Context Statement: This is a final reflection for my Careers in Writing class at Kennesaw State University.
I am not exaggerating when I say that I feel 200% more prepared to enter the workforce after taking this class. I learned so much about content creation, networking, portfolio building, and so much more. I feel so lucky to have this portfolio and the pieces I wrote in class as I start applying for internships and jobs in the writing and editing field.
This class started with content creation. This was my favorite part of the class. On my portfolio, you will find pieces from these assignments. I wrote an experiential review, made an infographic, wrote an interest blog post, conducted an interview with two people that I look up to in my chosen field, attended and reviewed 3 KSU career events, and had the chance to edit and upload 3 pieces I wrote prior to this class. I can see my progress and growth as a writer as I go through and re-read my writing from before this class and my pieces from the course of the semester, and I am very grateful to have gotten the opportunity to create and grow under the guidance of my professor, Dr. Kim Haimes-Korn. I discovered how much I truly love content creation as well as the process of getting feedback and editing, and these assignments really shifted my idea of what I want to do post-graduation. I can see myself being very content (pun intended) being a freelance writer, the experiential review and the interest blog post in particular made me realize how much I love reviewing and writing about experiences and media. I really loved writing these pieces and I would love to have a job writing these kinds of pieces in the future.
We also learned a lot about networking and resume building in class. I updated my LinkedIn, changed my resume, and made professional connections that I might have never made outside of this course.
This class had a small number of students, about 13 people were enrolled. We also broke into small groups for a few assignments, including a group project and workshopping/giving feedback for individual assignments. I really enjoyed this part of the class. I got to know my groupmates and made a few friends as well. The group project, centered on media usage and content analyses, was very eye-opening and made me take a step back and look at my screen time.
I also got the opportunity to learn how to use WordPress for my website. It was tough to navigate and figure out, but I feel like I have a very good grasp of how it works and how to personalize my portfolio to reflect who I am as an individual while keeping it professional. As I tried out different designs and templates, I figured out how I wanted to portray myself as a writer and as a professional in general.
With all that said, I am extremely happy with the work I did in class this semester. We learned in class that a working portfolio has the same impact as 2 years of experience in your field, and I feel very prepared with mine.