GRATEFUL...

Hello Me Darlings...

How's everyone doing?! Hope your week has gotten off to a great start! The past couple of weeks have been busy, great and an emotional roller coaster for me. It's been a month since I began working at my job, and so far so good. I love my team. They are patient with explaining things to me, guiding me through and showing me the ropes. I also am grateful for downtime on the job that gives me time to take care of my side PR gig.

I recently signed a new client...yay me! Her name is Carolyne, if you haven't already, listen to her just released single here . So far she has about 2,500+ views on You Tube, and I can't wait for her to release new tracks and for people to get to know her and like her music too. So, I officially have two clients whose PR I handle...Yesi and Carolyne.
In addition to my PR gig, I recently just got offered another gig that offers me the opportunity for my voice to be heard :) I can't wait to share the news with you all, but I am excited and looking forward to delivering 110%!

A 9 -5, and two side gigs, best believe this young-lady is busy and productive and I'm not complaining! The other day my friend tweeted something that I agreed with. It had to do with realizing how blessed we truly are, and I couldn't agree more. Lately, I've been on the edge, worrying about things that I wish would fall into place asap, but unfortunately no matter how much I worry, nothing's going to change now. I've been losing my temper over tiniest things and just having mood swings all over the place. All this while forgetting about all the good things already happening in my life. I mean, it could be bad real bad Michael Jackson, but it's not. And for that I am grateful. So this week, I'm going to pick one thing everyday for which/whom I am grateful for and just focus on that. I hope you all can do the same and find joy and fulfillment in it.

Here are a few songs that helped in reminding me how truly blessed I am. Enjoy, and have a blessed week ahead me darlings.

PS: You can find me on Twitter @MissUnubunPR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHSBtx9ftJs

Have a grateful rest of the week guys!

Hugs & Kisses,

Ms. Yvonne.

You’re Hired!

Like every college graduate, the idea of graduating from college is one that is filled with mixed feelings. Of course there is the great joy and excitement of being done with the college phase of one's life, and then there's the reality of the unexciting job market that awaits. For anyone about to graduate, my advice for you is to prepare yourself for job hunt/search phase, and develop a thick skin to handle the rejection emails (that's if you even receive any).

I say this because the wait time between graduation and hearing "You're hired!" varies.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2010-05-19-jobs19_CV_N.htm

The above article although from last year, still paints a good picture of what the job hunt process is like, but like I said the transition process from student to professional varies. It is shorter for some, and for some, just too long. But take it from a fellow recent graduate who just got hired, there is hope! My advice, maximize every opportunity – LinkedIn, Twitter, networking events, alumni, etc… keep sending out those resumes/cover letters. And lastly, don't take the rejection to heart or make it personal. I remember when I wasn't getting responses to my applications; I began to wonder if something was wrong with me. What wasn't I doing right? Am I not good enough? The reality is it has nothing to do with me or you; it's just a very competitive market at the moment, with limited openings.

I interviewed twice for my current job, and I lost track of how many interviews I had been to and I stopped counting how many applications I had sent out by thirty.

Its week two at my new job (digital agency), and I love it here already. I wish everyone out there looking for a job, or an internship all the very best!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me and I'll be more than willing to chat and answer your questions.

Hang in there and keep going!

 

Best,

Yvonne. J

Fall Update

Hello there...



It's been months! And I sincerely apologize for staying away, but come to think about it, readership is rather non-existent so I guess my absence wasn't noticed.



Anyways, let me give you a quick update/rundown of what has been happening at this end.

