RCLow

New York, New York

Rustin — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 04:14:35 +0000

In the past month, I’ve more than doubled the number of blogs I read regularly (remind me later, and I’ll create a page with links to a few of my favorites) and a result, I’ve spent more time reading, and less time writing to you all, my few loyal readers. I would apologize for the frequency in which I post, but I am a firm believer that if you don’t have something to say that contributes to the conversation at hand, you’re better off keeping your mouth shut (or fingers still.) Apparently you all agree, because my site statistics inform me I’ve had over 1,000 visitors in 2012 alone, with an incredible returning visitor rate. I can’t express how delighted I am by these numbers, so thank you all so much for reading, and (since I tend to post on an irregular basis) I urge you to subscribe via e-mail by using the button on the upper right hand side of this page. You’ll get an e-mail every time I release a new blog post, but you won’t be bothered all too often, since my posts seem to come few and far between. If you’re worried about spam, I promise not to sell your e-mail addresses for money… unless I get a really good offer. Relax, I’m joking.

If you follow me on Twitter, you already know I went to New York City over spring break. If you didn’t already know that, follow me on twitter. I was invited to join the Texas Exes of NYC for their annual seminar to network with public relations and other media-related professionals from all types of agencies all over the island of Manhattan. As I’ve said over and over in practically every bio I’ve had to write for myself, I’ve always planned on living in NYC for at least a little while, but I rarely mentioned the fact that I had never visited the northeast. I had ridiculously high expectations for the city I’d seen over and over again on the Internet and in movies. I knew that New York was where I wanted to be, but when the plane touched down, and I have to admit I was a little nervous. I wasn’t nervous about being in the big, scary city all by my lonesome; I was worried the city wouldn’t quite compare to what I had been building up in my head for years.

I stepped out of Penn Station and an overwhelming sense of satisfaction hit me like a baseball bat straight to the face. Manhattan was everything I hoped and dreamed and so much more. It’s safe to say that I will be packing a bag and loading myself on the first plane the day after I walk the stage at the University of Texas. Some people have told me it’s not a city to live in because it’s too busy, too rushed, or too competitive, but these are the exact reasons I fell in love. Even on my spring break, I constantly felt like pushing myself. I was scheduling visits with companies I was interested in and meetings with professionals within those agencies, I was reading and responding to emails faster than I do at my own home desk, and hell, I even went for an early morning jog through central park on a Saturday. I live a pretty hectic life, but that’s what makes me happy. I enjoy competition and pushing myself, and a city that never sleeps isn’t such a bad thing in my eyes. I can’t help but feel like everything I do until the moment I set foot on the next plane is simply going to be setting me up for the real adventure that awaits in the northeast.

As I stated earlier, I was in the city for a seminar, and I have brought back some useful information I believe may be of use to a good portion of my audience. I spent three days traveling between different PR firms and two nights networking professionally with the Texas alumni. The remainder of the week was spent exploring with my dear friend Leyla, who attended the same seminar for the advertising portion. Between our two different groups, and each group’s respected eight firms, and the rest of the alumni we spoke to, we gathered a few valuable tips. Most of them are things you can read in any old career advancement book (make connections, stand out, résumé this, résumé that, etc.,) but the real shocker that virtually everyone we met agreed on was something I didn’t expect at all. If you want a job in the city, you have to move there first. This concept seems a tad bit insane to me. Move to the single most expensive city in the world – without a job. The first time I heard it, I assumed the speaker was just on the naive side, but by the tenth (and no, I’m not exaggerating) I realized that I was the one who didn’t quite understand.

After some much-needed Q&A I gained some insight. The world of media, be it PR, Advertising, Broadcasting, etc., isn’t like the world of finance. Some of your friends may have a seat at an investment firm lined up for years, but media hires for the right now. This field is extremely competitive, and when you’ve got 500 résumés lined up for an entry-level position, it’s pretty easy to weed out a couple hundred based on address alone. New York City is the media capital of the world, and the top firms don’t have time to sit around and wait for you to load up your UHAUL and mosey onto the island when there’s a candidate just as qualified ready to start tomorrow. In New York you sink or swim, there’s not much of an in-between. I can’t wait to dive in.

Can modern media shape history?

Rustin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 08:19:24 +0000

Occasionally I will meet someone who wears a slightly disapproving smirk or glance of superiority at me after I reveal my career aspirations and college major. While it is a rare occurrence, I would be lying if I said it didn’t ruffle my feathers. Sometimes it can be frustrating to work with people who have no understanding of the importance of today’s media and the advantage society has by studying it. To some, majors like “Radio-Television-Film” sounds like a degree plan that involves smoking pot and watching TV or spending every day making home movies – this frustrates me. I follow the media studies track of my degree plan – I’ve written research papers about the globalization of major corporations in third world countries, and I’ve read dissertations concerning the development of telenovelas and Bollywood films in social developmental contexts, but I have not yet made a movie.

