Is this Society's Judgments and Perceptions of Young People? --> misspelt title, lacking (of).

 

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What I've been doing *(words in white)*

 

I have been searching for a vacation job since the last day of examinations, but a little more than a week later, I remain unemployed. Right after my examinations ended, I sent in a job application to GameAxis/L33T magazine enquiring about the availability of a position for a freelance videogame journalist. Yes, I know I have applied for that same job at the same magazine a mere 5 months ago enquiring about the same thing, and was so close to getting that job, but got rejected in the end due to irregular school hours and hence, the inability of committing a fixed time to the job. 7 working days after sending in my job application, I still haven’t received a reply and that is certainly nothing short of discouraging. Last Thursday, I sent in another job application, again for a freelance videogame journalist, to Playworks magazine, but 3 working days later, I have yet to receive anything from Playworks. My dreams of becoming a freelance videogame journalist during this vacation (and beyond even when new classes commence in August) are diminishing fast. Every day, I check my e-mail inbox, hoping to see the reply, but I have been disappointed time and time again – those new mails are either advertising crap or some jokes being circulated by my friends.

 

I have such an immense passion for games and writing about them that it would be a pity if I don’t become a freelance videogame journalist. While many gamers have been harbouring dreams of representing their countries in international gaming tournaments, I have been harbouring dreams of becoming a videogame journalist since 2004. It’s a job to die for: you get the exclusive sneak peek on forthcoming games, you get to play them first, you get to meet the fantastic people in the gaming industry, converse with them, and you get free games to play and write about. Of course, the most rewarding part about being a videogame journalist for me is that I would be doing a job that I love very much and I believe that added passion will translate into motivation to perform well, which would be a boon to whichever gaming publication I am working for. Working as a videogame journalist would also enable me to hone my writing skills and improve them. I do understand that my young age (18) may be a hiring deterrence, but I believe I have all the necessary requirements of and the ability to be a videogame journalist and should at least be given an opportunity before any judgment or perception is passed.

 

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Judgment or perception is another thing. If you are as young as me, and are also searching for a job as a freelance journalist/editor/writer, be forewarned that it would be a considerably difficult task to land such a job. After combing through online job portals, I am convinced that such positions typically require a few years of experience. But how can you get experience when no one is willing to give you an opportunity to start? Therein lies the flaw of the society – quick and ill judgments or perceptions on young people like me. The society seems to imply that young people, or rather soon-to-be-young-adults teenagers, have no talent nor ability whatsoever and are not capable of undertaking serious jobs. A search on the daily job classifieds or online job portals revealed that jobs for people in my category (18 – 21 years old) are usually relegated to humdrum, no-brainers varieties – flyer distributors, administrative staff, telemarketers, promoters, food tasters, cashiers, packers and so on and so forth. Are we young people not capable of more! I do forgive the society for thinking in this way, though, as the majority of people in my category are still undergoing education and may not be the most matured (work-wise and ability-wise) of the lot, but I have to argue that there are some hidden talents and abilities in some of these young people that the society needs to realise!

 

I can’t stress how much I subscribe to the said belief and I am truly disappointed by the ignorance of the society towards the talents and abilities of young people. For all we know, these young people may even better their employers, be it now or in the future. If only the society would provide a chance for the talents and abilities of young people to be expressed … …

 

Am I forced to relegate myself to such crappy jobs – flyer distributors and promoter etc when I have the ability to be in a job that is more meaningful, rewarding and fulfilling? Am I not going to be utilising what I have learnt in my classes? Am I just another idiot without talent and abilities that the society has perceived young people to be? Now, I cross my fingers, hoping that the above 2 magazines that I have sent in my job application to can provide me with a chance to gain experience and yes – prove me wrong that the society does not belittle all young people (job-wise, of course). 

still you only see from your point of view and what you want. You have no sympathy from me. BTW, Welcome to REALITY.

erm, there's such a thing as try try again.

fail one time means no more?

knn.

As if I don't know that's reality.

Dah! That's why i am trying again.

Such Passion. Unfortunately , you cannot blame society. Like exams , it may not be the best way to measure a persons ability and comprehension , but its by far the only fair way of comparison.

Dun let these minor obstacles prevent you from achieving your dreams. Overcoming these obstacles will only hone your skills and allow u to become better. Maybe you should get a degree first before engaging in any journalism work.