School began in late August, and seeing as this is my last semester I had expected the work-load to be really light but the opposite is the case. My senior thesis, which is a workshop class in which we are split into teams of 5 members and work with an actual client is kicking my behind seriously! There's so much work to be done. Conducting research, surveys, compiling the data, writing analysis papers, putting together an ad campaign and a PR campaign to support, hosting an event on campus and then finally evaluation. All of this in addition to my three other classes, a 16hour internship and a side PR gig. *phew*



The last time I remember being this busy, was when I had two part-time jobs and worked six days a week, and that was over three years ago. But I'm not complaining because being busy gives me very little time for my thoughts to wander, or for me to worry about trivial things or even really big things like finding a job after graduation. Also, being busy is forcing me to learn to manage my time wisely and learn how to prioritize projects.



My internship experience has been ok so far. I am currently interning at Y&R, which is an advertising agency here in NY. It is great to finally match things I've heard in the classroom and read in books with the hands-on experience. As I write this post, I am currently at my client's photo-shoot. Interesting you think? Sure, especially when the shoot is centered around bread and crackers! Who would have thought it took an army to shoot ads for food items. We have the photographer, the props manager and food stylists, who have picked out the perfect looking crackers and placed them piece by piece in bowls to look all purrty for their shoot. Great experience today has been. I look forward to the remaining seven weeks of my internship, and I am praying that towards the end of it there's an opening for a full-time position *fingers crossed*



During the final days of the summer, I picked up a PR side gig for a Nigerian artist by the name of Yesi. And so far so good. I have to say the entertainment industry is definitely a tough one, especially for people who are still trying to work their way up and get exposure. Everyone wants to know what they can get out of you, and they want to milk you for as much as they can. People forget that for upcoming artists who haven't began to land paid gigs and shows, things are hard. They can barely afford to pay for studio time not to talk of paying to perform. What happened to wanting to support them and giving them an opportunity so that when they finally make it, they can return the favor. But hey, what do I know. I'll keep doing my little bit to help get him featured here and there; though that in itself is another fete! All in all I'm loving my job.

So folks, that's about it for now. Wish me luck with everything! Till when next I update, have a wonderful week ahead and continue to be the best you can be.


PS: Follow me on Twitter: @MissUnubun
Checkout Yesi @ http://www.yesimusic.com/



Best,
Ms. Yvonne.

Summer Update

Hey there! How’s your summer coming along? Hope it’s been an awesome, eventful, fun-filled summer! So much has happened from the last time I was on here, and I apologize for not updating you…but I’m here now:
 Spring 2010 semester ended on a good note with good grades.
 Still did not get any offers for summer internship positions, but my spring internship got extended till August so I’m hanging in there.
 Started sending out applications for the fall semester, had a couple of interviews here and there and just yesterday, got an offer for Y&R that’s ad speak for Young & Rubicam; one of the well known ad agencies in the NY area with offices all over the world.
 My last semester in college begins in August and I’m looking forward to graduating in December. Hopefully the job market improves drastically by then.
 Trying to decide between going to do NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) and applying to grad school for fall 2011. Hmmm decisions… decisions!!!
 In the mean-time, I’m looking for a side-gig to earn some $$$. Any form of business venture, temp-assistantship, hourly or per-diem kind of position let me know 

Well, that’s about it for now. So far summer has been fun and hot! and I am NOT looking forward to the cold fall/winter weather, and everyday that goes by I realize the days of being layered up and bound in woolen apparel are drawing near *sigh*
Enjoy the rest of your day and stay hydrated!
Best,
Yvonne!

The Internship Hunt

Hello there!

It's been about a month since I stopped by...and not so much has happened between then and now.
The semester is coming to an end...two presentations and one exam to go, and Spring 2010 will be over. It has been a tough semester/Q1 not because of my course load, but because of the job/internship search.

I'm sure I've said this before, but I'll say it again...It is TOUGH out there. I cannot count how many applications, resumes and cover letters I filled and sent out. I went on about 8-9 interviews, got a temp gig as a marketing intern with a software company downtown...this gig ends next month, and still yet no call backs from anyone for the summer. Being jobless and bored was not part of my plan.