Two nights ago a movement hit the internet hard. Twitter was filled with hashtags and facebook was flooded with the name “KONY 2012″ – I did my best to ignore it, but today I finally caved and pressed play on the 30 minute long video. I had intentions of watching the first and last minute, only to gain a familiarity with the phenomenon. 30 seconds in I pressed power on my TV, set down my cell phone, maximized the window, and watched the rest of that video with an undivided attention (a rarity for me). This phenomenon that has swept the globe is exactly what I study, and it is proof that what I (and students like me) do is more than hollywood – it’s the way the world operates. The game has changed, and media is the new playing field. Take 30 minutes from your day and watch as media changes the shape of human history and proves that now, more than ever, society has the ability to make a difference.

5 habits I don’t plan on breaking.

Rustin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:05:58 +0000

A fan of my blog recently tweeted me to ask how I spend my day and what a weekly schedule of mine looked like. At first, I thought to just respond with a screenshot of my upcoming week in iCal, but I’ve decided others may actually find it helpful if I shared my recipe for an always interesting life. I’ll be the first to tell you that sinking into a routine can be a very bad thing. Doing the same thing, the same way, day after day will result in complacency with mediocrity. With that said, I have a set of guidelines I try my best to live by daily and I’d like to share them all with you. I don’t like to think of these as rules because, well, mostly I’m not a fan of rules. Besides, everyone knows there’s a time and a place to break all of those. Anyway, here we go…

1. First up – Get organized. With only a handful of naturally extraordinary exceptions, the world’s most successful people didn’t become successful by missing meetings and losing business cards. Take a weekend to really sort out your life – clean off your desk, buy a filing cabinet, clear your virtual desktop, etc. Forcing yourself to stay organized will make a huge difference in your professional efficiency in the long run, I promise. There’s a reason professionals have secretaries. A personal rule of mine is to never, ever leave in the morning without first making my bed. It’s a small task, yes, but it makes a world of difference when I come home to a neat and clean room. Over time, tasks like this will become second nature, and the people around you will notice – in a good way.

2. Get a concrete schedule. Well, it doesn’t actually have to be a pen-to-paper schedule, if you prefer something like iCal. I use a virtual schedule these days, but I used to use a Moleskine weekly planner. The important thing is that you get into a habit of planning out your schedule. I’m talking everything. My friends think I’m being facetious when I say “If it isn’t in my iCal, I’m not doing it,” but I’m so serious that it’s frightening — I even schedule my sleep and my lunch times. Make a place for everything (yes, even the late nights downtown.) Keeping a mental calendar isn’t hard to do when you’re not busy, but when you miss an important meeting, or you forget about a dinner you promised to show up to a few weeks ago – you’ll regret not having a planner. This is the most obvious and elementary of my guidelines, and if you aren’t already doing it, then you need to start. Today.

3. Next up, start wearing a watch. A quality timepiece is a genuine investment for any gentleman or lady. After you’ve made it a habit to schedule your life, make it a habit to be punctual. You don’t need to have a Kors, Movado, or Burberry piece on your wrist to be on time, but I highly suggest you invest in a piece you won’t mind rocking daily. “But my cell phone has a clock on it.” Awesome. Mine too. The problem with this theory is that you have to constantly be checking your phone which is both annoying and rude to those around you. A glance at your wrist is much easier and looks much classier. All of the scheduling in the world won’t help you if you don’t stick to it. Oh, and one more thing: never be late, especially if there is another party waiting on you.

4. Make it a point to look nice daily. I’m not saying to rock a full suit to your English class (although I’m a sucker for a nice suit); I’m just saying that you should be prepared every day to accidentally run into a potential employer. I take this one especially seriously – the last time I left the condo in my “doing laundry” clothes, I met the editor of the style section of The Statesman; I won’t make that mistake twice. At The University of Texas, 90% of sorority girls rock this “tennis shoe, Nike shorts, XXL tee” look that is not flattering on a single one of them, and as a result, I’ll never be able to take any of them seriously. I understand comfortable clothing, but if it’s something you wear to the gym, that should be – in my opinion – the only place you wear it.

5. Read a book. Or a magazine. Or something. Allocate 30 minutes of the time you would spend on Facebook or watching TV and make it a habit to read daily. I’ve found that most of my friends once enjoyed reading before the American testing systems ruined that for them, so make it something you enjoy. Try subscribing to a magazine in which you have interest or picking up a book one of your friends is reading. You can Google just about any combination of “successful,” “people,” and “habits,” and you’ll find “reading” on every page that appears. You’ll end up effortlessly widening your vocabulary and your comprehension of topics that once confused you. For Christmas, my generous uncle unexpectedly gave me a Kindle, which has proven itself as one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. A few of my favorites include GQ, The Great Gatsby, and The Catcher in the Rye. Even if you were once required to read them, try re-reading on your own terms – It makes a huge difference.

