If you are a senior, you probably just want to enjoy your last year. The furthest thing from your mind is getting a job when you graduate; however, this is what you should be thinking about. If you haven’t stopped by the Career Center yet, I highly recommend it.
They have many programs, such as interviewing, and business etiquette seminars, as well as part-time job listings and job-fairs. They also have a program called On-Campus Recruiting. This program is open to all students graduating in 2003 and reviews how to get involved in campus interviews with employers for post-graduate, full-time positions.
As a communications major graduating in January, I decided to venture to one of the On-Campus Recruiting seminars, only to find out that most of the companies were for business or marketing majors. Not one of the companies was a network or anything media related.
But communication majors have no fear; you will find a job. Even if the Career Center can not help you (though I do recommend getting your resume checked there), the College of Professional Studies holds job internship and job fairs. The most important and valuable thing to do is find an internship in your field of interest. Not only do you gain first-hand experience in the “real world,” but you also have the opportunity to get your foot in the door. Once you get out there in the industry, you can network.
For example, my internship at “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” landed me an internship with Saturday Night Live since they are both in the NBC building. While attending an internship meeting at NBC, I was told that most of the pages at NBC had internships there. I’m not guaranteed a job with NBC when I graduate, but because of my internship, the odds are in my favor.
While interning, talk to people such as a producer, or writer, or whoever’s job you would eventually like to have. This is a good way to not only gain information about the job but also to network.
If you haven’t already, you should join some of the clubs on campus. St. John’s has a television club, a film club, the student newspaper, and many other organizations related to various majors. Joining clubs is still another way to network and make connections. Many groups have information about specific internships or job offerings in their offices. It is also a good way to gain experience outside of the classroom, but without the consequences of the real world.
With the economy down, it’s going to be very hard for anyone to find a job. For communications arts majors, it’s going to be even harder because our industries are very cut-throat and all about “who you know.” By getting involved, interning and networking, you can make your job search a whole lot easier.
