Experiences to improve by

If I could have a conversation with myself from when I was first starting college in the communications media field, then I would have myself change some things. Not that I have regrets from anything I did but I surely have those “I wish I would’ve” moments. Especially knowing what I know now and how competitive this field is.

When I first came to college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. In fact, I didn’t switch to comm media until my Junior year. That being said, there were many opportunities that I missed out on. Even with missing two great years, I still had incredible opportunities, but I could’ve gone about things differently. Coming in, everyone was so far ahead of me. I felt that I had more leadership experience than everyone in there and I felt that I was the most creative. However, everyone else had the skill and that trumped me, and it didn’t feel good for my confidence or pride.

Had I known what I know now, I would raise my hand more. It is good to just sit back and take everything in. That’s what I did. However, when you raise your hand and get involved in conversations then the professors will know you are interested in learning and growing. Also, find a mentor on campus. You can’t do it all yourself. Upperclassmen have lived what you are going through so take advice and learn from them.

Something else I should have done was get more involved in our different productions. My university had an incredible setup that I was fortunate enough to use but the more practice the better. Having those extracurriculars on your resume is so important. Now it seems like I missed out on a lot because I transferred to my department late. This isn’t entirely true. I was fortunate enough to have a production job at the Altoona Curve for 3 years, prior to joining the Comm media department. I was also fortunate enough to be a part of the IUP-TV Sports crew where we won an Emmy for our one production.

The reason for me writing this is for you to take this and learn from the things I missed out on.
Whether you are in college or not, take advantage of your resources. If you want to get better at photography, then find a mentor and shadow them. Raise your hand and ask questions. This world is full of opportunities if you show up. The most important thing I learned is that this field is all about the connections you have. So, take advantage of who you know and study under them. Be respectful to them. Don’t be afraid to clean the toilets at a production job because people value others that are willing to help in any way they can.

I hope you could take something away from this. I also hope that you take advantage of the wisdom that I am sharing with you. What are the opportunities are you taking advantage of? Have you had any great product experiences that you can put on your resume? Don’t forget to check out my other blogs and to subscribe to my blog and YouTube channel.