O THE PLACES YOU’LL GO: Gifts of an UnCareer Fair
By Lindsay Abel
As my fellow creative writing concentrators and I gathered virtually for our capstone class with Professor Sarah Gambito, we soon learned that a rich, community-centered project was in order, one that would require the entire first half of the semester to curate. As budding creatives, we decided that we wanted to dip our toes in event planning, while simultaneously reaping the benefits of said event, especially as post-grad anxieties lurked before us. After much deliberation about the regimented, white-collar, and business-oriented nature of the traditional career fair, we landed on a seminar centered upon the very antithesis of that: An UnCareer fair, if you will, which we appropriately entitled OH THE PLACES YOU’LL GO: Navigating A Quarter Life Crisis.
As our event approached, we worked thoughtfully and diligently to curate a beautiful moment in time, one that was as peaceful and enlightening as it was informative. And after all was said and done on the night of March 10th, we managed to do just that.
Our event began at 7pm, when Professor Gambito introduced herself and laid the foundations of why we were all huddled here, in a less-than-ideal virtual setting. Feeling uneasy about the Great Beyond of post-grad? Tonight, we infuse reflection with action and dreaming with real-life tools you can use. We soon pivoted to Synclaire Warren, who hosted the entirety of the night with energy and grace, as well as Emma Paolini and Mary Alter, who swiftly and efficiently managed the tech domain. Because of the ever-creeping Zoom fatigue, Emma emphasized the use of the chat function, the reactions tab, and good old fashioned jazz hands as a means to engage. Emma also offered up a range of asynchronous activities to turn to during the event and afterwards: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jtXFbDre5ISMJLkNpnYkgpA_eZ28G8P4-FMcLv5u3pE/edit
After introductions, Synclaire turned us towards our first workshop, called Uncharted Territory. The panel of speakers that we had recruited, graduates of 2020 and 2008, drew on the experiences of what it means to graduate into a tumultuous time. First up:
Maddy Casale (FCLC ‘20): was a double major in English and TV and an aspiring comedian. After graduation, Maddy packed her bags and moved to Chicago, which boasts one of the liveliest comedy scenes in the country. When Covid-19 restrictions hit, the comedy clubs closed, so Maddy pivoted to freelance writing and even secured a comedy column in a local publication, all while working a temp job to save some money.
Jessica Cozzi (FCRH ‘20): is a Young Adult fiction blogger, the project manager for English Connect, and a volunteer for the Brooklyn Book Festival. Though Jessica was initially eager to enter into the workforce after graduation, Covid-19 lockdown encouraged her to reconsider graduate school: she is now an MFA candidate for Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, where she can easily tailor her online classes to her busy work schedule.
Briallen Hopper (Princeton PhD in ‘08): was one of our “historical accounts” as she, too, graduated into an economy in crisis. Her advice? Take the long view, breathe, throw your hat in all rings possible, and remember that there is no shame in unglamorous endeavors. More than anything, Briallen emphasized the notion that career change is healthy and inevitable. She now works as a professor in the English department at Queens College.
Jennifer Sawyer: (FCRH ‘08): was another “historical account”--when she graduated during the Great Recession, creative jobs were the first to go, so Jennifer took the position as receptionist at the Martha Stewart TV center. It was through this role that she fostered important connections and always offered extra help. Ever resourceful, Jennifer soon landed a full-time position at the Martha Stewart show. Thereafter, Jennifer worked on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Good Morning America, and Yahoo TV. After 7 years in that industry, burn-out set in, so Jennifer re-evaluated her career path. On a whim, she emailed the Busted Halo staff, who initially rejected her, but later offered her a full-time position. She is now the Editor in Chief of Busted Halo, where she gets to combine her career and faith life.
All in all, our speakers offered us invaluable reflections on resilience, flexibility, and opportunity. Embedded in their wisdom were so many precious nuggets for planning (or not planning!) your life and career post-grad. Afterwards, Synclaire shifted us to our next workshop: Advocate For Yourself.
Tatiana Gallardo began with a marvelous presentation on The Art of Navigating the Mystery of Post-grad.
How to Fight off the Initial Imposter Syndrome
Manifest your goals (literally write them down)
Track your wins (keep a running-list of your accomplishments when self-guilt sets in)
Grow your team (connect with others in your creative communities)
Navigating Job Applications
When applying to jobs, remember that experience is not limited to a 9-5. Are you writing a screenplay? Mention that. Include similar soft skill boosters, and always hype your English degree. English majors have the sharpest critical thinking skills in the game.
Employers do read cover letters, contrary to popular belief. Make it stand out from the first sentence to the last! Get creative. Get custom. Get curious. Channel the voice of your most confident/alter-ego/friend. If that’s not working, feel free to switch strategy gear.
Conducting the Interview Process
Do away with self-doubts. If you weren’t qualified, the employer wouldn’t have scheduled an interview.
Make a self-assured study guide to draw on during the interview. Dress up and sell yourself.
Know that interviews are not strictly formal or uncomfortable. Now, you don’t have to crack jokes, but do make the interviewer smile. Nod to the personal, and don’t restrict yourself as a robotic candidate.
Advocating for yourself doesn’t end after the interview. An enthusiastic thank-you email is a must. In the message, reiterate your values, nod to something unique in the conversation (if applicable), and don’t be afraid to continually follow-up.
You’ve Got the Job, Now What?
It is a myth that you can’t negotiate your first full-time offer. In fact, a lot of companies actually expect you to.
Research your market salary rate (found on GlassDoor) in combination with the cost of living in NYC
Before negotiating, write a script, and practice it. When it comes time, deliver it with confidence and verbitude. Remember that the worst that can happen is nothing at all.
Our next speaker, Erik Kernan, led us through the Finesse Your Resume workshop. A graduate of the University of Vermont, Erik debunked for us the myth of “I need to figure out my career right now or else!” Off the bat, Erik chose to pursue his passion for food, so he got in on a catering start-up. After many twists and turns, that choice eventually led Erik to a full-time Product Management position at the New York Times.
Erik’s General Wisdom:
Apply, apply, apply, and accept, accept, accept! You never know where one position will lead you.
Your first job is NOT your career.
Many of the skills that you master from varied jobs are abstract and transferable.
Erik’s Resume Advice:
Make different resumes for different job types.
Use action verbs (i.e. coordinated, executed, produced, implemented, yielded)
Use quantitative measures! How much did you do? (i.e. tickets sold, money saved, etc.)
Our last workshop, Sustaining Yourself, was spearheaded by Sabs Katz, the cofounder of The Intersectional Environmentalist. Sabs began as an sustainability-promoting instagram creator, and in 2015, Sabs pledged to a zero-waste lifestyle. In 2019, she landed a job at a zero waste startup that found her via her rich online platform, and in June 2020, Sabs founded her dream company, (@intersectionalenvironmentalist) which aims to combine social justice with the environmental sphere.
Sabs’ Tips on Finding (or creating) Your Dream Job
Develop your portfolio. You can use Instagram, Tumblr, a personal blog -- just think creatively when it comes to potential platforms.
Play to your strengths, show your passions.
Remember that whatever you’re passionate about -- that field needs you! There is always space for you. It’s all about finding a niche and flying towards it.
After a wrap-up and reflection from Synclaire, our event was finished, but not without a quick debrief in the privacy of our capstone class zoom. In short, we were thrilled, and proud of ourselves and each other for organizing a space that bloomed such creativity, confidence, innovation, and peace of mind.