Toyon's Transferable Skills

Most of what I have learned this semester relates to marketing one’s self and professionalization. The Toyon Staff spent a significant portion of the first few weeks of our time together discussing the conventions of professional websites, blogging, and portfolios. The Toyon Staff got a guest lecture from the Academic and Career Advising Center earlier this semester which gave me tools for conceptualizing my career values and turning them in to career goals. That presentation also helped me to understand the best way to present my experiences to potential future employers.

I have also really enjoyed seeing everyone working as the machine that is Toyon, each doing their own piece to create the next volume. My role is mostly to document and publicize the workings of this machine, but I have gotten some experience in submission review and learned about editing, production, design, and copyright. These skills might not directly transfer to my future career, but they are certainly valuable skills that open up a wider range of career opportunities.

I’ve gained an understanding of what viewers most respond to on various social media platforms, and I think this will be great for future projects and positions. Next semester I am going to try to create social media pages for the HSU Writing Studio. The staff has been discussing this possibility for over a semester now, and it seems like a good way to spread the word about what the Studio does and help the most students possible. It has been very beneficial to learn about audience preferences and that will be useful on future projects like Writing Studio social media.

~ Ciera