So Twitter is a huge outlet for gaining attention from businesses now eh?  Strange, yet I probably should have seen that coming.  I’m also realizing how incredibly dry my last blog posts have been.  If you read them side to side you’d think it was a serious of reflection assignments from high school.  They essentially are, but blogging is supposed to be one of the facets that allow me to escape from that boring tone of voice.  That repetitive and uninteresting style you wouldn’t want other employers to see.  I wouldn’t want them to see it anyway.  Regardless, the articles revolving mostly around Twitter seem like a useful step in the right direction for reaching out to new opportunities.  My only concern is if the business is too big then there’s a lesser chance that tweets may go by unnoticed.  Not to mention if I had already let a lot of inappropriate Twitter updates roam the world, I may have hurt myself in the long run.  I had initially started a Twitter account when I had a very strong interest in stand-up comedy.  This led to many naughty tweets indeed.  Seriously though, the fact businesses are looking for personality and a unique perspective from new writers allows me to be myself to the fullest extent.  That is, unless your ideas and tone don’t match the business.  Then what?  I don’t plan on moving anywhere particularly far just for an internship, so this might be a good medium to practice my craft through anyway.  It could at least show experience with social media and search engine optimization, but that will only go so far.  I have to be able to prove my qualities in smaller and smaller resumes now and I’m not sure if that’s healthy for business.  It continues to increase the already enlarging gap between personal interactions with possible employers.  If I do receive an email saying they want my talent, I’d better make sure to follow up with a face-to-face meet before signing any papers.  I mean this is the Internet; most people there can’t even be trusted.  This is especially true with aspiring careers.      

Internet branding and social networking is not just a useful skill for writers but many different businesses and occupations.  It’s all a part of the global job market to take advantage of.  My biggest concern is I will not know the best way to implement these tools for my writing.  I know some social media sites are very user-friendly such as Twitter, Google plus, and LinkedIn, but it also depends on what company I plan on applying for.  Many different companies search for different aspects of a possible employee.  I am currently doing SEO work as it was mentioned in Karen M. Rider’s article.  This is helpful because it’s important to know how much traffic my writing is gaining and understanding my own appeal is essential to gaining attention from publishing houses. 

I enjoyed Ashleigh Mavros’s article about building strong connections with future employers and not just general connections through social media.  This should always be the overtone that young and aspiring writers carry when communicating with these employers.  I regularly try my best to stay current because when I get older I would rather not be clueless on important worldly events.  If I do this with my employers it will be easier to show my interest in their base of operations.  This idea ties into branding my work and selling myself as a skilled and efficient writer. 

Of all times to get something published and recognized, now is one of the best in my junior year of college.  If I do this and set up my online presence ahead of time, it will make it easier to build connections once I actually meet other industry leaders who can give me a path of opportunity.             

Employers are not looking for writers willing to submit the bare minimum to a publication.  If a cover letter is optional, that should be an immediate sign to go above and beyond.  Out of all the most important factors to mention to an employer, previous experience, connections to that employer and a strong sense of passion and originality for writing will gain the most attention.  Honesty should be mandatory in any application you send out to a publication.  Explaining what you have been through and accomplished in order to get where you are today will give insight to employers reading your writing for the first time.  If there is an opportunity to gain more experience in your desired field why wouldn’t you do it?  For example I am currently working for a publication on my college campus in order to gain some real world experience before I even land a real paying job in the field. 

I was not very familiar with the statement of purpose that is regularly sent out to professors running graduate programs.  To me it seems like these are just as if not more important than CVs and resumes.  The statement of purpose allows me to sell my skills, my background, and even a bit of my personality.  In one of the articles it mentioned how I am expressing a heightened version of myself through my writing.  This reminds me of how comedians perform on stage.  The ideas are organic to that performer, but the way they are expressed is what makes that person unique.  It’s what tells the board of professors to look back at that application, to consider why this person deserves more attention.  It seems that more and more cover letters are giving a snapshot of how they will behave and work if they actually get accepted. 

Just like in any other manuscript, there should never be any wasted sentence in selling yourself.  This is why revision is so important in every single piece that I write.  There is always room for improvement and one of the main reasons the writing industry is such a touch business to break through to.  However, my stubborn personality and passion for writing will keep driving me to perfect my craft as much as possible.  Combine this with a good sense of how the industry works in the real world and I will never need to stress about my writing quality again.            

After reading the articles assigned, my perspective of graduate school has changed almost entirely.  This change is not necessarily positive or negative, but more positive in the sense of planning for the future.  It could also be negative because it reminds me of my naïve personality I have become accustomed to over the course of my academic career.  The article on the seven questions to ask before attending graduate school will become a valuable checklist when reviewing my plans following graduation.  The time I have for schooling is long yet precious.  The people that I build connections with combined with internships and on-campus initiatives may be enough to receive a job directly after college.  I am not the biggest of fan of traveling away from my friends and family, but I love to travel regardless and this has become an internal conflict for me as a writer and curious human being. 

Looking at the article on idealist gave insight to the possibilities that exist within having an entry-level job to build networking with other employees in the field.  I also need to realize how valuable hands-on, real world experience is when it comes to acquiring higher-paying and more experienced careers.  It is very important to consider the exact reasons why an M.A. or M.F.A. will be necessary for the future.  I also completely forgot about internships, volunteer work, and nonprofit organizations ability to improve my resume.  Workshops and college classes in other disciplines will not only improve my skills as a writer, but help create a more concrete definition of my intended career path.  Developing a route like this will help diffuse any anxiety and improve my motivation to be successful. 

