#CJW

Tag: #CJW

Librarians

When you think of Librarians, an image of an old woman who barks orders at children and hates fun might come to mind. Actually, it is quite the opposite, as librarians can be anyone of any age with a drive of, as US News puts it, “intellectual exploration”. If you have a lifelong love of learning and want to make a living off of that, the position of librarian is definitely up your alley.

It is important to know that becoming a librarian is not easy.  In addition to an undergraduate degree, librarians are required to get an MLS (or Master in Library Sciences) from an American Library Association-accredited program.  Most MLS programs are two years in length. 

On the job, librarians do much more than just stock bookshelves and order books. Librarians connect people to information and technology, they are knowledgeable in website creation, social media management, and they digitally archive works such as art and literature. As mentioned earlier, being a librarian also involves a lifelong love of learning, and there is a lot of learning on the job involved.  Librarians should also enjoy working with people, as in the end, being a librarian is a service job.

Being a librarian also comes with a lot of flexibility and freedom, where you can choose what projects you want to start. Laura Robinson, the librarian at Clark University, told US News that “As a librarian for over 20 years my day-to-day work changes on a regular basis,” and the job refuses to get old.

There are many places to work as a librarian. There are libraries everywhere, from public and academic institutions, to hospitals, businesses, and museums. There are also many different requirements to work as a librarian.  In Idaho, Librarians don’t need state certification, while in Connecticut, you need an MLS to work in any city with more than five-thousand people, and in communities with less than five-thousand people, as long as you have some “demonstrable training in library science”, you are able to become a librarian. EveryLibraryInstitute.org has a great article featuring states with different stipulations to become and stay a librarian.

Being a librarian is a position with plenty of rules to follow, but once you follow them, you can turn the role entirely into your own. It’s a job that twists and turns so often, it’s hard to be bored and to lose interest, and you yourself control those twists and turns. If you have interest in becoming a librarian, the best way to get involved is to work right here at the Lawrence library, either as a shelver or at the circulation desk. That way, you can network and get some good library experience that might be useful towards your certification!

https://www.ala.org/educationcareers/libcareers/become

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-become-a-librarian

https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/requirements_to_become_a_librarian_by_state

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/articles/what-library-science-is-and-how-to-become-a-librarian

Spencer R. Brown is a sophomore experiencing their first year at Lawrence University, with a major in Government. They work as a Marketing and Media Assistant in the Career Center and creates content for students in both Communication, Journalism & Written Arts (#CJW) and Government, Law & International Relations (#GLI) career communities. A writer and animator by trade, Spencer is fascinated in finding ways to make digesting information entertaining. Feel free to connect with them on LinkedIn here!

Meeting and Event Coordinators

Whenever you think of event planning or coordinating, the first thing that pops into your mind might be “aren’t those the people that make weddings happen?” While you are technically right, there are other types of event coordinators whose scope of work exceeds a wedding.  One of these is a Corporate Meeting and Event Coordinator.  This position is vital to making sure office and organization events go smoothly.  The other role is that of a Personal Event Coordinator.   Personal Event Coordinators organize personal events like family reunions, retreats, and, celebrations like, yes- weddings. Opportunities for both of these careers are growing incredibly rapidly, in fact, faster than most occupations, so it is very enticing for recent graduates, especially as a starting position.  The pay is on the low end when starting, but the most successful event planners can make seven-figure salaries.

Corporate Meeting and Event Coordinators, self-explanatorily, arrange times for live and virtual meetings, for organizations and clients.  They check technology and registration and make sure everything is accounted for. Some event coordinating can be grander, such as organizing company outings and celebrations, which calls for more moving components like budgeting for meals and/or desserts, decorations, and perhaps a venue.

Personal Event Coordinators may have broader range of responsibility. They can help organizations with events if the organization does not have a designated event coordinator in-house, but they also work with individuals who feel they need help with a birthday party or that wedding. Planning meals/desserts, finding decorations, and a reserving a venue are tasks that are usually part of the job.  Other tasks could include sending proper invitations and organizing transportation and accommodations. Here, the event coordinator may also be in charge of coordinating what to do in a day, depending on the clients’ wishes.

