{"id":793,"date":"2021-03-17T15:53:30","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T15:53:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/projects.ccu.press\/edwardslive\/?p=793"},"modified":"2021-03-17T15:53:32","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T15:53:32","slug":"right-place-right-time-right-skillset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.ccu.press\/edwardslive\/right-place-right-time-right-skillset\/","title":{"rendered":"Right place, right time, right skillset"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rob Sperduto \u201818, \u201820 is a recent graduate of CCU\u2019s Master of Arts in Writing (MAW) program. He shares his experiences at CCU, how he overcame the challenges of finding a job that fulfills his passion, and future plans. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not everyone can say they\u2019re living the dream and mean it. But for Rob Sperduto, a recent Master of Arts in Writing<\/a> (MAW) graduate, his dream job just so happens to be his actual vocation. As editor-in-training for ProGamesGuide (PGG), Sperduto spends his days writing about his passion: video games. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest professional hurdles Sperduto had to overcome was learning to believe his passion was a viable career choice. As a student, he kept his dream of being a games journalist to himself, afraid that his goals were impossible. Eventually, though, Sperduto realized that other people were making careers out of his passion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRealize\nthat your passions are out there, and you can potentially turn that into a\njob,\u201d Sperduto advises students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sperduto didn\u2019t get to this realization immediately, however. He moved to New York after graduating, and the pandemic hit shortly thereafter, adding a layer of difficulty to his job search. Sperduto mentioned that he was quickly running out of funds after a few months in the city, as there truly was no one hiring in New York during a global pandemic. By November 2020, he\u2019d applied to more than 120 jobs \u2013 data available thanks to a spreadsheet he maintained documenting at least 90 of those applications, before he found it \u201ctoo sad\u201d to keep track of. Of those 120 applications, he heard back from four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally,\nthen, a break: Sperduto landed a part-time job with PGG, a website that\nspecializes in creating and publishing game guides. Sperduto initially worked\nas a freelancer, writing guides for the site as needed. It wasn\u2019t a full-time\njob just yet, but it was a start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a one-in-a-million chance. I was in the right place at the right time,\u201d Sperduto said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two\nweeks into the position, Sperduto was asked if he could cover a relatively\npopular game, Roblox.<\/em> He said \u201cYes,\u201d despite never having touched the\ngame. His supervisors were so impressed by his work that they asked if he would\nbe willing to work full time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, Sperduto is working to become an editor for the site. He spends his days maintaining Roblox <\/em>coverage, as well as creating general how-to guides, responding to online comments, and editing others\u2019 work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although\nhe is a games journalist, Sperduto\u2019s days aren\u2019t spent playing too many video\ngames. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not glamorous work,\u201d he says, \u201cbut I never have a boring day. I\u2019m constantly learning.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\naddition to using his technical writing skills, Sperduto has also been learning\nmore about Photoshop and Google trends and analytics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sperduto\nmentions that CCU prepared him to take on this role, albeit in ways he didn\u2019t\noriginally recognize. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are hidden skills,\u201d Sperduto said. \u201cI found so much comfort tracing these skills back to specific class moments at CCU. Some moments don’t expose themselves until long after leaving university.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some\nof these \u201chidden skills\u201d included time management, organization, and synthesis\nof research. Many of these skills came from the simple role of being a graduate\nstudent, though being in the MAW program proved especially helpful as well.\nBeyond being present for classes and putting effort in, Sperduto has one piece\nof advice for students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet writing samples. If you have samples, you\u2019re already 98% ahead of the cut.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s on a personal website, from freelance work, or submitting to journals, Sperduto recommends students establish a portfolio as soon as possible. He also recommends this tip for students in other majors: if it\u2019s possible to create a portfolio, every student should start putting one together.              <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sperduto had numerous mentors during his time at CCU. He mentioned that working with Sara Sobota<\/a>, publications editor of the Edwards College and senior lecturer in the Department of English<\/a>, was an eye-opening experience in the world of professional writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking with Sara Sobota\u2026 She is the best editor in the world,\u201d said Sperduto. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sperduto also credited Joshua Cross<\/a>, lecturer of creative writing in the Department of English, with helping him learn how to speak to an audience. Cross was also instrumental in helping Sperduto develop teaching skills that have now transferred to his job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Sperduto recalled how creative writing workshop sessions with both Joe Oestreich<\/a>, chair and professor, and Jason Ockert<\/a>, professor of creative writing, both in the Department of English, provided in-text feedback that continues to inform his editing process to this day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cAs an editor, you\u2019re almost like a teacher,\u201d said Sperduto. \u201cYou have to understand the writing process to give good feedback.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, Sperduto is content to revel in the stability that having a full-time job brings — that, and the reassurance that his passion continues, both in his work and on side projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving a job doesn\u2019t mean creative endeavors are over,\u201d said Sperduto.  \u201cThat was my biggest fear, but that definitely isn\u2019t what happened.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rob Sperduto \u201818, \u201820 is a recent graduate of CCU\u2019s Master of Arts in Writing (MAW) program. He shares his experiences at CCU, how he overcame the challenges of finding a job that fulfills his passion, and future plans. Not everyone can say they\u2019re living the dream and mean it. But for Rob Sperduto, a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[106,103,104,102,105,101],"class_list":["post-793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-voices","tag-creative-writing","tag-editing","tag-gaming","tag-master-of-arts-in-writing","tag-professional-writing","tag-writing"],"yoast_head":"\nRight place, right time, right skillset - Edwards Live<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/projects.ccu.press\/edwardslive\/right-place-right-time-right-skillset\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Right place, right time, right skillset - Edwards Live\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rob Sperduto \u201818, \u201820 is a recent graduate of CCU\u2019s Master of Arts in Writing (MAW) program. 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