Prewrite Tasks

Think about your current career goals (both long-term and short-term goals) and list and discuss the
steps needed to achieve those goals.

Short term goals – finish transfer program applications, research and apply to internships related to
journalism/photography/graphic design, develop better self-care habits while keeping up good grades
and extracurricular activities

Long term goals – get into journalism/graphic design school, work for newspaper at said school,
graduate top of the class, get job at Washington Post (eventually), be HAPPY!

What obstacles might you face?

- The slow death of print media

- Rejection from dream journalism schools
- Low paying jobs
- Very competitive job market, not as many openings compared to other industries due to the
dying print sector (hopefully this causes more jobs in the digital world developing)
- First amendment debates/censorship
- corruption

How will you utilize your growth mindset to help you achieve your goals?

The more I fail, the more I’ll learn. I have to keep a sunny disposition and try to learn from the mistakes
I’m going to inevitably make in order to keep moving forward. If I give into my anxieties and depression,
the failure is going to stop me from reaching the dreams I want so badly, and I refuse to let this happen.

I know going into this field, the odds are against me. I’m going to fail time and time again. Instead of
letting this overwhelm me or bring me down, I’m going to use my growth mindset to let failure
empower me to keep on moving and working towards my goals.

So, when I inevitably do fail, I’m going to assess the situation and figure out what I can do differently in
the future to become better in my field. I’m putting this into writing so I can hold myself accountable in
5-10 years when I’ve graduated from college and am looking back on how I started. I’m going to grow
based on my mistakes instead of letting my anxiety and depression beat me down and hold me back!
My Career Path and Growth Mindset Reflection

Madison Koesler

IDS 1107

Professor E. Julie Edstrom

October 10th, 2021

The FLY module has helped me learn more about myself and my career. Not only have I been

able to grow my way of thinking and transform my perspective of failure, but I’ve also

researched my career field more in depth so I can properly set short- and long-term goals.

I’ve set multiple goals for myself so far. When it comes to my short-term goals, I’ve focused in

on specific things I want to make sure I do to further my career and make sure I’m taking care

of myself. Some of these goals include:

1. Dedicating more time to research transfer programs and having a solid list of programs I

plan to apply to by the end of the month

2. Writing all the essays needed and gathering all the materials in a timely manner to make

sure my program applications are submitted by the end of the semester

3. Making sure I’m leaving sometime to take care of myself in my busy schedule by doing

things fixing my eating habits, sleeping more, and making sure I have at least an hour of

‘Madi’ time to decompress every day to avoid getting overwhelmed

In addition to these very specific short-term goals, I’ve also identified some long-term goals that

pertain more to my future career as a journalist/future schooling rather than tasks I can check

off a to-do list while I’m here at SSC. A few of these goals include:

1. Being accepted into a journalism or graphic design transfer program with a

concentration on print media that I know will make me happy and properly prepare me

for the workforce

2. Secure an internship at a magazine or newspaper before I graduate with my bachelor's

degree
 3. Apply for a position at the Washington Post (this is my dream newspaper!)

However, while I work towards these goals, I know there are going to be lots of obstacles in my

way. Some obstacles I’m anticipating are not getting into the transfer programs I want, and the

fact print media is becoming less and less popular as people turn to their phones for news and

magazines.

When it comes to transfer programs, to avoid this I plan on applying to many ‘safety’ schools

and just many different schools in general. My goal is to apply to at least 20-25 different

programs to make sure I will be accepted. As for the industry issues, I am considering pursuing a

minor in graphic design so I will not only have print experience, but also be qualified to work in

the digital news/media industry.

Although I’m trying my best to plan ahead and anticipate the obstacles, this module has taught

me I’m still going to fail. But that isn't a bad thing!

The more I fail, the more I’ll learn. I have to keep a sunny disposition and try to learn from the

mistakes I’m going to inevitably make in order to keep moving forward. If I give into my

anxieties and depression, the failure is going to stop me from reaching the dreams I want so

badly, and I refuse to let this happen.

I know going into this field, the odds are against me. Instead of letting this overwhelm me or

bring me down, I’m going to use my growth mindset to let failure empower me to keep on

moving and working towards my goals.

So, when I inevitably do fail, I’m going to assess the situation and figure out what I can do

differently in the future to become better in my field. I’m putting this into writing so I can hold

myself accountable in 5-10 years when I’ve graduated from college and am looking back on

how I started. I’m going to grow based on my mistakes instead of letting my anxiety and

depression beat me down and hold me back!