Week 4 Project: MultiMedia Video Resume

The purpose of this activity is to be able to show my skills creatively to any employer. It will also help distill the details of my ability to obtain a job in my industry. 

Week 4 Reflection: RISE Self-Evaluation

The purpose of this activity is to give me the opportunity to review my improvement of course work throughout this month. I will be able to check over my understanding of the content along with the techniques I used throughout this course. This also provides me with a platform to voice future objectives. 

Week 4 Reflection: RISE Peer Review

The purpose of this activity is to learn how to provide meaningful feedback to others. In doing so, I will also gain a better understanding of the course content as well. 

RISE Peer Feedback:

Cathleen Nance

Link to Video

Cathleen, first off I would just like to say well done on your mock interview video! I always love critiquing your work because you produce great content and really just go above and beyond on each assignment, so well done there. In the beginning, I love how you address yourself as the interviewer. You have a different outfit so that viewers can tell that you are a different person. My favorite part of the introduction is when you greet the interviewee (yourself) very professionally. This is something I didn't do in mine and it made me want to revisit my mock interview to make the introduction more professional. I also liked how you tied your personal views into each question. You obviously know facts about the company but you also stated that this is why you're interested in the job and you clearly show that you are very excited for this interview. This was something I never have tied together when doing real life interviews (stating that your skills tie into the position) and I myself have included this in my mock interview but I will most definitely be trying this out in the near future. All throughout your mock interview you state your answers very confidently which is a huge bonus when in an in person interview. There were some areas throughout your video when you cut yourself off too short when answering the question and you switched back to the interviewer, this is something that could be easily fixed. You could either cut the clip differently or make your transition smaller by selecting it and dragging it to the left. I've had these issues in the past but they are an easy fix. I think this interview would benefit greatly by including more personal experiences in with your answers. In one question you answered that you are very dedicated to your projects, maybe explain a short story about an example of this experience. It will make your answers more personal and intriguing. One of my favorite questions that you answered was "how do you think your writing style will benefit the company?" I feel like this question is a chance for you to really explain not only your passion for writing but what you can bring to the table that they don't have already within the company. It's a question that really makes you state your skills, your experience, and software you are skilled in. This question made me want to include one similar to this in my mock interview. Overall, you have excellent eye contact and you talked fluently throughout the mock interview. I have no doubt that you will do great in your next in person interview. Awesome job and good luck!

Week 3 Project: Mock Interview

The purpose of this activity is to practice making a great first impression for a job interview. Practicing confidence, passion, and personality will make you stand out and will give you a better chance of receiving a call back.

After watching my interview
 

Top 3 strengths: Smiling, fully answering each question, giving real life examples
Areas of improvement: Better eye contact and including the question in my answers

Week 3 Practice: Interviewing With Examples

The purpose of this activity is so that I can show examples of accomplishment and skills in the workplace. Employers are able to get a better understanding of who I am the more detailed these stories are. 

Week 3 Analysis: Company Questions

The purpose of this activity is to learn what questions I should and shouldn't ask. By asking the right questions, it shows the employer that you are interested in the position and aware of what makes their business great. This will also make you more aware of that business's growth and expectations.

1. What is one problem the company faces and would I be able to help address this issue?

  

This question is important to me because not only does the position require me to help create social media strategies, but it also shows that I would be open to help with other tasks as well. 

The type of information I'm looking to get from this is what major problems are they currently facing today, how long as this been a problem, and will I able to help solve this.

This information allows me to see what exact skills I will need to use in order to help this business thrive. If this issue is much bigger than anticipated and I know it will have a negative effect on my work then I would probably look for a much better fitted position. 

2. What is a typical day like in this position?

This question is important to me because it will set the standard to how every day life will be like working here. I will get to have a deeper understanding of my position and know what skills are involved.

The type of information I'm looking to get from this is what specific jobs will I have to accomplish on a daily basis, who will I be working with, what tasks are currently being looked into, and the skills I have to bring to the table.

This information allows me to understand a deeper meaning to this position to see if it's the right one for me.

3. What have you enjoyed most about working here?

This question is important to me because it's crucial that I will be working in a fun and friendly environment. 

The type of information I'm looking to get from this is what tasks are enjoyed most, are there special events the company hosts, and are there employees getting raises when necessary? 

This information allows to me see if this company is as outgoing and friendly as their posted job position states they are. It will allow me to learn more insides about the company and really decide if these are the people I want to be working with. 

4. How do you evaluate success here?

Because this is an internship position, I want to be able to show all that I can accomplish in a short amount of time. This question is important because it will allow me to get a better understanding on how the company rewards their employees, if at all. 

The type of information I'm looking to get from this is if the company evaluates and rewards success. If employees aren't getting the recognition they deserve, it will not be a very inviting setting to work in.

This information allows me to see and understand how the business recognizes and rewards their employees. If they don't, this will not be a company I would want to work for because I wouldn't feel appreciated nor be able to move up in the position. 

5. What types of skills is the team missing that you're looking to fill with a new hire?

This question is important to me because although in the job description states what skills are desired, it may open the question up to new options. I would be able to expand on my skills from this point on and show them how I can be of help to the company. 

The type of information I'm looking to get from this is what other skills, if any, are they looking to add to the company that wasn't listed in the job position. If there are other skills that match with mine, I might have more of an opportunity to grow within the company. 

This information allows me to know if the position requires more than stated in the job posting. It also allows me to explain deeper how my skills would help the business thrive.

