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Post Grad: What First?

Discussion in 'Coming Out Advice' started by Revan, Aug 2, 2011.

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Post-Grad: Which to do first?

  1. Acting

    3 vote(s)
    21.4%
  2. Broadcasting

    2 vote(s)
    14.3%
  3. Journalism

    3 vote(s)
    21.4%
  4. Public Relations

    6 vote(s)
    42.9%
  1. Revan

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    Well I've decided that I am going to do all the different post-grad option and my mom supports it as with more school, it means more accreditation/educated, and therefore more likely to have someone look at me and say, yeah I want to hire him.

    Now the choice is, what to do first and I would like everyone's advice, what they think would be best to go for first. The options will also be available to vote :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:.

    1. Public Relations. I love speaking with people, and helping people with problems. I know someone who is in PR for Hydro One and that she is the person who lets people know when power will return when say power outages occur. The program nearby in Toronto has about an 85% success rate of being hired after the program. And there's such a wide range of companies who always could use PR, including music industry, acting, etc. So it could also be a way into that industry. Same time, I haven't had experience with PR so I don't really know if A. I'll like it, and B. If I'll be great at it.

    2. Acting. Acting gives me such joy in life. I'd love to be able to make a living from acting and entertain people. But as I've said before, it's not always a way to be successful. Some do make it, I could be one of those people, or I could be one of the thousands waiting tables. It's really just hard to say but like I said, I love to act.

    3. Broadcasting. Not only would it be a way to get into that industry, but working with the nearby tv station, I've found I enjoy being behind the camera filming too. So that's another possibility.

    and 4. Journalism. I love writing, maybe not AS much as acting but still quite a bit. I definitely think I could also make a possible living from it, the only downside is that the programs are quite competitive and someone who's a BA in journalism may have a better shot than say someone with a BA in Psychology applying for the Master's program.

    So yeah what do you guys think? Any suggestions, thoughts?
     
  2. Sadepeura

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    PR sounds like a sensible option. And since you mentioned it first it must be something you are interested in doing and if you are interested you will probably also enjoy it and be good at it. :slight_smile: And you have a friend in the industry who you can ask for advice!

    I would only recommend going for acting if you have all of your heart and soul with it and it is definitely the one thing you want to do. And since you mentioned it second... well, I wouldn't recommend it. You can still act, you just wouldn't be making your living out of it.

    Broadcasting sounds like a good option too. But would you still prefer PR over that?

    As you said it might be difficult to get into Journalism, and it is your fourth option... Again here, I would say that only go for it if you're 100% sure that it's what you want to do.

    So this is what I think. I could be wrong, and I don't really know you, so I hope I didn't accidentally offend you or anything. I hope this helps. :slight_smile:
     
  3. Revan

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    The order I listed them in isn't the order of what I like more. I just listed them. Notice acting is first in the poll choices.
     
  4. Chip

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    Here's (to me) an even more important question:

    Will getting the masters degree really, honestly make you that much more appealing of a hire?

    For acting, I think there's no question the answer is no. Lots and lots of actors have no degrees at all. I don't think I've ever heard of a case where an actor was cast over another actor because of his degree.

    For the other degrees (PR, broadcasting, journalism), I would think that work experience would be more valuable than an advanced degree in securing an entry-level position. Broadcasting (if you're on-air talent) is similar to acting in that I don't think the degree has much real meaning in getting you hired; PR is either the ability to write, the ability to schmooze, or having a killer Rolodex, none of which really will be dramatically advanced by a masters degree. To the extent that PR and journalism both require the ability to write, then extra practice doing writing is useful, but you don't need to pursue a masters degree to get that experience; it's a lot cheaper to either just start doing freelance writing, find an intern position where you can write, or take a couple of focused courses specifically on writing for PR or writing for journalism.

    I realize this isn't really asking the question you asked, but I wonder if it might be worth considering, instead of graduate school, finding an internship -- even if unpaid -- at a large place where you'll either get a bunch of valuable experience, a leg up on a paid position, or a foot in the door / resume builder position that can start you up the corporate ladder.

    And, as a bonus, if you get hired at a larger firm, after you've been there a little while, they may have tuition reimbursement that would even pay for your masters degree if you still decide you want one.

