Last Wednesday the School of Media and Communication hosted a career fair for students in Mitten Hall. The fair consisted of both regional and national companies alike including USA Today, iHeartRadio and Philadelphia magazine looking to recruit students for internships and full-time positions.
Walking into the career fair I didn’t have high expectations. I knew most of the companies at the fair I probably wouldn’t be interested in because after graduation I plan to move to New York City to pursue a career in magazines. Despite this fact, I was curious to see what the fair had to offer and well “put myself out there,” even if networking can oftentimes be unpleasant.
As I walked around familiarizing myself with the setup and checking out the companies I felt oddly unsure. I myself am a senior journalism major who has had five internships in my field and who is confident in my abilities. Yet, the formality of the fair and the lack of companies I was genuinely interested in left me feeling ambivalent. As I walked with my best friend, we each encouraged each other to talk to companies even if we really didn’t want to because you never know, right?
I ended up speaking with the Business Manager from Philadelphia Weekly because that was the publication of my first internship, and two people from USA Today because one: it’s a big name publication with a lot of opportunities and two: they had great swag. The woman from Gannett (their parent company) was quite helpful and I found myself in a conversation that wasn’t just an “elevator pitch,” but an organic discussion about magazine journalism and opportunities at Gannett. We exchanged contact information and she gave me the email of a woman in the company who is hiring positions at an affiliate paper. I walked away from the table feeling relieved because although it might have felt uncomfortable and felt scary in the beginning, it was actually beneficial.
It’s funny because being a senior sometimes makes me feel like I should know what I’m doing. My drive doesn’t negate my insecurities and my passion doesn’t negate my fears. Being at the end of my college experience gives me a lot of time to reflect back on my time at Temple, and also to think about what the future holds. The only thing I know for sure is that I don’t know what my next chapter is going to look like. What I do know is that I love journalism. I love writing. And I love learning more about people and about this world. I love magazines and I won’t ever stop until I achieve my vision of success.
Attending the career fair made me realize that the path to my dreams won’t always be fun. It won’t always be glamourous. It definitely won’t always be easy. But if I can give any advice to other young women trying to accomplish their goals it would be to never stop putting yourself out there. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. If I hadn’t taken the initiative to email an editor at Philadelphia magazine then I would have never interned there. If I didn’t consistently (almost obsessively) follow-up with a writer at The Hollywood Reporter then I might have never discovered how much I am interested in covering the entertainment industry. If I hadn’t taken those risks then I wouldn’t have discovered more about myself, and fall even more in love with my industry.
Believe in yourself. Bet on yourself and don’t let anyone ever tell you that you can’t do what you love.
Now, I just hope I can take my own advice.