Ease In or Jump?

Brittany Bales

 Whether I am relaxing by the pool or lying out on the beach, I always find it interesting to sit back and watch what method people choose to take the plunge into the freezing cold water ahead. Are you a jump-right-in/no-strings-attached type, or do you take the ease-right-in-until-completely-comfortable approach?

Personally, I go for the jump-right-in approach. I want to spend the least amount of time suffering and shivering through the uncomfortable cold as I can.

As a recent graduate of Mississippi State University, my intention was to stick with the same philosophy I have always had. But this time, it was not cold water I was delving into, it was the new, and sometimes cold, corporate world. By jumping right into a marketing/public relations internship directly after graduation in my hometown of Jackson, Miss., my head-first approach seemed to be panning out perfectly. However, three months of non-stop learning and preparation seemed like enough time for me, and I was ready for the “real world.” I wanted to launch into a full-time public relations position and that is exactly what I planned for. A few weeks later, I was fortunate enough to be offered the public relations director position at a well-known company in Jackson. Again, I was a little nervous but ready to jump right in to my new role.

Although this story may seem pretty predictable beyond this point, what you do not know is that in the middle of the interview process for my big job I got engaged to be married. As thrilled as I was to take the next step in my personal life, I knew this meant making a sacrifice in the career I was about to embark on. I now had a choice to make: jump into a full-time career in Jackson until marriage or ease into the public relations world once again in Memphis, Tenn., where my fiancé was in school and where we would soon settle down. After much prayer and support from friends and family, I decided to turn down the corporate world in Jackson for a public relations internship in Memphis.

As it turns out, easing into the Memphis corporate world through this internship was the best decision I could have made. Yes, beginning a second internship after college may seem like more of the ease-in approach but, the new city, state, company and friends that have come along with it has just enough of the jump-in factor I need. So, whatever your method of madness is, do not be afraid to try a different approach sometimes. You might just be surprised at the result.

Surviving – and Overcoming – Postgraduate Unemployment

Loren Dean

I’ve come to realize that every freshly graduated 20-something most likely assumes that upon post-graduation vacation (or in my case, relocation), they will return home to an inbox flooded with job offers. If they’re like me, they may find themselves thinking along the same lines that I did. I was very involved in college,  maintained my grades while keeping a job, volunteered on various committees and held two internships before I graduated, so what could go wrong?   

Well, after the first two months of postgraduate life, I realized that there was plenty that could go wrong. At first, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I had gone to college and earned a degree in hopes of landing a fantastic job (because that’s what was supposed to happen, right?), and it just wasn’t happening. Sound familiar? Well, take courage, because here I am writing this post to you from my desk at Obsidian Public Relations, letting you in on some steps I took to get me through the discouraging time of postgraduate unemployment.

1. Stay positive. Nobody likes a “negative Nancy,” and believe me, it’s much easier to fill out that 15-page job application with an optimistic attitude. Plus, it’s easy for this process to become disappointing, and discouragement often leads to stagnation. This is not the time to not do anything because you’re too down to do it. Keep pushing through!
2. Re-do your resume. One of the best things I did was to get several professionals to consult me on my resume. I had things listed that didn’t matter and had neglected to highlight things that did. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Put your networking skills to use, and ask people that know what they’re doing to assist you.
3. Don’t limit your job search. If you’re like me, you can’t afford to -- literally. I’m sure you decided before you graduated what type of job you wanted to have and the handful of places you’d be “willing” to work, but now’s the time to realize that’s entirely unreasonable. It’s logical that you would find more opportunities by broadening your search, so just do it. You might surprise yourself and really enjoy working at a place that was on your “no” list. 
4. Don’t search alone. I told anyone and everyone that I was looking for a job and that I was interested in anything they could find. I had family and friends emailing, texting and calling me every time they saw a listing that was remotely related to the communication field. As soon as I thought I had every job search website’s listings memorized, someone would tell me about something I hadn’t seen. In fact, that’s how I found the listing for Obsidian, and look where I am now!
5. You’ve got time, so use it. During this time I painted, volunteered for random jobs, worked retail and rode my bike with my fiancé every chance I got to break from all of the time at home. Although you may feel uncomfortable with the amount of free time you have on your hands, instead, take advantage of it. Remember to continue to read and write and use those basic skills you’ll need to have when you do land your first job. Don’t be afraid to wait tables or sell candles and wrapping paper. It’ll teach you patience and help push you in your job search even further.