There you have it, 5 habits I never intend on breaking. These habits may all seem meticulous and border-line OCD, but those are just the guides I try to live by. This is no foolproof recipe to a movie-worthy schedule. If you are craving the type of adventurous and exciting life I live, there’s only one piece of advice I can offer you - be fearless. Always operate as if you’ll never have a second chance, try something new, be self-pushing, take classes you wouldn’t normally take, go places you’ve never been, get lost, rearrange your schedule last-minute for opportunities that may not come around again. Never let yourself hold you back in fear of the unknown.

Thanks for reading – feel free to subscribe to my blog, like my facebook page, and follow me on twitter if you would like my updates.

XOXR.

Appearance Matters

Rustin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 02:06:23 +0000

We’ve been taught from birth not to judge a book by its cover, but I’m afraid that in my opinion those who don’t judge a book at least a little bit by the cover probably have a much smaller success rate than those who do. Appearance matters, people. If I have learned nothing else in college, I have learned that if you want to impress someone – be it a client, an employer, or just a friend – you have to first get the opportunity to impress them, and good luck getting that opportunity if you don’t have an appearance worthy of their time; there’s a reason the public relations industry exists. Now don’t start twisting my words around on me and believe I’m saying, “only trust pretty people” – I’m saying that a professional looks professional. Professionals take the time to clean themselves up and put on a decent outfit before an interview, they have table manners, & they speak with confidence when asked questions.

So why do I bring this up now? In recent weeks I’ve been approached numerous times about the topic of a separation between my personal and professional life. Some seem concerned with the fact that I only use one twitter account rather than having separate accounts for each side of my life – same story with my FaceBook account; I decided the best way for me to express my thoughts on this topic would be with a blog post explaining my opinions on the separation between personal and professional life.

For some career paths, especially anything to do with government, it is imperative to keep a spotless record on every account that has your name attached, but that isn’t the case for everyone, and it isn’t the case for me. Studies have shown that a huge percentage of employers will use social networks like Twitter and FaceBook to weed out job applicants – so why am I not concerned about this when I post a swear word in a tweet or a personal opinion in a FaceBook status? I suppose the most direct and blunt answer to that question is “Because, I don’t care.” I have professional accounts (Facebook Page, LinkedIn, this blog, etc.) that I use to display my motives and skills for my work-related activities, but what I chose to do in my personal time, I’m not ashamed of, and if I am cut from an application for this reason, then it simply wasn’t the right place for me.

I am an extremely dedicated student, a hard worker, and I’m constantly seeking self-improvement and more education, but I don’t mind letting people know who I really am. The more I grow into my new professional lifestyle, the more this all becomes clear to me. The balance between the separation of professional and personal accounts all depends on what your expectations for yourself are. I’m planning on being self-employed so I’m not looking to impress any employers, and the clients I work with understand that my work speaks for itself. If for some reason I changed my mind and wanted to work for another company, I’d be more than content with them seeing anything and everything I have online. If I were to work for someone else, I would want that someone to hire me for my talent. Anything I post about my personal life is true and a representation of who I am outside of work – I have no concerns with it ever interfering. I may not be a perfect person, but I am an excellent worker, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything online that proves otherwise.

It’s scarf season.

Rustin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:51:33 +0000

With the coming of December, students all over the world like myself are plagued with finals. Traditionally, 3 or more tests crammed together into one hellish week, sometimes you even get lucky enough to take more than one test on the same day. These aren’t just normal tests though, they’re finals: these tests are both cumulative and worth more than any of the other tests you’ve taken previously. We’re talking up to 50% of your grade; if you don’t pass these tests, there’s a good chance you won’t even pass the class. Starbucks fills cups all over campuses as students disappear into solitude for one week. You could call it a type of hibernation, but no sleep is involved.

And then they emerge, one by one. People finish their semester & realize they have the entire winter break to detox. That’s where I am. I’ve finished my internship with Volacci SEO along with my semester and now I’m here, in my dream world. I’m surrounding myself with the most incredible people, living a life that I’ve always dreamt of. I can’t help but to break out a scarf, phone a friend, and indulge in a delicious cappuccino at some coffee shop downtown to catch up, bond, and realize the possibilities the future now holds.

This past semester has been a challenge for me academically, but that challenge has pushed me to start my own company and to establish my name as a professional. I can’t help but to be ecstatic about the fact that I have the proper time to devote to my career without having to focus on textbooks for a while. I’m going to be taking a lighter course load this coming semester, so during this break I look forward to building a strong relationship with my new clients, and pushing myself to create my best work, every time.