To become a meeting and event coordinator, most employers would prefer a candidate to have a bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field. Certifications for event coordinating can also be helpful.

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/meeting-convention-and-event-planners.htm

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/event-planner

https://www.salary.com/research/jobs/meeting-event-planner-jobs/wi

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/event-coordinator-vs-event-planner

Spencer R. Brown is a sophomore experiencing their first year at Lawrence University, with a major in Government. They work as the Marketing and Media Assistant in the Career Center and creates content for students in both Communication, Journalism & Written Arts (#CJW) and Government, Law & International Relations (#GLI) career communities. A writer and animator by trade, Spencer is fascinated in finding ways to make digesting information entertaining. Feel free to connect with them on LinkedIn here!

Put your language skills to use for the NSA!

If you want to put your language skills to use and serve your country, perhaps the National Security Agency (NSA) is for you!  The NSA works closely with the rest of the Intelligence Community to protect the United States from foreign threats and adversaries. NSA has both offensive and defensive missions. The offense collects, analyzes, and reports intelligence information derived from foreign signals to assist United States policymakers and military commanders in making well-informed decisions that protect U.S. security. The defense prevents adversaries from gaining access to sensitive or classified national security information. The NSA also protects and defends U.S. government IT systems against cyber threats.

Foreign language proficiency is vital to NSA’s mission.  NSA language analysts are at the front line of national defense. They analyze foreign communications to uncover potential threats. They are the first to determine the relevance of collected intelligence, and they put the intelligence into context for our nation’s leaders.

There are a few different opportunities for Lawrence students and new graduates to get experience with the NSA. 

In the NSA Summer Language Program Internship, you will spend 12 weeks working as a language analyst at NSA.  Proficiency in Chinese, Russian, and Farsi, are in high demand, but other languages will be considered.  The application period is usually from September 1 through October 31 each year. 

In the NSA Cooperative Education Program (Co-Op) for Language, students will alternate semesters between college and working at NSA as a language analyst.  Students can apply for the Co-Op Program starting halfway through their year or during their sophomore year.  Application period is open from September 1 to October 31 and from February 1 to March 31 each year and is for Chinese and Russian students.  

Finally, the Language Analysis Development Program (LADP) is a full-time development program for new-hires and involves rotational tours in a variety of offices, coursework to build foundational knowledge, and quality mentoring. The Language Development Program builds linguistic knowledge for entry-level language analysts and train them in analytic skills and the latest technologies available to the Intelligence Community. Participants will work on a wide range of subjects and learn techniques used to evaluate foreign communications. Combined with geopolitical and cultural expertise, they will use these skills to understand both overtly stated meaning and subtly implied intent as they translate and transcribe foreign communications and report critical information to U.S. government customers.  The LADP application is posted every other month.  It is recommended that students apply 9-12 months prior to graduation.  

For more information on these programs and to apply, visit https://www.intelligencecareers.gov/nsa

Political Journalism

With Election Day just days away and coverage of the campaign season dominating the news, aspiring writers and journalists may be considering political journalism as a career path.  Journalism is a broad field in which reporters and correspondents can choose to report on a variety of topics.  For example, there are sports journalists, entertainment journalists, trade journalists, etc. 

Political journalism focuses on government, politics and political candidates. It covers different segments of political activity, such as local, national or international news. Political journalists report on the activities of elected officials, political processes, political campaigns, and elections. It includes reporting political news, and conducting investigative and watchdog reporting to ensure that the public has access to information about political activity.  Political journalism applies to print, digital and broadcast media. 

Political journalists may also report news in the form of the opinion journalism genre.  Therein lies one of the biggest challenges in being a political journalist – providing objective reporting about events.  Once a political journalist starts reporting a story from a biased perspective, they cease being a political journalist and start moving into the world of a political commentary, which is when a writer or broadcaster expresses an opinion versus simply reporting facts.

