Introduction
Hello! This is the first of a series of posts I’ll be publishing over the course of next year, detailing my experiences with my last set of classes. To begin, I would like to start with my most recent class, Professional Practice in Interactive Media. I’ll be covering the ups, downs, and everything in between. So strap in, because this will be quite a beefy reflection.
Section 1 – Initial Feelings
To begin, I want to take it back to the very beginning of this semester—in late August. When I first heard the name “Professional Practice in Interactive Media,” I had imagined the class to be a sort of Socratic seminar where we, the students, gathered twice a week to have open-ended discussions about ways to enhance our professionalism and prepare for the real world beyond college. Boy, was I wrong. The class takes a more linear, structured approach designed to guide you through all the steps required to build a professional portfolio, complete with a resume, cover letter, business card, and personal website, which you’re currently reading. With this class being so different from the things I’ve done before, there was some “getting used to” that needed to be done.
Section 2 – The Good and Bad
Professional Practice in Interactive Media teaches students a wide range of skills. One of the most important things (essentially mandatory for success) is fleshing out a professional portfolio. This task was split across several “milestones” that marked a student’s next steps. One of the most important things I was taught was to homogenize my professional contact information. By this, I mean I needed my email, LinkedIn link, website name, and social media handles to be consistent with one another. For this, I chose to use a mixture of my first, middle, and last names. As you can tell, this website is named “jaydentphillips.com”. My Instagram handle is “thejaydenp,” and my LinkedIn profile link is “jaydentphillips.” Having consistency between each of these makes it easier for people outside your circle to find and follow you.
This wasn’t the only thing that I learned, however! I also learned about the woes of professional engagement. From posting on LinkedIn and replying to messages to attending professional mixers, this was by far the most challenging part of my semester. Due in part to being an extreme introvert (and possibly some form of social anxiety), getting out there and presenting myself was a lot more challenging than I initially thought. My professor highlighted a mental block known as “imposter syndrome,” and it’s described by the feeling that you don’t belong in certain places despite your credentials. I was surprised by this revelation since it’s exactly how I felt attending these events. Even though I’m an up-and-coming professional in the tech realm, I felt like I didn’t belong. I’m still working through those kinks, sure, but I’m happy that I was able to recognize my problem and still meet great people.
Closing
Overall, I’m glad that I took this class rather than not. The value in being able to have constructive feedback from the professor and your peers on the materials you’ll use to present yourself years into the future is immeasurable. Of course, there’s more work to be done—there always is—but this is a good head start. Some of the topics I’d like to expand on in the future include how to stay involved within the industry and better ways to advertise my knowledge and expertise to potential employers. I think that starts with building a good network first, and I’m going to give that my all. Good course, would recommend!