Are you entering the workforce? If so, some of your many thoughts may be:  

• Will I find a job?  

• Am I okay with moving? Well, where to? How far? 

• What about compensation? And the other benefits?  

• How is the workplace environment? Am I a cultural fit?  

• And their diversity and DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Efforts?  

As the end of the semester/school year rolls around, graduates everywhere are worrying about the next step of their lives after commencement day. Wondering what life has in store for them and wondering how they are going to adjust to post-graduate life.  

Today’s job hunt can be stressful to say the least. But after speaking with some of the newest Digital Corps staff members, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  

Getting the Job 

This is where it all starts. The first job is where you enter into the workforce and it gives you the first impression of the rest of your career. But no pressure.  

So, how do you get the first job? What are the steps? Well, everyone you ask will tell you a different story.  

They will tell you how they got their first job from a previous opportunity or internship. Or how they applied to 500 different opportunities, and they chose the first offer they were given. Almost always they will tell you how their path was “not traditional.” And that is the truth of it all. Every path is different and “not traditional.” Because in today’s job search there is no tradition. 

To give some ideas of what today’s job market looks like let’s hear from Digital Corps Video Producer Elle Kreamer. 

Elle’s Journey 

Elle attended Indiana University as a journalism and environmental science major. She described her time as a student as “intense” and “transformative.” As a 2021 graduate, she and her fellow classmates were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding a unique layer of challenge and growth to her education.  

COVID brought challenges to both her education and the job market. Transitioning to an online platform was not the easiest for Elle.  

“I probably shouldn’t have been as hard on myself as I was,” Elle said. “I felt bad that I was struggling with the online format of college.” 

The pandemic caused a lot of jobs to be virtual, but she knew this wouldn’t be the best fit for her. During her junior year she was looking for some internships in the Fort Wayne area. She reached out to some places that she applied to the previous year, since she never got the chance to work for them because the internships were canceled due to the pandemic. Luckily, one of them responded saying they had a video production internship. 

“I barely had any experience at the time, but I went for it and thought I would try it out,” Elle explained. “It was definitely rough at first because they weren’t hands on or teaching me things.” 

Elle continued this internship through the end of the summer and learned a lot on her own. During this time, she discovered her passion for video production and liked the idea of it becoming her career. Following her graduation, Elle was hired by the same company she had her internship at as a freelancer. Eventually, this company bought a video production house in Indianapolis, and she was interviewed for the assistant video editor position. 

Once she got the job and moved to Indianapolis, she was a full-time employee with benefits… but it was a lot of work. Her days consisted of getting food, and coffee for clients, scheduling when clients would come in, shooting, editing and meeting with her bosses. After being there for a while, and not feeling like she had a strong social grounding, she decided to go back to her educational studies and pursue a career in journalism. Elle applied to some intermediate level jobs for a while and finally landed a position as a managing editor of a small newspaper, getting her out of the video production industry for about five months. 

At the end of these five months, she was overwhelmed, stressed, and not enjoying her job. This ultimately brought her to Ball State when she obtained a job as a Video Producer at The Digital Corps.  

“This was the best job I had since I graduated,” Elle exclaimed. “I did not have a traditional career track, but it helped get me where I am today.”  

Insights and Lessons from Elle:  

Elle originally thought that landing a great job straight out of college was the key to having everything else fall into place. Although her career path took a few unexpected turns, she ultimately discovered that taking her time and figuring out what she was truly passionate about led to a more fulfilling journey than she had originally imagined. 

Here is some advice she would have given herself and current graduates: 

Take your time with career decisions. 

“It’s definitely not a big deal if you don’t have a solid 40-hour job right out of college. It’s important to remember this and know that its ok to not have it all figured out right away.”  

Don’t let your setbacks define your future. 

“Ultimately, I didn’t tank my whole future, just because I failed my senior year graphic design class, I was still able to get good jobs. I’m happy with where I am now and looking back it didn’t affect where I ended up at all.” 

Plan for your well-being and support system. 

“I also think that thinking about benefits is super important if your health-related medication or treatment is going on. It’s important to think about job. s that are going to help you with these types of things after college. Although a lot of people do have insurance with their family until they’re 26, once you’re out of college your support system might look different.” 

It’s Your Turn 

If you have taken the time to read through this portion of The Woes and Pros of Entering the Workforce, it is most likely that you yourself are entering the workforce as well. This is not a little task, and it is not going to be an easy one either.  

After reading this blog, remember to know your worth, take initiative with your prospects and don’t be afraid to take a step back and evaluate where you are. You are on your own timeline, and you can and should do whatever it is that makes you happy and keeps you afloat.  

With Elle’s advice and some new knowledge on the “nontraditional careers path,” take your time and truly find what is best for you. Only live your own path, don’t live through the path of someone else.