The college student faces no bigger enemy than finding a job after graduation. Throw in the unconventional majors and career paths of Emerson College, and the freshly graduated Visual Media Arts Production major is up against quite the challenge.
One way students can defeat the beast known as ‘the job search’ is by getting a little help from a professional in slaying unemployment.
Seth Grahame-Smith ‘98, the author of “The New York Times” best-selling novels “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” and “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter,” is coming back to Emerson as part of the college’s Master Class program.
Grahame-Smith is leading two Master Class events this week. The first, “Preparing for a Pitch,” is a student-only event (no sign-up required) on Sept 24, from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. in Tufte PPC’s Semel Theater.
The second, “What Emerson Builds You For” is a conversation with GBH’s Jared Bowen ‘98 on Sept 25, in the Paramount Center from 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Grahame-Smith spoke with The Beacon about his ambitions for his master classes.
“ [I hope to] engage with students and to be honest and direct about what’s out there after school, and what kind of things you should be thinking about in terms of building your career after graduation,” said Grahame-Smith.
While Emerson students hope to enter a variety of different fields, there are two things that Grahame-Smith says they all need to be aware of: personal branding and advocacy.
“You’re a creator in some way, shape, or form. You’re a voice—how do you get that across? How do you make people see you and hear you?” Grahame-Smith said.
Grahame-Smith’s advice to students is to work with every skilled individual in your field you come across, both during school and after graduation. In his experience, this is the best way to lay the groundwork for the future.
“If my friends are making a short film, or doing an improv show, I’m going to do whatever I can—just building, building, building a network,” Grahame-Smith said. “All those people in their 20s become people in their 30s who have these jobs now, and all of a sudden you guys are looking out for each other.”
In addition to employment advice, Grahame-Smith hopes to use these events to share writing guidance with students.
“There’s no shortcut to being a better writer except writing,” Grahame-Smith said. “The more you can sit down and just get material out of your brain, onto a page, or onto a screen, the faster your skills are going to grow and grow and grow.”
That growth has led Grahame-Smith to write professionally for 30 years, or what he refers to as “a long ass journey.”
Before Emerson students begin their own journey, Grahame-Smith hopes they stop by one of his master classes to conquer the working world and defeat the ghoulish foe of unemployment.
