CAREERREALISM To the Rescue: Tips for Keeping Focus

By: Amanda Norell

Staying focused can be tough. Whether you’re sitting in an office from 9 to 5 or stuck in back-to-back-to-back power hours, keeping your mind on the task at hand is not always easy. I’ve definitely been there; doodling on the corner of my notebook page instead of copying down the Powerpoint slides (they’re on Black Board. It’s ok, right?), and I always wish later on that I put down my pen and tried a little harder. So, when I stumbled upon this article on www.careerrealism.com I thought this might be of help to those of you who, like me, struggle in the attention department from time to time. Hope these tips help!

http://www.careerealism.com/how-stay-focused-work/

Using Adobe Creative Suite

by: Tiffany Smock

As I've progressed through my internship, I've had to face some tough obstacles. One of my biggest hurdles has been dealing with the Adobe Creative Suite. Having never really used any of the programs in it, I did not see the importance of knowing how it worked. In my eyes, Adobe was something for graphic design majors or computer science students. However, over the course of my time in my classes and in my internship I have come to see that knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite is important no matter what your major is.

I know the first thought that will come into your head is "But Adobe Creative Suite is expensive. I cannot afford it so how can I learn?" I am like many of you. Being a college student leaves us at financial disadvantages, but one of the perks at Purdue is free access to the program using your school account. The most up-to-date version of Adobe is available for you to use and play around with. There are excellent tutorials online if you run into problems as well as "how-to" YouTube videos. While it is difficult, you can use these resources to teach yourself how to work these programs. I would highly recommend asking a friend or even a graphic design major for help on how to fully understand the programs. I myself have a close friend who knows all the ins and outs of the Creative Suite and this has significantly helped me in my process of learning.

My advice to you all is learn how to use Adobe Creative Suite. It doesn't matter what your major is, you will more than likely have to use it, or a program similar to it, at some point in your life. If you prepare yourself at an early stage, such as here at college where you are given free access to the program, you will benefit yourself in the long run.

Researching in Television News

Ray Carter

Lately most of my time has been spent researching the station's ultimate Sweeps Product: Cover Story. A lot of the stories range from the First Vacuum Cleaner Museum to an interview with Wheel of Fortune’s Vanna White. My internship Advisor Ava wants most of the interns to get familiar with the different television markets, and how they do news differently from each other. It’s interesting to see how they play off each other, while they try to maintain their differences.  My Assignment Editor, Darrin, says the station wants to stand out from the rest of the competition. It’s interesting to see that Channel 4 does a lot of Hard Crime stories with very little sports. Channels 2 and 11 do a lot of investigative and personality driven news reports. When looking for “Cover Stories”, the news staff looks to nine points or categories of Advocacy. Some of these include Education, Emotion, and User-Centered Design.  Cover Stories can also be investigative, but they have recently been Features. The station did do an interesting investigation on Busch Employees taking yachts on a work related project. Most investigations aren’t usually Cover Stories.  Investigations are with the “I-TEAM” reporter Leisa Zigman and several Special Projects Producers.

Ava points us to search  the top 100 television markets which are divided by their viewing size. Some markets are surprisingly smaller than others; Las Vegas being number 42, is one of them. One market, Grand Rapids surpasses Vegas at 39. It’s interesting to view the different cities, and how the different stations look.  A lot of the stations tend to stick with two or three feature consumer related brands, for example, CBS 2: Special Report or 11Alive: Center for Investigative Action. The most common name is always “I-TEAM”, but some stations do get creative like It’s Time on Your Dime and Shame, Shame, Shame. Some stories are good, while others seem to be used for filler. One Investigative reporter with WSB-TV did a report on a woman breaking into a house and living their rent free. She claimed it was her right; the banks didn’t take it too well. Recently a lot of stations do stories related to the economy with housing and credit topics. One of the better investigations I researched, CBS Nashville, did an expose on corrupt cops profiting from drug stops. The judges were also in on it too.

