I am 24. At times, I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot in my short career. Then, I’ll read or see people younger than me a lot farther down their career path. I know you’re not suppose to compare, but I can’t help it. I’ve had a completely different journey, especially post-college, than I could have ever imagined. I’ve dreamt of a magazine job for so long, I can’t imagine another type of job. So I was a little surprised when I read that one should have SIX different type of jobs before 30 to create a well-rounded applicant, and that excludes temporary and freelance positions. I wondered how I compared to this list:

1. “A Service Job”

Aside from journalism gigs, all my jobs have fallen under this category. My first job my freshman year of college was being a student assistant in the College of Communication. Ever since, I’ve been “assisting” others. Through working in a service job, I’m suppose to learn how to deal with people when they are not at their best – Check!

2. “A Job in Which You’re Forced to Clean”

I worked at a dry cleaners for more than a year. And, yes, many people don’t care about the condition of clothes when they come into the plant, only when they left. I had a man yell at me because the shirt he brought in that was soaked in spilt coffee didn’t completely come out. I absolutely believe this job made me more respectful of working together as a community.

I also had a boss who threw away his lunch (yogurt and banana peel) in his trash and made me throw it out. We reused trash bags, so many times I had to reach down and grab the sticky yogurt top. Now, I am always conscience of what (and how) I throw away. – Check!

3. “Childcare”

I’m more of  dog person. So, I probably won’t be babysitting. But, when I was working at the cleaners, I oversaw four high school seniors. Trust me, this counts.  – Check!

4. “A Job Working for your Parents”

I’m suppose to learn “separating the personal from the professional” when my parents get me a job. Honestly, I don’t like this one. My family is in transportation, and I have absolutely zero interest in the field. – Fail

5. “Physical Labor”

I worked in retail at a home store. I was on the store maintenance crew and every other day, we would arrive at 5 a.m. to restock the shelves. We may have had air conditioning, but it was definitely intense. It was a four-hour cardio class. We ran around the store, hurrying to have everything set by 9 a.m. It might not be traditional physical labor, but the pain I felt after my first day taught me this lesson. – Check!

6. “A Job Totally Unrelated to Your Career Goals”

Wait, you mean my current situation? – Check!

I think a seventh category can be added to the list, “Work for free.” In my current internship, I’ve learned how much I love what I do. I’m working for free, not sure what my step will be, and loving every moment.

It is interesting to look at past jobs and reflect on my experiences. Although I might have a different “ideal” path, I’m happy to learn that I did learn something from all my previous employers, if not for future employment, at least for personal reasons. And, who knows, by the time I find a full-time staff position, I may cycle through all six categories and then some!

–Samantha Hyde

I’m so excited to be back working in an office, but I cannot forget about my goal. Although I’m 95 percent sure my internship will not lead to a job (small staff + recently hired entry-level editor = bad odds for me), I still have to treat it like it could lead to something. After all, you never know when I will need a reference or somebody I’m working with hears of a job from another media friend.

So, this is my networking lesson for the week: intranetworking, if you will.

Why is it so important to get to know the people working around you? Well, there is the semi-obvious reason: a diversion from everyday tasks. “If you have people to talk with and do things with and laugh with and sometimes vent with, your workday will go by a little faster,” one website says.  Plus, work is more enjoyable when you can talk to the people around you.

Next, employers are less guarded when talking to you without the added feeling of people wanting things from them. It can be annoying if people are just coming to you for a job. Showing a genuine curiosity about the job will get you further.

Lastly, and in my opinion, most importantly, while you are building your network, you are also adding to a list of references (assuming you did a good job). “When you’re new on the job, you want to make a lot of contacts fairly quickly while also building your reputation as a hard worker,” Monster.com reports.

Currently, I’ve been able to talk to a couple of co-workers about their journeys into editor positions. One was working at a coffee shop and got to know the managing editor at the magazine. Through that, she got an interview for an internship, but before that took place, a job opened up. Another, after coming home from a Disney internship post graduation, interned at the company for quite a few months when her position opened up. Unfortunately, they both ended their stories with the same word, “lucky.” But even though luck played a part in it, they still had to network within the company to be considered for the positions.

As the days go by, I’m talking to people about their personal experiences and asking advice. I’ve volunteered to help wherever needed and got some amazing opportunities. Next week, I’m helping on a fashion photo shoot for an upcoming issue of the magazine for the same lady putting together New Orleans Fashion Week, and I was just assigned a really amazing feature story for Mother’s Day. I may currently be working for free, but I’m getting the type of opportunities that can lead to a paying gig. And for the first time in while, I’m optimistic about my current career route.

–Samantha Hyde

I’ve been at my internship for three weeks now, and overall, I think it is going well, despite the hour commute. I’ve done a little bit of everything, writing, editing and snacking on freebies. I just got my first features assignment. I’ve had the opportunity to work on multiple titles. I’m not treated like an intern. I’m treated as a colleague. And I know everything I am doing is going to help me land a full-time gig in the (near) future. But, with all the positive, I still have this one nagging, negative nugget that keeps popping into my head…

I never thought when I graduated from college, with all my accomplishments, that I would be interning again. Well, at least not for free.

I do have a small entitlement feeling when I get some of my tasks. (Off course I don’t complain. I will do it with a smile!) It is at no fault to anybody working there; it’s all on me. And honestly, it is weird for me to feel like that. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt entitled to anything. I was so happy when I was asked to come in for an interview. I got all dressed up (my parents bought me a new outfit for good luck. Aren’t they adorable?) and my stomach was riding a roller coaster. When I arrived, it turned out not to be an interview. It was just, “When can you start?”