    In the case of graduate degrees that are requirements for a direct career path... such as law degrees, engineering degrees, social work and psychology degrees... then I think getting the graduate degree is a sensible choice, because it's required to do anything meaningful in that field. I don't think that's the case in any of the fields you've mentioned.
     
  5. Lexington

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    >>>Will getting the masters degree really, honestly make you that much more appealing of a hire?

    Chip hit on the big one. Not just in the fields you're interested in, but in North America in general. (It's definitely true here in America, and I don't see why it wouldn't translate north of the border.) Old conventional wisdom stated "the more schooling the better". And I think, in a very generic way, that's still probably more or less correct. But take a peek at the mass of people still looking for work in America, and it seems the basic issue with them is "overschooled but underexperienced".

    Quick semi-related example. A friend of mine works at a Mom'n'Pop retail shop, and was asked to help hire somebody for what amounted to a basic counter sales position. I think they got about 80 people applying - most had college degrees, and most turned in resumes. For a counter sales position in a retail shop. And you know who got the job? Hint - not the guy with the most schooling. :slight_smile: It was the woman who had the most experience in working counter, and in the specific type of thing the shop was selling.

    And yes, there's a difference between "counter sales" and "broadcast journalism". But I can guarantee the idea is still the same. If a job comes down to two candidates, one with great schooling, and one with great experience, the experienced one will win nearly every time. Because the schooling suggests "this person has the potential to be good", but the experience says "this person has already BEEN good".

    A friend of mine actually has a job that sort of overlaps most of your chosen fields. He's now the senior editor of a major magazine. He did a few print interviews with other magazines, and came across so well that he graduated to doing TV interviews, and then actually doing TV pieces in front of the camera. And he got to this point with his undergraduate major...in biology. :slight_smile: He simply moved on to doing some interning with newspapers and magazines, getting some minor jobs, and kicking enough ass that he was moved higher up on the ladder.

    And I think that might be the right move for you, as well. Nothing wrong with post-graduate work in journalism or whatnot (I think my friend went to journalism school post-grad while also interning), but it's most important thing is to start building up the skill set, and building up the resume.

    Lex
     
  6. Revan

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    True I see your reasoning. The one problem right now is there aren't a lot of opportunities in London to do stuff like this. My university's tv station was shut down, I've written some articles for my uni's paper and only one has ever been published and tbh it was only ever movie reviews because they like save everything else for their god damn snooty editors who think they know everything. The most experience frankly that I've gotten in this town is working with Rogers Television as a camera man, and acting in school play productions...that's it. And let me tell you, not a lot of experience there...some exp sure, but not an enormous amount.

    And as for the acting, I'm not saying my degree will give me the leg up, but the skills I learn for it will. I mean in Hollywood how many A-List actors do you see with no real skill at all. And please don't even bring up Bieber being on CSI, that really doesn't count. Angelina Jolie, Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Jason Bateman, they have skill in acting. They know how to take a character and add themselves into it while still portraying the role they were given. Rachel McAdams graduated from York University and look where she is now. So I wouldn't say taking an acting degree doesn't help at all.
     
    #6 Revan, Aug 2, 2011
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2011
  7. Mirko

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    Hi there! While I don't disagree with Chip and Lex, I will say that for two of your career choices, Public Relations, and Journalism, I actually would encourage you to do the relevant Master Degrees with internships, if possible. Having the education plus practical experience, whether it would be through a paid internship or through a volunteer position (at least in my experiences) will increase your chances of getting into the field you want to get into. The reality is that in today's market you have a lot of people with the necessary credentials, and experiences, who are applying to the very same jobs you want to apply for. Plus, some employers might look for specific credentials.

    One way to find out what employers are looking for in terms of credentials and experiences, is to ask around. By that I mean, try to arrange a meeting with someone (say the HR person, or someone who works in a company) who can give you some information on what a company would be looking for in a potential candidate. Also, look at some of the company's websites and have a look at their career sections. Sometimes, that can already give you some indications as to what would be potentially good to have on your resume.

    Having an internship (paid or unpaid) can definitely give you a leg up as it not only gives you valuable experience but it will also open doors to contacts and allow a potential employers to get to know you.

