amandaosborn.com » Work

Resume Editing, Sibling Version

Amanda — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 15:11:31 +0000

Upon my brother reading the numerous edits I made to his first resume:

My brother: I double-checked the “skills” section to make sure you didn’t put in anything sarcastic.

(I hadn’t even thought of doing that. A missed opportunity!)

“Entry Level” Should Mean Just That

Amanda — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:11:38 +0000

It baffles me how companies that post “entry level” positions qualify that description by asking for one to two (or two to three, or one to three, etc), years of experience from a candidate. I have internship experience, but not enough to fulfill that kind of requirement. Not to mention, shouldn’t “entry level” mean just that? That the position is for a candidate who is just starting out and trying to get a foot in the door, so logically they aren’t going to have up to three year’s worth of experience?

(Can you tell what how I’m spending my Friday night?)

The Cardboard Box Outcome

Amanda — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:51:19 +0000

As I get closer and closer to graduating in May, my fear of winding up in a cardboard box on the side of the street post-graduation gets stronger and stronger.

(This post may or may not be brought to you by lots of panicking on my part as I undergo the post-graduation job search process.)

The Problem With the Idea of a Dream Job

Amanda — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:23:44 +0000

The problem with the idea of a dream job is that when you find one that fits that description, constant panicking ensues (and that’s putting it mildly). Nothing will ease this panic besides eating copious amount of chocolate and stress baking many different kinds of cupcakes.

Good thing I bought some Cadbury eggs yesterday and have more cupcake recipes on hand than I can ever possibly use.

WMATA Blues

Amanda — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:48:10 +0000

Maybe if I leave an hour before I actually need to leave for my morning commute, I can finally arrive at my internship on time.

“So, What Do You Want To Do After Graduation?”

Amanda — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:53:42 +0000

“So, what do you want to do after graduation?”

I don’t have an answer to that question. That’s a little terrifying, to be honest. I know what I want to do, but not what I’m going to do. I started looking at jobs today and now I am more terrified than ever of graduating in May. (I’m so not ready for the real world and having to be an adult!!)

If only “travel and explore the world endlessly” was a legitimate answer to my future employment.

Spring 2012 Internship: Confirmed

Amanda — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:00:19 +0000

Just a short and sweet update to say that I will officially be interning at the Peace Corps’ press relations office this spring! I am very excited; I think it’ll be a wonderful opportunity to continue to develop and refine my communications skills and as well as provide me with some great “real world” experience.

Not to mention, the commute is half the distance of that to my current internship at Amnesty International, and there are some great places around the office to get lunch at. I think this will be a pretty sweet internship! I can’t wait to start in January.

Of Orange Jumpsuits and DC Protests

Amanda — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:29:04 +0000

My first day as a media relations intern at Amnesty International included the following: a protest outside of the Department of Justice and an orange jumpsuit.

I guess you could say that those items are a little out of the ordinary when it comes to your typical media relations internship.

In the days leading up my first day¹, the media relations unit had been hard at work at contacting and pitching the media to generate a buzz about an Amnesty International-organized protest. The protest was to call on the US Attorney General to hold former vice president Dick Cheney accountable for possible war crimes committed during the Bush administration’s “war on terror.” The timing of the protest coincided with the release of Cheney’s memoir, in which he essentially condones acts of torture such as waterboarding.

I arrived at the Department of Justice promptly at 11a.m. and was handed an orange jumpsuit. Then, I was informed I would wear the jumpsuit and join the other protesters and Amnesty International staff in holding the huge banner that proclaimed, “We demand accountability for torture. Attorney General: investigate former vice president Cheney’s role in torture.” While we held the sign, various media outlets covered incident. The whole protest culminated in a Department of Justice spokesperson being presented with a copy of Cheney’s memoir and a letter demanding that he be held accountable for any war crimes he may have committed.

Now, after this experience, I can say that I have taken part in a DC protest and worn an orange jumpsuit. Hey, they even happened at the same time!

It was definitely a one-of-a-kind first day. (In an awesome way, of course.)

Also posted to the AU Interns blog.

It was pure coincidence that my first day was the date of the Cheney protest.

Introducing One of Amnesty International’s Fall Interns

Amanda — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:35:21 +0000

Yesterday I received the news that I will be interning at Amnesty International’s media relations unit during the fall semester. To say that I am excited is a huge understatement; I’m beyond stoked. I’ve dreamed of working at Amnesty International since I was a little kid and my mother shared stories about events such as Tiananmen. The very idea that I’ll now be interning in Amnesty International’s DC office is one that I find incredibly hard to wrap my head around. The 14-year-old me who decided on the topic of human rights in China for a class project wouldn’t have believed that I’d be interning there seven years later, either.

I’ll be starting in exactly two weeks. I’ll have an orientation to attend, and then I’ll start my position as an intern in the media relations unit. I can’t wait!!