In my family money has never been a major concern.  Currently I do not have any loans or scholarships to help support me.  That does not give me to right to float graduate school to my parents without a second thought.  It is not only money that would be wasted but time I could have been spending doing more productive and fulfilling activities related to Writing Arts.            

Discussion Questions

How does planning for graduate school change your perspective of what to expect from graduate programs?

What aspect of graduate is the most appealing to you?  Is it the access to higher learning and research opportunities with other graduate students, or increasing the chances of landing a higher paying job?

Do you think having experience in a graduate program will help you compete more efficiently in the global marketplace? 

How much does the M.A. and M.F.A. description compare to the undergraduate work your are doing now? 

What is one reason you can come up with not to go to graduate school (that isn’t financially related)?

It is not so much that I feel unchallenged, but disinterested.  As the past summer has ended I had lost interest in what I was writing, particularly due to the fact I was not doing it as often.  After the semester began I began to realize again why I enjoyed reading and writing in the first place.  This has become a constant reminder coupled with the new ideas and authors I’m learning about now.  The projects now are interesting and helpful, particularly in class since they help me for the future. 

In the next couple years I hope to not only have a job opportunity in the near future and a clearer idea of the most ideal career or specific market to pursue.  The classes I take now will be one of the largest proponents of my preference which market I decided to take my skills into.  However it also depends on where the work is.  If I can find work in a nearby location such as Philadelphia or even in New Jersey, that would become the most ideal career path for me.  One of my natural concerns as a student is finding a good business that hires writers directly after graduation.  Hopefully professor recommendations and prior publication experience will increase my chances of finding a job that can I can support myself on. 

Long-term career goals are simple: find a career that can support me financially.  While this may also include having a job that I will actually enjoy, but personally I am willing to accept a job that will help me grow as a person with more experience than not being able to support myself.  Currently my job interests include: editor, staff writer for a magazine or trade publication, and doing online publishing with other publications.  Self-publishing sounds difficult to build quickly and sending submissions for publication won’t pay bills or support me regularly.  What is most important is to keep writing every day.  At minimum I should be improving my skills as a writer and be twice as experienced as I was as a freshman. 

            The books I read for my classes, especially this current semester will become good references if I ever become stuck while working at a real job after college.  Certain textbooks will be good to keep over time.  Blogs illustrating the best way to enter certain markets, or pretty much online research in general will help me gain a better idea of how the market works and what to expect, for example, on a first day or what to ask in interviews.  This will also help when submitting to specific publications.  Knowing the auteur style of a publication or magazine is very important when getting acceptance letters. 

            My professors, people already enrolled in the industry, and students who are experiencing their new careers for the first time.  There is a certain degree of honesty each group will give me and create a recognizable parameter to measure the current market.           

Over the course of my college career, the overwhelming idea of writing for an industry, business, or other non-creative institution becomes very possible.  After reflecting on this I try to understand just how probable it is to find a market that I enjoy writing for, and that which will also pay bills.  However, writing has changed severely in only the last decade.  Had I been born sooner, I would not have the advantage that I do now as well every other writer graduating from college in my generation.  Each of us contains our own technique of getting the words on the page, but how is that valuable to other non-writers?  “The process” that many writers mention, exists not only in a creative sense, but perhaps even more so in business.  After studying the articles, the topic of handling rejection was the only one I felt comfortable accepting almost immediately.  Writing is a craft that needs to be focused and trained and it is entirely possible within my own means.  However, learning to say no to an acceptance letter never even crossed my mind.  This is especially helpful in the class because it provides a piece of cold truth in an environment (college) where fleeting ambitions tend to run wild in the young mind.  Evaluating a publisher or editor’s background should always be taken into account, especially with original work.  This checklist should be given to every aspiring writer.  Another article I thought was helpful was Lori A. May’s article on self-publishing.  It reminded me of people in other businesses such as media production, graphic design, and other growing niche careers in the United States today.  More and more people are self-producing and self-teaching creating a more competitive environment.  Technology has once again proved its worthiness for career-seeking college graduates.  Representing and selling yourself as a career writer, as well as connecting with other possible clients (LinkedIn) is extremely helpful.  On the other hand, when submitting poems and stories to publications, websites like Submishmash make it easier for writers to keep track of where their original pieces stand on the market.  Despite all this tech intervention, I feel most writers tend to carry a similar outlook and attitude towards creation and composition for writing.  We are all stubborn wiener dogs who will try and try again, willing to fail each time just for another chance at success.  Sometimes I have had trouble choosing certain topics to expand into detail on due to their graphic or otherwise personal nature.  My family and friends have this unspoken moral say when it comes to my writing, and the memoirs discussed in Elfrieda Abbe’s article give much insight to this issue.  The writer carries the innate instinct to spread the truth and the most accurate depiction of their vision to his or her audience.  However, it is of the greatest importance to take the people around into account for moral and ethical reasons.  While not everyone may decide to follow these rules, regardless; it continues to refurbish and mold the auteur writing style that almost every writer aspires to carry fully and effortlessly throughout their career.