I think looking up Cover Stories is a good way to see how different people write. It’s a good way for stations to bring hardhitting news for their viewing audience. The station wants to make the viewer happy with these different feature brands.  Ava wants us to learn the different techniques in Television Journalism, and how they can be useful in writing.

Looking Back

By: Amanda Norell

Well, after all of the planning, publicity, and preparation, the “big day” has come and gone. No, not my wedding day—get serious people! The fall installation of the LACD Speaker’s Series, the event that I project managed this semester, took place last Wednesday, Oct. 19, and passed just as quickly as it came.

This wasn’t exactly my first rodeo in the event planning arena, but this experience was much different from what I’m used to. Over the summer I interned for an event planning company where I worked in design preparation, venue setup, and day-of coordinating for weddings. So the work I did to prepare for the Speaker’s Series was a bit different from wedding prep. Instead of conditioning flowers and assembling boutonnières, I was making contact lists, editing flyer designs and press releases, and corresponding with a number of different people. While these two types of events seem like polar opposites, I did find that I was able to bring my coordinating and organizational skills from the summer to the field last week.

Erin Slater, Purdue alumna and CEO of College Mentors for Kids, was our guest for the evening, and I could not have asked for a more amazing speaker and genuine person to join us. Erin started Purdue’s chapter of CMFK in 1998, and spoke on the importance of community engagement and professional branding. Along with my fellow interns and a few other students, I was also able to speak one-on-one with Erin prior to her presentation. She knows so much about so many things—launching a new organization, building that organization, working in the community, building and maintaining relationships, running a business…the list goes on and on!—and was able to give me some great advice, both personally and through her presentation. We were so lucky to have her, and so thankful that she could join us. Thanks, Erin!

One thing I learned from this event is that some things will always be out of your control. Leading up to the event, we did a pretty good amount of publicizing. We posted flyers all over campus, sent out emails to various student organizations, Greek houses, and faculty, utilized social media, and sent out a press release. While we definitely could have done some things differently, I felt as though we publicized our event pretty well. That night, it poured. It had been raining all day, which I believe discouraged some students from attending. The weather affected our turnout that night, but the message delivered was no less meaningful.

Overall, I had a great experience project managing this event. I learned a lot of valuable information that I will be able to use in all aspects of my professional life, and had fun in the process!

Networking

by: Tiffany Smock


We've all heard it before: when it comes to getting a job it's all about who you know. But how many of us actually listen to that statement? I myself will admit to falling under the assumption that I will simply "wing it" and use my resume and my persistence to get a job. It will all fall into place right? I'll get a job as long as I was involved in school, got good grades, etc. I couldn't be farther from the truth.

In a job market that sees an increase in unemployment each day, it is crucial to do anything and everything possible to land that dream job. Aside from grades and being involved, networking is one of the most important things you can do for your career.

There are a number of ways to network at college and I urge you all to take advantage of the opportunities given to you now. I have been to numerous career fairs and have quite a large collection of business cards to show for it. On the other hand, these professionals now have my business card too. This will be beneficial for me in the long run when it comes to me seeking a job.

But don't let the business card exchange fool you, there is more to the process than just exchanging information. You also need to keep in contact with them. For example, I went on an advertising agency tour with a club I am a member of. We visited a few agencies in Chicago and exchanged information, and I proceeded to send them an e-mail later that day thanking them. I later set up an information meeting with one of the agencies to find out more about the company. This step of the networking process is vital and in a way the most important. Remember, these professionals receive hundreds of business cards from college students on a daily basis. They will not remember you if you send them an e-mail later on when you're applying reminding them how you chatted at the career fair. The follow-up e-mails set you apart from the other students and let the professional know that you are serious about your career and you are taking the time to get to know the company.

I feel like I have learned how to properly build networks during my time at Purdue and hope to continue to do so in the future. I encourage all of you to go to the career fairs and networking events. Even if it's not your major or you're not sure about the company, go! You never know what opportunity you will be passing up to make a great contact or what potential job you may miss.

Non-Verbal Communicating

by: Rebekah Beachum

This is my first post as an LACD graphics intern. Exciting, yeah?

