Planning Ahead For a Career in Media

Chapter 1 of Careers In Media is a great summation of the real world when it comes to seeking and fulfilling a career in media. Yes, there is a wide variety of roles and positions and yes, finding a job involves a lot of work and commitment. After reading about the different media industries and sectors that one can go into, I decided I still want to continue moving forward into the marketing/communications field. Unlike many of my fellow interns, I do not have the passion or admiration for pursuing a career in production, development, broadcast and areas of that nature. I would like to pursue a marketing career in a field that I am very passionate about: the beauty industry!

Thanks to our growing reliance on social media in the professional world, more jobs in the marketing and communications fields are opening up. Understanding the power of social media, the impact it has for businesses and learning to use it efficiently is a job within itself. Today, social media is more than just tweeting about what you're watching on TV. Aside from basic professional skills, social media is perhaps the most important tool in modern-day marketing. I am excited at the prospect of being a communications professional in the beauty industry! Most, if not all companies organize influential marketing campaigns by utilizing social media to the fullest extent. In several,  (hopefully not too many,) years I see myself as head of marketing for a few, or just one high-profile beauty brand.

Climbing to the top of such a competitive industry will be very difficult. However, I do have confidence that I will get there. As I am graduating my under-grad program in Queens College this semester, I am scared but excited to go out into the job-searching world. I have already started job hunting and hope to get a call back from one of the many places I applied to. Just like my colleagues, I understand the importance of applying to entry-level positions or positions that require very little professional experience. I do not want to apply to any summer internships because most of the internships I come across only either accept students eligible for school credit, or are unpaid. It is not beneficial for me to accept an unpaid summer internship because it is financially difficult. Although I understand that the more internship experience I have under my belt, the better it will be for me, I think I can gain that same experience by working at an entry level/administrative position. Currently, I am EXTREMELY excited and anxiously waiting to hear back from a position I applied to at Birchbox. It is an entry level position, with minimum qualifications but plays an important part for the company.

At my current internship, I have mastered the art of online research. I learned that it is a very important tool in the communications industry when trying to reach out to people. As part of my career plan, I will research and find direct email addresses of hiring managers for companies I am interested in. I feel like this will be a better approach rather than just applying online through a general HR page.
The textbook supplied a number of career portals to utilize. I am always searching on those job sites for openings. However, I find that using LinkedIn is sometimes more efficient than those websites.
Through LinkedIn, you can search job openings, as well as network with professionals who may be a great help. LinkedIn is great when writing cover letters. Through my research, I've learned that addressing your cover letter to a specific individual is looked upon higher than just writing "To Whom It May Concern," or "To Hiring Manager." Via LinkedIn, you can research complete names of people and utilize their profile to your advantage. You can understand what kind of person they are, how they interact, what kind of people they connect with, what interests them. Then, you can craft a cover letter that appeals to that person all while shining a light on yourself.
This tactic works great in my field because in marketing and communications, companies are always looking to hire fun, creative and innovative people. The more your personality appeals to the hiring individual, the more they would want to meet you.

Chapter 8 of the textbook, "Advertising and Public Relations" discusses the importance of networking and knowing people. I understand it is crucial to build solid relations with people I come across. Once I land an entry-level job to stick my nose into the industry, I will use my intter-personal communication skills to build as many friendships and partnerships as I can. This is also why LinkedIn is such a great tool because it allows me to keep track of your connections.

As of right now, I am on the fence of whether or not to pursue a Master's degree. However, I am sure that I would like to work and gain some experience before going back to school. Once I get a feel for the industry and understand what works, then I will make my decision. If I do decide to go for it, I know that Queens College has started a master's program for marketing which I may consider. My other idea is to pursue a Master's in business, just to build a bigger portfolio which I am sure will come in handy!