Life after college – one pending OU grad’s experience

For any Ohio University senior, it seems like just yesterday we were attending freshmen orientation, aimlessly following our designated tour guides with anticipation of memories and lessons to come. As a senior myself, on track to graduate one quarter early, I bet I speak for many students other than myself when I say that college goes by insanely fast.

With graduation on the minds of many eager seniors, I thought it might be of interest to share my experience testing the waters of the real world, especially since my job hunt is somewhat unique compared to other graduating seniors. I'm planning on moving very, very far from Athens, to the middle of the ocean.

I'm trying to start the next chapter of my life in Hawaii, and it has nothing to do with itching to leave Ohio. I love the brick roads, crazy squirrels, friendly people and Casa Nueva, but for half of my time as an OU student, I've been in a long-distance military relationship. With graduation nearing, I'm more than ready to start the next chapter of my life in both aspects of my career and relationship.

Professors consistently drill the importance of networking in our brains, reinforcing the common phrase, "It's not what you know; it's who you know." Some students choose not to listen to that vital advice until junior, even senior year, while those more proactive start freshmen year and join every club in existence. I like to pat myself on the back in thinking I've been proactive with networking, but I find myself at a disadvantage regardless of any networking I've done. Virtually all of my connections are in Ohio or surrounding states, providing absolutely zero benefit for landing a job in paradise. Furthermore, any internship inquiries or Baker Center career fairs offer no connection to the faraway island of Oahu.

Having visited Oahu twice, I quickly learned that I have more to worry about than networking. For one, journalists must know the community that they are covering. While it's not uncommon for newly hired journalists to invest time researching and getting to know their community, Oahu is the farthest thing I know from home and is going to require a whole lot of getting used to. It's an island with over-sized bugs, no seasons, mountains, dreamy beaches with surfers, blue stop signs, an extremely high cost of living (a gallon of milk runs between $6 and $9), tourists galore and a language of its own — one that I find very difficult to speak beyond the widely known "Aloha." Try pronouncing the highway, "Kamehameha," or saying Merry Christmas, "Mele Kalikimaka!"

Despite those worries of mine, I pressed on and quickly learned two valuable lessons outside of the classroom. One, be confident and aggressive, and two, luck plays a big role in determining our lives.

During my second stay in Oahu, I decided to reach out to a journalism professor from one of the local universities in Hawaii, simply asking for networking advice. Keeping my expectations somewhat low, I was pleased that not only did she reply to my email within 24 hours, but she invited me to join her senior journalism class and tour Honolulu Magazine. Out of all potential professors I could have emailed, I really lucked out in finding someone more than willing to help me network.

Nervous beyond words, partially because driving in downtown Honolulu is some of the worst traffic I've ever experienced, I managed to find the professor and students on the third floor of a tall building conveniently located next to a Starbucks. Iced power chai tea in hand, I felt totally out of my comfort zone, but in the best way.

I learned about several local magazines including Honolulu Magazine, Hawaii Business and Lei Chic. I met several editors in person, sat through a news meeting where I got to experience what a typical Monday is like for the staff, and I got great advice on how to make myself more marketable.

With a little bit of aggressiveness from my end and some good luck, I found my stepping-stone to working in paradise. Of course, plenty of obstacles remain ahead, such as figuring out how to get my car halfway across the world, saving money on a minimum-wage income and securing an actual job in my field.

The job-hunting process can be extremely stressful, regardless of working a few states over, halfway across the world or staying in the same area. No matter where we end up, class of 2012, one thing we will always share is our Bobcat roots — and that is something to certainly be proud of.