I had a friend who loved to do those newspaper work. Was rejected also cause of lack of experience. So she went out and proved herself in competitions , and had 2 degrees to get into full time journalism. She told me just last year that finally. She made it.

You may be one of those exceptional talented person who has passion for video games journalism , but you cannot blame those that are hesitant due to your age.Sometimes , giving that 1 chance will affect the quality and how a company functions when hiring people for the job. If you want to do well , u need commitment . I do not know what are the requirements  to do journalism work , but i think u need to have very good english.

We all feel frustrated when we get rejected la.  Who dont. lol. Who dont want to get what they applied for. Sometimes maybe the time is not right yet. Or sometimes , you are just not as good as you think. Or sometimes you just have not done enough to impress them.

Anyways , dont give up. Keep going. Good luck.

some people get rejected for 6 months to a year, or even more than that... just to land that opportunity.

Hello @:)@,

It isn't just about your aptitude but also your attitude.  It may be a case of generalisation but companies in general have had problems with your peers.  Sure, there're always exceptions to the rule but it may prove costly to the organisation to hire you & train you, only to have you not turn up for work whenever you don't feel up to a hard day's work.

It's just too big a risk for an established company to take when they have tight deadlines to meet.  You'll just have to prove your sincerity & earnestness to contribute & pull your weight.  Perhaps only then will they be willing to give you a chance.

Or, as BadzMaro says, get a degree & wait a few years.  You're highly proficient in the English language.  All you need is time.

Regards,

The Immaculate Collection

It's tough getting a writing job. Maybe you want to start with small projects like school journals and such. Accumulate something like a portfolio, you know?

May I ask this, have you ever tried networking with those people in the magazine line before?

Sorry that this sounds harsh, but without the proper channel of networks, it is pretty difficult to get what you want, especially in what you are after for now.

Simple, what makes you so special and different from the other applicants? Is there something so unique about you that the editors or bosses will take notice?

 

 

Originally posted by shrekho:

May I ask this, have you ever tried networking with those people in the magazine line before?

Sorry that this sounds harsh, but without the proper channel of networks, it is pretty difficult to get what you want, especially in what you are after for now.

Simple, what makes you so special and different from the other applicants? Is there something so unique about you that the editors or bosses will take notice?

 

 

Click on my username, and hit the link under the avatar.

And thanks for all those who replied.

Originally posted by IceColdDiva:

Hello @:)@,

It isn't just about your aptitude but also your attitude.  It may be a case of generalisation but companies in general have had problems with your peers.  Sure, there're always exceptions to the rule but it may prove costly to the organisation to hire you & train you, only to have you not turn up for work whenever you don't feel up to a hard day's work.

It's just too big a risk for an established company to take when they have tight deadlines to meet.  You'll just have to prove your sincerity & earnestness to contribute & pull your weight.  Perhaps only then will they be willing to give you a chance.

Or, as BadzMaro says, get a degree & wait a few years.  You're highly proficient in the English language.  All you need is time.

Regards,

The Immaculate Collection

Yeah, quite true, maybe it's because of companies' bad experiences with people within this age group. A vicious cycle of distrust. But only ... ...

Believe in your dream...

Keep on knocking and knocking..

Maybe someone could give you a chance..

Or you might want to create there opportunity?

The possibilities are endless..

Good Luck!

3 days only… wait 2 weeks then come back and whine?

Try your luck in other countries, Singapore is probably the worst place to look for a job if you're young and inexperienced.

 u are 18, i am 19 but i myself think u are not experienced enough. if u are a boss, will u hire a green horn to do ur job, with no experience, and risk screwing it up? of course age is a matter, as u grow older u tend to be more mature. if u study poa in secondary school, and no diploma, just o lvl for it, must ocbc hire u or some other company hire u to do their jobs just to prove that society dont judge young people?

The people who realise their dreams are the ones who persevere on despite setbacks, disbeliefs from people around them and never doubt themselves.

Originally posted by popmynutsy:

 u are 18, i am 19 but i myself think u are not experienced enough. if u are a boss, will u hire a green horn to do ur job, with no experience, and risk screwing it up? of course age is a matter, as u grow older u tend to be more mature. if u study poa in secondary school, and no diploma, just o lvl for it, must ocbc hire u or some other company hire u to do their jobs just to prove that society dont judge young people?

