The first part of my senior year felt like any other year of school. But this semester feels completely different. I don’t think I need WebMD to diagnose what I have. I have senioritis and it is hitting me in full force.
There comes a time in everyone’s senior year when you just kind of mentally checkout of the whole school phase and are already looking with blinders into your future. It can be scary, sure, because your future is undecided but it is also extremely exciting.
You have options. It’s no longer deciding what classes you are going to take, suffering through general elective classes that are pointless and most importantly – no more homework.
Sometimes it feels like there aren’t any options, though. Finding a job – a real big girl job – is harder than it may seem. The positions I am applying to require 50 years of experience, your first born child and a piece of dragon nose hair. An obvious exaggeration, but sometimes it feels as though that is what it takes to be hired.
When people ask me how the job hunt is going, I want to tell them it’s going wonderfully – but I don’t feel like lying to nice people. I have been using job websites such as Indeed.ca and Monster.ca, and there are a lot of positions available. However, it is difficult for the position I am in because I cannot go to interview in person.
I am stuck in Erie. With it being my lacrosse season, I am playing or practicing every day almost. So driving to Toronto for an interview wouldn’t be the most realistic option. There are more ways to interview than by doing it face-to-face, but it is the preferred.
I know that I am not going to get the job of my dreams right out of school – I am not naïve. It would be nice, however, to get a job that will help me achieve my career goals. Eventually, I want to own my own business.
In order to do that, I must understand and learn the ways of the industry. I have obtained experience and developed a better knowledge of the communication world through my various positions at Gannon, but it’s not enough. I still have a lot to learn.
I believe that is one of my qualities that will assist me the most in finding a job – I am willing to learn. I know I don’t know everything; nobody really does. The first people to market or advertise were more than likely just wingin’ it.
You’ve got to fake it until you make it because you’ll still have nothing if you try and fail. But, when you try, you could potentially succeed. To me, that is definitely worth the risk. I am a very goal-oriented person.
Setting goals helps me stay focused on what I want in life. I don’t set unrealistic goals because why would I set myself up for failure? It just doesn’t make any sense. I set short-term goals and long-term goals. The short-term, guide me toward my long-term goals.
Once I have completed a short-term goal, I make another one to continue me down the right path. And that is what I am doing. Senioritis has taken over and my goals are no longer about homework and assignments – they are more important.
I am setting goals that allow me to use what I have learned these last four years and finally apply it. I think that is why I am so excited to graduate – I want to take what I’ve practiced into play.
BECKY HILKER
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