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June 22, 2012
Hello, hello! Long time no see.
I think I may be the worst blogger of all time, and for this, I am sorry. Life sometimes gets in the way of side projects like this, but with a bit more time on my hands now, I hope to rejuvenate this blog and chronicle my search for a full-time job.
Just over a month ago, I officially graduated from George Mason University. Although I was reluctant to go there after I graduated high school, I happily recognize now that it was the best decision for me. Mason gave me beautiful opportunities to grow as a journalist, and gave me the chance to make wonderful contacts with a variety of people. I don’t really look at my time there as an academic achievement though — yes, I graduated with a good GPA, and yes, I learned things, sure. But what I am taking away from my four years as a Patriot are the various ways that I was able to get involved in journalism, principally my roots in Student Media, and then moving on to professional internships.
But now that chapter in my life is over and I am actively seeking a job in journalism. Without getting into it too much, I was offered a position with a news organization right before graduation, but after some deliberation I turned it down. It just wasn’t right for me. I guess some people could look at that as foolish, but I’m just a dreamer, and it wasn’t my dream, and I didn’t think it could get me to my dream.
I’ve had a few promising interviews since, and I am crossing my fingers for a job. But I’m not desperate. I have a comfortable life, I’m not worried about rent (living with the parents) and I have no student loans to pay (thank you, Mom and Dad). So, while this isn’t the perfect situation, things will work out. Things always do. In times like these, I often recall one of my favorite lines from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: “Our lives are defined by opportunities. Even the ones we miss.”
So follow your dreams, readers. It’s scary, I know. I have a friend (a very brave one) who turned down a fantastic job, all for the chance to go to another country and work at a low-level job, just to have the experience of living there for a year. She is truly an inspiration in that she knows what she wants and is willing to put it all on the line. I hope to emulate that courage and also follow my dreams.
Filed by yasmintadjdeh at June 22nd, 2012 under Uncategorized
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January 13, 2012
While simultaneously looking back and forward, I have come to the realization that I am profoundly blessed in so many ways.
Every, and I mean every, opportunity I’ve ever had in my life came from people giving me a chance when I didn’t deserve it. For some reason I’ve always been at the right place at the right time. Things have fallen apart, but from their endings have come wonderful new opportunities. I’m on my third internship, I’m the editor-in-chief of a magazine for GMU, I’ve worked in Student Media for two and half years and worked for my high school’s newspaper for three years.
I’m currently interning at USA Today working for USA Today College where I get to edit articles and then digitally package them. I also get to do some administrative tasks. It is an incredible opportunity and I learn new things every single day. I get to meet people who care about what they are doing and I get to see the business side of journalism. It is everything I could ever want in an internship.
With my magazine, which will cover diversity at George Mason, people are once again giving me a chance. I’ll get to recruit a team of writers, photographers, videographers, sales people and designers. I get to really create something from the ground up.
And hopefully, if I’m once again lucky, at this end of the semester when I graduate some company will give me a chance and let me work for them.
I hope to the Lord that I will get to stay in my beloved Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C. area, but I am willing to move anywhere. Besides, moving may be a good experience. When I went to Pennsylvania I truly felt like I grew up in a way. Going somewhere would be an adventure.
I’m not exactly sure why I wrote this post. Mostly because I felt bad that I’m such a bad blogger, but mostly because I wanted to express how very lucky and blessed I am.
I have asked a number of seasoned journalists how they got their start in the business and they usually say the same thing: they were in the right place at the right time. I guess that seems unfair, and it is on a level, but that’s how life is. It’s all about meeting people, taking chances, and half the time just being there.
That’s how it has always been for me.
But while luck can perhaps get you a job, it is your perseverance and work ethic that keeps you there.
Filed by yasmintadjdeh at January 13th, 2012 under Uncategorized
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November 6, 2011
Where has this semester gone? I can’t believe it’s November already.
Things in my life are starting to wrap up. There is only one month left in my internship, midterms are over and professors are preparing us for our final projects and tests.
Autumn is becoming winter. It’s getting darker.
I can’t say I’m sad to be honest. This semester has been a challenging one. Juggling school and my internship has been really difficult. As you can probably imagine, working 9-5 and going to class 7:20-10:00 can become difficult fast. But at the same time, this schedule has taught me how to manage my time better which is something I’ve always needed to work on.
