Ten from the Top: success without really trying
Ten from the Top is the weekly column of the very honest and often snarky thoughts of District’s editor-in-chief.
Now, as people are starting to hear about summer jobs and internships I find myself trying to find out what in the world I actually do. So far I am on track to graduate in three years with Dean List honors every quarter (with four classes this quarter), have three part time jobs and most importantly I DON’T FEEL LIKE I DO ANYTHING. But only because I really don’t do much, I’ve just figured out how to work the system.
1. Do something: yes SCAD is demanding, very demanding – like pulling all-nighters and crying with friends demanding – but that, unfortunately, isn’t enough. When you graduate you will have a piece of paper and everything you did, and you don’t want everything you did to be getting that piece of paper.
2. If you don’t know, ask. It shows you care about what you are doing. Plus if you end up doing it wrong you can say “I’m sorry that is the way the boss/professor/advisor told me to do it,” and pass blame up the chain of command.
3. Be there: easy enough, but I know a ton of talented people that just don’t bother to show up and then — guess what — they hire people like me! I got to be Photo Editor at District because I was literally the only one there.
4. Go meet your advisor; it’s even better if you are on a first name basis with them. Guess who Tiffany (my advisor) calls when there is a new photo internship? I’ll give you a hint: if she has never met you, IT’S NOT YOU.
5. Don’t let “qualifications” stop you. Applications that say they only hire juniors and seniors only want people with the credentials of a junior/senior, they don’t actually care about your age. Apply anyway, that is how I got my favorite job and I was two years younger than everyone else they hired and all I had to do was ask. Pretty easy.
6. Find the person in charge and know them well. OK, this is the sucky part where at internships you might just have to know your bosses coffee order by heart but be sure to make yourself IRREPLACEABLE to your boss (and your boss’ boss) then, when they hire people, you already know how things go coffee or company wise.
7. Bribe; if you don’t have the skills yet, have cookies instead. There are a billion reason for people to work with you other than actually being good at what you do.
8. Check up and check in; do you have a reason that your project is going to be late that was outside your control. More often than not that is OK. People understand you can’t help that. They don’t understand why you didn’t tell them because now they look bad. Even if things are going great tell them so that they know they don’t have to check on you. (i.e. They trust you! i.e. More time for you to check Facebook without them knowing).
9. Time management; that doesn’t mean you can’t procrastinate (see Facebook comment above)! I guarantee I watch as much Netflix as the best of you, I just know when I can slack off and when I can’t.
10. Be able to back it up. All this is great but now here comes the hard part. You actually have to work at something to be successful. I know it stinks, but we are driven people here that is why we spend days on a 20 second video or start a painting over four times. You don’t have to love everything you do but at least get through enough that will get you ready for what you want to do. Don’t be surprised if that is different than what you thought when you started.
