“The Temple News” has tracked the progress
of three seniors from the class of 2007 as they search for employment after graduation. Marching behind banners bearing their colleges’ names, these future graduates will conclude their undergraduate tenures at Temple’s 120th commencement ceremony May 17.
Bernard Mason
Although he is not a marketing major, Mason understands the fundamentals of selling
a product.
“The best thing I can do is market myself,” the broadcast journalism major said, realizing that finding a job in his field can be competitive. “It’s more about how I choose to present myself to a potential employer.”
Mason said he has what it takes to attract the attention of a television network.
“One thing I told myself in the interview process is to remain confident and humble,” Mason said.
He said the skills he learned in his classes have impressed potential employers. “I remember a time when I was talking with a reporter and I was telling him of the things I did at Temple, and he told me that the type of things that we were doing here at Temple were things he hadn’t learned until graduate school,” he said.
Although he was accepted to Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law, Mason decided to defer his enrollment until fall 2008 because he wants to focus on his immediate goal for his future: a job in the media field. Mason said he will miss his friends and the social environment at Temple, adding that he will cherish the opportunities that he has seized.
“One good thing here at Temple is there were a lot of good opportunities. I’ll miss that aspect,” he said. “When you’re in college, people really want to help you out and there’s a lot of different opportunities that are presented to you.”
Mason said he is counting his days left with anticipation that his future aspirations will eventually lead to a professional career in broadcast journalism.
“At this point in my college career, I feel like I’m definitely ready to graduate,” he said. “I feel fulfilled with my college experience here at Temple and I’m ready to take the next step.”
Victoria Barbadoro
“I’m very nervous,” said Barbadoro, an art history major, about graduating.
With two weeks left before graduation, Barbadoro is unsure of what lies ahead in her future.
“I’m prepared to step in the real world, but I have to find my place in it,” she said.Posting her resume on employment Web sites, such as Careerbuilders.com, Barbadoro said she is still waiting for a response from a number of potential employers.
“I didn’t really put myself out there,” she said, adding that she wished she had taken advantage of opportunities to improve herself professionally throughout her undergraduate years. The college experience has been short-lived for Barbadoro, who has been a commuter since she began Temple.
“As a commuter I didn’t get the full experience,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m going to miss Temple itself or if I’ll miss the opportunities that I’ve missed while I was here,” Barbadoro said.
In an effort to expand her career opportunities, Barbadoro said she may move to Naples, Fla.
“I need to spread my wings and see what’s out there. Hopefully I’ll land on my feet,” she said.
Mecca Lewis
Reminiscing about her first days at Temple,
marketing major Mecca Lewis said graduation
will be a “bittersweet” moment. She knows she will miss her college days at Temple.
The difficulty of finding employment in the retail marketing industry has led Lewis to apply for graduate school. Lewis said the transition from undergraduate to graduate school is natural because she is still in “academic mode.”
This was also a factor in her decision to further her studies, she added.
Lewis still plans to search for employment after graduation. She has received acceptance letters from Montclair State University and Temple. But Lewis said she is still weighing the pros and cons of each school before making a decision. If she attends Temple, she will enroll in the School of Communications and Theatre,
concentrating in strategic organization and communication. Lewis said she credits her acceptance into both schools to the curriculum of the Fox School of Business, which she feels sharpened her professional development.
“Temple does a good job of preparing students for networking,” Lewis said.
After graduation, Lewis will retreat back to her home in Hillside, N.J. to live with her parents for a much needed break. “I know I need to get a job, but right now I’m going to go home and spend time with my family,” she said, adding that she plans on eventually finding a summer job.
Though Lewis has yet to choose which school she will attend for the upcoming fall semester, she said she is leaning towards Temple.
“But I’m still going to give myself a little bit more time,” she said.
Brittany Diggs can be reached at bdiggs@temple.edu.
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