Opportunities Abound

Hello! My name is Josh Jacobs, and I’m the new Marketing Intern here at the Office of Career Services for the 2013/2014 school year! I’m a senior here at UT studying Graphic Design with a double minor in Art and Advertising, and I look forward to writing more posts like these in the future! Enjoy!

Let me tell you a little bit about my experience here at UT.

I remember my first day of college was scarier then I had ever imagined. By scary I mean really overwhelming; you’ve got classes (if you can find them), roommate drama, and absolutely no idea what constitutes as a meal or not at the Grill. There are a lot of things that you aren’t told before your first day of school, and a lot of times that can make for a crazy first year experience. But by the end of their first year of school, most people have figured out how to deal with all of those things and manage to continue on through their college career happy with simply completing their courses and living out the rest of their years here as easily as possible. If you’re reading this, I’m hoping that you are less like them, and more like me.

My freshman year, I was nominated by the Office of Student Leadership for the award of “Most Involved First Year Student.” By the end of my freshman year, I had become the Marketing Chair for Student Productions and was a heavily involved member of Extreme Elite and Honors Council, all while maintaining my Honors student status at the University. However, I did not win that prize; the girl who ended up winning had done all that while also researching and developing a program for teaching English to the underprivileged minority communities in the area (or something of that nature) and simultaneously was the president of 3 or 4 clubs...as a freshman.

I also applied for a position on the Honors Council Board and RHA in the same year, and got neither. Did these things get me down? No. Today I am the Vice President of Student Productions, an RA in Brevard Hall, and the Marketing Intern at Career Services. I’ve held two other jobs and had a life changing internship this past summer, and on top of it all, I’m still an Honors student.

What I’m trying to say is this; you and I attend a University of opportunity. The ratio of things to do versus the amount of people at this school is crazy; between clubs and greek life, on campus opportunities, and prospects in the community, there is simply too much going on. So think of it this way; in a world where the job market covets those who do, those who go the extra mile, I believe that students here at UT have an amazingly unique advantage over students at other campuses. Our advantage is that for anyone who wants  involvement or opportunity, all they have to do is reach out and grab it. Apply for something. If you don’t get that position you want, by no means are you to give up. Try again. And when employers look at your resume showing a rich and full college experience, I guarantee you that you will stand out.

The opportunities are out there. Go get them!