Besides that, particularly on the internship side of things, I’ve learned so much and met some great people. With classes, I don’t really feel like I’m learning much to be honest.
For now, I’m just focusing on finishing up this semester and looking ahead to next semester–my last semester. I’ve already registered for my classes and submitted my graduation intent. Now I’m just looking for an internship. I’m hoping to get a nice part-time internship somewhere in D.C. working in the media, obviously. If that doesn’t work out I’ll still have a magazine to work on.
And then… I’ll look for a job. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to stay in D.C. but I am open to moving, though I wouldn’t want to go far away. Living in Pennsylvania over the summer was nice, but it was terribly lonely. I don’t think I could be happy moving somewhere completely new and staying there at least a year.
Everything is ending, and that’s okay. Just a little scary.
Filed by yasmintadjdeh at November 6th, 2011 under Uncategorized
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October 9, 2011
I think I’m pretty bad at keeping up with a blog. I had really hoped to write more frequently, but both my internships have had my sign contracts prohibiting me from blogging on them, which does make this a bit difficult.
I think I can say, however, that my internship this semester has provided me with wonderful opportunities and I even interviewed former presidential candidate Ralph Nader. He is probably the most famous person I’m going to interview for the near future.
But as for the rest of my life, I’ve been trying to balance school, work, religion and a social life, but it has been challenging to say the least. This mostly results in sleep deprivation and constant tiredness–I think I’ve only been sleeping a maxmium of 4 hours during the weekday. Nonetheless, I’m sure it will work out somehow.
I mostly wrote this blog post so I could share a poem with you. I found it on a website called Mini Motivation, which basically shows a bite-sized piece of inspiration when you go on their webpage. Whenever I get down in the dumps I hop onto their website and, more often than not, I end up feeling better.
In a time in my life where I am kind of confused and more than overwhelmed, this poem really struck me. I hope it does the same for you.
To Risk
William Arthur Ward
To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.
Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.
Filed by yasmintadjdeh at October 9th, 2011 under Uncategorized
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September 17, 2011
“The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live.”
Elbert Hubbard said that. I don’t know much about that man, except that he and his wife both died when German U-Boats sank the RMS Lusitania, but I do know that Hubbard knows what he is talking about.
For the longest time I thought I was missing out on life; I thought that my friends led such exciting lives, and here I was just going through the motions.
To quote a song from Tangled, I was basically wondering when will my life begin?
But I realize now that I live an absolutely fantastic and privileged life!
No, I’ve never been abroad, nor have I accomplished any great feat, but I have laughed probably more than most people on Earth. I’ve seen natural beauty so fantastical and magical that it leaves me with no doubt that God exists. I get to work in my dream job field and get paid for it even though I haven’t graduated yet. I have a wonderful niece and nephew. I’m blessed in about a thousand ways.
It’s kind of silly when I think back on what I thought merited a worthwhile, fulfilled life–living on campus and traveling to foreign destinations come to mind. Those are both fine things, but they certainly don’t make one’s life greater than someone who hasn’t done those thing. To be perfectly honest, I always thought I was boring simply because I had never done those things. The idea seems absurd to me now.
I know plenty of people who live on campus and from what I can see, live rather uneventful lives. I know people who have traveled to wonderful, gorgeous places across the world and are just as interesting as I am.
I have big dreams for the future and I am incredibly excited to see what life has in store for me in the coming months. I recently just started my internship at Doublethink magazine in Washington, D.C. and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
Life is awesome and it’s what we make of it.
Filed by yasmintadjdeh at September 17th, 2011 under Uncategorized
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August 25, 2011
When I departed from Dulles on Monday to Chicago it literally took me until the very moment I stepped out of the CTA’s train station and into the city for it to hit me where I was. Chicago has always been one of those places that I’d heard about and admired. I’ve always thought of it as a more low-key version of New York City, and a cooler version of D.C.–plus they get a ton of snow, right? And I love snow.
So when I ascended up those stairs and got my first look at the skyscrapers, the hustle and bustle of the city and the sunset I couldn’t help but fall in love immediately.
Chicago has everything I love–a vibrant nightlife, bars, theater, art, a large public transportation system and exciting suburbs. Besides that I enjoy how well Chicago mixes business and casual. New York City has all the things as well, but Chicago is smaller and from what I can see a bit more cohesive.
