Purpose: This article was written in January 2009 for students to further their cyber media skills to help them with pursuing a job, such as making Facebook, Youtube, and blogs work for them
The original article can also be found here.
A new year and a new academic quarter are upon us, and it’s never too early to start looking for an internship or full-time job. As students plow through their undergrad, they prepare themselves by taking classes, picking up a job, becoming more involved on campus, etc, but in this economy, some may wonder, “What can I do to make myself even more marketable?”
We are living in an exciting time where technology is constantly changing and our dependence on it is ever-growing. Create a niche for yourself by increasing your knowledge of technology and ultimately, cyber media.
It’s not enough that a student’s technical skills only encompass Microsoft Office – the majority of college students work with Word, Excel and/or PowerPoint on a daily basis, and with that type of competition, how else is it possible to distinguish yourself from other candidates? However, by “increasing your knowledge of technology,” it’s not necessary to learn how to program in C++, count in binary, or speak Fortran (and if you didn’t understand any of that, it’s okay, you’re not a n00b).
By increasing your knowledge of utilizing cyber media, you are making yourself more marketable when applying for jobs.
Defining “cyber media” is difficult, but we are all familiar with many of its examples. Facebook, YouTube, podcasts, blogs, etc. are all online resources utilized to share information that can be created or viewed by anyone. Here are some suggestions on how to become proactive:
1. Learn another operating system. The majority of computer users are familiar with the Windows Operating Systems; why not learn the Macintosh OS? Or even vice versa? (Mac users, try not to cringe.)
2. Become inspired by famous bloggers (i.e. Perez Hilton, John Mayer), and start your own! It can be about anything – food, interests, or even an online portfolio of your art work. Design major Kate Wang keeps a blog of her portfolio from design projects, internships, or work assignments. Her site, kate-wang.blogspot.com, gets a lot of traffic from visitors all over the world! Not only does she have an organized and simple way to access her work, she has even received job offers from impressed companies.
3. If writing is not your forte, what about video blogging? Become the next YouTube sensation and let the world know about your day, a project you’re working on, or the reasons why you do or do not like college (KevJumba, anyone?)
4. Networking sites definitely help – who knew that Facebook or MySpace would ever come in handy in the real world? But do realize that there are more than just those two.
5. For those of you who think you “know nothing about computers,” there is an amazing class offered through the Plant Sciences department here at UC Davis. The class is PLS21, “Computers in Agriculture,” but don’t let the name fool you: I took this amazing class my second year, and got a refresher on the basics of Microsoft Office, and learned so much more (i.e Microsoft Access to manipulate various rows of data, Mozilla Composer to create your own webpage, Microsoft Excel formulas and macros for expense reports, etc).
In order to understand how this may apply in the real world, let’s focus on a fellow Aggie: William Hsu is a second year Economics major as well as founder and developer of Davistext.com. He created the site this past September while “feeling frustrated as a first-year student unable to find out what books he needed earlier” - as quoted in the Aggie. He utilized cyber media to inform the UCD community via Facebook group invites and Daviswiki entries. By reaching out to students via utilizing a frequently-visited website, his site’s popularity grew.
My position at the ICC and my internship with Apple increase my own knowledge of cyber media. At the Internship and Career Center, I have been given the privilege to manage the Liberal Arts & Business blog, which I try to constantly update for our valued readers. Through my internship at Apple, I am constantly working with the Macintosh operating system (I am mainly a Windows user, so it’s a big deal to me), as well as staying up-to-date with the latest gadgets and trends of the company. As a Textiles and Clothing major, many predict my future will be in retail management or design; however, with my knowledge of cyber media, I can utilize my skills to contribute to an important sector of retail: E-commerce. Companies such as Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret are always looking for tech-savvy and up-to-date interns who can manage their websites, attract consumers, and increase revenue.
The next time it’s 2am and you’re on Facebook (with a paper due at 10am that you haven’t started), don’t feel so bad. You’re just increasing your cyber media skills, right?
Kris Iringan, Student Advisor
Internship and Career Center
