For a girl who has a hard time deciding what to eat for breakfast, anything that demands articulating something as major as my intended career path is daunting. The task of creating a digital portfolio and professional brand was intimidating to say the least. How would a simple website be able to communicate things about myself that I can’t even organize in my own head? But the process of refreshing materials such as my twitter, LinkedIn profile, resume and cover letter proved to be relatively painless and even a little fun. Updating my LinkedIn page was long overdue, but the help of simple suggestions such as those on the College Student LinkedIn Profile Checklist made the professional networking site less scary. Tips like including relevant coursework, my student organizations and volunteer commitments made my profile feel full and well rounded. Combining all of my experiences onto one platform began to make my professional journey seem more coherent. My involvement in the city of Milwaukee through both local internships and extracurriculars shows my priorities of relationship building and investing in my community at a grassroots level. My experiences abroad and courses of study demonstrate my interest in the global community and belief in interconnectedness. And the overarching theme revealed itself as my passion for storytelling as a way to promote empathy and a more just world. Compiling my resume allowed me to even better tell my story in a more succinct way. Looking through examples of students who have gone before me, I was so impressed but also discouraged by what seemed like my lack of experience. But in the process of polishing up my one page professional summary, I realized that my experiences have been invaluable in making me the person I am today, shaping what inspires me and where I want to go. The most difficult part of writing a cover letter was selecting a specific position to apply for because I still have a hard time answering the basic question of, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Professor Lowe’s step-by-step process was a huge help in conquering the task though. By the end I felt like I had more to offer than I thought. As a believer in the power of words, it was no surprise that the process of telling my own story empowered me to feel much more prepared to take on the exciting professional world in front of me!
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AUTHORI am a senior studying journalism and international affairs at Marquette University. I am a Milwaukee-dweller and a storyteller passionate about exploring the intersection between community-building and communication. I'd love for you to learn alongside me! ARCHIVES
March 2017
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