Terms like “fake news” have been tossed around quite frequently over the past 5-6 years, but accusations of biased reporting have existed for decades.  For example, FOX News and the Wall Street Journal are frequently called out as a cable network and newspaper that are overly conservative in their reporting, while the CNN and MSNBC cable channels and the New York Times newspaper are often criticized for spreading a liberal agenda.  Students with an interest in political journalism should carefully consider if they can keep their reporting objective and free from bias or if they would rather report the news from one side or the other and try to shape public opinion.

While the aforementioned media outlets report on number of topics, other smaller outlets keep the vast majority of their reporting to government and political topics only.  These should be considered as possible internship and work sites for those who are only interested in reporting in these areas. Two of the best known are Politico and The Hill.  Others popular web sites with a heavy dose of political journalism (though with partisan spin) include the Huffington Post, Breitbart, Vox and the Daily Caller.

To become a political journalist, one would follow the track they would follow to become a journalist in any specialty, by first getting general journalism experience at a college newspaper, followed by additional experience at a local newspaper, web site or broadcast outlet and work their way up from there.  A degree in English or Government is also helpful.  The majority of political journalism opportunities exist in the New York City and Washington D.C. areas.  Job opportunities in journalism are expected to grow in the future, although at a slightly slower pace than average.

https://firsthand.co/professions/political-reporters

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/types-of-journalism

https://www.trendrr.net/19127/most-popular-best-political-websites-credible-unbiased-10-top-list/

Broadcasting vs. Podcasting

If you have something to say and want to be heard, there are a number of communications careers that might fit the bill. Today, we will talk about two of them – radio broadcasting and podcasting.

Traditional radio broadcasting dates back to 1920 with the launch of KDKA-AM in Pittsburgh. A career as a radio announcer can be very fulfilling and allows you to share your thoughts in a very creative way. FM stations primarily play music whereas AM station programming is usually limited to news, talk, and sports. Unfortunately, due to the rise of streaming music apps, industry consolidation, and national syndication, jobs in radio are hard to find. In fact, over the next ten years, the industry is expected to shrink. The average salary for radio announcers is fairly low (about $40k per year), although top announcers (Ryan Seacrest, Howard Stern) command multi-million dollar salaries.

A modern alternative to radio broadcasting is podcasting, which most agree began around 2004. Podcasting involves creating digital recordings and making them available for download or streaming to a computer or mobile device. Because of the costs associated with music licensing, nearly all podcasts are limited to talk. A podcast usually features one or more hosts engaged in a discussion about a particular topic. Hosting a podcast allows the host(s) to express a personal passion, increase professional visibility, and cultivate a community of like-minded thinkers. Launching your own podcast is very affordable, sometimes limited to just the cost of a computer, internet connection, and decent microphone. While well-known hosts like Joe Rogan and Dax Shepard earn millions of dollars per year, most beginning podcasters do not earn anything.

A career in podcasting requires a great deal of investment in terms of time, effort, and resources. It is crucial that you have a clear understanding of why you want to do it and who your audience is. Just like any business venture, you should have a solid game plan for your podcasting business.

To talk more about careers in broadcasting or podcasting, make an appointment with Ty in the Career Center!

Screenwriting Resources for Underrepresented Writers

Jonathan Hogan

Screenwriting, similar to professional creative writing, constitutes a small and highly competitive profession. Because of this, the internet is full of suggestions that come from highly privileged places. One website, for example, recommends quitting your job and writing 9 – 5 while also moving to L.A. (“How to Become a Screenwriter”). Such a focus on individual solutions to the restrictive nature of screenwriting obscures larger structures that make entry into the industry especially difficult for those with oppressed identities. The unhelpful nature of websites such as these is especially frustrating when one considers the most recent report on diversity in Screenwriting by the Writers Guild of West America.

