It's About Choices

Things have been rocky lately, to say the least. Yet, I'm lucky enough to have people that help me bounce back (or try to) when the road gets a little rough. This time in life is meant for learning lessons. Granted, we spend our whole lives learning, but what we figure out (or don't figure out) now will ultimately influence where our careers start and how they grow.

During a conversation today, a wise man who I'm starting to consider a pretty good friend said, "Kelly, it's about choices." A lot of our conversations have stuck in my mind lately for many reasons, but this line stands out especially.

In four words, he got a message across that has been trying to get through my thick skull for years.

Choose. Prioritize. What matters most? Your health should come first, even if today's corporate world seems a bit too fast for that. And by health, I don't mean avoiding colds. I mean cultivating healthy habits, relationships, and outlooks.

If I had a dime for every all-nighter I've pulled because of procrastination or panic, I'd be on my way to getting my car paid off. After those stressful late nights and caffeine-induced crazes, I always felt drained, exhausted. Was it a smart thing to do? At times it was the only thing I could do. I'm sure many of them were unnecessary, though. I was dumb enough to make that choice, though.

Now, I sit nearing the end of an incredibly stressful week. Some of it, I couldn't avoid. A lot of it was self-inflicted, and unnecessary. This stage of life is going to be stressful, if you do it right. You make so many choices in early adulthood. Some of them are dumb. Some of them require careful establishment of your priorities. A lot of the time, your choices influence you a lot more than you'd think.

So, I leave you with the same advice I got earlier today, during a pretty serious conversation. It's about choices.

Building Experience

Careers/internships/jobs/what have you are hard to find.

Let's be honest, here. We're in recession, some would even call it a depression. The economy's down, and while a lot of companies are willing to take on unpaid interns, the market is still a bit more slim than it has been in the past.

This is the time for building experience, without necessarily having a job. I'm finding new, interesting ways to do this everyday, and it's exciting!

I'm an interactive media studies major, with specialization in design. This, in a nutshell, means I do graphic design on crack. I'm also an English minor, meaning that any freelance or volunteer writing jobs are a great addition to my bank of experiences. While this can't necessarily be applied to any career field, it's important to look around, do some research, and figure out what volunteer opportunities can be considered "career builders."

Since age 15, I've been doing low-key graphic design work. In the last year, I've had two pretty significant projects: business cards, and the body wrap of a truck. Yes, I designed a truck. It was a 14-hour design job, and I learned a lot about PhotoShop and designing for 3-D objects. To see my truck, click here. Owned and operated by Dan Dandurand of Momence, IL, and sponsored by the Kankakee County Corn Growers Association, this E85-powered competition truck is the cornerstone of my graphic design portfolio.

You'd be amazed how many people would be impressed by that. Apparently, designing body wraps for pro-stock pulling trucks is a rarity.

I also write occasional pieces for small, local newspapers and journals. My favorite to write for is the local Farm Bureau newspaper. In fact, I'm scrabbling last minute to do a special commentary piece on wind energy and it's introduction into our county. This will be my third piece for the publication, and I'm incredibly excited about it.

See, it doesn't have to be hard to find interesting experiences in your field. It takes some research, some networking, and a lot of ambition. A great place to start for these types of opportunities is childrens' organizations. 4-H and FFA projects range across a wide variety of areas. You could be the mentor a child needs to finish their computer programming project for 4-H. You might be the marketing intern who could help an FFA member sell a few more of their SAE items. High school organizations can always use a volunteer, especially specialized ones. You could assistant coach the math team or tutor kids in biology. These opportunities are all around.

You just have to be willing to pursue them. They could make all the difference in your hunt for internships, and, in the long run, or search for a career.