Did you ever have to make up your mind?

Okay so this song below may be about women but it's also fitting if you're choosing between different schools/jobs/life possibilities. I've thought quite a bit about my options but between now and April I have to make a final decision on what I'm doing next. I'm still waiting for some information but it won't be long until I have to finally decide. It has been a challenging process at times, the worst part of which has been the waiting on admissions and funding decisions.

I hope the process of deciding what's next is going well for all of you as well. In the meantime, enjoy some of The Lovin' Spoonful.

Using social media to get a job: Is Going Above and Beyond the New Standard?

Earlier this month, I wrote an article for The Argosy on a 4th-year student Daniel Hebert who did more the standard writing a cover letter with a resume when he applied for a job at Radian6.

For those who think the dead-tree resume is nearing the end of its life, you may be right. Fourth-year commerce student Daniel Hebert recently applied to the social media monitoring firm Radian6. But, he did not simply go through traditional route of simply of sending in a resume and cover letter and hoping for the best.  He applied online but also did a lot of research, writing the blog post, Why I Should Work For Radian6, using the same language the company uses to craft a post that would be sure to impress. He then shared the post directly with Radian6 on Twitter and asked his influential online contacts do the same. He did this last Monday. By Wednesday, he had a phone interview with a recruiter who said she would get in touch with him again early this week.

This follows along with what I wrote a year ago about using social media to get a job and went a step further and really pressured Radian6 to at least take note of his application. Although being perceived as too pushy could hamper one's chances of landing a job, in this case "You don't know until you try!" and Hebert doesn't regret his actions. I wouldn't either if I had been mentioned by Ragan Communications. Hebert's assertiveness got him one step closer to getting a job in his chosen field. What are you doing to stand out?

An interesting attempt at getting an interview with Google.

On being more than a student at Mount Allison University

Some of the most important things I've done at University besides schoolwork.

Getting accepted into two prestigious graduate schools (and being offered the chance to interview for a scholarship) was the first tangible confirmation of what I had heard from many people I respect, including professors: going to University isn't just about some letter grades and a piece of paper. In a way it is about the basics- you need a a certain GPA in certain programs just to be considered and you need great references to get past the chaff in a pile of hundreds of applications but beyond the basics it's about what you're doing outside of class. Especially in my case (perusing a master's in Public Relations from one of 4 of the top schools in the US) grades can only get you so far.

After working full-time in communications this summer it was a little odd going back to being a student. Once you find something you love doing, doing work less relevant academic work seems to lose the air of having an absolute value.

I'm very interested in my classes this semester and I haven't developed college senioritis but experience has shown me that a focus solely on grades isn't enough for what I want to do. True, if I didn't have two jobs and other extra-curricular involvements taking up much of my time I would undoubtedly have at least a slightly higher GPA. But what I've learned going to a school like Mount Allison is that life isn't about jumping through hoops someone else has laid out for you but to find what you want and go after it and that means a balance between class and outside activities

Accepting the offer of representing The Argosy at the Canadian University Press' (CUP) National Conference meant missing a week of class. Being a part of the Mount Allison's Web Advisory Committee and providing input to the school's website redesign project meant temporarily choosing professional responsibilities over academic ones. While at times I've chided myself for this it all comes down to what matters to the people whose decisions will most influence my life path. Grades are important, letters of recommendation are important, but so is the ability to demonstrate what you've done with your time outside of the classroom. Going to the CUP Conference led to thirteen major recommendations I submitted to The Argosy Editorial Board which are my focus for the rest of the semester, and which so far have helped me increase The Argosy website's visits to the highest on record. Being a part of the Web Advisory Committee has given me the opportunity to be present at important meetings and have my input considered in what I would consider the largest communication improvement project in the school's recent history.