And do I have even have to mention Lake Michigan? It’s gorgeous!
Not that Chicago doesn’t have its bad parts. It’s obvious that gangs are a common part of Chicago life. That’s obviously an issue. And I’m not entirely sure how wise it is to my journalism career to move here. I know there is the Trib, but are journalism jobs here plentiful?
And I have to mention, Chicago is in Illinois. I don’t know if I need to say more than that.
But in general, this has been a lovely trip. I went to the Sears Tower, dined on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building, ate real Chicago deep-dish pizza and got lost on their subway system. I guess I just did touristy stuff, but Chicago and I could have a future together from what I’ve seen.
Filed by yasmintadjdeh at August 25th, 2011 under Uncategorized
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August 11, 2011
I’m not entirely sure where the summer has gone–I feel like it was just yesterday I moved into my apartment in Harrisburg, but here I am back in Virginia already. My internship ended officially on Friday, but I worked unofficially Monday and I am truly so sad to leave. Although I trash-talked Harrisburg pretty much everyday I was there, I’m really going to miss it.
For all its crappiness and lack of having anything to do, Harrisburg has some really fantastic people living in it and I’m really going to miss them. Plus, working in politics was something I had never ever done before, I still can’t believe I actually enjoyed covering government.
I suppose I’m still in a bit of daze realizing that my job in Pennsylvania is over. Going in I was so worried about being bad at my job, and while I’m still not a perfect journalist I see so much improvement in my work. As I said before, I really feel like I did things that mattered.
For now, I’m in a bit of journalistic limbo until my internship starts in mid-September. It’s kind of nice having a break but at the same time I kind of feel like I’m unemployed. It sucks not knowing where my placement will be, I’m so anxious to find out.
Still, the rest of of summer is going to be fantastic–I’m leaving for what my friends and I call “Mountain Week” tomorrow; we head to WV and stay at my uncle’s huge mountain house for a week and basically enjoy nature, watch movies and just detox from living in the hustle and bustle of NoVa. The best part is that it is generally about 10 degrees cooler there than here so it’s my favorite temperatures, 60s and 70s.
When I get back I’m going to my first Nationals baseball game which I’m incredibly excited about. I’m really trying to get better at understanding sports, it seems like a good quality for someone to have.
And still my awesome month of August continues. I’m going to Chicago for a couple of days in late August, which will be fantastic, and finally I’m going to a taping of the Maury Show just before school starts. I know it’s trash television, but what I can I say? We all have guilty pleasures.
So one chapter of my life has closed, and another one is about to begin. In the mean time I’m just relaxing because I know I’m going to be absolutely swamped with work in the fall.
Sorry that this post wasn’t written particularly well and that it didn’t offer anything of substance.
Filed by yasmintadjdeh at August 11th, 2011 under Uncategorized
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August 1, 2011
Although I started writing this post in July, I am certain it won’t be published until August. Where on Earth did you go, July? In fact, where has this summer gone?
I feel like it was just yesterday that I left for the IHS seminar, but that was almost two months ago. I think life is going too fast and I can’t catch up. Before I know it school will be here and I will be starting another internship. Yes, I managed to get another one, thank God. When I dropped out of the London program I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find something, but someone is on my side and it worked out! I’ll be working as an intern at the National Journalism Center! Can’t blog about it though, so that’s all I’ll say.
But speaking of internships, this is my last week at my internship, and I must say I am incredibly sad to go. It has been an amazing time and I wish I could stay here forever! (Let me clarify–I would like to stay at my internship forever, but not this “city”).
Still, life goes on. Things end. Things begin.
I really hope that going into this new school year, my last school year, that I can really make the best of it. Most of my classes will be in the evening since I will be interning during the day. I’m a little worried that I may not have much a social life because of this, but to be perfectly honest, I’m willing to give that up a little if it helps me get ahead, I just want to be the best journalist I can be.
My internship here in Pennsylvania has reinforced my love for journalism. Before I thought I was getting tired of it, that perhaps I wasn’t cut out for it. I thought, is this really it? Do I even want this? But I do. Not to be pretentious or anything, but I think I’m good at what I do. And surprisingly, I can cover politics decently. As I said in my previous post, I never had confidence in myself before. I always thought, I’m just a student journalist not a real journalist. But I am a real journalist!
