UM Alumnus & Mentor Offers Students Practical Advice

By Umar Nadir

Pelham, AL--You have the same minute everyone else has applying for the job explains UM Alumnus and Mentor Justin Moon.  He says getting in the door requires you to make a favorable impression while setting yourself apart from your peers.

 

Media product director for Oakstone Publishing here in Alabama, he graduated from the University of Montevallo in 2003.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication.  He is also a mentor to UM undergrads via the Career Development Center.

 

Director, Justin Moon & Staffer, Andrew Hardy



 “The UM Mentor program is an opportunity to meet a professional in the field that has valuable experience that can’t be duplicated in our classrooms,” says Career Development Center Director Angela Kelly.

 

Moon says the most important thing UM’s graduating Seniors need to prepare for is competition.  When entering the marketplace to become a part of the workforce, they should understand it is probably more competitive than they think it is.

 

Initially, everything counts--all the little things that range from speech to dress to eye-contact and of course, an error-free resume.  “It is very much so an all or nothing proposition,” says Moon.

 

Once they have earned their ticket (UM degree) and they are safely a part of the workforce, they then must earn their experience Moon said.  This can be a big adjustment for many.

 

For Moon when he graduated he began to realize the difference between being among peers versus having to make it amid experienced professionals.  “You get out to find people who can just shock you with their abilities and their knowledge,” says Moon.

 

He sees experience as the great enabler that results in control.  Those who have learned this have the ability to maintain themselves under the pressure of deadlines, Moon says.

 

“UM gives you a good solid foundation and they teach you how to learn,” says Moon.  Every working professional ought to be resourceful and they ought to seek out contacts within their field of study, he explains.  You have to be pursuing opportunity in order to benefit from the opportunities that are available.

 

“You can’t be afraid to learn,” Moon advises. 

 

He wants UM Seniors to understand the value of being technically sound and as an alumnus he emphasizes the need to invest in practical current technology.

UM Student Admissions Clerk Aliyah Davis says UM weblink www.montevallo.edu/career is the optimal source for getting started with UM’s Mentor Program.  Whether you are a prospective student or currently are enrolled, UM’s Career Development Center is a great way to get your foot in the door.