If you think my example is simply wishful thinking, look at the case of Daniel Hebert. Daniel, with a blog post and related social media savvy, earned himself an interview with Radian6 (a Fredericton, NB based social-media marketing company recently acquired by salesforce for $326 million). He applied with a basic resume and cover letter along with countless others but to prove his knowledge he posted an online plea to the company Why I Should Work For Radian6. It caught their attention and within 24 hours they contacted him for an interview. It's no guarantee of a job offer but at least it caught their attention. I wrote an article for The Argosy about it which I will elaborate on when I again have spare time which may not be for a while.

I'm not saying that I'm not focusing on academics, I very much am. I've just realized that especially in fields like social media monitoring and public relations, a good GPA isn't enough and you need to balance the basic need for good grades with doing something that stands out in a pile of resumes and grad school applications. As well, my years of intense focus on academics has exponentially increased my efficiency at analyzing academic texts, preparing for exams, and writing quality essays so that I'm confident in my ability to do much more work more in less time than even last year.

At this point I wish I had more time to work on The Argosy and other pursuits because that work is going to have long-lasting importance in the eyes of those who will be next to grade me than the exact GPA I earn this semester. However, I'm not going to let three and a half years of hard work go to waste over a poor final semester. The next eight weeks (until final exams have finished) will bring a renewed focus to my studies, however, it will be informed by the knowledge that I know what I want to do once this is over and that doing other work isn't slacking but managing my time differently than in earlier years.

As well, if I decide not to pursue graduate studies I'll know that with my experience in social media marketing, website building and maintenance, and the unquantifiable experiences gained by working in a student newsroom and in a University Communications Office simultaneously, I'll have something more than just a degree when I graduate.

If I had only focused on academics I would have never found the NPR video clip mentioning me, I'd be less likely to be working at either the University or The Argosy, and I'd be much less likely to consider social media communications as a major part of my future career. If I had gone to a larger school where students are mere numbers, I may not feel the freedom, nay, encouragement to make large time commitments outside of classwork.

So to those trying to discover what you're going to do next: Stop, take a moment to think of what you're interested in, and do that for a while. Go join the newly SAC-approved Archery Club. Do something different. Trust me, your textbooks will still be there (staring at you) when you get back.

Mount Allison University Class of 2012 Video Project

As my last major project working in Communications this semester I'll be helping to create videos of graduating students from each academic program (Arts, Science, Fine Arts, Music, and Commerce) discussing what they're doing following graduation.

Many here go onto graduate school but we're also very interested in those who are going directly into the working world, volunteering at home or abroad, or the various other pursuits you will follow after graduation.

If you're interested in being a part of this project please e-mail me at gbcampbell@mta.ca by Friday, March 2 with your full name, program, description of your plans, and a hi-res photo.

from mta.ca (and e-mailed to all students):

Attention ALL GRADS - what are your plans next year?
2012-02-27 09:59:08

The University is organizing a video project that will highlight some of our graduates and the exciting plans they have post-graduation. The goal of the video is to show prospective students where a Mount A degree can take you!

If you have a great story to tell about where you are headed next year (and aren't camera shy) please let us know. It can be a graduate or professional program, a great job, or maybe travelling the world.

Please send your name, program, a brief description of post-grad plans, and a hi-res photo to our Communications Intern, Geoff Campbell at gbcampbell@mta.ca by Friday March 2.

Please note that due to time constraints it may not be possible to include all who volunteer for this video project. However, information, video, and photos may be used for future initiatives.

Best of luck in your final semester!

Tell me about yourself

As I prepare for graduate scholarship interviews and life beyond the bubble of Mount Allison University/Sackville, NB I think more and more of how to effectively turn my background and experiences at Mount Allison into a compelling narrative. From answering the daunting "Tell us about yourself" to the more specific (and for most people, more easily answerable "What is it about you that makes you an exceptional candidate to study at our school/work at our company?", it is imperative for graduates to be able to efficiently explain who they are and why they're the right person for the job.

