Middle of the Year Resolutions?

I thought traveling for work would be the busiest I've ever been, but somehow I have more downtime on this trip than I'd expected. I guess it makes sense because my friends are all back in New York, so once my work is done for the day I'm not tempted to run off to happy hour, dinner, shopping, the movies, etc. I have to say, it's kind of nice to catch up on my Netflix queue (new obsession) and apparently it makes me much better at keeping my blog updated.

With this newfound free time, I've been reading back through some old posts and reflecting - I'm still in my nostalgic omg-I've-lived-in-NYC-for-a-year phase. Going back to the beginning, I came across some old stuff at the beginning of 2009. Crazy how I had no idea where I would be now and it's all fallen into place!

The best thing I found had to be my "2009 New Years Resolutions" ... while I can't do a look where I am a year later post since I was anti-blog at the start of 2010, I'm taking this free time to look back anyway. Who says you can't have June Resolutions?

Jess's 2009 Resolutions:

• Find a way to balance school, 2 jobs, an internship and a social life. I kind of lacked on the last part last semester, so it's a good thing my jobs are my social life. Okay so this one is now irrelevant... but I guess I survived?
  
• Put enough money in my savings account before I graduate to at least cover my first month's rent in NYC. Check more or less... although at this point I don't think I realized "first month's rent" = first month's rent, last month's rent, several month security deposit, and brokers fee... thanks Mom and Dad.
• Become more knowledgeable about the Internet & social media. Not sure I can check this off. You can always learn more... ongoing life goal?
• Work on my blog's exposure and getting more readers. Eh, not crossing this off. I think I keep this guy updated more for me than anything, it's like a journal. Readers/comments are just added fun.
• Graduate. CHECK! *pat on the back*
• Find an apartment I like/can afford in NYC. The first requirement should be easy, we'll see about the second one... Check! It's definitely a starter apartment, but I love it and am staying for at least another year.
• Make a true effort to keep in touch with friends after graduation/moving. My best friends from home have an email chain (which they like to make fun of my blog on, so maybe this post will make it into said email chain) that does wonders for keeping us all in touch. Not checking this off though because I can always get better.
• Start an entry-level job or internship (ideally shortly after graduation). Check! *another pat on the back*
• Finish cleaning out my room at my parents' house. And accept that I really now have to start calling it "my parents' house" instead of "my house". Big fail. Mom had to do this and redecorate. Whoops...
• Clean out/re-paint my townhouse in Athens. Another fail... again, thanks Mom :)

So I didn't do so bad! Checked off all the big life goals for 2009. Now I just need to come up with plans for 2010 (now that we're 5 months into it). More to come...

Now I'm Really Grown Up

It finally happened, the moment I've worked for basically my entire life; I was offered my first entry-level position today.

When you think about it, this is really the reason people go to high school, go to college and beyond. Moving out and getting my first real "big girl job" as I've been calling it has been my goal for as long as I can remember, and I can't believe things are finally falling into place. My risky move of coming to New York without full time employment, my six internships (five of which were unpaid), my exhausting months of working three jobs to support myself, everything is paying off.

I can't even put into words how exciting it is to be truly independent from my parents. Although I've been paying my rent and basically handling everything on my own since I moved to New York, they've been there for me to fall back on and I definitely have had to on a few occasions along the way. Being the great parents that they are, I know they'll always be there for me to fall back on, but I finally feel like I won't have to for the first time.

Another thing that's exciting to realize is that I'll never again be an intern. I've been fortunate enough, through college and after graduating, to have had six amazing internships with great companies that I've been able to learn so much from. There comes a point however, where you just feel ready for the responsibility of a full time job and I've reached that point.

So it goes, another new chapter of my life begins on Tuesday... can't wait to see how this one turns out!

Dear Athens, I Miss You.

It's nearing four months now that I've been out of college (115 days to be exact), but I think I'm just really grasping it for the first time recently. Up until a few weeks ago, it's been summer. For me, and for everyone. I'm never in school at this time of the year, and having so many friends living in New York for just summer internships made me feel like I was one of them. I was last summer, after all.

Somehow it was easy to think that come the middle of August, I would head back to Athens with the rest of my friends. Now it's so weird for me to grasp that my younger friends are sitting in class all day while I'm working and paying my own bills! I guess I had to come to terms with it at some point, but its funny that it took the start of the semester for me that to happen (how much longer can I talk in "semesters"?).

