5 Ways To Talk About MCC
Any MCC major on a job interview has definitely been asked “So what exactly is your major?” The name Media, Culture and Communications alone is not enough to explain what is it you learn in classes. While having to explain your vague, fluffy-sounding major may seem like a pain point in an interview, if correctly finessed, it can really help you stand out. Here are 5 way to talk about your MCC major:
Don’t be afraid to talk about the theory. Many MCC courses, especially the intro classes, are theory heavy, making the concepts learned tricky to directly apply to a job. While a theoretical understand of discourse might not be super exciting to an interviewer, use it as a chance to emphasize your critical thinking skills. Every boss wants someone to think deeply about problems and make informed decisions. By learning MCC theory, you have learned to digest complex topics and apply them to new and changing topics. For example, you may have learned about hegemony in the context of colonialism, but your understanding can be applied to analyzing how fast fashion can homogenize stores. Don’t be afraid to bring up a specific theory that you learned and explain to the interviewer how it applies to their organization. They will be happy to hear that you are passionate about a topic and capable critical thinking.
Use the projects you create for class as a portfolio. Projects and papers are a big part of MCC. This is awesome because they can be shown off as proof of your skills. You can’t show off the 98 you got on a test, but you can add the video you made for Media and Cultural Analysis to your LinkedIn profile. You can even add parts of papers that you wrote as writing samples, but be sure to highlight certain parts that you think shine (No one is going to read all 10 pages about why you think Habermas is wrong). Be sure to add these pieces of work to your LinkedIn as a project and mention them in your interview to ensure your potential employer sees them.
Talk about why you chose MCC and NYU. As I am sure you were told many times when applying, MCC at NYU is one of the best communications programs in the US - use this. You don’t have to brag, but you can explain why of all the comm programs at all the schools, you chose NYU. Explain how learning in the city has extended your education and how you have the chance to work with the leading staff in the field. Be excited and enthusiastic about MCC. People want to hire someone who is energetic and nice to be around, not someone who is apathetic about their major. There is a reason you are in MCC at NYU. Find a way to put it into words for your next interview.
Talk about a specific class. Once you begin to take your field of study and restricted electives, hopefully you will find a few classes that you genuinely enjoy. Tell the interviewer about your favorite classes and explain why you liked them so much. What did you learn? Was there a specific topic that peaked your interest? Any specific projects you did or papers you wrote? Be sure to explain fully what it is and why you care so much because this will help the interviewer get to know you and they types of things that interest you.
Don’t worry about making MCC sound amazing. It is very likely that the person interviewing you has a humanities degree that sounds a bit fluffy and unpractical, like english or film. If philosophy majors can make it work, we can too. The truth is that most of the content you learn in college, regardless of your major, is useless to your job. What college teaches you is how to read, write and, most importantly, think. The interviewer legitimately doesn't know what MCC means. While it’s smart to tailor your description of the major to the specific job, there is no need to lie about what it is. MCC is a fun major that can apply to almost any field. The person interviewing you just wants to know that you are a hard worker that can communicate and think for themselves.
What this major teaches you can be based so much on the exact classes you take, so be sure to play-up your own experiences and explain why MCC is such a unique major!
