Under pressure

I grew up in a blue-collar city in central Connecticut whose biggest claim to fame is "Ted's Steamed Cheeseburgers," a burger joint that was recently featured on "Man vs. Food." From my senior class, I was one of a handful of students who went to college out of state; by sophomore year, most of those said students transferred to a Connecticut state school. The rest of my class that didn't even bother to attend college either got pregnant or got into drugs or in some cases, are currently trying to launch rap careers. The only school-related activity that generated much interest was football; most of the other student sports teams and clubs were met with empty bleachers and low participation. My guidance counselor encouraged me to go to UConn (his alma mater) because it was affordable, with little direction as to what else was available to me. An unusually large majority (I've heard 70 percent) of the teaching staff grew up in Meriden. My favorite teacher, the one who used to always joke about how bad things were, later quit her job and moved to London. A year later, she returned to my high school.

The reason I'm writing this is because I had always prided myself on my ambition. Don't misunderstand me, I know that Meriden, Conn. isn't the ghetto; a lot of other college students had much more difficult experiences growing up. (I couldn't imagine attending a high school that even had metal detectors.) However, it was far from the kind of nurturing environment that pushed you toward anything. Everyone is just so comfortable with the status quo, nothing ever gets accomplished. This was not the type of high school where even the "smart kids" did much. The valedictorian didn't get into the Ivy League; she went to UConn. It's hard coming back during the holidays because you can't really catch up with people who haven't done much growing up. There's nothing to "catch up" about. This is why I love college so much. There are so many people who are DOING something. People who are adding to the conversation. People with ambition. People who want a better life for themselves.

This is something that I grapple with as I try and find a job because my biggest fear is that I will end up just like every one of my former classmates.

I don't want that to happen.

Cover letters

For someone who's always prided myself on humility, penning cover letters can be a very difficult process. I never realized how hard it was to talk about yourself. Some people find that task relatively easy, but I believe that there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. And I've consistently made a point to never cross that threshold.

Obviously, that is not what writing a cover letter is about. A cover letter, from what I gathered, is supposed to highlight your accomplishments throughout college and to provide evidence to a potential employer that you've been using your time wisely. I've been trying to sound enthuastic about my skills without sounding too cheesey, but that's another hard part of the process. Additionally, because I've been applying to a wide range of jobs, from marketing/PR to online editorial positions, each one asks different qualifications, and I've had to write individual letters in order to draw attention to specific skills. (Maybe part of me thought that I could just write one generic letter and send it off by changing the employer's name. Not the case.)

Fortunately I feel like I've finally found my "cover letter voice" and don't have to tweak too much when it covers to writing them.

Inventive business strategy? Or just stupid?

The Week magazine announced they are guaranteeing advertisers that consumers will not only see their ad, but also remember it.

“We were trying to think, what’s the most accountable thing you could do?” said Steven Kotok, president of The Week. “This is a way they can say when they buy The Week, they know it’s money well spent, because we’re guaranteeing it will be among the most effective ads they purchase,” Mr. Kotok said.

In contrast, television companies don't even guarantee advertisers that a viewer will even be in the room when an ad airs, according to the article.

I'm skeptical that such a guarantee will catch on with other media companies, since it's actual logistics still seem unclear.

Applied for Job No. 4

This time as a Publicity Assistant for HBO in New York.

People keep telling me to stop focusing on the city so much. However, doesn't moving to a small town kind of feel like giving up?

Link to my podcast

I recorded an audio podcast discussing my current job search. Listen if you dare.

Fingers crossed!

Dear Jeffrey,

Thank you very much for your application and for your interest in [Company name].

It will take a while for us to evaluate your application. Your patience is greatly appreciated. If we find that your qualifications match our needs we will contact you for an interview.

Thanks again for your interest in employment with [Company name].

Regards,

Human Resources

[Company name]

Applied for Job No. 3

I just sent out my official third job application. Now, on its face, it doesn't sound like a big deal, except for the fact that I actually think I have a shot this time. I wrote the strongest cover I've written so far and since it's explicitly an entry-level position, I am actually qualified! It's for an online marketing position at Random House in New York, which is a field I haven't really considered before, but I'm definitely willing to try and learn. I read the job description and it definitely sounds interesting. The waiting game is probably the hardest part. Hopefully I will hear something within the next few weeks, but in the meantime I will continue looking and hopefully applying to more jobs. Last night, I spotted one as a Publicity Assistant for HBO, which I'm planning on sending out an application for later today.