According to the report, 56% of the industry identify as white men, 21% as white women, 13% as men of color, and 10% as women of color (Robb). When compared to demographics in the U.S. population, white male screenwriters are the only over-represented group, whereas representation of Native/Indigenous writers and Middle Eastern writers equates to “near-total erasure.” In light of the dual difficulties of a both restrictive and seemingly unaware industry, aspiring to become a screenwriter might seem an act in vain. Nonetheless, there are screenwriting programs that look to explicitly support underrepresented groups. I will explore three of these programs below, however, a full list of 10 programs is available here.

  1. Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment – New Writers Fellowship

The Coalition of Asian Pacifics (CAPE) is an organization seeking to “champion… diversity by educating, connecting, and empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and leaders in entertainment and media” and dates back to 1991 (“CAPE’s Mission and History”). CAPE hosts multiple programs focusing on helping Asian Americans and Pacifica Islanders break through barriers in areas ranging from directing to screenwriting. Their New Writers Fellowship takes place in the Spring and sees accepted writers attend workshops while matching them with “a high-level industry mentor to help them revise their original script into professional-level writing samples” (“CAPE New Writers Fellowship — Developing Asian & Pacific Islander Screenwriters in TV and Film”).

2. The Black List WIF Feature Residency

The Black List Women in Film Feature Residency provides “six promising non-professional screenwriters who are of underrepresented genders (women, NB/GNC and/or trans, and others) to participate in a one year residency” (“2021 Black List / WIF Feature Residency | The Black List”). The residency’s focus is twofold. Namely, it focuses on improving residents’ writing skills, while also connecting residents with production companies (“2021 Black List / WIF Feature Residency | The Black List”). Although the program focuses on pursuing gender equality in screenwriting, it should be noted that “Women in Film,” the sponsoring organization, has a recently formed Black Member Forum and thus seems to at least be aware of the importance of an intersectional understanding of oppression.

3. Native American Media Alliance – Native American TV Writers Lab

Native American Media Alliance hosts a “5 week intensive scriptwriters program that prepares Native Americans for writing careers at major television networks” (“Native American Media Alliance | 6th Annual Native American TV Writers Lab Application”). During the program, writers will “complete an original plot… and receive feedback from peers and an experienced writing instructor” (“Native American Media Alliance | 6th Annual Native American TV Writers Lab Application”). At the end of the program, writers will then pitch their scripts to executives from various production companies. Although the program certainly focuses on getting Native American’s into the industry, a further goal of the program is “to improve media portrayals of Native Americans” (“Native American Media Alliance | Mission”).

Bibliography

“2021 Black List / WIF Feature Residency | The Black List.” The Black List, https://blcklst.com/partnerships/opportunities/94. Accessed 19 Apr. 2022.

“CAPE New Writers Fellowship — Developing Asian & Pacific Islander Screenwriters in TV and Film.” CAPE, https://www.capeusa.org/cnwf. Accessed 19 Apr. 2022.

“CAPE’s Mission and History.” CAPE, https://www.capeusa.org/mission-history. Accessed 19 Apr. 2022.

“How to Become a Screenwriter: A Pro’s Ultimate Guide.” Script Reader Pro, 14 June 2018, https://www.scriptreaderpro.com/how-to-become-a-screenwriter-one-day/.

“Native American Media Alliance | 6th Annual Native American TV Writers Lab Application.” Native American Media Alliance, https://nama.media/6th-annual-native-american-tv-writers-lab-application/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2022.

“Native American Media Alliance | Mission.” Native American Media Alliance, https://nama.media/mission/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2022.

Robb, David. “WGA West Screenwriting Inclusion Report: Women & People Of Color Continue To Make Progress In Hiring But ‘Remain Significantly Underrepresented.’” Deadline, 5 Nov. 2021, https://deadline.com/2021/11/screenwriting-inclusion-report-women-people-of-color-continue-progress-underrepresented-wga-west-1234869192/.

Jonathan is a Third Year German and Government major. He works as a Peer Educator to assist students in the CJW and GLI career communities. In addition to professional development, Jonathan is interested in the cultural construction of the modern nation-state, normative constraints on rational behavior, and all things German. You can schedule an appointment with him here to improve your resume, learn more about the CJW and GLI career opportunities, and work on anything else professional development-related.