Elyse N. Ryan Writes

There Are No Career Guides For Communications Majors

By Elyse N. Ryan May 9th, 2012 8:59 a.m.

As graduation creeps up for the Class of 2012, students with a degree in Communications may be feeling a whirlwind of confusion when they hit the job hunt websites.  Universities across the country put out helpful lists of job titles for communications majors ranging from financial analyst to wedding planner. So what can students do to find the right career for them after graduation?

A good place to start is your transcript.

• What courses did you take over the course of your college career? There will usually be a trend of courses relating to a task or at least an industry that could steer you in the right direction. 
• In what classes did you get the highest grade? You will begin to find a similarity in subject or course requirement in the classes you scored highest in.

After you have taken a look at the skills you’ve learned from school, you should take some time to evaluate yourself. Think about what you tend to spend your free time doing or thinking about.

• Where do you want to be working, what kind of day to day atmosphere do you want to be in?

Don’t get discouraged if you haven’t found the right job yet, sometimes you need to take a job that isn’t quite what you’re looking to do, but will give you the experience and networking opportunities to get that job you want.

Remember almost nobody gets that dream job the first time around, you have to earn it. Just make sure you know what you are working to earn.

How Does One Break Into Political News?

by Elyse N. Ryan April 27, 2012

After a fulltime summer internship in the press department for a political party in New Hampshire, one Plymouth State University Senior is using all her resources to try to find an entry level press position in the Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts area. For Elyse Ryan her hunt for a job began months ago with a creatively advertised online campaign called #GetHer2Hartford.

Graduating in May with her bachelor’s degree in Professional Communications and Media Studies and a minor in Psychology, Ryan explains that she is looking to start her career in a new place using Hartford as her central location.

“I just recently broadened my job search to Massachusetts and Rhode Island because I want to make sure that while I’m focused on getting to one location, I don’t miss out on a great opportunity in another location.” -Elyse Ryan

Ryan is one of many looking to start her career in the political press arena. As of now she will remain applying to jobs in all industries with the hope that she will get a job that requires a mix of her skills and experience.

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Why I Stand At Work and How You Can Too

 By Elyse N. Ryan  April 23, 2012 9:02 a.m.

When I first started standing at work, it was because I wanted to burn more calories throughout the day but it wasn’t until I read an article that revealed the deadly effects of sitting all day at work that I really felt motivated to stand at work.

In an article on Mashable.com, an infographic showed the results of a study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal that found 54% of men and women who sit most of the day over 13 years were at a higher risk of heart attack.

The infographic goes on to show that sitting at work can increase your risk of death by 40%. So why are most people with desk jobs still parking themselves in the chair of death? Excuses I have heard among my peers vary from,

 “I don’t have a standup desk,” or “My back hurts when I stand for too long.”

For those of you who have yet to conquer your list of excuses, here are a couple tips:

*Use the supplies around you…

I have been using recycled copy paper boxes for years. Eventually I’m sure I will get a real Standup Desk but for now this will work for me and for you as well.

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More Interns are Getting Hired

By Elyse N. Ryan April 17, 2012 9:14 a.m.

College students looking for a way to break into the workforce can rest easy that those hours of free work and time could pay off in a full time position upon graduation according to a new study conducted by NACE . According to NACE, employers hired 58.6% of there interns for full time positions. Does this mean that if a college senior is trying to break into the workforce it would be a good idea to take an internship AFTER graduation in order to get there foot in the door?

Share your thoughts by leaving a comment

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New Study Shows Class of 2012 Graduates Have Better Chances of Getting Hired

By Elyse N. Ryan April 4, 2012 9:03 a.m.

In an article published on CNBC.com today reports give this year’s college graduating class a change to see the light at the end of the daunting tunnel that is the job market. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, businesses are projected to hire 10% more Class of 2012 college graduates than were hired from last year’s batch of graduates. A number that gives soon to graduate Plymouth State University Senior Elyse Ryan hope for her journey that she has been sharing with the world using the Twitter hashtag #GetHer2Hartford.

Ryan, a senior with an impressive resume and a tenacious goal, began her search for a job in the Hartford, Connecticut area in January. “Hearing nothing but horror stories of how terrible the job market is in class, I was apprehensive to start my search especially because I’m trying to relocate to an area where I have no real networks,” Ryan explained.

 Ryan took a route of networking by starting an online media marketing campaign fundraiser to raise $2,000 for her relocation using gofundme.com and twitter to reach potential employers in Connecticut from her small apartment in northern New Hampshire.

This method of internet and social media marketing has taken a new evolutionary step in allowing college graduates to get hired right out of college by way of social media marketing. “I have been able to apply some of the marketing theories and build my own personal experience through this endeavor as well as get the attention of potential employees.”

Ryan describes her use of social media marketing as a way of, “proving you can do the work you are applying for.”

For this senior things are looking to come together for her by the time she crosses the stage May 19^th, a trend that we may see more of for the Class of 2012.

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Late in the Night

By Elyse Ryan

I saw a couple under the spotlight of a street lamp.

Late in the night, I heard their quiet fight.

She feeling unappreciated.

