NYC: 1 week

You might say I'm pulling a Ben Taketa - buying a one-way ticket to New York City, but it's true...

In one week, I'll be heading to the Big Apple with my Lola (grandma) to help my Auntie Junelle take care of her new baby girl.  I'm excited to meet my new cousin and to help out my family.

It's just so surreal this is happening.  I never would imagine going to NYC out of the blue like this, but I'm really excited! :D

While I'm in NYC, I'm hoping this might be an excellent opportunity to find a job/internship.  Checking out the CraigsList job listings, I'm overwhelmed with how many places are looking for interns and such.  It's great news though, especially compared to the opportunities available in Sacramento. Hopefully things will look up, and I'll finally gain that experience I've been looking for.

I'm not sure how long I'm staying in NYC because I only bought a one-way ticket, but hey...this post grad life just got an interesting twist! ;)

P.S. Pilots - NYC for Fall Break?!

Reality Check...

Being in Portland but away from all the 

UP Orientation activities was a reality check.  

I know I graduated 5 months ago, and I thought it hit me back then when I conducted my last CPB meeting.  The bittersweet feeling of graduating lingered throughout senior year, especially as the weeks got closer to that final day.

However, today, it hit me that I'm no longer a student at the University of Portland.  I LOVE the University of Portland and all my friends who are still there.  It's just weird not being on campus with them now, helping out with Orientation and welcoming the new freshmen like I have done for the past three years.

I'm thankful that I was able to see so many familiar faces while I spent time here in Portland, but I wish I was able to spend more time with them like we did before, whether it was around campus, in the library or in the basement during those crazy late nights. I won't ever forget the memories I made at the University, but I hope to continue to make new memories with the friends I made there.  I know it'll be difficult to plan out when and where we'll next meet, but I'm positive that it will happen!

Good luck this year Pilots! It'll be another great year on the Bluff! :)

JOB HUNT: New Directions

Just need to keep looking!

After much consideration and frustration with applying for jobs solely in public relations, I've decided to start applying for jobs at restaurants and stores.  It sounds like a step down from my main goals, but thinking it over, I feel like I need to do an internship before actually getting into PR.  So here's the new game plan for my job hunt: apply for internships and part-time jobs.  I need the experience from the internship and the money from the part-time job.

Do you think I'm making the right move?  I feel good about it, but at the same time, I have my doubts.

I'm a little worried that my education might be a bit much for these places, but I know of recent grads working at Nordstrom and such after graduation.  Higher education shouldn't be a factor.  Sometimes you just need a job for the time being while reaching for higher dreams and aspirations.

So far from this new plan, I've been rejected by American Eagle.  It was an Assistant Store Manager position, so I understand, especially since I don't have experience in retail but I do know how to manage people from CPB.

All the other applications are still on file.  Do these online applications actually work?  I hope so because I've submitted so many already.

As for the internship search, I'm looking for public relation agencies in the area, but it's pretty difficult.  This search might take me elsewhere which means my other search will have to relocate as well.

I want to stay close to home to save money on housing and such, but with a limit of jobs in this area, it might be more beneficial for my future to relocate.

I really did not expect all this stress and frustration after graduation.  I hoped that getting a Bachelor's Degree would mean that I'm a shoe-in for getting a job, but that certainly is not the case.  It seems that much more is needed nowadays; most importantly, you need to know someone.  It's all about networking.

Have you seen the movie POST GRAD? I feel exactly like the main character in that movie, except the whole falling in love with her neighbor deal.  That wouldn't happen here.  Anyway, it's somewhat inspiring, but only because I know exactly how it feels to be a college grad and not finding a job.

Sure, it's only been a couple months, and I know there are people who haven't found a job for years. I hope that doesn't happen to me, but if nothing comes up soon, I may need to devise another plan.

UP History

On Facebook, the University of Portland put up some old photos of the campus.  It's so interesting to see how the school has changed over the past 109 years.  UP is rich with history from its founding in 1901 to its expansion in 2009 with the purchase of River Campus, the establishment of Fields and Schoenfeldt Halls, the Bell Tower, and the renovation of the Engineering Hall (aka Shiley Hall).  Even with all these physical changes to campus, UP still rings true to its mission of Teaching, Faith and Service.

So it's fun Friday, and they made a game out of these pictures.  Whoever guessed the correct year first for each picture won!  They gave away soccer tickets to the men's game vs. Oregon on August 25. GO PILOTS!

But yeah, check this out (all photo credits go to the University of Portland archives):

1938

1950

1971

1985

1997

(I won soccer tickets by guessing this one correctly after two guesses) 

2009

Isn't it amazing to see how UP has expanded and changed over the years?  I can't wait to see where the future takes UP.  I know it will continue to grow and establish itself as a distinguished institution. 

Ah! Can't wait to visit UP in a couple weeks! See you at the game! :)

P.S. I feel like this should be on the library blog...oh well. 

JOB HUNT: Employment Fair

I was surprised to find out there was a job fair taking place in my hometown today, but I decided to check it out.

When I got there, a huge line wrapped around the building and ended in the parking lot! It was packed! So many people are unemployed in this area; it's actually over 10 percent!  In the U.S., 9.5 percent of Americans are unemployed.  I'm not sure if this number includes recent graduates but it might.  That number is extremely high, especially since unemployment should be half as much.  I know this recession and current state of the economy is still hindering the job market.

While waiting in line, a lady came out and said there was a lot of companies and great opportunities available.  It really lightened our spirits as we waited in the beaming heat.

I was really hoping to find some good information, but alas, it seemed jobs are still a bit scarce in this area.  Plus, there wasn't really anything for the industry I'm interested in.  No wonder I need to eventually relocate.  In addition, some companies and organizations that I was hoping to speak to were not there either.

Anyway, on the plus side, I got to see one of my high school classmates, Hanna Baek! She was actually helping out with Frontier Communications because she's an intern. So lucky!

Well, even though I didn't find what I was looking for at this job fair, it was still a good experience.

JOB HUNT: Info Interview with Burson-Martseller

Today I got a chance to talk to an HR Manager from Burson-Martseller, a PR agency in San Francisco, Calif., among other offices around the world.  It was an excellent opportunity to get some information about PR as well as what I need to do to boost my chances of landing a job.

From this chat, I realized that I need to get some more experience in PR by completing an internship or even some basic job experience.  I think it might be easier to get an internship first, but I'm up for anything.  I want to learn more about this field and see if it really is something I want to do.  From what I learned in my PR class and from what people have told me, it sounds like a field perfect for the skills I have, but it's just a matter of finding out myself.

I know I need to work on my interview skills, which is really important for the whole job applying process.  I've been so used to being the interviewer that I haven't worked on being interviewed in a while.  I just need to be more prepared and not so nervous.  I know my stuff, but sometimes I stumble over my words. Ah! Nerves! But with practice, I know I can do this!

So for now, my job hunt has turned into an internship hunt with some jobs thrown into the mix.

It's already August, and I'm still jobless in this post-grad life...

TRAVEL: Portland

For all my friends up in Portland (or heading that way in August for the commencement of school), I'll be visiting from August 24 to 30.

Please let me know if you're available and want to hang out.  I have a list of fun things I want to do while I'm in town, but it would be awesome if you were apart of it.

Can't wait to see you all! Hope you're doing well. :)