I hope you all are enjoying your holiday breaks as much as I am. Spend time not only cherishing the time with your family and friends, but the time you spend with yourself. Realize what you can do, what you want to do, and make it happen for yourself. This year, my family and I decided against giving gifts, we’d rather spend the time talking over breakfast than we would unwrapping overpriced products. The only gift I want this year is from myself: a continuation of excellence.

Let’s Get a Little Controversial

Rustin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:33:13 +0000

I’ve learned many-a-time that in professional situations (like a blog on your professional website) you should avoid politics and controversial topics, but that’s just not me. I’m the type to bite my tongue when necessary, but when there is something that’s important to me, I share this with the world. And this, my friends, is important to me;

5 Questions for Prospective Longhorns

Rustin — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 23:41:43 +0000

I’m asked on a pretty regular basis to share my experiences at The University of Texas at Austin with prospective students from all around that I met in years past. For those of you who don’t know me personally, I’m from a very small town by the name of Henderson, Texas. It’s your typical small east texas town with a population of about 10,000 people and – I’m fairly positive – just as many cattle.

Austin is a good 4+hour drive away, so before my college visit, I had never seen the city before. Anyone who knew me in high school new that I was dead set on attending NYU or UCLA, especially once I decided on majoring in media. UT was originally my backup plan. Henderson High School offers seniors a few excused absences for college visit days, and seeing as I wasn’t going to make it to NYC or LA and back in one or two days and get a good feel for the campus, I decided to trek down to Austin just for the hell of it.

I was absolutely blown away by the city – it’s amazing. I had heard people say Austin wasn’t like the rest of Texas, but it really took seeing to believe. I fell in love with the city and the second I stepped foot on campus, I felt at home. A lot of people are intimidated by the sheer size of UT campus, but I was infatuated with it. I saw so many possibilities for myself; once I made it back home, I did a little research and learned that UT’s RTF program is always nationally ranked top 10. That was all the convincing I needed to go online and accept my admittance. I officially became a longhorn.

I’ve loved my experience at UT, but it’s definitely not for everyone. I’ve composed a list of 5 questions you should ask yourself before deciding on your University.

Have you visited campus?

Trust me, I study media and how to twist it to your advantage – the website may misrepresent. Visit the campus you’re interested in and experience it first hand. Sit in on a class, eat at the cafeteria, talk to the people. If you don’t feel welcomed, it’s probably not the place for you.

Are you for-sure on your major?

A common mistake in the decision process is a narrow mind. Many students attend a university for the high ranking program that they are so sure is what they want to do with their life. Statistically speaking, it’s likely you will change your major at least once at college, so make sure you go somewhere well-rounded, not just great in one department.

How far from home can you really handle?

Plane tickets, like out-of-state tuition fees, are not cheap. Make sure you are at a comfortable distance from home, because you may not be able to go home as often as you’d like.

Can you handle the workload?

Let me be the first to tell you that college is not easy. At all. In high school, if you didn’t study for the major test and could scrape by with a B- like I did, kudos, but I’m afraid to inform you those days are over. If you don’t study for your college test – you will fail. Period. Look at retention rates and look at yourself and your work ethic; be honest with yourself when making these decisions.

Is this what you want?

Or is it what your parents want? This is the most important of the five questions. If you’re doing something because your parents want you to, it’s time to act like an adult and stand up for yourself. Attending a college or choosing a major because your parents want you to is doing nothing but wasting your life and their money. I know it may seem scary, but you can do what you want to do. College is about becoming an adult, and the first step in becoming an adult is learning to stand up for yourself.

I’m back, & this time it’s for good.

Rustin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:01:09 +0000

First and foremost, welcome back to the people who frequented RCLow.com before the massive remodel, and a huge thanks to those who kept pushing me to hurry up and get back online. I probably would have put it off longer if it weren’t for you all…. and partially because this is site is being graded as my final for digital media.

If this is your first time to my site, welcome to one of the most pointless blogs of all time. I’m slightly NSFW (not safe for work) with some cussing here and there, and I’m always willing to talk about controversial topics. Mostly, I just have far too many strong opinions and I just can’t contain them all in the 140 characters twitter offers me, so I like to vent to the internet here. I’ll also be sharing the things I find worth sharing: new technology, clothes, political movements, video games, the works. Anything I think you may enjoy, I’ll be posting.

In addition to sharing my infinite thoughts with you all, RCLow.com serves another purpose; my online resume/portfolio. I’m quickly approaching a stage in my life where I need to convert my hobby of digital media into a career. I’m in the process of turning my fascination with web creation and all things digital into a profitable service, and with that service, I will be using this site as a central hub for my business.

I hope you’ll check back often and enjoy, or at least appreciate, my thoughts transcribed.

-Rustin