Riley WilliamsThe job market is changing fast.
Many employers now want entry-level employees to have multiple years of experience and plan to hire fewer new graduates because of it, according to Indeed.com.
Instead of waiting for graduation or internship opportunities, four mass communication students at N.C. Central University are leveraging the skills they learned to start their businesses, grow their personal brands and create valuable, real-world experiences for themselves while still in school.
Mass communication senior Arabella Dearinger, who has been building her personal brand on social media, said she worked with multiple companies on her Instagram account by leveraging the marketing and communication skills she learned at NCCU.
“I’ve worked with brands like CVS, McDonald’s, the drink brand Poppi, and also a few small businesses,” Dearinger said. “That experience expanded my personal brand.”
Gen-Z and millennials are redefining entrepreneurship, according to an article from Forbes. With technological advancements playing a huge role in this landscape shift, young entrepreneurs are stepping to the front of the “digital revolution” happening across industries.
“I started making YouTube videos in January of 2023,” said Taliyah Jordan, a mass communication senior. “A lot of incoming freshmen will reach out to me and say that they watch my YouTube videos, and want to ask me questions.
“That just warms my heart.”
Jordan said she started making YouTube videos to document her day-to-day life as an HBCU student. She added that the NCCU experience have helped her speak up for herself and communicate more effectively.
“My favorite class so far has probably been Integrated Marketing,” Jordan said. “It was very creative, very vigorous. It made me think outside of the box.
“I definitely do want to make income from [YouTube], if possible. Right now, I’m definitely just focused on things like sharing my day-to-day life at an HBCU, but after college I’ll definitely keep vlogging.”
Mass communication classes help prepare students for a broad range of opportunities, which can be tailored to fit their personal goals.
“I learned how to structure a portfolio, and roll an event out and plan it properly,” said Ramon Galloway, a mass communication senior and founder of Unpack & Unwind, a community-based nonprofit centered around managing screen addiction and smartphone usage.
Galloway added that learning how to figure out who his target audience is, and how to reach them, has been helpful in running his nonprofit while at school.
When asked to reflect on what prepared them to start their businesses or brands, many students recalled in-class assignments from various professors.
“I started last summer, in June,” said Tykeria McNair, a digital filmmaking senior. “We had a project for Chamber’s class – I wanted to do a music studio, so I came up with ‘Melomane,’ because it means music lover in French.”
This studio ended up becoming her music and lifestyle business, “Melomane Marque.”
“I’ve been working on it behind the scenes, like designing clothing and posters and stuff,” said McNair, adding that balancing school and starting a business is stressful at times. “But I’m going to wait to drop it until I know I can be consistent with my brand.”
As the semester draws to a close, students are left with new ideas and skills to prepare them for their future plans, whatever those may be.
“I don’t think you can be in this field and be quiet,” Jordan said. “You have to be able to connect with people, and keep those relationships.
“That’s number one [what] I’ve gained from Central.”
