Faculty of ArtNew Year’s Resolutions for 2025:
1. Shed the weight… of needing a new job
I am an emotional eater. Whenever I feel anxious, despondent, melancholic, brooding, I will inevitably have a pair of chopsticks wrist deep into a family size bag of BBQ flavored potato chips. During what is supposedly the last year of my master’s degree, I have already polished off countless bags of said chips. But it is time to get my head out of the soft plastic and face the music. It is time to think about getting a job. I am prepared to do anything to make this process less scary and instead, easier and more interesting. And so, just as going to the gym is easier with a friend, come with me in learning how to… ✨network ✨.
2. Quit smoking… the fumes of despair over an uncertain future
“But naur, networking,” you say. I know, it feels infinitely better to marinate in the sweet juices of denial and/or despair. I also hate that I have to think about participating in job searching and any of its associated activities while I am fighting for my life trying to write my thesis, work my two and a half jobs, care about what is happening in the world, and do the dishes or something. However, getting to know and talk to folks doing cool things, connecting with strangers despite this strange pandemic world, taking an interest in what other people are doing over fixating on what I am not doing, will feel good and healthy. Just from existing in the university space, you are already laying down a network of people who already do or could support you – be it from class, RAships, TAships, GAAships, or worklearns.
3. Exercise more… of those social skills
Not to be all “tRanSfErAblE sKiLLs” or anything, but SpongeBob be damned, I do sincerely think graduate level seminars have prepared me very well for thinking on my feet, listening to and then bouncing off what other people are saying, and asking critical questions towards illuminating a bigger picture. While I am by no means good at doing this all the time, I have noticed I am more thoughtful during interviews because I have been able to draw from these classroom experiences of offering my own perspective, views, and feedback based on others’ comments. Who doesn’t love a deep, enriching conversation? Not me! Not a prospective interviewer or industry connection (probably)!
4. Spend more time with loved ones… and strangers who could potentially help guide you towards gainful employment
(bonus points if there is a Venn diagram here for you… in which case, help a brother out?)
But where can one find those prospective interviewers and/or industry connections? Well, lucky for you, the Arts Amplifier (our so-called “gym,” to stay with the metaphor from resolution #1) hosts Networking Week every year, where you can meet and talk to a line-up of strangers of your choice, doing things in areas you feel align with your own interests. Take a look at past hosts who volunteered their time to talk to students. So many fields! So many names! You might get key career advice, other folks to connect to, or even opportunities to seek out from just one conversation.
5. Eat healthier… leave no crumbs at your next informational interview
So, stay tuned for our 2025 Networking Week, scheduled for reading break in February. We will have many different professional folks prepared to meet with you, who work in all kinds of different fields that you might want to learn more about. And never fear; we will help prepare you for success (this gym membership comes with free soul cycle classes, so to speak)! Before we send you off to talk to these strangers, we will help prepare you for how to approach these conversations so you get as much as you can and want out of them. Learn more about informational interviews from our blog post on “What does networking mean to you,” and make sure to sign up for Networking Week this year!
Written by Ying Han, Master’s student in Asian Studies, Curriculum Development and Communications Assistant at the Arts Amplifier.
Published 27 January 2025.