That’s what I love about journalism. You can study physics and end up being a journalist. You can be anybody, live your life anyway you want, study whatever you please, and you can end up being a journalist. It is such a wonderful occupation, and it is such a privilege to live out my dream.
This is my dream. Journalism is what I’ve always wanted. I get to do it and get paid for it. I am so lucky.
Filed by yasmintadjdeh at August 1st, 2011 under Uncategorized
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July 20, 2011
It’s only taken me a month, but I’m starting to get the hang of being an adult and being on my own. But when I first came to Harrisburg I was so lonely. I was plopped in the middle of a city that I didn’t know, all alone, starting an internship with a news organization that covered a topic I was unfamiliar with–politics. It was hard adjusting those first few days. I’m pretty sure I cried daily that first week. But I think I’ve gotten into the swing of things now.
And although I have seen my family a fair share since I’ve come here–I have admittedly gone home a total of three times–I really do feel that I have learned how to live relatively alone. One thing that was difficult for me at first was figuring out what to cook for dinner. No one was here to make something for me, if there wasn’t food in the fridge I needed to go out and get some. I’m much better at this now and I try to plan what I’m going to eat for the week; today I had salad and cheese tortellini for dinner.
I’ve also gotten much better at accepting being by myself, something I couldn’t do at first. Just because I’m alone does not mean I have to be lonely. I have lots of friends who I could chat with, text or call if I wanted to. Being alone only is a bad thing if I choose to make it bad. In reality, being alone is quite nice. It’s truly wonderful coming home from a long day at work and just being able to unwind–that being said, sometimes it would be nice to have someone to talk and eat dinner with.
Lately, with my internship coming to an end in only a couple of weeks, I’ve begun to think about what I’m taking away from this experience. I have without a doubt become a better journalist. I am so much more confident in my writing than I was before. Before I always thought I wasn’t a real journalist because I only covered college news; I always thought that I had to say my occupation was a “student journalist” not just a journalist. But I really feel like a bonafided journalist being here. I talk to politicians, I talk to universities, to unions, to lobbying groups. I get published and sometimes my work gets put in print around the state. It’s a great feeling. What I’m writing matters.
I’ve also come away with the knowledge that I can grow up, move away and be alright. Before I was always self-conscious because I had never lived away at college. I thought the fact that I commuted and lived with my parents made it seem like I was less mature than my dorm dwelling friends. But in my opinion at least, what I’m doing right now is way harder. There wasn’t a RA here to help move me in, or people who wanted to be my friend so I could join their organization. I wasn’t surrounded by other equally confused and nervous people.I started completely fresh and alone. And I didn’t die. So that’s a good thing.
The fact that I paid for my apartment also makes me feel pretty self-sufficient. I’m glad that this place is mine and I didn’t have to rely on someone else for it (my parents did pay for it at first, but I paid them back, it counts!). I also pay bills now, like for my internet.
I don’t know. I guess I’m not an adult, but being here certainly makes me feel like I’m one step closer to being one. I should mention that I have snack packs, froot loops, mac n cheese and peanut butter and jelly in my kitchen.
Filed by yasmintadjdeh at July 20th, 2011 under Uncategorized
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July 9, 2011
To be honest with you, I’m no good at ledes (I attempted to make a Bambi reference in a lede in one of my articles but it failed). It takes me forever to think of one, and as such it’s really hard for me to think of what to say at first with these things. But firstly, I do want to apologize for how utterly negligent I have been with this blog! Eight days without a post is just lazy. It’s also because sometimes I just can’t talk about what I do; as with most internships, I’m not allowed to blog about it, even though I would only have excellent things to say!
But for today I thought I would share some tidbits that I’ve picked up in my journalistic life. I’ve been doing journalism in one way or another since I was a sophomore in high school–that’s six years–and I’ve loved it. On the way I’ve met lots of lovely journalists who have given me tips on the trade, and here are some of them. Keep in mind, these aren’t my ideas.
