a1tppjthomas

[a1tppjthomas]

Entry 7

Since the beginning of the subject, I have learnt a lot about the process behind transitioning into the professional space and the preparedness you must have to succeed in life after study. Through the intensive course, the process from choosing a job, adaptation of your CV and cover letter, development of the key selection criteria and the interview stage were all addressed and have given me valuable insight into my future aspirations and what I need to do to prepare.

Krishnamoorthy & Keating (2021) underlined how the COVID-19 pandemic irreparably changed how people enter the workforce and prepare themselves for lives after study and into a professional setting. Even without the pandemic however, it is clear that the process has moved into a more digital space and the use of technology is helping corporations induct their newest employees quicker than ever before. In doing this subject in an online setting, I feel as though I may be even more prepared than many others who did the subject in person, as I feel this is where the future of job interviews and job induction processes almost completely lies.

Through this subject, I have learnt to properly adapt my documents to really suit the needs of my potential employer. Previously, I would use the same CV and not look to adapt any information or create any responses to the key selection criteria as I did not think it was necessary. Now however, I see the importance in showcasing your worth in the skills that specific company is looking for and highlighting that important information in all of your documents. I also learnt the best practices behind a professional CV and the things that should and shouldn’t be included on them, such as photos and a Linkedin profile link.

The concept of responses to key selection criteria is something that I had never done before, and something I will be sure to implement in future job applications. The ways in which they were addressed both in the cover letter and in its own document would be very beneficial for the potential employer to immediately see the kinds of skills that I have before looking through my CV or heading to my Linkedin for previous work. I believe it is a great jumping off point to be able to see if the candidate is suitable on a base level before any deeper dives into their experience in interview and the other previously stated documents.

Overall, I believe this subject has given me the necessary tools to prepare myself for the professional workplace, and has provided me with useful information and advice that I can continue to use throughout the rest of my life that will benefit me greatly as both an employee and when looking for work.

References:

Krishnamoorthy, R., & Keating, K. (2021). Education crisis, workforce preparedness, and Covid‐19: Reflections and recommendations. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 80(1), 253–274. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajes.12376

[a1tppjthomas]

Entry 6

The interviews conducted through Holmesglen have given me a greater understanding of what is required in a job interview and best practice behind a successful interview procedure. Despite only being able to conduct the interviews online and not an in-person scenario, I believe that the situation I was in is a much more likely one than in-person in the current climate. A number of previous job interviews that I and others have completed have been conducted online, which Langer et al. (2019) discussed was due to the near automation of the job interview process, even before COVID-19 made it much more relevant to today’s society.

I believe my interview went very well and I was able to use my experience in both work and job interview scenarios to my full advantage. I ensured that I remained as professional as possible by dressing appropriately and in a business sense, yet I wanted to keep a calming and approachable presence. To do this effectively, I tried to keep the conversation and the interview as friendly and chatty as possible, of which I received great feedback that I was approachable and calm. This is something of great importance to me as I want to ensure I show that I am calm under pressure and am able to bring a good culture to the workplace, something that can be identified from a relaxed interview.

The feedback I received from my interview also stated that I have a good range of experience and was able to describe my work in good detail. This, partnered with my CV and cover letter, identify the sheer amount of work I have put in over the last few years on working towards my career and my ability to handle multiple priorities at once, something that could come in handy in any work environment.

Some constructive feedback I received that I will be implementing in future job interviews included my tendency to talk slightly too fast for those taking notes. In future, I will work to slow down and emphasise key points in much slower time, ensuring my interviewer can write down anything they’d like and ask me questions based on the information I have given them. Slowing down also helps the interviewer truly understand my experience and get everything down, which will only benefit my chances of potential employment. Some more feedback I received was to elaborate on my skills more and open them up for greater interpretation. This could include a skill such as “hosting” being opened up to MC work, podcasting and public speaking, which are all very different and broadens my skill tree further. This is another thing I will be attempting to improve on in my next interviews to ensure my skills are properly appreciated and understood by the potential employer.

References:

Langer, M., König, C. J., & Papathanasiou, M. (2019a). Highly automated job interviews: Acceptance under the influence of stakes. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 27(3), 217–234. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12246

[a1tppjthomas]

Entry 5

Being organised in all facets of life is one of the most important things you can possibly do to ensure your professional and personal lives are exactly what you would like it to be. The organisational culture of work environments is something prospective employees must ensure they keep up with to ensure you are performing at your best for a company, especially if only there on an internship basis and are hoping to be taken in a full-time role.

