There are only four issues left of The Knight – including this one. I have only four more issues as editor-in-chief and only 31 more days as a college student (as of Wednesday) to figure my life out.
Can you say stressful? I have been applying to job after job and have yet to get an interview. Everyone has been saying to not get discouraged and that I will eventually find a job – but eventually isn’t all that satisfying to my anxiety filled, stressed out self.
When it was just a summer job I was looking for I wasn’t all that worried because I would find some job that no one else really wanted to do. But, this is the start of my career.
This job is supposed to help pay for my enormous amount of school debt, rent and life. I know that I will more than likely not find a job in my field that pays a luxurious salary – but something more than minimum wage is what I am shooting for.
To get a job that pays more than minimum wage I have to be deemed qualified by the company and stand out amongst the hundred other applicants who are probably equally qualified. And to do that, you need to have real-life experience.
I actually do have a lot of experience in my field. I just don’t know if the jobs I am applying for recognize it as being the same level of experience as if I were working for outside companies or organizations other than Gannon.
But I was limited to where I could work and who I could work for – being an international student. The government wouldn’t be too pleased with me if I worked off campus because I would then be taking away opportunities for American students. How selfish of me.
Regardless of where I worked – on campus or off – I still have gained hands-on experience in the journalism and marketing industry. Working with the newspaper and the marketing department has provided me with additional knowledge on how real-life work situations operate.
I made myself go outside of the classroom to learn about my future career because I wanted to not only see if it is what I wanted to go into, but so I could have related experience to add to my resume.
Even though I was under the care of Gannon throughout my positions, I was still held to the same standard as if I were working for an outside advertising firm or newspaper. I just hope that the companies and businesses I am applying to recognize that.
Well, that is what I am banking on at least. If they don’t, then I need to try and get my foot in the door somewhere and work my way up.
But, that “getting my foot in the door” is just as hard. Everyone and their dog nowadays have their bachelor’s degree in something and if the job is doing grunt work, just about anyone can do it. It is the differentiating factor that will get you hired and I am obviously struggling to highlight that on applications.
The question “What makes you unique in 150 characters or less?” is probably the hardest and most frustrating question to answer on an application. How are you supposed to explain how you are unique in basically a Tweet?
If anyone knows, please help the captain of the struggle train out because she is about to derail.

BECKY HILKER
[email protected]