I've felt that this blog writing over the years, more that anything else has helped me be able to answer those questions. When I first read one of the questions I was taken a little aback because I'm not in creative writing and write about academic topics as opposed to myself. Here's a required graduate school application question:

Write a narrative about your life. This should include information about your accomplishments, family, educational experience, and outside activities. Be creative rather than philosophic. Remember that you are writing for a reader who knows nothing about you or your background. (1,000 words maximum)

First you have to realize that it's a bit of a trick question. They don't really want 1,000 words about your childhood. Like every other question in an admissions or job interview they really want to know if you're a good fit for them. In this case: can you write and does your background match what we want in a student? How has your life experience led you to wanting to be a part of this program? Can you write a short narrative about your life that  In effect, are you serious about this field of study or did you apply on a whim?

In 986 words I wrote five sentences of my life up to age 18 and spent the remainder discussing how different experiences relating to Mount Allison has led me to wanting to pursue a career in communication. I wrote about my first visit to Mount Allison in more detail than I have here and thinking about it in depth made me realize why I actually ended up coming here. The national rankings and the academic reputation of the school was a bit of an assurance of the quality of the school but I had visited (and been accepted with scholarship offers) other schools so there was something else about this place that stuck with me. Here's what I remember it to be and how it relates to my interest in communication.

...on a visit to a small college in Vermont during my senior year, my Dad persuaded me to visit his alma mater; Mount Allison University in the hinterlands of New Brunswick, Canada. So we drove through the northeast during a blizzard in February of my senior year. My expectations were low given the conditions. However, when I got there the bright-eyed and well-spoken tour guide was more than happy to lead me across the snow-covered campus through sub-zero temperatures, although since it was in Celsius I was not exactly sure what -25 degrees meant. It was this young woman, who lived out in the middle of nowhere, with her indelible smile and friendliness despite the freezing temperatures (and the numerous questions from an anxious mother on tour with us) that made me realize this was the place for me. I had become accustomed to the unwavering paid-for optimism on other college tours, but this woman’s confidence in her decision to spend four years on this blip on the map seemed genuine and reassuring.            

As I walked across the old red sandstone campus, strangers smiled at me and made me feel at home. Moving around several times during my life made me yearn for a place like that and I knew it is where I wanted to go to college. I did not know it at the time but I was also drawn to this student who could convey in just a few minutes what it felt like to live there. It was not the lines she had undoubtedly memorized months prior, but the warm and genuine way in which she communicated her experience. This experience was the first of many that led to my ultimate interest in pursuing a career in communication.

 If you've been reading this blog for a while, and especially over this past summer you'll  have read a few times about my growing interest in communication. At one point I was contacted by Natalie Allen who, after a discussion of what I had been working on, asked me to make a video for the WorkStory.net project. I'd like to think I've gotten more comfortable in front of a camera in the last 7 months since posting the video but it is a fairly brief narrative of how I discovered what I wanted to do for a career. If I did it again today I would (in addition to keeping it to under two minutes) spend far less time talking about NPR and more on other influences but at the time I was feeling grateful for that singular event I found to be especially meaningful.



I've been spending a lot of time thinking about how I got to where I am and where I want to go from here but I have a question for you: if you had to write about your life in 1,000 what would you write?

Mount Allison University Professor James Devine to testify at Canadian Senate Hearing

One of my professors, Dr. James Devine will be travelling to Ottawa to testify before the Canadian Senate's Foreign Affairs and International Trade Standing Committee to "Examine and report on Canadian foreign policy regarding Iran, its implications, and other related matters". His testimony will begin at 11:30am Atlantic and will be webcast live via Parliament's website.

Dr. Devine's research specialties include: International relations and foreign policy in the Middle East; the politics and foreign policy of Iran, international rivalries and protracted conflicts; democracy and authoritarian politics in the Middle East. He is also a senior research fellow with The Interuniversity Consortium for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies based out of McGill University.