Well, as luck would have it, upon graduation I ended up with a job opportunity that was too good to pass up.
Naturally, I did not pass it up.
One of our regular customers at the cigar lounge offered me a very flexible part-time position with his company, Alkusari Stone (www.alkusaristone.com). They make and sell everything from stone slabs and columns to antique furniture. They are unique in that they not only quarry all their materials themselves, they craft everything by hand at their multiple locations in Houston, Austin, New York City, and Los Angeles. The showroom I work in is stunningly beautiful and everyone I work with is great.
I'm thoroughly enjoying myself, my only complaint is that I wish I had more time to be there, rather than at my other two jobs.
I've been perusing job sites, finding a few things that interest me, and sending along my resume, but have yet to receive a call.
I'm still struggling with the amount of experience these employers want for some of their positions. I think looking for a social media director with ten years of experience within an agency is asinine. The people most familiar with social networking will not have that kind of experience. I think companies are afraid to take a risk hiring someone for an important job that hasn't had much experience within a similar company, but I think that is a giant mistake. Some of the freshest, most creative minds are going by the wayside for stuffy, executive types that have the experience but don't necessarily bring anything new or different to the table.
I'm currently working on an online portfolio for myself in hopes that it will help to differentiate me.
Also, my resume is pretty plain. I am contemplating making it a little more eye-catching in terms of design, but I'm conflicted about the idea. In my opinion, a resume is supposed to be a pared down offering of what job experience you've had, not a personal advertisement showcasing your design skills. Besides, thats not the type of job I'm looking for, although I do have some pretty great design ability for never having been taught how to do much of any of it.
As part of our first campaign in my campaigns class, I singlehandedly designed the cover for and layout of our Plansbook. Our cover was selected as the best in the class by our professor, whose opinion I really valued and respected. That campaign was first place in the class.
Also, for our second campaign, I once again used my design skills to create a postcard for the client. After our presentation the CEO of the company showed us a postcard they currently had in production--almost identical to the one I had created. I took that as a great sign, and it turns out it was. That campaign was second place.
Just as in life, in that class I learned the value of the amazing work ethic that my father instilled in me. While I would prefer not to do ALL the work in a group setting, I am always willing to in order to get things done. I never sacrifice quality even when the quantity of work placed on my shoulders is outrageous.
My goal at this point is to find a full-time job with benefits, for the sake of my sanity.
This past weekend I worked 42 hours in 3 days. Yesterday and today I worked at the cigar lounge to cover other employees. Many people would say my greatest fault is being too nice, while I have to disagree. I think helping people out is necessary because I hope that if I ever need something, my willingness to help will always give people a reason to want to return the favor.
While I really do love all three businesses I'm involved with currently, I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed with trying to put in hours at these places while also trying to find something that will really use my skills and talents and help me to simplify my life a little.
I'll keep you (whoever you are) updated about any new developments.