Do note that a company doesn't hire young people to 'prove', but to work.

Yes, I admit that I have no experience 'working' in a related position before , but I don't think you expect an 18 year old to have worked in such a position before, right? But at least I have experienced videogame writing and I know how the whole thing works. What you are implying is that I have no knowledge of writing or the gaming industry or whatsoever. 

I won't apply for a job that I am not confident of accomplishing because it would only bring embarrassment. And I don't think I will ever apply for a job that I think I may have the possibility of screwing up. Who in the right frame of mind would apply for a job that they think they will screw up? We all apply for a job because we believe we can do the job well.  

So you are 19. I am sure everyone has some talents and abilities, and you're no exception. But I can't believe the way you have just condemned yourself - as long as I have no qualification, I am useless. Even if I have the talents and abilities to do a job, but not enough qualifications, my talents and abities are just for sake of keeping. Is that how you condemn yourself? Do you have so little belief in youself?     

Find a game they havent reviewed, do it and send it to them.

Or even better, get a decent topic(or 1 you're familiar with) and do a writeup.

Writeup on notable / popular MMORPGs locals play. WoW, cabal, maple, EQ, FFXI, shattered galaxy etc.

 

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you can choose to whine here ….. bemoan the lack of opportunities and what not …. or you can choose to do something about it …..

neways you’re only 18 …. what do you expect ? .... welcome to the real world kid …. things doesn’t always turn out the way you want to …. just because you dream it, doesn’t mean you’ll get it in real life … you think landing your dream job is that easy ? ... that everything will fall onto your lap just because you thought it’d be cool to be a “video game journalist” ? ... don’t blame society for not giving you a chance … ask yourself, what sort of paper qualifications do you have, what have you got to offer, what can you PROVE that you can do ? .... you think people just go “okie, let’s try you out, I’ll give you a shot” ? ... what do YOU have in your resume ? ... that’ll make people take the risk on you ? ....

and you got it totally wrong about society … society is not about quick judgements and prejudices … it’s about track records … and proofs of ability …. if you have nothing to show for yourself, it makes no difference whether you’re 18 or 38, nobody would trust you too …

instead of whining here, why not take a leaf out of other’s books ? ... take a look at those 18 years old newsroom interns, how did they get there ? how did they get to write columns in the straits times, and you are writing “columns” here ? .... or you can wallow here in self pity and bitch about society till you are 80 of course …

get a ivy league degree and the world will magically transform

Welcome to reality, pal. Nice that you have a dream, but you are young, inexperienced, and think that you are actually 'talented' as you put it.

Time to get off that cloud and face fact: If your employers don't see it, it doesn't exist. At your age I won't expect a reputation, and a green like you would just mean trouble when you do screw up. You'll have to build a resume/portfolio than just claim you got talent.

And sometimes, you just got to have QUALIFICATIONS. No official paper, no go.

I dreamt to be an artist, and now I'm a struggling artist with no job. Should've sticked to science.

hey, do u know anything about social science. it involves subject like sociology, economic, political science, psycology, history and etc. u know anything about stock market or finances or maybe subject like lady fashion and beauty. do u know how to write them, start practice writing them if u dont.

 

to be a commercial writer u need to write stuffs that make the magazine sell well. u just cant write thing that u have interested in, just like the computer game review in your blog. u need to write thing that the mass interested in.

 

oh ya, last but not least, go take up course on mass communication. Reporter requires at least a degree and if u got a master that will be better. 

Originally posted by BotaHead:

hey, do u know anything about social science. it involves subject like sociology, economic, political science, psycology, history and etc. u know anything about stock market or finances or maybe subject like lady fashion and beauty. do u know how to write them, start practice writing them if u dont.

 

to be a commercial writer u need to write stuffs that make the magazine sell well. u just cant write thing that u have interested in, just like the computer game review in your blog. u need to write thing that the mass interested in.

 

oh ya, last but not least, go take up course on mass communication. Reporter requires at least a degree and if u got a master that will be better. 

Yea, I do know that a commercial writer does not only write things he or she is interested in, but I just want to gain experience at this level/age, and I believe I can best gain experience by writing about subjects I like (as of this age, hence the application of the mentioned job). My ambition is to be a full-time videogame journalist or copywriter, not a commercial freelance writer.

Yea, I am already in Mass Comm.