 

 

My Media Story UPDATED

I have made some minor adjustments to my media story to allow it to have a more professional appearance. Enjoy!
(If you open this video up in YouTube, there are no longer any black bars)

Week 3 Practice: Virtual Interview Preparation

The purpose of this activity is to learn how to properly prepare for an interview. By learning key points such as your surrounding and attire, there is a greater chance of nailing the interview. 

Week 3 Exploration: Company Research

This purpose of this assignment is to help me recognize the company's mission and goals that I wish to work with. By digging deep and learning all there is about my chosen company, I can use this information to help me with my goals and connections within the industry.

My Media Story

Week 2 Project: Reaching Out to Target Employers

The purpose of this activity is to learn how to address a potential employer through email. Writing an email and recording a professional voicemail allows me to present myself professionally and start to build a network.

(Please click on image to view larger)

Week 2 Practice: Elevator Pitch

The purpose of this activity is to present myself professionally to potential employers. It also allows me to pitch myself in a creative and compelling way. 

Week 2 Analysis: Building A Professional Network

The purpose of this activity is to learn how to identify and build a professional network. In doing so, it will help me find more job opportunities in my desired job field. 

Week 2 Practice: Networking Events & Organizations

Upcoming Event:

Ragan's Social Media Conference

Social Media Conference for PR, Marketing and Corporate Communicators at Disney World

The purpose of this activity is to become more familiar with conferences and events that are in my desired industry. By learning about these events, I can plan to attend them to further my education and start to build professional relationships. 

This event will teach you how to use social media to further engage your brand. It applies to my professional pursuits because I plan on using social media not only in my personal endeavors but business as well. This conference teaches best new practices for social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.), social media strategies, how to boost followers engagement and also how to use digital storytelling. Although I am skilled in some areas of this conference, it's always good to attend these to refresh your brain and learn new techniques that weren't taught before. Keeping updated in all things media will not only help me further pursue my career goals, but also allow me to stay an updated media communications professional. An organization that I think would be interested in joining this conference is Sovis Productions. They are a videography company that hasn't started their social media engagement yet and this conference would be of huge help to them. Since they don't have a Facebook page or have begun to advertise themselves online, it's all been word of mouth, this conference would teach them everything they need to know about engaging potential clients and staying updated throughout the year. The mission of this organization is to help media socialist to be successful in their businesses. Ragan has been the leading publisher of corporate communications, public relations, and leadership development newsletters and their conferences draw in more than 3,000 professionals annually. By providing real world solutions and professional speakers, they are able to reach out to business owners and employees in helping them succeed in what they do.
Link to the conference
Link to Sovis Productions

Week 2 Exploration: Building a Target List

The purpose of this activity is to find jobs in my area that are related to my industry. Also, by making  a target list, I can easily stay updated on potential job positions within these companies.

 

Link to my target list

My Media Story Script

Week 1 Project: A Tailored Resume

My first results from Jobscan came out super poor at a whopping 35% match rate! You can check this out here. This was because I made no specific updates to my resume in order to relate it to the job position I was theoretically applying for. The second time I scanned it, I added more keywords and phrases that are actually listed in the job position. You can see the updated results here. After looking at the updated results I noticed that this isn't the most reliable resource to use. The website stated that I didn't include the business name along with a lot of specific keywords which I did include in my newly updated resume. In my newly updated resume I included the majority of keywords that were listed in the job description along with the title of the job position and company name. I also included the skills that are needed for the job that I currently have. I think the updated version is much more professional and current to this position and therefore I feel like I have a good chance of getting an interview. Overall this was a wonderful resource to use but like I stated above, it did not work correctly in my case. I think it might be because it didn't pick up my words that are in a white colored font, if so, this should be something that they fix. I would probably never use this tool because of this issue. I chose this specific layout because it is clean, simple, organized, and easy to read. After reviewing Steve Harris's Designing a Resume tutorial I knew that I wanted to include two columns. I find this very professional looking yet also simple. I also chose to include two different colors because I wanted it to stand out while also making it easier to read and look at. I think the overall layout really connects with the position I'm theoretically applying for because it showcases my skills in Adobe InDesign CC and also creativity. I can better tailor my resume by constantly updating it to meet the job requirements of the current position I will be applying for.

Website link to the job position here.

(These are screenshots because blogger does not support PDF files that are loaded straight from your computers files)

Before:

 

After:

Week 1 Analysis Discussions: My LinkedIn Profile

The purpose of this activity is to edit our LinkedIn account to refine the information companies are looking for. Also by doing this I am learning to make my page more professional and functional. 

Link to my LinkedIn account: HERE

Before:

After:

Week 1 Practice: A Tailored Cover Letter

The purpose of this activity is to get a better understanding on how to correctly write a cover letter. This assignment also introduces me as a professional candidate. 

Link to the job posting 

(I was unable to post this as a PDF file so it's a screenshot, I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused)

Week 1 Practice: Branded Professional Touch Points

The purpose of this activity is to help me get a better understanding about myself as a professional. By learning and executing these touch points throughout my professional career, I will be able to brand myself as a professional to businesses and they will in turn recognize this.

Week 1 Exploration: Identifying Industry Jobs and Keywords

The purpose of this activity is to learn what employers are looking for in a job description. By learning about keywords and phrases, I will be able to successfully get past the filter used on the online applicant tracking system.

Media Anthropology Project 1

Comparing and contrasting the philosophical differences between Noam Chomsky in Manufacturing Consent and Edward Bernays and his followers in the field of public relations in The Century of Self.