00:00 UMaine's New Media program
02:13 Results of survey on digital skills in demand
Hard skills (UX Design) versus soft skills (Communication)
04:14 Introducing our four alumni
04:45 Matt James, co-founder of CourseStorm
08:45 The challenges of starting your own company
"Starting a company is like jumping off a cliff and assembling the plane on the way down."
09:20 Get hired by demonstrating interest
10:43 CourseStorm as an example of a company that hires New Media graduates
12:06 Ashley Duggan White, UX designer at IDEXX
12:57 IDEXX, a company focused on veterinary health care
"It's ok not to know what you want to do for the rest of your life."
17:25 The importance of internships
19:52 How do you get an internship or job?
23:02 How do you enter a STEM field with an arts-style degree (Maizy Guinn)
The advantage of having a broad background.
25:15 What are red flags that identify a potentially bad employer? (Bobby Hebert)
27:14 How do you choose projects for your portfolio? (David Lavoie)
29:08 How should you describe your projects in a portfolio? (Joline Blais)
Demonstrate interest in the subject beyond your coursework.
32:18 Zev Eisenberg, mobile app developer at The New York Times
34:22 Getting hired by advocating for yourself
Ask for a signing bonus.
38:02 Questions to ask in an interview
Ask about benefits: parental leave, time off, remote versus in-person.
42:57 Ryan Page, electronic composer and PhD candidate, University of California
The importance of learning from colleagues.
49:30 Be humble; assume technologies will change
Working for Electronic Arts.
"New media is like a shark; if it stops moving, it dies."
51:57 Applying for a Masters or Ph.D
How will this multi-year commitment affect your life?
The importance of funding and resources to support your research.
58:45 Is it more helpful to be an expert or to have breadth? (Alyssa Demanche)
60:37 How do I make connections required for a job? (Jake Hotaling)
Start from people that you know.
Respect people's time by keeping your initial communications brief.
63:18 Should new graduates apply for entry-level jobs that require 3-5 years experience? (Claire Hubby)
"A job description is a wishlist."
"College is experience too."
65:07 Should you wait until the end of school to get a job? (David Clement)
A part-time job or internship before graduating can lead to a job.
66:22 Are there any risks you took after graduating you are most proud of? (Conner Ingalls)
The best time to take risks is when you're young.
Take a risk with someone else if you can.
This presentation was recorded by the University of Maine's New Media program. For more information, contact ude.eniam@otiloppij.
Timecodes are in hours minutes
This New Media workshop from 20 January 2022 featured alumni of UMaine's New Media program, who share practical advice for choosing and sustaining a creative life in the 21st-century job market.
The career landscape of 2022 offers a rich array of options for graduates with an interest in the creative application of technology. One of the presenters designs interfaces for healthcare services; another composes avant-garde music; others make mobile apps and websites. They work at organizations ranging from the University of California to The New York Times to a thriving startup just off the UMaine campus. All are former New Media Majors.
This 2022 webinar follows on a successful Discover New Media Careers webinar in 2021, which featured alumni working everywhere from Salt Lake City to Switzerland.
Presenters include:
This is part of a series of free webinars on cutting-edge technologies offered by the University of Maine's New Media program, which teaches animation, digital storytelling, gaming, music, physical computing, video, and web and app development. These are not Powerpoint lectures but guided demonstrations that students can follow at school or at home on their laptops. More about these webinars.
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