I don’t like it, but I can’t control it. I hate having to fact-check the dining guide (or anything really), but when you are an intern, that is what you have to do. I hate being unpaid, but when you are an intern, that is what you have to do. But then I have these other thought about how much I love working there. And, honestly, I really do. I’m still new to the area, so working at a city magazine has allowed me to explore a new place.

So, I have to ask myself, am I feeling entitlement or disappointment?

I’m trying to stay positive, I really am. But how does one stop negativity from entering the brain? The truth is, I love to write. I love talking to new people. I love the atmosphere.

In the end, everything I do is worth it when I open up the newest issue and see my name in print.  When I saw my first sets of proofs, I immediately flipped through to find my name like I’m in high school trying to find all the photos of my in the yearbook. In that moment, I’m so proud. I don’t care that I’ve done everything for free (and the readers will never know). This is what I want to do. I’d rather be working for free at a place I love then be unhappy anywhere else.

–Samantha Hyde

Samantha Hyde graduated from the University of Texas in 2009. During her time spent in Austin, she interned and contributed to Austin Monthly, Texas Parks & Wildlife and Texas Highways magazine. She served as president of the magazine club and editor-in-chief of a college magazine, burntORANGE. Her issue, “How to be a Longhorn,” won second place in general excellence at the 2009 AEJMC awards.

I hear searching for a job is in itself a full-time job, or at least one should treat it like it is. But how is one (me) suppose to pay her (my) bills? This has been an ongoing debate in my current household. I understand that I need a temporary paying job, but with me going to my (unpaid) internship three days a week, that leaves just two week days and the weekend to work – which pretty much means a retail or food service job. I’m not opposed to working seven days a week (we’re go-getter girls after all!), but I’m nervous that I’m not going to have any flexibility in my schedule for potential job or intern-related opportunities.

So, the question of the week, how do you manage job-hunting with paying your bills?

Yay:

The obvious reason for getting a temporary job…money. I’m never going to move out of my parents’ house if I don’t have any money. If I work hard enough, I can fund my own move to New York. And, on the positive side, I would be increasing and adding skills I can use for future employment. Odds are I’m going to start out as somebody’s assistant, so I’ll need more skills than writing and editing to get a job. And lastly, it will provide a way for me to escape from my computer. It would be a break, not the funniest thing I can think to do, but still a break.

Nay:

If I got a temporary job, what am I going to do if I have to travel for a last-minute interview? I had a job interviewer once where she wanted me to come in the next day. I flew to New York in the morning and had an interview late in the afternoon. If I were employed, what would I say to my current boss? Next week, I get my first feature writing assignments at one of the magazines where I’m interning. When do I do the interviews? I asked to volunteer on some of the magazines’ photo shoots to gain some set experience. Maybe I won’t be able to help anymore because I have a full schedule. But, after all of these questions, I have to understand that these are all “what if” questions. I need to remember I have to stay in reality, and the reality is, I need the money.

The Verdict:

The truth of the matter is I have to find some type of work. I’m lucky that I don’t have to pay for much in my current situation, but I know that I’m not going anywhere if I don’t start really saving for a goal. Besides, believe it or not, I can’t wait to be financially independent. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

–Samantha Hyde

Job boards are not working out for me. I think I work better after I make a personal connection, you know, so they can experience all my charm! But who do I send my resume to when I’m making a cold call?

So, the question of the week: Should I start sending my resumes to the people at the top and hope they don’t throw it away? Or should I reach out to entry-level employees since I’m looking for a job similar to his or hers?

I tend to believe that a person would have better outcome if they start at the top. For example, somebody was kind enough to send me some contact information for a top HR employee at Time Inc. I sent her an email requesting advice, but didn’t hear anything back for a few days. I assumed she was busy and had other things to do. No problem. I certainly understand. But I was really surprised when I got an email from somebody else on the HR team offering advice. This person was in charge of entry-level hiring. THIS was the person I needed to talk to, and the top HR employee must have passed my resume along and/or suggested she email me.

On the other hand, I sent my resume to an editorial assistant who was collecting resumes to find her replacement. After I followed up with her, she said she would pass my resume onto her boss. After that, I never heard from her or her boss. Now, of course that could just mean that they weren’t interested, but it could also mean that she never passed it. For self-confidence reasons, I believe the latter.

Editor-In-Chief of Texas Parks & Wildlife Louie Bond advised me, “[Resumes are] seldom passed around, so it’s like fishing. Put out the bait often enough, and eventually you’ll catch a fish!” She continued that I should try to contact as many people as I can, personalizing each conversation. “By the time we’ve exchanged a few notes, we’re already feeling positive about them. They’ve gotten their foot in the door,” she said.

I talked with an editorial assistant at a fashion magazine in New York about the subject, and she told me, bluntly, to give it to the assistants and not waste my time going to the people at the top. She didn’t tell me why, but I could probably figure it out. Maybe I need to take into consideration the size of the company. Maybe the bigger the company, the lower on the totem pole I should go?

Even with all this research though, the thing I’ve noticed the most is that I’ve built a better network and gotten further by asking for advice instead of asking for a job. Maybe I’m on to something…

–Samantha Hyde

Samantha Hyde graduated from the University of Texas in 2009. During her time spent in Austin, she interned and contributed to Austin Monthly, Texas Parks & Wildlife and Texas Highways magazine. She served as president of the magazine club and editor-in-chief of a college magazine, burntORANGE. Her issue, “How to be a Longhorn,” won second place in general excellence at the 2009 AEJMC awards.