Organisational culture can include a variety of things, and as decribed by Odiakaose (2018) can be both material organisation (dress code, physical features) and immaterial things that help to build organisation as a whole.

Being sure to be organised helps dramatically in becoming a high-performing intern and well regarded employee due to the improvements in time-management and focus on task deadlines. If you are able to consistently hit task deadlines and produce content that is of high quality, your employer will know you are a person that can be relied upon and can trust you with more important tasks and allow you to move up the ranks as an employee. Not only will your boss or higher-ups appreciate the help and extra work, your fellow employees and those at similar levels to you will be much more appreciative of your efforts if you are able to make their lives easier. If you are joining a team within a company that is being heavily worked and understaffed, the presence of yourself and your ability to work well with them and as a member of the team will be greatly appreciated and respected. This can lead to greater morale around the workplace and even higher chance that your role will be expanded upon at the end of your internship and a chance you will find yourself an employee beyond your internship hours.

I understand that within my roles both at my current work and in places like university, my organisational skills are vital to ensure I am able to juggle a number of my responsibilities and remain a valuable member to all parties that employ me and expect high results of me. I do this by using calendars that are linked through all of my devices and prioritising what must come first by order of due dates and anything that has been flagged of the highest priority. My calendar also includes different social events and things that I may have planned in my leisure time, to ensure I keep a good work-life balance and reduce the effects of burn-out.

References:

Odiakaose, H. (2018). Organisational Culture and Dynamics. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 18(1), 23–29. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/182e/3e766df0a248625267bfd409896c0a843943.pdf

[a1tppjthomas]

Entry 4

As I have completed my internship applications, I have learnt to adapt and create the most professional documents for viewing for my potential employer. Through the use of peer feedback, attached to this entry, I have created what I believe will be the most effective application that could be viewed that doesn’t overload the hiring manager with unnecessary information. Gaynor (2019) said that studies show “peer review promotes metacognitive skills and self-reflection” (p.g. 759) which I believe is correct in that gaining a different opinion from someone you consider your equal to be extremely beneficial and helps gain a new perspective on your work.

The peer feedback provided to me identified that I could be more specific within my cover letter to each individual application. I took this feedback and used it to adapt my documents with more research about the background of each company and made sure to use my findings within the cover letters themselves. As an overall, I was also given feedback to ensure my spelling and grammar were correct among all my documents, particularly my resume. I adapted my documents to make sure that I was producing professional work that doesn’t look sloppy or inconsistent.

The final piece of feedback I received on my peer review was regarding my Linkedin page. Despite my page showcasing my job roles and my experience well, I am not a frequent user of the account and have large gaps in between my posts and activity, tending to just repost or like other people’s posts instead of creating my own. To combat this, I aim to begin using Linkedin much more frequently and sharing both professional and study achievements that I experience to better show my current range and scope of employability.

I believe now with the updates I have made thanks to my peer feedback, but internship applications are of a high quality and can be beneficial for me in seeking an internship. I believe that the strongest area of my documents would be the formatting, and the professional look of which I have created them. The formatting is easy to read and therefore will not disrupt the potential hiring manager, who can easily find the information they are looking for and not have to search for any information. The experience listed on these applications is also a benefit for me, as it showcases a wide variety of work and for reputable organisations that are well known and respected in media circles. The cover letters could be potentially more personalised to the employer that I am attempting to write too, however the basics of the document covers the main ground and leads directly into my CV which as stated, is easy to read to find any extra information that a hiring manager may require.

References:

Gaynor, J. W. (2019). Peer review in The classroom: Student perceptions, peer feedback quality and the role of assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 45(5), 758–775. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2019.1697424

[a1tppjthomas]

Entry 3

Maintaining and developing your own personal brand is essential to anybody that is attempting to forge a career in many industries, but in particular, the media industry. My personal brand is something that I find extremely important to me. The content that I post and share is content that I want to be associated with currently and in the future with regards to sports and sports media. I believe my current brand is an individual that is knowledgeable and up-to-date in the current world of sports and am known for my opinions based around AFL and others that I have a great interest in. Johnson (2017) identified that a personal brand involves interactions with others that help to develop a persona and image of one’s self.

As shown in the attached image, I use my social media accounts, such as X, to communicate my brand, personal messages and beliefs with both friends and the wider community in an attempt to build my own persona online. I believe that by doing this and ensuring it is a known fact that I am knowledgeable in the sporting world, I put myself at a greater chance of success in a professional sense. I believe this makes me a valuable asset due to my extensive knowledge and ability to communicate in a sensible manner.

