Heard on the Tundra - Keep your eyes open!

I just wanted to share a brief piece of advice with my readers. Keep you eyes open on new and exciting ways to demonstrate abilities. This applies to anyone interested in gaining meaningful employment after graduation. As a peer career assistant in the Office of Career Services, I have a variety of responsibilities, but the latest task is really exciting.

I now get to be the Voice of the Office of Career Services, occasionally recording spots that will be played on WONB, our university-run station. Not only do I get to learn how to use different technology to record and edit myself, but I also get my name over the airwaves!

Be open to exploring new opportunities, whether they relate to your field of study or not. I will say that using the podcast as a baby step, made me feel more comfortable recording in the studio.

I'm also working on putting together a digital portfolio of sorts, and I'll look forward to the addition of an mp3 copy of my work from WONB. So my point: take advantage of unique opportunities presented to you!

Big School/Little School

Today, I had another experince that showed me a little bit of what going to a bigger school would have been like. I traveled north to Bowling Green State University where I got to watch a high school friend play football for Central Michigan University. 

There is something about that Division I environment, no matter how small the BGSU crowd was, that helps to get your adrenaline rushing. I think it could have been initiated by the fact that we had a fly over from the local military base! I seriously thought that the flyovers only happened during bowl games and NASCAR races! Maybe I need to pay a little more attention. Either way, what a way to start the game off!

Even though I would not change my decision about coming to ONU for anything, there are certain compromises that you have to make. Division I sports and the big city enviornment, are most likely the most significant. I will hopefully make up for the that latter by getting a job in a cool city in the next few months!

Heard on the Tundra: Bachelor Life

I like saving money where I can. Who doesn't? At some point, it will come at some cost. With the sudden weather change this week, our house was pretty cold. However, we have refrained from turning on the heat. I'd like to think I could go until Mid-October or November before we start paying the gas company ample amounts of cash during the harsh Ada Winter. The coldest I saw our thermometer in the living room was 59 degrees one morning. I think I stepped outside to go to class and warmed up.

Despite the fact that I may be complaining about not turning the heat up, living off campus is great! I had two and a half amazing years in the ONU dorms. My whole wing from freshmen year, we were all very close. My current roommates and best friends are all people I lived with in the Founders first floor. Having meals prepared (despite all complaints about MAC attacks) was very convenient. But as an RA last year (the reason I say two and a half), after my brithday in February, I knew I had to get out of the dorms and on my own.

Trying not to be unbiased, I feel as though my house is one of the nicest off-campus houses I've been in. I enjoy the challenge of cooking for myself. I also got my first credit card in order to start building a solid credit history, so I can get my Camaro! In conclusion, I just want to say that for any underclassmen, thinking about going off campus for the final year, DO IT!

Heard on the Tundra: Career Search

For the Class of 2010, this week marked the beginning of so many "lasts" as a student here at ONU.
Final first day of class; final campus move-in day; final first weekend of nothing to do, etc. etc.

While bittersweet, I've approached this with an excited, and retrospective attitude. My advice to all those "Sen10rs" (if I borrow that spelling from my younger brother), is absorb the little things around you, because sometimes, its the minute details that help us create so many lasting memories with our friends and around our little village of Ada.

It's almost strange to think, that this time next year (hopefully/thankfully) we'll all be contributing members of society, in our own special ways. Getting to that point is going to require hard work on our part to get there. Finding the right position, is without question, difficult in these times. Start early and search constantly.

Here are some of the thing I've been doing lately, to start my career search:

1. Sign-up for Career Kaleidescope, through Simplicity on the Career Services website. Even though my preference would be to live and work in the South where my family is now living, I'd consider any position. Hopefully the career fair on Monday will bring about some new employment possibilities.

2. Get LinkedIn. I love this site! Find a group, make it something that your interested in, like Communications, Marketing, PR, and find one in the area you're looking to find a job. I'm personally a part of a Nashville Communicators group, and also the Motorsports Professionals Group. These are great ways to stay up on the information in your geographic regions and topics of interest. Start a discussion by asking a question, there are plenty of professionals willing to help and answer questions.

3. Do not get overwhelmed by school work. This one may be tough to do, but it's at least good advice to offer. It is early in the school year, but don't get sidetracked. Keep your eye on what will be most important. Finding the right job for you.

What do you think, PR-Social Media-COMM 390 class? What do you think? (By the way, we should nickname this course, unless there is one I'm not aware of?)