One of the most important things you can do as a student is to prepare yourself for a job or internship interview. It might be for a summer employment experience, a summer internship, an application for graduate school, or perhaps that first full time job right out of college. You need to prepare yourself for this long before you make any applications for the next phase of your adult life. Here are some of my own personal tips for you as you get ready to graduate and/or find employment or internships.
1. Get your Chickens in a Row:
Research what you would like to pursue with your degree. It can be anything related to your field. I got my BFA and MFA in Painting and Drawing. After graduation from GSU with my BFA I worked in several framing shops just learning about how to frame artwork. It was tedious and sometimes boring but I learned a lot about "presentation" and craft and insuring the quality of artwork that others had created. I was selling my own art at a store called "Collector's Cove" at Cumberland Mall in 1978-1980. I eventually ended up working there as well so at least I was associated with art to some degree. I got to make art when I got home each day from working at this art store. I also learned how to deal with the public and other artists whom the store represented. Find something that relates to your own profession.
2. Write and Update your Resume Now:
The essential request by any employer is a resume. As a creative person it should be creative and well designed. Easy to read and not so easy to throw away or be put in a stack of other resumes. Make your resume noticable. Clever. Smart. Beautiful. Your resume is your first impression to an employer or client. No mis-spelled words ever! It's not a casual document for you to "knock out" in a few minutes. You should pour over this 1-page resume with great insight because it is you without you being there in person.
Choose the right font. Choose the right font size. Give the resume a reason to exist.
Each entry you put into your resume actually gives it life through all your life experiences.
Make it count. Leave no stone unturned when it comes to your own academia experiences, awards, honors and degrees. Use color.
This is not a letter nor a CV (Curriculum Vitae) but a resume.
Don't get to chatty or try to explain everything in detail.
A resume is a snapshot of who you are.
A resume is used as "talking points" for your interview mostly.
It can also be a big ol' Brag Sheet about you and your experiences.
Don't shy away from dropping names of places/people you worked with on any project.
Every sentence and every bullet point counts.
You might not have as much experience early on as you will when you graduate from college so your resume will evolve and change. Leave only the information on your resumes that you want someone to read. It will be their perception of you long before they meet you.
Here's what most Graduate Schools want when you apply:
-Your formal application
-Your 1-page resume
-Your online portfolio or pdf to be sent (12-20 pieces of your best work)
-A letter of introduction and purpose/intention for applying to their school
-Your Transcript from the college(s)
-A Letter of Intention
-An Artist Statement
-If you are in the top tier of those applicants being chosen you will probably be asked to do a phone interview/skype or in-person visit. Get your thoughts together. No rambling around at this point. Know why you have applied and what you want, otherwise, they will move on to the next candidate. Know what you want from them and what you expect.
(ps. Do not tell them you have applied at other schools. They need to feel that you are choosing them first and foremost...regardless of what is really going on with your applications to other places.) Don't show your hand (this is also true of interviewing for a job.)
3. Create an Online Portfolio:
You need to have an online presence when applying for a creative job or graduate position. It doesn't have to be all "bells and whistles" but it should be your newest work and the work you want them to see. Lay it out beautifully and let it be easy to maneuver through with no hidden buttons or convoluted scrolling. Simple gets it done.
The online portfolio should consist of 12-20 images that are thoughtfully created.
This is your future so make sure it represents you in your best light.
4. Ask for a Recommendation/Reference Letter:
Make sure you ask the person you want to use as a reference if they would actually serve as a reference. Do not just expect anyone to do this for you. Ask them first. Supply that recommender the info on what you are applying for such as the program and degree.
You will need to furnish them with the names of the people to whom they will address the letter of recommendation. Supply them with your resume as well in case they want to mention something else about you they might not know you did as a student. Most teachers only know their students as their students...there is a bigger picture of you so let them know more about you. Don't expect your recommender to know all about you. Tell them.
Create a quick check list of all the things you might want your recommender to mention such as the honors or awards you received as a student or in a job. You are providing them a quick list of what you would like for them to mention. Believe me, this helps your recommender tremendously.
Give your recommender the date it needs to sent by so they don't miss the deadline. If they do miss the deadline then tell them to go ahead and send it asap. Schools rarely adhere to
exact deadlines for graduate school. If they want you as a grad student or employee they will wait on you. I know this to be true.
Let your recommender know if you want a pdf or a jpeg.
Let your recommender know if you want your letter signed and on college letterhead.
Stay in touch with your recommender throughout the process of your application.
Lastly, let your recommender know if you got into the program/school.
They are doing this out of support for you and not because they have to do this.
Communicate with them.
5. Write a Letter of Introduction:
Have a letter of introduction ready to go whenever you apply to a college or job.
Let it be short and sweet and to the point. Tell them what they want to hear. They don't need a long extensive letter bragging about yourself. Instead tell them who you are and why you want to work there or go to school there. Mention names or programs or whatever you feel might get your the job or candidacy. It never hurts to do your research on their programs and their faculty.
6. Send a Letter of Thanks - Post Interview:
If you interview in person the send whomever you interviewed with a letter of thanks.
It's old school but it still works. Do not send them a text or email until you've sent them an official letter of some kind on your own letterhead...or even something more creative.
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