Areas I believe I could improve upon the development of my personal brand would be interacting more often with those within the industry and creating thoughtful discussions with them, so as to be seen in the same light as individuals like them and create connections with them that could benefit me in the long run. While I have interacted with those in the industry before, doing it more often would benefit me greatly and help put my personal brand and what I stand for on a higher level and to more eyes. I could also potentially improve by posting at a more consistent rate, as I currently am not very active on social media and could post much more often to gain a greater following and be seen as a social media presence that is reliable and can provide entertainment for those that follow me. It would also help those that are wanting to follow more like-minded sporting personalities that interact and discuss sports on a regular basis such as myself.

References:

Johnson, K. M. (2017). The Importance of Personal Branding in Social Media: Educating Students to Create and Manage their Personal Brand. International Journal of Education and Social Science, 4(1), 21–27. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Katryna-Johnson 2/publication/313256001_The_Importance_of_Personal_Branding_in_Social_Media_Educating_Students_to_Create_and_Manage_their_Personal_Brand/links/589495b9aca27231daf8ef86/The-Importance-of-Personal-Branding-in-Social-Media-Educating-Students-to-Create-and-Manage-their-Personal-Brand.pdf

[a1tppjthomas]

Entry 2

In preparation for an internship, I have made it a point to brush up on my knowledge and define exactly what skills I may have and be seen as desirable, along with what I must begin to learn in order to best succeed in a professional environment. While King & Sweitzer (2014) do discuss that an internship is an ideal environment to be learning these skills for the professional space and full-time roles, I would argue it is just as important to be able to come into an organisation and impress with the skills you have already developed on your own time, as it takes less resources to get you up to speed and paints you in a better light from the outset.

If I was to get into an internship position in the social and digital media space, I would be extremely confident in knowing that my skills that I have currently developed would be used to great effect by the organisation and that I would have an advantage over my fellow classmates due to my experience. I believe that my skills would need to be improved in the time management and aspects of work such as business dealings and marketing, as I haven’t had much experience of that sort and would be something that I would be learning on the spot and starting from near scratch in. My current resume is up-to-date and has been consistently updated for the better part of three years. I have ensured that I have kept this in line with my current work as I am aware that my current employment looks very favourable to any potential employers. My current resume and my achievements listed on it should bare well in my favour to any employer that is looking for a social or digital media position filled, as I have had considerable experience at high level organisations that can be shown as such. While I do not currently have a cover letter that could be used as a template, I am aware that a cover letter is essential to introducing yourself to potential employers and is used as a great summary of your skills and capabilities for the job on offer. When producing my cover letter, I will be sure to include my current employment status and abilities that I have used regularly, along with ensuring that I explain why the role is best suited to me and what I hope to gain from the experience.

References:

King, M. A., & Sweitzer, H. F. (2014a). Towards a pedagogy of Internships. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher Education, 06(Fall), 37–54. https://doi.org/10.57186/jalhe_2014_v6a2p37-54

[a1tppjthomas]

Entry 1

My name is Jarryd Thomas. I am a 21 year old student from Melbourne and am in the process of completing my final year of university at Holmesglen. While my favourite and chosen sport to play has been Australian rules football, I have a significant interest in a number of sports across the world such as Basketball, American Football and Soccer.

The interest in these and various other sports have lead my career to date in paths that I could have never dreamt. In 2023, I had the privilege of starting three separate jobs in the sports media industry. I began work for Triple M in their footy department, having the chance to work in the box on gameday in the social media realm. Similarly, I also got a job at Melbourne Victory, working on their social media channels on matchday. Finally, I got another social and digital media role at ESPN Australia, with which I work on their channels to promote NBA, NFL and NBL primarily. These three roles are dreams of mine and things that I have hoped to do for as long as I can remember, with immense enjoyment and fulfillment coming from various angles within them in a professional sense. These roles have ignited a love for working in social media within me, with the hope to one day run a professional sporting teams social media channels as the manager. So far, my study at Holmesglen has been satisfactory to my standards. I was given a student ASPIRE award at the end of my studies in 2023 for presenting Passion and Excellence within my field of study. I believe an area that I can continue to improve on is my time management skills as that will be able to help me with my studies while also assist me in my professional career both now and in the future. For my internship, I am really looking to take an even greater step into the social and digital media world of a professional sporting club. To do that, I hope to be able to improve and work on my creative skills and continue to make connections within my studies that will be able to help me in getting this as an internship and then eventually into my full time career once I have completed it. I hope to be able to refine my resume and my ability to write cover letters within this subject so that I am fully equipped and ready to be able to take on job interviews through the rest of my working career.