Jaina (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
effervescible) wrote2002-08-28 11:06 am
effervescible) wrote2002-08-28 11:06 am
Entry tags:
Advice, please?
From the "Help Wanted" section of today's uni news:
"If you have advanced writing skills and are interested in a fun and creative job developing promotional materials, then this student position in Continuing Education is for you. We're looking for a motivated and detail oriented person to work in a team environment. You will assist with project conceptualization, research, writing, editing and proofreading copy for press releases, paids ads, catalogs and web pages. Here is an excellent opportunity to develop your professional portfolio. Relevant work experience preferred. Preference given to individuals desiring employment longer than 2 semesters. &7.00/hour, 15-20 hours/week. Resume and portfolio required for interview."
The negative against me would probably be my work experience, which in actual job terms is limited to Dairy Queen and the photography studio this summer...but if I could use this as a co-op, I would definitely be in it for long-term work. Now, my question is, what would I want them to see in a portfolio? I was planning on putting mine together this semester, so I don't have anything really set yet. I'm pleading for all of you who actually have work experience to give me advice here. I laid out last year's literary magazine, I have a bound job proposal project that I did last year in premiere that looks pretty spiffy...would they want more written things? What do you think a job like this would want to see? Even if I don't get it, I think it'd be nice to have some more interview experience. If you have any insight at all, please tell me what you think.
"If you have advanced writing skills and are interested in a fun and creative job developing promotional materials, then this student position in Continuing Education is for you. We're looking for a motivated and detail oriented person to work in a team environment. You will assist with project conceptualization, research, writing, editing and proofreading copy for press releases, paids ads, catalogs and web pages. Here is an excellent opportunity to develop your professional portfolio. Relevant work experience preferred. Preference given to individuals desiring employment longer than 2 semesters. &7.00/hour, 15-20 hours/week. Resume and portfolio required for interview."
The negative against me would probably be my work experience, which in actual job terms is limited to Dairy Queen and the photography studio this summer...but if I could use this as a co-op, I would definitely be in it for long-term work. Now, my question is, what would I want them to see in a portfolio? I was planning on putting mine together this semester, so I don't have anything really set yet. I'm pleading for all of you who actually have work experience to give me advice here. I laid out last year's literary magazine, I have a bound job proposal project that I did last year in premiere that looks pretty spiffy...would they want more written things? What do you think a job like this would want to see? Even if I don't get it, I think it'd be nice to have some more interview experience. If you have any insight at all, please tell me what you think.
Nothing ventured...
Wanna know what I think?
I think you should go for it.
What do you have to lose? I mean, they could well turn you down. But if you DO get this, it could work out well for you, right?
As for the portfolio, I don't know. Probably the stuff you've mentioned you worked on and all that. But then, I'm not one of those graphics arts type people.
Either way, good luck.
C.
no subject
Both of the items you listed sound like winners for a portfolio. But when it comes to trying to beef it up with more items, or even when we're talking about lack of relevent job experience, don't stress out too much. The best policy is to be real, and up-front. They want to know precisely what you're bringing to the table, and if it's less than what they've asked for, then meh. A job announcement (or ad, whatever... used to working in government) generally lists out the idealized employee, and what they call required skills are actually preferred skills. Particularly if you're dealing with private sector, in which you're sitting across a table from a real-live human being with a brain who can make a decision based on the impression you give.
So I would find a way to communicate your exact situation with school and your career goals, and tell them what you would get out of it. The ad didn't sound like they were demanding a savvy veteran to hit the ground running. Sounds like you're the kind of person who they're looking to hire... saving payroll dollars by bringing on a trainable person.
When it comes to this kind of job, the way you sell yourself will come into play. Very often when reviewing resumes and/or interviews, the people who have over-read the job hunting paperbacks and websites come off as rote and phony, especially if they're reverse engineering their resumes to make "takes out the trash" into "coordinates allocation of post-utilized resources". Directness is very very important. A quick, crisp, tight presentation of yourself and your abilities will make a good impression. If you offer them a clear picture of you and what you're bringing to the job, then if you are beaten out for the job, you'll know it wasn't because you lacked the proper "shmooze".
Just my $0.02.