Life After College...The Aidan Mewha Story

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Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

I recently received a job from SBS Farms in New York. I am moving to Florida to work with some of the most talented individuals in the horse industry.

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Why don't you get a job?

There are several things I do when looking for a job:

1. Search internet sites I'm available with
2. Talk to people I know
3. Look in the paper

The method that has worked best for me so far is searching the internet and then integrating that with speaking to people. Granted, the only employment I have gained so far has been at Arby's and at a five-star equestrian facility, but both jobs have helped me gain skills that will work toward my goals in the future. I have gained phone skills, some managerial skills, and I've honed my multi-tasking and troubleshooting abilities through those jobs, which I am forever thankful for.

So, my process is that I hear of a place and then I go on their website and look at their employment page and see if anything strikes my fancy. Then I talk to someone about that opportunity and see if it fits my life, and if it does, I apply. That's actually part of the story of how I gained my internship at WKBN. But we'll leave that for another time. Or look back in my blog if you care to find out more.

I figure I'll keep using this method until I get overly desperate and start living out of a box. Or in my parent's house.

But that's all I have on job searches for now, it's County Line night tonight, and I have to get ready for our amazing show!

Monday, November 20, 2006

Now presenting...

Last Wednesday the first three people to complete Capstone gave their presentations. It was odd to watch them as I have known all of these people all the years that I've been here. These presentations were nothing new to me as I've been sitting through the presentations since my Freshman year, and they usually all say the same thing: pack your suitcase, there are no jobs, and here's what I did. Steve talked a lot about his journey to get where he is, and it got me thinking about how I got to where I was. I started out Broadcasting by accident, and yet, once I get into something, I always give my entire being to it, no matter what it is. That's why I think I've gotten so much help and so many opportunities throughout my years here, because I have passion.

This capstone class, nostalgic as it is to see them go, isn't the one that made me cry. Kirsten and I have been the two ridiculous people since Freshman year, and I know that I'll miss her. BUT the only presentation that I ever broke down and cried after was Pat Sandora's. I knew that we were losing an irreplacable source in our news room, and I still miss him. Luckily, he's out making his way in the world becoming more and more famous everyday, so...YAY!!

I really don't have a lot of thoughts on the capstone presentations other than to be organized and ready to sell yourself to that crowd. That's all I have.

Thank you, and good night.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

I'm not letterman.

It seems that as soon as someone does something intelligent and creative we all must follow suit and fantail off of it. I guess I should get used to the idea since I'm going into television. So here it is:

Aidan's Top ___ Ideas of how to Manage Your TIME.
1. Write everything and anything down that you need to do and give approximate times of how long it will take you.
2. Work efficiently by doing tasks that flow well into each other so there's no backtracking which equals a lot of spare time.
3. Stop talking about how you dont have time! If you have enough time to tell me you don't have time to do things, those were a few minutes where you could have done something productive.
4. MULTI-TASK. Do more than one thing at a time. You do it all the time! You talk on the phone and walk, you eat and chat with friends, you surf the net and talk on IM. COUNTLESS numbers of things you can do at the same time.
5. Don't wait until the last minute if you don't have the resources or willpower to get it done without feeling as though you need to kill yourself. Procrastination is an art many think they have down, but it takes more skill than most think. Don't procrstinate unless you already know how to manage your time. It's not for beginners.
6. Ask for help if you need it. No one expects everyone to do everything on their own. If you need help ask in a TIMELY manner and i'm sure someone will help you out.

That's all I have for a list at the moment. It's very hard for me to grasp that people don't understand how to manage their time because I've been doing it since Elementary school. But, as I move into the workplace and help manage different people I am realizing quickly that either people don't care or they don't understand how to manage their time. If you don't get a full night's sleep one night because you need to finish something, that's how it is. Get used to it, get tough, and get committed. That's how it is out in the real world.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Comparison Blogging

This week, we had to go through a graduate's blog from beginning to end and look at their goals and ideas. All the juicy stuff that went on in their little heads when contemplating graduation...much like someone will have to look at ours down the road and laugh at how foolish we once were. Just kidding, but seriously. Anyway, I chose to look at a close friend of mine who's personal goals seem to be the complete antithesis of everything that I am: Shannon McClain, or whatever it is now.

Now, I love Shannon to death but as it was, her goal was to get married and go from there. That is fine, but not my cup of tea. I doubt I will ever get married and I pity the man I ever do. I am career driven and want to do everything I can in order to achieve my goals, which entails extensive travel, long hours, and everything and anything else. I'm ready to committ to my life, not someone else's. After reading through Shannon's blog, I got a sense of wishy-washyness that lead me to believe she wasn't really preparing for a career of her own, but to follow her husband and whatever he is going to do. I've met Eric, and he has a really good job and is a real sweetheart, so luckily they aren't going to be starving or anything. They can play house and be happy.

That's not what I want. I want to move out to California and make my own agenda. I don't care if I have to get there by way of Mobile, Alabama, I will get there one day. Shannon said that she was researching some markets down in Virginia and stuff, but I haven't heard what she's been doing. Maybe she got a job reading news, maybe she's cutting grass...I don't know, but Shannon always made the best out of every situation and was always a happy-go-lucky person, so I'm sure she's doing great. I don't want anyone to think that I'm degrating Shannon and her choices. Everyone has their own idea of what their ideal life was, and Shannon's was that, and mine is something else, and Mr. Weaver's is something else. As long as she has achieved her ultimate happiness, then that is all that matters.

So that's my schpiel. There wasn't a lot of content, but made me realize a lot of things about myself, so I feel that it was useful. Everyone have a great week! Look for the pancake package on thursday!