As much as absolutely love living in New York, there's a part of me that really misses sweet little Athens, Georgia. I knew people everywhere I went, I was comfortable in the same home for three years, and I had my safe routine of class and working occasionally... and a little part of me definitely misses that! But the more I think about it, the more I realize it's the just the memories I made in college that I miss. I wouldn't in a million years trade going to class tomorrow for going to work; I'm past that point in my life and it feels good. It's just hard not to miss the friends I made and the traditions that are still going on without me.

Another thing that's hard to swallow... this weekend is the first UGA football game. The first game I'll watch the bulldogs play as an alum, not a student. They'll always be my team, but it's weird to get in the habit of telling people "I went to UGA," not "I'm a student at UGA." It's an away game, so I wouldn't be at the game anyway (Oklahoma is too much of a haul, even for me)... but it's still a weird feeling. I'm used to watching the away games in my living room with my roommates; this weekend I'll actually be home in Sarasota, watching the game with my parents!

I know this is all part of growing up, and as the rest of my friends graduate and move on I'll have less of a pull toward Athens, but right now it's just really weird to realize that chapter of my life has closed.

Embracing the Great Unknown

For the first time in my entire life, I don't have a plan. Throughout high school, I always had a comfortable routine - a balance between school work, part-time jobs, riding my horse, and track practice.  By my junior year, I started looking at colleges and quickly decided I wanted to go to UGA.  I got accepted and finalized my enrollment by December of my senior year.  I knew where I would be after high school while many of my other friends continued to fill out applications and go on campus visits.

Aside from picking up a second degree, I have stuck with my original major that I declared in my freshman year of college.  While many of my friends have changed their majors and signed up for the "five year plan," I have done what I needed to do to graduate in four years with a dual major in Business Management and Public Relations.  I have spent my summers working, studying abroad and interning.  I have done everything I could over the last four years to prepare for the next step after college.

Now that I'm a little over a month from graduation, I have no idea what that next step will be.  Like the majority of my peers, I have no job lined up yet.  I haven't looked for apartments in the city I hope to move to.  I haven't figured out how I'm going to move my entire life to a new city.  This is a strange feeling for me... I'm used to having all the answers to such pressing questions, but for once, I don't.  

I've been going through phases where I panic, start looking for more jobs and internships to apply for, look at apartments on craigslist, and research moving companies.  But I've realized there's really no use.  I have leads with several companies, and all I can do is wait for their responses.  I can't rush my future, I just have to know that things will fall into place.  So I'm waiting patiently, enjoying the last few weeks of college, and embracing my unknown future for the first time in my life.

Real World Session 3: What Your Professors Didn't Tell You About Your First Job

After lunch, we went to a session about the real experience you'll get in your first job.  Speakers included Rebecca Treacy-Lenda (UPS). Carrie England (Jackson Spalding), and David Jones (William Mills Agency).  Each of the speakers had a main point to make, and then opened it up for questions from the students. 

Here are my notes of the most important points:

• Just because you're graduating doesn't mean you stop learning - be a student in your first job!
  
• Throughout the first several years of your career, continue to work on building your personal brand.
  
• PR is more than just the traditional activities you learn in school - you do deal with money and create value for your form.
  
• It's very important to understand office politics in order to fit in at your first job.
  
• Our generation is typically perceived as one that expects things to be handed to us, lacks face-to-face communication skills (especially in light of the social media movement), and is unwilling to put in our time and pay our dues.  Be aware of and overcome these stereotypes!
  
• When you ask questions, ask the right person (ie: don't ask the VP where to find the stapler).
  
• An entry-level position is usually just a very small step up from an internship - you may still have "busy work" tasks, but this is so you'll understand the "why" behind everything the firm does.
  
• You have to be able to prove you can excel at the basics of your job before you can expect to be trusted with bigger responsibilities.
  
• Know the environment you're working in, and feel the company out during the interview to find the right fit for you - ask people why they like working there.
• Make an impression, even if you have to suck up a bit - make sure you gain respect from the beginning
• In the first 6 months of your job people pay special attention to you - dress appropriately (even more formal than the rest of the office), be on time (or early), make all of your work (even "drafts") flawless.
• Network at every level.
• Ask for feedback, but don't sound needy.  
• A good boss should be involved in your work but you may need to take the initiative to make them aware of what you're doing.
• Have an idea of what you want to do even beyond your first job - set clear goals that are not client/job specific.
• Take initiative - generally you won't just be handed more responsibilities unless you demonstrate you're prepared for them.