1. To be a journalist, you have to be really, really annoying – I posted this on Twitter a few days ago and I got a good response from it, mostly because it’s 100 percent true. A journalist doesn’t necessarily have to be an annoying person (although quite a few of them are) but you absolutely have to be annoying when you’re tracking down sources. You have to call a politician’s District Office, Capitol Office, talk to their press secretary or legislative director and track them down after a committee meeting all to get that one piece of the puzzle. Be annoying. It’s not a bad thing. Persistence is the only way a lot of these people are going to talk to you. Even after you invest all this time, sometimes it doesn’t work out, when that happens just move on and try and get someone else, don’t forget you’ve got a deadline.
2. Journalism is not art – I just got this advice yesterday from my boss and it’s really good. When you start out in journalism you are not writing art, you are writing news for a business. You can’t get emotionally attached to your piece because your editor and the copy desk may/probably will cut it up to pieces. It doesn’t mean they don’t like you or your work; journalism is just a business, it’s just a job. I suppose this is hard for some people to hear, probably the writers turned journalists, but this is just part of the business. Journalism can be really glamorous sometimes, but in the end, we’re just a cog in a machine. Well, we’re better than that, but you get what I’m saying. It’s a business first and foremost.
3. Give yourself permission to suck – This was taken from a recent Institute for Humane Studies’ summer seminar that I went to called Journalism & a Free Society. I blogged about it a few weeks back, and like I said then, it was fabulous,and I highly recommend it. This little nugget was probably one of the best pieces of advice I have ever gotten. We all start out somewhere and really when you go to press conferences, committee meetings or whatever, all the fancy looking journalists there are at different levels. No one expects you to write a Pulitzer winning piece. Give yourself permission to suck sometimes, it really helps. Your editor will help you make it less sucky. There have been times where I’ve thought, “I can’t believe they’re letting me cover this,” but there is a reason your boss sent you. They obviously thought you could do it, and you can.
4. Get a beat – This is one of the most important points in this list and is absolutely necessary for when you go out in the real world. You need to have a particular knowledge about some not too broad, not too specific topic. You have to be the go-to person on whatever it is–African religion, modern baseball, Rococo-era art, legislation dealing with (fill in the blank). I don’t have a beat yet but I’m still pretty new. You don’t need one today, but start thinking about it, start considering it. Pick something you like it, because like everyone says, it’s not work if you enjoy it.
5. Build yourself a brand – I also learned this at the IHS conference, although it is advice that many journalists give out. Build yourself a brand. Use social media; get a Twitter, get a LinkedIn account (I don’t have one), make a blog (but update it regularly), post your clips and resume. People may not read it, but it’s there if someone is looking and I certainly hope that someone is! Remember that you are a professional when you go out, use whatever opportunity you can to get a job and move up the totem poll. Be charming (although I’m sure you naturally are). Speaking on professionalism, I don’t necessarily know that you have to be particularly professional with your Twitter. You can use it to send out your work, but in my opinion anyway, don’t be afraid to be silly. I send out my clips through Twitter, but I also complain about stuff on it. Just don’t be too crass and keep in mind that what you say can really piss off people, or maybe even possible employers. I don’t really think there is a consensus on Twitter usage at this point. I know journalists who exclusively use it to promote content and engage readers, and others who do that while inserting personal commentary. To each his own.
6. Get a recorder – If you are a journalist and you don’t have a recorder go walk out the door and buy one, now. My recorder is my best friend, I would be lost without it. That being said there are appropriate and inappropriate times to use it. Always ask permission to use it, it’s illegal to record people without their knowledge in most states. Going along with that, sometimes people just don’t like to be recorded. They won’t say what they really want to because they are afraid. Make a judgement call when using your recorder. I try to tell people who seem wary of it that I’m only trying to make sure that their quote is 100 percent accurate and that they won’t be misrepresented. Make sure that while you are using your recorder that you are still jotting down notes as you cannot rely on the recorder entirely. Something I have been doing lately is when someone says something important I write down what time in the recording it was said in my notebook. This really helps. Nothing sucks worse than going to a meeting and then having to listen to it all over again just to find one quote.
7. Buy an AP Style book – No explanation necessary. It saves you from making egregious mistakes that your editor will hate you for. Oh, and by the way, Washington Post, it’s website, not Web site! So hideous.
I think that’s about all the advice I can muster up this morning (I started writing this at 5 a.m.). I hope this helps you a little bit, but it’s pretty standard stuff. Do you have any advice that I missed? Comment on the article and let me know!
Filed by yasmintadjdeh at July 9th, 2011 under Uncategorized
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