The part that disappoints me the most is the lack of courtesy by these companies in sending out an e-mail to say sorry but we decided to go with someone else. Rejection hurts but total silence is just frustrating. I understand they get applications in the hundreds, but after sending an email saying you are amongst the finalists being considered, I think its only fair to let a candidate know what your final decision is...good or bad. *sigh*

Well, I guess life isn't fair so these things happen but it doesn't make it right. Been scouring the web, and craigslist to find any last minute summer openings but nothing that seems to appear interesting or challenging to me. As Senior, I want a position where I can learn something that is helpful to me and my advertising career. I dnt want to graduate from college, get into the real world be like deer in head-lights. I want a challenging experience.

I registered to take one summer class, at least something to keep me busy just incase nothing works out. But I remain positive,(or at least I try to) and continue to look and hope that what's mine will come my way. I'm a Nigerian and a New Yorker and if there's one thing we don't do...we do not QUIT. Wake up everyday and keep going, keep pursuing that dream and make it a reality.

Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's day weekend.
Thank you to all the wonderful Mother's out there!

Talk to you soon,
Ms. Yvonne.

Overload!

Hello Reader,

How's your week coming along? Hope great! It's only Tuesday and mine is as hectic as can be. I have three major quizzes and a Bio exam on Thursday so imagine all the reading I have to do. Yeah...a lot of reading, and this does not include my regular everyday reading. My regular everyday reading involves doing blog-rounds, scanning the dailies to keep up with the ever changing world, and then my advertising industry journals. Talk about major information overload!

It gets exhausting sometimes trying to keep up with it all, and I wonder how do other people do it? How do you do it? How do you cope with all the information that is constantly being thrown at you? I understand that it is humanly impossible to read it all, and you've got to prioritize but then its almost as if each one is just as important, and you don't want to miss out, and then be in the uninformed category.

Every where I look, people are consuming information in one form or another. Constantly glued to the Berry's, Iphones, TV screens, Internet, chatting with colleagues, strangers on the bus...all the while being bombarded with news, details, stories and happenings both past and present. It is the age of information overload...and I'm just curious as to how you handle it? What do you read? What's important to you and what isn't (in regards to information)?

I can't be the only one feeling slightly overwhelmed with it all...so share your story.

PS: Got a Marketing Internship position at a company downtown. Start in a week, and I'm excited to hit the ground running. Though, I'm not exactly 100% sure what and what I'm going to be handling, I'll get my full break-down on my start day. Still hoping for summer position at Young & Rubicam, or DraftFCB since my main area of interest is account management. Will keep you posted.

Have a great week ahead, and continue to be the BEST you can be.

Adios,
Ms. Yvonne!

Good or Bad, Make the Call.

Hello Reader,

It's been a while since I stopped by, and I do apologize for the indefinite absence. A lot has happened, and is happening. So as you all know this is the period for hunting; summer internship hunting I mean, and boy has it been tough! If you take a look at my sent folder in my e-mail, you'll think I was a stalker. I have lost count of how many internship openings and companies I have applied to in the past month.

Initially I was started of looking for advertising internship positions since my focus is account management, but when I realized that I kept seeing PR openings I had to keep an open mind and apply for those too. Afterall my major is advertising and PR. So far, I've had about four interviews out of which two promised to call the next week with their decision. Its been two weeks and neither companies have called.

Now, I don't have a problem with rejection. I do understand that the job market is pretty competitive and agressive right now, and I do understand that they may have found a more qualified candidate for the position. But for crying out loud, please have the courtesy to call or e-mail, and say thanks, but we went with someone else. This way, I too can cross the company off my list and focus on others and continue with my search. I am almost tempted to ask why they couldn't simply do this, but I dnt want to come off as an upset or disturbed applicant...so I'll let go, and move on.

Regardless, the hunt continues and I remain positive that in due time I'll get a call-back.
I'll do my best to keep you posted.
In the mean time have a great weekend, and pls DO NOT TEXT AND DRIVE!!!

Adios,
Yvonne.