Watch journalism student Tremone Jackson interview Charlotte Observer political reporter Jim Morrill about the Democratic National Conference to be held in 2012 in Charlotte: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P4GMyCkAM8
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Click here to read and listen to the voices of UNC Charlotte students participating in “Occupy” protests, which are taking place across the country. Reported by alum Rhiannon Fionn (’09) for Creative Loafing
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Market Yourself to Make Good of That New Degree
By Stacey Cloyd
College diploma? Check. Respectable GPA? Check. Oodles of extracurriculars? Check. Creative community service? Check. Job? Not exactly. Sound awfully familiar?
Facing a tough job market, with 14 million unemployed in September, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, is enough to inspire fear in the most fearless of college graduates. Although you may have a list checked off, you may still find yourself unable to find a job. “Surviving this job market requires brash confidence and pure cunning,” writes James Van Meter, contributor to College Finance at DailyFinance.com.
“The way you dress, what you put on Facebook, the way you design your resume, how you enunciate, and whether or not you floss — everything needs to be part of an identity that you are choosing to establish for yourself as a professional,” he elaborates.
Van Meter encourages job hunters to market themselves with a part-time job, a brand, a mentor, and a blog. About the blog, he stresses that “If you can show initiative by conducting research and efficiently organizing and communicating your processes, you will be able to provide any potential employer with immediate and tangible evidence of your proficiency in your field — which is all they’ve wanted this entire time.”
To reap the benefits of having a mentor, network with people knowledgeable in your field of interest. Who is doing a remarkable job at what you want to be doing? When you find that person, forge a bond and nurture it. Ask her if you can buy her a cup of coffee and talk about the field or step into her shoes for a day or more by tagging along as a job shadow.
Alex Thomas, a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement on GoliathJobs.com, says to “take a good, hard look at how the past four years have shaped you.” In other words, get to know yourself. She also suggests that you “Subscribe to magazines, newspapers, or web content about your field of interest,” in an effort to “become an expert in your field from your home computer.”
According to Thomas, mining your past may also be invaluable, as “There’s no such thing as a bad contact.” Dig around in the pile of connections that’s been accumulating throughout your college years. Don’t hesitate to set up informational interviews with some of those individuals. It may be time well spent.
Don’t let the throngs of checklist masters discourage you. Market yourself to outshine the rest so you can call that job yours.
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Pulitzer Prize Winner Addresses SPJ Conference
Bill Adair was the keynote speaker for the Society of Professional Journalists Regional Conference on April 9, held in Norfolk, Va. Adair was one of the St. Petersburg Times Staff members awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for “’PolitiFact,’ its fact-checking initiative during the 2008 presidential campaign that used probing reporters and the power of the World Wide Web to examine more than 750 political claims, separating rhetoric from truth to enlighten voters.” http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2009-National-Reporting To learn more about SPJ’s Greater Charlotte Chapter at http://charlottespj.wordpress.com/
Make It Home Safely … Tonight!
By Katelin Longbrake
“Vbrrr…Vbrrr…Vbrrr.” You aren’t going to answer it. Yes you are. No you’re not. Yes you are. You slam your textbook shut after two hours of studying definitions and theories that have now began to run together in your brain. You fumble hastily for your cell phone to retrieve the unanswered text messages that have been multiplying while you were in your scholarly hibernation. They all ask the same question, “Wanna go out tonight?” You know that stress and schoolwork will retreat to the back of your mind if you can just go out tonight and enjoy some drinks with friends. So now the decisions really start. What should you wear? Which bar should you go to? Which group of friends should you invite? How much cash should you bring? With all these questions spinning in your head as your excitement builds, one of the most important questions to ask yourself has yet to be asked or answered: How will you get home safely and avoid drinking and driving?
This question, although one of the most important ones, is often left unanswered until the end of the night after you have drank. Left with no other way home, do you drive, even though you know you shouldn’t? It beats a friend’s couch or a $50 cab ride, right? Wrong. The decision to drink and drive is often a deadly one and one that is 100 percent avoidable with responsible planning. According to the website, drivingdrunk.org/, “impaired driving is a circumstance that affects one out of three Americans during a lifetime. It is estimated that about 45,000 people die in motor vehicle-related crashes each year. About 16,000 of these accidents involve the consumption of alcohol.” We can’t shy away from these statistics because it’s happening right here in our county. According to drinkinganddriving.org, “83 people per 10,000 are arrested for DUI in Mecklenburg County, N.C., annually.
Although not all motor-vehicle-related crashes are avoidable, drinking-and driving-related accidents are avoidable every night and in every circumstance. Here are several tips from teens.drugabuse.gov that will help you and your friends plan a safe night that avoids drinking and driving:
- Stay smart and speak up. Remember that the effects of marijuana and alcohol last for hours, so even if your friends haven’t had a drink in a while, it could still be dangerous for them to drive. If you are in a healthy state of mind and have your driver’s license on you, ask for the keys and get the group home safely.
- Find another ride. Try to find another sober friend to give you a lift.
- Call someone to pick you up. Okay, so you might not want to call Mom or Dad to get you from a party; but chances are, they’ll be happier that you called them rather than put yourself in a dangerous situation. You also could call another family member.
- Crash at the host’s house. If possible, wait it out until morning and stay put. Just make sure to let someone know where you are and that you are safe.
- The best advice: Plan ahead. If you know people will be drinking, pick a “designated driver” before you head out. Better yet, throw your own booze-free bash!
If you follow these quick and easy tips to avoid drinking and driving, you can still enjoy a night on the town with friends. It is possible to make your night carefree as well as safe for yourself and others on the roadways. Make sure to add these questions to your planning before you go out.