    I think it would be best for you to sit down and to give each of your choices some thought and do some background research. That background research will help you in making an informed decision.
     
  8. Mirko

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    Just did a bit of looking around, and saw that Ryerson University in Toronto has a MA degree in Journalism with an internship component, something which might interest you. When it comes to journalism, and if you wanted to pursue that, Ryerson is actually the best university for that as it's program does give you also the hands-on experience. I do think that going into an interview or introducing yourself with the proper skills set and knowledge about that field or any other field (despite not having the necessary experience) will help you.

    Also, the site Working in Canada, might get you started on getting more information on some of your career options. Besides listing educational requirements/certificates/credentials required, the site also gives you leads on potential employers. I would encourage you to check out that site. Now, for your career choices, you are looking at non-regulated professions which makes it easier, as you don't necessarily need to have a certain certificate. Any combination of relevant education and/or experiences should allow you to enter into an entry level position. The Working in Canada site will also give you related occupations, which might give you a few more leads on other possibilities.

    Also, I would encourage you to talk to the person that you know at Hydro One (if you haven't done so yet), to get more information about being employed within the field of Public Relations.

    Hope this helps.
     
  9. Revan

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    My current school, Western, also has journalism master's for only a year. Ryerson's I believe has 2 or 3 yrs.
     
  10. Mirko

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    The University of Western Ontario is definitely good too. It looks like that they have a four week unpaid internship with a media organization, which is already good in terms of getting hands-on experience. It really depends on what you want out of it though. Some programs are longer as they offer longer internships. You have to weigh the pros and cons and try to figure out what would work best for you at this stage. :slight_smile:

    Something else you might want to look into is job placement components. Some programs (in some fields) offer job placement opportunities once you have completed the program and internship.
     
  11. s5m1

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    Having that many degrees may actually be a disadvantage in the job market. I have been involved in hiring for most of my career. If an applicant came to me with that many degrees, I would think he has no clue what he wants to do or is a professional student who is afraid of the real world. I would probably not even give an interview to an applicant with that kind of background.
     
  12. Mirko

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    Reading this, and going back to your original post, I am wondering, are you planning on getting a related education in all four fields, or just one? I thought you were thinking of just pursing one.

    If you are thinking of pursuing more than one educational path, I have to agree with s5m1. Relevant education (say a BA and/or MA) and experience in one field, for example journalism or public relations, is good, but having more than that could actually make you less employable or attractive to potential employers. As s5m1 mentioned, you do want to be able to communicate to a potential employer that "these are the skills/knowledge I have, and this is what I want to do."

    I think the best thing to do would be to pick one career option that you have listed, and pursue that rather than figuring out what to do first. In the end, you want to make sure that any additional time and money that you are spending on becoming more employable and attractive to employers will pay off. :slight_smile:
     
  13. Chip

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    And how, exactly, will having a masters degree improve on the job opportunities in London? Answer: It won't. So the solution for lack of employment and internship opportunities in your hometown isn't to get more schooling, it's to go somewhere where there are more opportunities for someone with your interests/skills.

    Let's see...

    Chris Colfer... no college whatsoever.
    Daniel Radcliffe... no college whatsoever
    Jason Bateman... no college whatsoever
    Brad Pitt... undergrad study (but no degree) in unrelated field, took some acting lessons
    Anne Hathaway... undegrad degree in unrelated field, took some acting lessons
    Meryl Streep... ok, ONE person out of this list with a masters degree in drama.

    And I could name dozens or hundreds more who have no college education whatsoever, let alone a masters degree. You'd be much better off taking the money you'd spend on a masters degree and moving to LA or NYC and going to a million cattle-call auditions.

    I'm not trying to be harsh, just practical.
     
  14. Revan

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    Yeah well it's what I've heard many times Chip. Be practical, be practical, blah blah blah. I'm not saying that I'll be that one guy out of the 100,000 who audition gets that start and makes it. But I'm not saying I'm not. I know the world is something you have to work hard on. And maybe I won't take all these degrees, and maybe considering PR right now because its very similar to what I took this summer in Wedding Planning from the same course. And while they (Humber) said they can't count the course, it still is a PR course and could give me great experience. So I suppose that solves that, but as for acting, I dunno maybe I will just take acting lessons. Fact is my mother is often the cause for these sorts of things and I dunno its consideration but :S. My mother is reading Bethenny Frankel's book and I guess the woman said she's got this, this, and this, and its made her more marketable and so mom thinks, oh he can do it all then.
     
