Nicole Blake
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
Journalism
I started applying for internships in the fall of my senior year. I couldn’t apply for a job and ask whether they could hold the position for six months until I finished school. Instead I said, ‘Let me apply for these internships and hopefully that internship can lead to a job.’ As a lot of interns have seen, people are not hiring. My internship at the Indianapolis Star will be up in about two weeks.
I’ve been getting more serious about my job search. Before, I e-mailed editors to let them know what I’m doing. Now I’m trying to polish my resume to hit [certain] bullet points and show employers I have what they want.
I feel like the economy has made it that much harder. Everybody is looking for a job– even people who have already have one– because some of them don’t feel secure. If anyone is hiring they want three to five years experience. They want you to be the editor, photographer, and reporter. Employers are able to do that because jobs that people wouldn’t have taken in the past, they’re taking now.
If I don’t have a job by time my internship ends I will have to go back home with my mom. While I’m there I’ll continue to job search.