He feeling discombobulated.

They stood close and spoke quietly with careful intent.

An intent they both had to get to the bottom and overcome the bad.

I changed my route home as to avoid disrupting such an intimate talk, and continued my walk.

Up the hill, around the block, there they stood.

She finding resolve in his arms.

He finding confidence in his ability to learn what causes women harm.

Never once in this scene, did I doubt what I had seen.

Two lovers learning from each other what love can mean.

A Spring Break of Interviews Review

@HGI_iNNsider  @WFMGlastonbury @gburyproblems @hartfordcourant

It is the Monday after my Spring Break that was loaded with interviews I had started planning since January.

I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn for 5 nights getting free cookies from the from desk every night after 4:00pm a good breakfast every morning at the American Grill and a good night’s sleep with their firm to soft adjustable beds.  Besides waking up to the earth shattering sounds of my mother snoring in the bed next to me, the hotel provided a great place for me to feel relaxed and comfortable enough to focus on being successful in all of my interviews….and those cookies were delicious!!

The first night we went to Whole Foods in Glastonbury for some warm organic food after a long drive. The food hit the spot and I went to bed early to get ready for my morning interview.

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Ready For a Week of Interviews

It is only a few days before I go down to Connecticut for my spring break to go to at least 1 interview a day and a couple apartment viewings, a trip I have been planning and working towards since January.

Monday morning I have an interview for a fundraising coordinator position. I am preparing all my past experience examples to show my work.

Tuesday I have an apartment viewing in the morning followed by a management trainee position in the afternoon.

Wednesday I have a marketing assistant interview in the morning and a studio apartment viewing in the afternoon.

Thursday I have a sales agent interview in the morning.

I have created an itinerary on Excel to keep me on track and on time. My dad called me yesterday to reassure me that if no jobs came out of this round of interviews EVERYTHING WOULD BE OK! As right as I know he is, I’m determined to get an offer that will #GetHer2Hartford!

Donate today to calm a determined college senior’s nerves!

Make or Break Moment

It is one week before I go down to Hartford for spring break and so far I have an interview and apartment viewing scheduled for every day of the week. Last night I did a new adjusted budget using Google Spreadsheet and got another intimidating look at how much take home salary I would have after state and federal taxes, about $5,000 less according to some of the more positive tax calculators available on the internet. Some of the other state and federal tax calculators estimated upwards of $10,000 less. 

Even though this is an incredibly expensive state to live in, you do what you gotta do for love. Donate today to help me start a life and career in Hartford with my college sweetheart!

Follow My Journey on Twitter #GetHer2Hartford

Read about my Journey

What Makes a Good Resume?

By Elyse N. Ryan March 6,2012 5:08 p.m.

  Picture this, you’re sitting at your computer staring at a blank Microsoft Word document. You’re a senior trying to write your first resume. What kind of style should you use? What kind of information should you include? Objective statement or no objective statement? That is the question.

 Staff member of the Lamson Library Writing center, Jane Weber says, “make the document pleasing to the eye.”  A resume for an entry-level position should only be one side of one page. This sometimes may mean you have to adjust the margins and font, but it can be the difference between landing the interview and getting tossed in the trash. Plymouth State University Business Department Head, Robert Nadeau believes, “Your resume is your chance to sell yourself.”  Nadeau, a very successful humans resources director before coming to PSU explained the top four things current employers are looking for in their entry level applicants:

What Employers Look For:

1. Job stability and success patterns 

2. Work ethic

3. Differentiation like unique courses, internships

4. Students paying for all or part of their education

The use of adjectives and action words in your description of previous employment tasks should be vibrant and show that you can that you can make decisions. When you are faced with the decision to pick and choose what information to put on your resume about previous accomplishments and employment opportunities, it is more appealing to only include the accomplishments that relate to the job you are applying for. 

As daunting of a task that resume writing may be, you always have resources. The difference between getting a job and becoming a statistic of the un-employed college graduates starts with your resume.

Take this piece of good advice from Jane Weber, “Try to approach resume writing with a positive attitude. You might really enjoy the process and have some fun. It’s like writing an autobiography: you get to decide what’s important and emphasize it. Many writers feel validated after a resume-writing session because they realize their experiences add up and they have much to offer prospective employers.”

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Getting By with a Little Help From Some Friends!

After a little hard work and determination, I got a little help from Rick Green from the Hartford Courant. 

His piece today on my efforts to relocate to Hartford gave me such a leg up. 

Rick is doing everything he can to #GetHer2Hartford.

Donate today for the cause! 

“Maybe Elyse Ryan is the start of something.

Ryan, a-s00n-to-be grad at Plymouth State University up in New Hampshire, wants to come to Hartford so much, she’s telling the world, or at least all of cyberspace.

On her blog she explains her magnetic attraction to the Insurance City:

May is fast approaching and for this college senior it means finally going out on my own. After a successful and active college career in my home state of New Hampshire I have learned enough to feel confident about going to a new place.

I am planning to relocate to Hartford, CT after graduation to start my career and a life with my college sweetheart.

Anybody out there have a job for the next Mary Tyler Moore?” -Rick Green