As a kid I loved to read and write and did so voraciously. The result is my love for words and languages. It was actually a slight surprise to my parents that I didn’t go to school and study literature or something where I could read constantly. I think I eventually learned that I communicated with other people just as well artistically as with words (though I still use them constantly in my designs).

Along these lines, I’ve been learning a lot about non-verbal communication recently. Did you know more than 80% of communicating you do with others is non-verbal and unwritten? This stresses even more the importance of positive communication in other ways: facial expression, body language, and choice of clothing. Attire someone wears in the workplace can tell a lot about the person. On first impression, an outfit could show someone’s occupation, cultural background, hobbies, level of professionalism, their favorite color, or even how they feel about themselves in regard to others. Clothing communicates. It communicates levels of confidence, drive, and individualism. Learning the appropriate attire for your given professional field will improve your chances of obtaining and sustaining a job. This may sound shallow, but clothing matters. It could be the difference between getting a job or watching someone else get it (who might be better dressed, just saying.)

All-Nighters No More

By: Amanda Norell

We've all been there: the 10-page paper (you know, the one you've been anticipating all semester), due the next day; the midterm worth 50% of your final grade right around the corner; the speech you've been dreading for 2 weeks finally knocking on your door. These can all be pretty stressful situations, but is there really that much reason to worry?

If your paper is due at 8:30AM and you just decide to wing it at midnight, chances are there may be cause to worry. If you have actually taken the time to prepare and have given yourself an adequate amount of time to finish the task, the situation is much less stressful, hence, no worries! This may seem like common sense to many people, but still countless students find themselves pulling all-nighters to eek out a product to turn in the next morning. Now I'm not saying I've never procrastinated--I certainly have--but I'm just giving you, reader, a little food for thought on the matter. Is it really worth the stress?

I've done my share of preparation and procrastination, and I've found that the former to be much more successful for me academically and less strenuous on me physically. Shocking, right? I apologize if this seems pretty cut and dry for you, but sometimes it just needs to be said. And after coming off a week of all-nighters, I can say with certainty that it is not worth the stress/loss of sleep/state of delirium you find yourself in to stay up until tomorrow. And realistically, these habits will not transfer well to the professional world.

Moral of the story: be prepared, stay on top of your work, and try (as hard as it may be for sometimes) not to procrastinate. How can you put your best foot forward if that foot is still asleep?

Is it my job?

by: Tiffany Smock


I was recently told a story of a disgruntled employee complained to a superior about having to do something that was not part of her job description. Not only was this unprofessional, but it was also uncalled for. I'm not sure how the situation ended, but I can bet that the employee lost much of their credibility by putting on that immature display.

This story raised an excellent question that me, my director, and fellow colleagues have been discussing over the past few days. Should you only do what your job description entails? The obvious answer should be: NO! It is almost impossible for an employer to write ever task down in the job description that you will have to do. There are tasks, many of them small in nature, that you will have to do in your position regardless of what you've been told.

Strictly abiding by the rules of your job description is a surefire way to miss a promotion opportunity as well. For example, if an employer is looking to promote someone and they have these two options who do you think they will choose?
Option A.) Employee does what they are told and follows the rules, they oftentimes stick to their own department and are labeled as stand-offish by other employees, not willing to help other co-workers, and always the first one out of the building.
Option B.) Puts the needs of the company/organization first, friendly to co-workers in the office, assist other departments if they ask, complete any and all tasks given to them, and always the first one to volunteer for a project or to help their superiors.

The answer is, without a doubt, Option B.

So as I mentioned earlier, the answer is almost common sense. If you stick to the description you might be good at what you do, but you won't gain or learn anything from the experience. Don't be afraid to think outside the box with your job and always look for new ways to get ahead in your field. This will make you a more efficient employee and give you a sense of accomplishment in your work.