  15. Sadepeura

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    I was aware of the fact that you didn't list them in order, but by just listing them you were forced to put them in an order anyway although it wasn't a preference order. And if you really wanted to do acting, it could have been the first one.

    And I'm not saying that you shouldn't do masters in acting. You should do it if that's really what you want to do.
     
  16. s5m1

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    I think you should take a step back and ask yourself what you want to do for the rest of your career, if you had a choice. That is not to say that you can't change careers at some point, but you still should look inside for what you want to do, not what your mom may want you to do.

    Most people who try a career in acting don't get very far. There are a small handful who make it. If that is really your dream, then look for ways to follow it, while still giving yourself a more realistic career to support you along the way.
     
  17. Mirko

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    Hi there! Working with people on career choices everyday, I would strongly encourage you to pick one that you like and work towards it. Don't start one with the idea to start another one down the road or once you have completed one. As mentioned above, you will only make it more harder on yourself in gaining employment. Having an appropriate education that goes well with a career choice is one thing, but having four different degrees, with very little practical experience in each of the areas/fields, doesn't really do anything for you.

    If Public Relations is something that interested you, I think it would definitely be worthwhile your time to explore that more. You have already mentioned that you have a contact with Hydro One. Use that contact. Ask about internships, and look into what is possible. :slight_smile:

    But here is the thing. You are the only person who can make that decision. No one else. Having a poll doesn't solve the underlying problem, which is that you seem to be unsure as to what you want to do. Sit down and really think about all your options taking into consideration the following:

    • What is it that you want to get out of each of these career options?
    • Your geographic location
    • Job opportunities for each of the career choices you have listed
    • The skills and knowledge required for each of them

    Be realistic about your expectations and career choices. I know it can be frustrating but you can make it a whole lot easier on yourself, if you take the time to think about each of the career options. :slight_smile:
     
    #17 Mirko, Aug 2, 2011
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2011
  18. Revan

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    True but thing is, I don't want to be in something I hate the rest of my life. I want to be in something I just love to death. And out of the four, acting is the thing I love the most. I haven't had much opportunity to experience the other three. Wedding Planning course is the closest ive come to doing anything PR related. Writing a movie review is the closest I've come to Journalism. Being a camera man with Rogers is about the closest for broadcasting.... but acting I've had a LOT of experience with and love it like no tomorrow.

    And sometimes I hear people ask: if you were rich, and had enough money to support and could choose one thing to do for the rest of your life, just out of sheer enjoyment, it would be acting. Plain and simple.
     
  19. Mirko

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    Okay, maybe I should have been clearer. When I mentioned pick one career, I also had in mind: be realistic about that career choice.:slight_smile:

    As you have realized, and as you have mentioned, acting as a career choice is probably not the best thing at this point. I think you need to start thinking in terms of your 'wants' and 'realistic possibilities' given the opportunities and job prospects within the Greater London, Ontario area. When you look at the 'realistic possibilities' for each of the career choices that you are looking at, what do you see as being the most realistic choice, given the geographic area where you live, and job opportunities?

    I think it wouldn't hurt if you would get some more information on some of your career choices. Inform yourself about the realistic prospects for your career (and related) fields. From what you have said, you have done an aspect for each of your career choices, on which you have seemingly based your choices on. The problem though by doing that is that this might not give you full 'realistic' picture about a particular career stream/choice, which includes job prospects and being able to make a living with that choice.

    You already know that making a living from acting is going to be difficult. Pick one career stream than that will allow you to make a living and that has aspects that you like doing. You can still pursue your passion and love for acting by joining a theatre group on the weekend. I know this is hard, but sometimes, the things that we really love doing need to be reserved for the weekends rather than for career choices.
     
  20. Mogget

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    The general advice I've seen for any arts degree is this: if you can imagine yourself being happy in any other career, don't go for it.