I started working my first job in the summer of 2017. Kind of a late start, right? I felt guilty about the blank space on my resumé before then, and if that wasn’t bad enough, I was completely mortified when we peer reviewed them in class. But things have gotten better! I feel much more confident about the path that I’m on, the skills I’ve gained, and the steps I have left to take. I would categorize my future career process in two ways: the products and the process.
The “products” are the goals I have that are almost visible, tangible, and could potentially be measured in a pass/fail sense. The first step, for example, is updating my networking sites and my resumé. Though they need to be edited and added to over time, they can be finished. Next, I really need to focus on filling out a portfolio of work that I can show to potential employers. Third is getting a spring or summer (hopefully paid!) graphic design internship, which is a requirement for my major and a step into the workforce of my field. Finally, before I graduate, I desperately want to have a job lined up that I would start, at most, a season after graduation. All of the previous steps lead to this one, and I would consider it my current biggest concern career-wise.
A process must exist behind a product, and in my mind, a lot of that process involves improving my character and keeping it consistent. I call these “character points.” The whole point of them is to ensure that people want to hire me and that I’m a good worker, allowing me to climb higher in my field and open up my opportunities. There are six character points. The simplest step is to show up on time! Next is being reliable. Like Dr. Ambrose said, it’s very important to do what you say you’ll do. After that I need to make sure to offer extra help when I can. Forth, I am going to do work that I’m proud of, meaning no slacking or procrastinating; it’s important that I be the kind of employee I would want to hire. Most daunting is to take on challenges–how else am I suppose to grow and improve? Finally, throughout all of this, I will be keeping an eye out that I’m being supportive, social, and sensible, because to get hired, I need to be someone people want to work with.
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