The Playoffs

Ray Carter
An interesting thing happened last night; the Cardinals won their playoff game against Philadelphia. It was described to me as David v. Goliath. If a major league baseball team were to have a dream team the Phillies would be it.  At first this might not seem like it has anything to do with an internship but soon you start to see why a sports department is needed in a newsroom. St. Louis is a huge baseball city, and it seems like area residents are bombarded to love baseball from birth. The Cardinals have a pretty significant stake in the area. Some of the area's best known restaurants and charities have Cardinal ties. 

It's interesting to see how the sports office works in conjunction with a major league playoff game. It works just like the actual game. At the beginning, everything starts out slow with laughing and complaining. Soon anxiety starts to set in when the team isn't doing what you want them to do. Immediately complications soon pop up. People have to run scripts, shoot video and try to gather stats. One bad thing leads to another, and a lot of people are literally running all over the place. The intern gets caught in the middle with trying to learn how to do certain tasks at a quick pace. I had to learn slang for certain words in script writing that were totally different then the "textbook" version.

During the third through eighth innings, there's a nice break in the office. The six and ten o'clock shows are hours apart, giving the producers plenty of time to get work done. A little while later, the game starts to heat up again. With this comes a lot of running in the sports department. Most of the works consists of trying to look up facts and figures for the late night audience.  As soon as the ten o'clock show comes on, everyone's nervous. The game is usually at it's peak. Most of the staff can't do any work until the weather report's shown, making things slightly complicated. A few seconds before the sports report, the fate the game is usually determined. The interesting part is trying to hand of scripts quietly while the anchors are on air; I learned the system. Everyone's relieved when both shows are over. At the end of the night both players and reporters are ready to head home, giving an interesting insight into the world of professional sports.

First Project Manager Experience

by: Tiffany Smock


Last Friday was the Advance Yourself Graduate Fair that I have been a project manager for and have been planning for weeks now. It was the most incredible feeling ever to see this event come to life and see how all my hard work had paid off. Now the journey was anything but smooth, but looking back on it now it was one of the most influential times of my work experience so far.

In the beginning, it didn't hit me how large of a project I had decided to take on. Having never done something like this before I was excited and nervous about my first event. I was in charge of delegating to my fellow interns as well as numerous other activities. All of the responsibilities were a little overwhelming at first but I did eventually get the hang of it.

It was a learning process for me as I continued to make mistakes but also grow and learn from them. I have gained so much experience in leadership as well as confidence in myself. As I mentioned before, the feeling I had on the day of the fair was amazing. I felt so accomplished and was proud of the work I had done.

This internship has taught me so much and it's not even over yet! I anxiously await for the new challenges this internship will hold for me and hope that I will have more moments like what I experiences last Friday.

Words of Advice: Don't ever doubt what you are capable of. Your greatest weakness and enemy is none other than yourself. Don't stand in your own way when it comes to achieving great things. Everyone has the potential to shine so allow yourself to do so. You won't regret it.

The Importance of Delegating

By: Amanda Norell

We’ve all been there: the new guy or gal, following the lead of the veteran employees and just starting to learn your way. But before you know it you’re thrown into the “big leagues,” taking on your own projects and assignments, and gaining experience as a leader. But just as you were handed tasks as a newbie, one of your greatest responsibilities as a leader is delegating roles to members of your team. For those of you who are independent workers or self proclaimed “control freaks,” you may find this difficult to do, but believe me when I say that delegating tasks will make your life so much easier. Not only that, but giving others a part in the overall project brings the team closer together by distributing the responsibility to different team members.

I have had my share of delegating experience, but I was not always its biggest advocate at first. I work well in teams and am by no means a “control freak,” but I felt initially, “who am I to be telling him/her what to do?” Because I hadn’t had a great deal of leadership experience myself, I felt as though I shouldn’t be handing out assignments to my peers, some of who had more experience than I. That is another key factor to leadership and delegation: confidence. When you are managing a task or project you are in control, so act like it! If the team sees their leader struggling, the success of the team is at risk. This was something I realized quickly, and after my first round of delegation I realized that assigning tasks was not as big of a deal as I had made it out to be. So don’t be timid, take charge, and utilize your team! You will see greater success, a closer team dynamic, and a smoother transition to your ultimate goal.