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In May 2007, I graduated college with a Bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, majored in journalism and minored in psychology. I have been actively looking for an entry-level position in broadcast media, since that’s the field that I interned in. On graduation day, I was optimistic and ready to face the world head on. I focused on Manhattan, because it’s known as the media capital of the world.
But as time wore on, I grew discouraged as I saw classmates land competitive full-time jobs at major media companies. The interviews always went well, but in the end they picked a candidate with more experience. I was surprised that an entry-level part time temporary job required about two years of experience. I found out that there many different types of employees, like contract, permalance, freelance, as well as the traditional full and part time. I also learned that the media field was mostly comprised of freelancers.
I knew that there was no shortage of young hungry people that would work for nothing to get a foot in the door of a “glamorous” profession. A year later, I realized that I had to just take any job and start paying down my loans. First, I took a paralegal job with the traditional salary and benefits package that I found in the newspaper. The firm claimed they wanted someone with no experience. I applied and was accepted. After a couple of days of floundering around with no training and multiple case files piled onto my desk day after day, I was fired. I was so upset because it came with no warning. I didn’t think that an employer could fire someone on the spot and I had no backup plan. I knew liberal arts grads didn’t make a lot of money, but I wondered what else I could do. A lot of people suggested teaching.
For two years, while classmates were getting experience under their belts, I was getting rejected for public relations, publishing and TV jobs because I was thought of as not having enough experience. When I searched for jobs in other areas like retail and administrative work, the interviewers always asked why I couldn’t look for a job in media. I wondered if I would have to go to grad school just to get the internships that would give me the experience. I even took a one year substance abuse counselor course.
In the time since I left school, I had a multitude of jobs. Telemarketing, working in group homes with the disabled, canvassing for a political campaign, customer service rep, substitute teacher, and most recently, tutor. I was like a gypsy, floating from job to job. I never had any job that lasted long enough to maintain a track record. I always felt like I was starting from day one. Right now I’m tutoring math and reading part-time and am looking into grad school.
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Comments
03.15.10
Bukky here's the thing - if you are going back to school , grad school, just so to enter the job market then u gotta think twice over this. read Penelope Trunk's advice on grad school - she specifically says dont go to grad school just becuase u cannot find a job. Grad school means loans. So unless going to grad school is a major dream (for me it is)... and if so get in to a top school only then it will be worth it.
Im in no position to judge your situation but i wanna say this to you - did you really think it was going to be easy?!
Even your classmates must have had a really really hard time. And the recession hasn't been a big help either.
Get freelance jobs , write for free , send in letters to the editors, movie reviews , contributions to magazines and blog ALOT - write about what its like to be Math tutor , whats are your ideas about teaching math which you feel should be tried.
Write about substance abuse. the lesson is don't wait for something really big to happen , start small but keep going- everyday. Also learn to look at everything as an opportunity - read Penelope Trunk's blog post on getting fired , heck you could write about your experience.
by the way , Brazen Careerist has employers on it too- so start writing today- become their most active member- someone's gonna notice.
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03.15.10
Don't get frustrated. I agree w/ Sadya get experience by offering up your time for free. Brazen is a great place to start! Give more and with time doors will begin to open.
Read my job search advice here on About.com: http://jobsearch.about.com/u/sty/findajob/jobsearchsuccess/Live-the-Live...
03.15.10
You are right- a lot of the media industry is made up of freelancers- so while you feel like a gypsy, you are actually getting into the freelancing way of life.
Andrea makes a good point, sometimes you have to offer up your time for free in order to get the experience you need to land something better. The number one tip I give fellow friends and classmates as they graduate college is that you have to be prepared to spend a few months searching for a job- while for some it appears to come faster than you think it always takes time to find a gig.
03.15.10
also check out JRMoreau's blog (he's on BZ) , his latest blog post Life is a rubik cube -its relatable, same situation just a diffrent view
03.18.10
Thanks for the great feedback everyone. I got discouraged because I've been out of school a few years and am still job-hopping and I felt like why can't I launch a career like my classmates. Especially when I ended up doing a lot of temp work and hearing about my lack of experience even though I interned in college. I tutor part time right now while looking into different things.
03.18.10
I feel like I don't want to resign myself to the starving artists lifestyle or scraping to get by at a minimum wage job, which I had to in the time since I left school. I like to write and will continue to do it, but I also have to be mindful of paying off my student loans bills and saving for the future. I thought since NYC is the media capital, I would have better luck. I've gotten interviews and jobs, just not media ones. I got jobs in fields that have high turnover, like direct care and telemarketing.
I notice that many employers now prefer master's degrees as part of the weeding out process. These days all someone can do is intern and hope they get hired, which is not happening most of the time. I can assume that companies hire interns to avoid paying staff salaries so they can operate with a small staff. At one agency internship, I was told that I was there to answer the phones.
03.19.10
Hmmm. First, if you're not getting the job opportunities that you thought NYC would offer, and:
a. you've given it a fair amount of time (so you don't feel like you're giving up)
b. your're worried about basic bills
and
c. aren't staying there because of friends, family, other personal ties
I would recommend considering living elsewhere. Someplace that is less expensive will offer some immediate relief from higher living expenses. And I wouldn't be surprised if many other places in the country offer great opportunities in your field. Everyone probably thinks that NYC is 'the' place to be for your type of work, which means there is likely an abundance of folks just looking for a leg in the door. Companies there can be very selective about their hires.
That being said...don't give up. Do what you have to in order to pay the bills. Any job that you're in will offer some opportunity to learn a new skill. If you show that you're a dependable, creative person (who's willing to work hard and learn), you'll probably be given a lot of opportunities to learn great skills. Skills that can translate to something awesome if phrased just so on a resume. You just have to find a way to tie it in to the jobs you want.
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