’s any less difficult. Entertainment specifically is stressful because its application process comes late. With summer rapidly approaching, it’s hard not knowing what your plans are. Here are a few things I am trying to remember to do as deadlines become more stressful.

Break up larger tasks:

I find that I am most stressed when I think about all I should accomplish in its totality. That looming to-do list leads to needless anxiety. It has been helpful to break down the bigger tasks into more manageable parts. You can only do so much at once. Accomplishing a specific, small goal towards a larger task gives you a sense of satisfaction. And during stressful times, it can be a much-needed boost.

Mix up your to-do’s:

Writing cover letters for hours on end is not only monotonous but can be counterproductive. I have found that I do my best work on tasks in small bursts, as inspiration strikes. When I sit down to be “productive” I have a small list of tasks to complete. As I lose interest in one, I immediately have something else to turn to. That way I am still productive while giving my brain time to think of the right bullet point on a resume or turn of phrase for a cover letter. This prevents working time from getting to monotonous.

Breathe:

The best thing you can do is to take a deep breath. It will all work out one way or another and while doing something about the future is good, stressing needlessly is counterproductive.

Although times can get tough, there are manageable things you can do to accomplish all you set your mind to!

Practice Makes Perfect

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Evelyn

I have always enjoyed writing letters. As a child who moved cities half-way through elementary school, writing postcards to old friends was a hobby. Drafting and sending thank you cards, birthday cards, and everything in-between was an activity I enjoyed doing. Therefore, when I first heard the term “cover letter,” I did not worry about having to write one. Of course, when I first had to write a cover letter, as a Freshman in college, my mind went blank.

These past few weeks have been full of cover letters for myself and for my friends as we all apply to summer internship programs. At first, I was intimidated by the ease at which some of my friends could quickly type one up and send it. I for one was creating multiple drafts, asking for peer edits, and conducting rather intensive research on each program to include in my letter(s). Was I doing it wrong? Were my friends not doing enough? Did any of us really know what we were doing?

I really had no idea, so I checked out the career center for some tips on writing a good cover letter. After figuring out the basics, I learned that it is helpful to make a little list of essentials I want to include in each letter. First, I research the employer. What does this organization stand for, what are past accomplishments, what are their goals? It helped to find a way to relate to these things and include them in the letter. Second, I look for the desired skills and qualities of interns described by the employer. I then select specific experience from my resume to hype my qualifications up. Third, I find it helpful to get a feel for the tone of the place I am applying to. Based on their application description, website, or even blog, are they strict and formal? Sometimes they can be. Other times, they may have some humor or exclamation points in their “About Us” page. I tried to match the tone while writing about myself.

The first cover letter that I wrote in 2018 was nerve racking to send. However, a letter can only take so many peer edits. If the list of my basic essentials was met, how bad could it be? In a moment of confidence, I pressed “submit.” The amount of relief I felt after hitting my first submit button of the semester made all of the stress worth it. It also made me realize how a lot of the stress I was feeling was unnecessary. I definitely overthought it, but I will always prefer to be over-prepared than underprepared for something, especially if it has to do with my professional career.

Since I sent my first one, it became easier to write cover letters. Just like tailoring a resume, the more you do it the better at it you become. If there is any doubt in your mind while writing one, just remember that it is your space to really prove why you are perfect for the job; so essentially like a short and condensed interview, minus the stress of being on the spot. Cover letters can be really fun to write, and remember to never underestimate yourself, your skills, or your experience!

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Evelyn

The first week back from winter break is always a little hectic. The days seem to stretch on for a week, and yet the week seems to last only a day. Coming back from a month of Christmas cookies and relaxation, I felt more than ready to throw myself back in the game of homework and internship applications. The one problem with a month’s worth of energy built up in your brain is that you may overestimate your work capacity.

By Monday evening, after my roommate and I had settled in, I already had about twelve tabs open on my laptop. Half of those were different internships, the other half consisted of handshake, Linkedin, the Scripps student portal, and so on. My adrenaline, having been dormant for several weeks, was released during the online internship search and all of a sudden I felt like I could either run a marathon or run for President and probably win either way. A classic mistake.

I made the impulsive decision that night to try and add an extra course to my schedule about history and media, then I emailed my dad in a frenzy asking whether or not I should minor in Marketing, Media Studies, or History. I then emailed my older cousin, asking her to review and edit my resume. By Tuesday morning I was enrolled in five courses, had an appointment with Career Planning & Resources about internship applications, and another appointment with SAGE (Study Abroad and Global Education) about finding the right program for my semester abroad next year. After going to three classes that day, I realized I needed to start several applications for some political internships in Washington DC, read about one-hundred pages before class the next day, and call my aunt for some information on a potential connection with a campaign internship. Needless to say, by Tuesday night, the thought of writing another cover letter made me want to hide under my Rams blanket forever (go Rams).

Life lessons are usually something you think about years after the fact. For example, say someone, who will remain nameless, spent hundreds of dollars on coffee every year in high school and did not realize the consequences of poor money management until college, and now must limit her coffee intake. Do not, under any circumstances, fall into the trap of expensive coffee.That is an important lesson that took me half a decade learn. This week, I learned the lesson of career patience in the matter of 48 hours. I am not saying that pounding out several applications, setting up several appointments, coming up with a course schedule for the next two years, and overloading on classes all in one night is a bad thing. It is great to have those days where you briefly conquer the world. However, if you go about your day thinking you have to conquer the world, the stress can weigh you down. Yes, internships have application deadlines, and yes, it is great to plan ahead, but this week I learned that trying to meet every deadline in one day is not going to help me in the long run. If applications are not due for at least another month, there is no reason I need to finish them by the end of the week.

Part of time management is learning the consequences of overworking yourself. It can be just as unproductive as procrastinating. The first week back is always a little hard, because I have to get back into the groove of things. I am happy to say that I now feel like I have figured out my schedule and am ready to tackle those applications once again, just maybe not all at once.

Beyond the Elms

Exploring Careers with Scripps Students

Tag Archives: stress

Dear High School Self…

An Interview Nightmare

Managing Deadline Stress

Practice Makes Perfect

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint