What's It Like To Be That Major? What's It Like To Be That Major?
Description of each major in the communication field.
Learning in All Seasons: Summer and Winter Terms Learning in All Seasons: Summer and Winter Terms
Information about summer and winter terms.
Real Life, Right Now: The Alumni Experience Real Life, Right Now: The Alumni Experience
Alumni talk about post-college experiences.
What Class is That? What Class is That?
A detailed description your upcoming classes.
Jodi Hornby
Max Madsen
Jenny Zinda

Real Life, Right Now: The Alumni Experience

As you work through your college years it’s likely that you’re growing accustomed to college life. The thought of life after graduation is something that only looms in the distance, far from the reality of your current lifestyle. But, sooner or later you’ll graduate and being your life in the real world. To help you gain some insight on what it’s like to work in the world of communications we interviewed three alumni that were willing to share their post-college experience with us.

Amber Benson
The Hunt Begins

Amber Benson graduated from Whitewater in December 2008 with a degree in Journalism; it took her about three months to find a job. She began her job hunt by creating a resume on Monster.com, but she didn’t hear back from any employers that she was interested in working for. Amber furthered her search by searching for positions on JournalismJobs.com. Additionally, she sent a cover letter, resume and clips of published work to any publications that had positions she was interested in. After two weeks, she would follow up with them either by e-mail or over the phone. “. . . I came close to the final cut for some of them [jobs], but people with more work experience beat me,” Amber said, “But following up helps a lot, because it shows you want the job.” Amber decided to focus on getting hired at a local publication. She is now a freelance journalist for the Southern Lakes Newspapers. Most of her work can be found in The Elkhorn Independent, Walworth Fontana Times and The Sharon Reporter.

A Journalist’s Duties

While reporting, Amber covers Village Board Meetings which last one to four hours long. “When the meetings end, I go home and begin writing the story,” Benson said. She finishes the story early morning before her noon deadline. For feature stories, she is given two days to conduct interviews and come up with a story. “My editor assigns me stories continuously, so there’s no set schedule to follow,” Amber said. “I like it, because my story assignments are often surprises and my job isn’t dull as a result.”

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