With graduation less than 50 days away, the experience section on my resume seems to appear smaller and smaller each time I glance at it. I’ve completed great and enlightening internships, written countless bylines and have worked tremendously hard as a section head at The Oswegonian. I’ve used these last four years to build my resume into something I’d be proud to show my future employers, but after searching through countless career opportunities on vague job-hunting sites, it can feel like I may not have done enough.

Though all of these experiences have shaped me as a journalist and a student, I still feel that my lack of real-world experience will put me behind others when it comes to the interview process. If you’ve never looked for a job in the communications field, many times in small print at the bottom of the description you’ll see a side note that says “3-4 years experience required.” You can see how difficult that is to obtain when I’ve spent the last four years inside of a classroom. It’s times like these that make me think back to opportunities I may have passed up, or things I wish I had taken the time to learn.

Through the last few months I’ve come to the realization that my time to educate myself has not come to an end. In fact, it really has just begun. I do not need a professor to teach me how to edit video when I have the capabilities of doing it myself. I do not need to sit behind a desk in the Campus Center in order to improve my skills regarding marketing and social media. I have myself, the world and my keyboard at my fingertips.

Plunging myself into the mindset of initiative and persistence is what will help me succeed after graduating. There will always be those who have done more than me, and of course those who have done less. It’s time to stop comparing myself to those around me and realize that I have experiences that are unique to me. They may not be astronomical achievements, but they’re my achievements.

I refuse to lump myself in with the masses, because my distinct accomplishments will help me succeed on my own.