Employment Blog
One Drive Access to all of my files: employment assignment
10/08/24
Resumes
When preparing for my soon reentry into the job market there are still many things I have to do in preparation. After reviewing my current resume compared to my peers I realised I had to create one that showed more of my creativity.
Peer Examples:
Before any revisions:
In my undergraduate degree I was told to stick to a word document because my major was digital cinema and not graphic design. So that is why I had a very clean cut looking resume straight out of a template. But after looking over my peers and hearing my lecturer's advice when curating the document, I knew I had to spice mine up. In the word document there was not enough space for an about me section. So that is when I started creating my resume in InDesign. There were templates in there as well but I wanted complete control over my document so I started from scratch and I based my design off of this template.
Format Example:
I knew I wanted to grab the reader's attention with an eye catching image from my photography portfolio. I also wanted to show how many things I could do within the media industry right at the top of the page. I liked the lines within the design I found and I felt that it separated each of the different categories into their respective little boxes. I didn’t really know what to put into the about me section. I had never seen such a thing on a resume before, so I just put what my current situation is and how I’m ready to return to the workplace.
First Draft:
After showing my lecturers and peers they were in agreement that the lines had to go because they were bulky and jarring. The about me section was too vague and would soon be outdated since I will be graduating in less than a month. I was very pleased with the software experience section because not only did it show the programs I am familiar with but also the amount of years of experience I had with them. Which would be way more substantial to future employers than just the list of software. Also what should be put in bold is the position I held and not the location of the business. Another thing the lecturer stated, that listing all that I could do at the top was overwhelming and wouldn’t be necessary for every single job I was applying for. I took all that advice and put it into the final draft of my resume.
Final Draft:
Cover Letter
When creating my cover letter for potential future employers I had a more challenging time with what exactly I should write. I knew I wanted to be vague enough that I could use it across multiple different job applications. I also wanted to explain my reasoning for going back to school within the letter and what I have gotten out of this year.
First Draft:
After showing my lecturer Sarah my first draft I was given multiple points of how I could improve. What was stressed the most was the purpose of the cover letter. In these paragraphs this was my opportunity to tell the employers what I liked about their company, what I would bring to the table, along with the explanation of skills and interests that are aligned with each other. So after the lecture which gave specific examples of what to do for each paragraph and how the page should be formatted, I took another shot at the letter by using a specific company with a job offering for this assignment.
Second Draft:
Once again I was given suggestions to revise some of the wording. After that I wrote my final draft which I feel is the strongest cover letter I have completed thus far.
Final Draft:
Demo Reel
In my undergraduate degree I also completed a show reel at the end of my final year. The major difference between the two was I had four years of work to choose between. While here I have only done five animations over the course of the last year but that made it easier for me by picking the best parts from each piece and editing them together with upbeat music. My lecturer had the suggestion of adding lower thirds to describe what I had learned in that particular project. I agreed that it would be beneficial and also let the viewer know what the piece is called and the software used. The lower thirds do indeed work until Hook, Line, and Sinker appears because it was only on screen for a few seconds and there is no time for the viewer to read the graphic, which was then the case for the rest of the reel. I think it might be better to add those descriptions in the video summary section for the viewer to read at their own pace.
First Draft:
In order for the viewer to identify which description matches the video each one will be given a number.
Final Draft:
Portfolio Website
I created my website in my final year of my undergraduate degree. Since then I have continued to update it when I have completed new work, whether in my professional career or personal landscapes I have taken on holidays. So when I started the year getting my masters in animation, I thought what better way to document my process than through my website. Employers and my counterparts can see the progress I have made not only through my videos but the descriptive blogs as well.
Website:
https://www.shannondevlinevp.com/animation
My only complaint is when I tried to add my new resume to my website it kept coming out grainy, no matter what file I imported it as, which was disappointing. But what is already placed into the website is sufficient and describes more of my work history than the resume could.
