On the Work/Life Balance

Hmmm, this prompt is a surprisingly difficult one for me to write about.  Perhaps an indicator that I need to work on the work/life balance is the fact I haven't entered a career development blog in a few weeks (oops!).  My negligence of this dear little blog I feel like is related to my inattention to setting up some "me" time, where I can feel free to self-reflect, whether that be through blogging, reading, petting my room mate's cat, etc.  As the fall semester draws to an end, and exam dates/graduate application deadlines approach, I feel as if I'm sort of a deer caught in the headlights.  Like other students, I feel a huge weight on my shoulders, but when faced with the choice of just working nonstop or pacing myself, I have a tendency to choose the nonstop option.

Up to this point in my undergraduate career, this has worked out pretty well.  However, now that I'm in my senior year, things are not going as smoothly as they had in the past. Usually in the last two weeks of school I would just keep my eye on the prize, isolate myself from all distraction, and just motor through everything until I finished.  This year, though, I found I began to start this "self-cutting-off" around Halloween, hoping that if I started disciplining myself earlier, my productivity would increase.

Not so.  I have found myself feeling like I'm just going through the motions of attending class/reading/handing in assignments, rather than really enjoying myself.  I suspect the culprit for this ennui is not just a bad case of senioritis, but rather an inability to just take those moments to exhale.  In other words, I've let my focus shift away from what my wants and needs are, and instead have focused on what I'm "supposed" to be getting accomplished.  Physically, this has had some ramifications, as I've had some not-so-nice health issues this semester most likely resulting from not taking care of myself.  Additionally, I've found that I've let my work consume me, and that even when I am supposed to be enjoying dinner with friends/at a movie with my boyfriend, I'm still worried about a deadline or an assignment.

Thanksgiving break has been sort of a blessing in terms of my attempt to strike a balance between work and life.  Due to canceled travel plans, I arrived at my home unexpectedly early with only my computer, and a small bag of underwear and toiletries.  If I had things my way, I probably would have packed a sack of books, a few notebooks, and my laundry; however I had no choice but to work with what I had.  As if I didn't already feel limited by arriving home with only a few of my belongings, I plugged in my laptop only to discover the internet had broken.  Great - not only did I not have the books I needed, but I essentially had no connection to any of my work materials.  After frantically calling the internet service, I began my two-day wait for the new modem to arrive.  I thought those two days would be torturous, and at first, they were.

However, as time passed, I began to take comfort in the fact that I didn't have to be doing work at that very second.  Instead of staring at my computer screen, I went out for ice cream with my mother, did some vegging on the couch, and -of course- played with my cat Manolo.  When the new modem arrived and was installed, I felt a new sense of ease about the work I needed to get done.  Every morning, with a hot cup of coffee, I would sit for an hour or two and get done what I needed to - but the catch was I allowed myself to be free from my computer for the rest of the day to just hang.  For the first time in a while, I felt comfortable with the work/life balance I had achieved while home.

I'm struggling to keep that balance, now that I'm back in my messy Burlington apartment with 100 chores to do and exams around the corner.  I'm working on it though, and that I can feel good about.

Prompt 2

"What steps are you taking as a sophomore/senior to ensure that you have professional work experience before the year is over?"

I truly believe that my work at Career Services has given me some of the best training for a professional work environment.  However, I my goal is to also expand other skills that I feel will help me in my post-graduate career pursuing a career in media-studies education.  One of the projects I'm currently working on is helping produce a television program to be featured on Burlington's local network Channel 17.  The television program is to feature weekly live student debates.  Although I am not necessarily working with a professional production firm on this project, I am collaborating with UVM TV and the UVM Lawrence Debate Union (which I have been a member of for the past 2 years) to create this program.  I want to apply the skills I am currently learning in an introduction to video production class I am taking. 

Understanding the production aspect of media studies is something I haven't really honed in on during my undergraduate career, so I am taking advantage of these opportunities to further my knowledge of production.  I look forward to being able to list "assistant producer" on my resume, because I feel like it will show that I am well-rounded in the area of media-studies.  By diversifying my experience from purely critical studies to being a part production projects, I can better market how my variety of skills are truly an asset.  Whether it's applying for a PhD program, or applying for a position in the media industry, my goal is to make myself seem as competent as possible about media studies.  Now that I am in my senior year, I feel that learning about production will be key in marketing myself post-graduation.

Prompt 1

"What is your strategy for searching for part time jobs? How does this affect your suggestions to students looking for part time jobs?"

Hmm, searching for part-time jobs can be quite tricky.  Certain students' time availability as well as ability to do said job can pose some huge limitations on getting a part-time job.  Not to mention, in Vermont location is very important for many students who predominantly use the bus system or walk, so commuting is also an issue to consider.  My own personal strategy for searching for part-time jobs starts with observing which jobs seem to be employing people like yourself.  This sounds shallow, however, if you walk into a store/restaurant/office and see that there is more than one college-aged person employed there, you might politely ask what job title that person is employed under.  It could be they are just a part-time intern, or they could be an employee.  If students already work in that office/restaurant/etc., chances are that the management offers positions with some flexibility for students that require little or no experience.

If you would like a part-time job where there seems to be no college-aged people who have been hired, ask to speak to the manager about entry-level part-time positions.  The worst thing that could come from asking is that you get "no" for an answer, but be obliging and thank them for taking the time to answer your question.

Always provide a resume when applying for positions, even if it's not required.  A well-polished resume could very well make you stand out from the slew of other student applicants, and although it might not insure a job offer it will certainly make an impression on the person hiring (i.e. when a position does open up you could potentially be the first person they contact). 

Also, cast a WIDE net.  Literally, sooner or later you're bound to get a bite, and if you don't get a response than follow up with the hiring manager by phone to double check that they received your application.  Persistence pays off, so that means not only checking in personally at establishments you think may be hiring, but it also means checking craigslist, local newspapers, and asking friends who are employed if there are any foreseeable job openings at their workplace.  On-campus hiring events like the annual babysitter mixer could be a great way to network and learn more about local part-time jobs.  Also, Catamount Job link can be a great resource, especially with its new resume upload option!