Welcome to the Real World

Leaving college to enter the working world is challenging. A few months ago, I could barely even wake up in time for my 8 a.m. class. Now, I wake up each morning at 6:45 and head off to a full day of work. But as it turns out, the “real world” is really just another learning opportunity.

Coming from a liberal arts school, I was equally qualified and unqualified for virtually every job out there. I spent the last few weeks of my college career looking for a job with only a vague notion of what I wanted to do, telling friends and family that I was going to do “marketing.” I applied for the media planner position here not quite sure of what I was getting into, or even what I’d be doing.

My past few weeks of work, then, have been information overload. I’ve learned the process of purchasing commercial spots to air on radio stations and TV stations, and how to send “traffic,” insider lingo for commercials, to radio and TV stations. I’ve also learned the phrase “fire drill,” which is shorthand for “stop whatever you’re doing and do this instead.” In fact, I’ve learned something new every single day that I’ve been here at CLM.

So as it turns out, learning in college is the perfect preparation for a career. Now all I have to do is figure out how to work in those month-long school breaks, and I’ll be back in my comfort zone once again.

Oscar Mariscal | Jun 9, 2015