Ashley Offenback (’14-professional writing) currently works in social media. Her job duties include creating blog and twitter content with a focus on SEO for small business clients. She landed her first job out of college because a professor recommended her for the position.
How is reality of graduation differenct to what you thought it would be like?
There’s this common fantasy that a diploma is somehow magical. Once you receive that piece of paper, you’ll be all grown up and instantly ready to move to a big city or accomplish your wildest dreams. The reality of graduation is, it’s a lot like summer vacation… except forever. So think about how you’ve spent the past few summers, and that’s probably what you’ll be doing for a year or two after you graduate.
What was the job search process like?
The job search is brutal. I must have cold applied to at least 25 jobs without any luck, or even so much as a rejection e-mail. They just don’t say anything at all. If I hadn’t gotten this job through the incredible Berks network, I’d still be unemployed. I always thought I could get a job solely based on my grades, internships, awards, accomplishments, skills, etc., but that’s not how it works. It doesn’t matter what you know, but who you know.
Do you have any advice for what students should be doing now to prepare for life after graduation?
You should start preparing for graduation years in advance. The best thing you can do is put effort into your relationships with professors and other students. Show interest in the classroom material and play a big role in group projects. Your professors know a lot of alumni working in your field right now, and their recommendation could be all you need to land a job. Your classmates could be your future co-workers or help you get in with a company as well. If you ever apply somewhere that a Berks alumni works, they will 1000% be asked if you’d be a good fit with the company.
What’s the worst thing about the graduated life?
It’s much more difficult to have a social life. My friends are either still at Berks or scattered across the state. In college there was always someone around to talk to, club meetings to go to, and events happening around campus. You don’t realize how amazing it is to have that immediately accessible social and professional network in college.
What’s the best thing about the graduated life?
I have much more time to put into my health. I workout, get enough sleep, eat a paleo diet, and stopped drinking. I never had the time or the resources to be this healthy in college.
What is your favorite memory from your time at Penn State Berks?
There are too many to name. A lot of my favorite memories come from just hanging around campus on fridays when the weather is nice. Most people leave for the weekend, so it’s always empty. We’d hang out by the fountain, take pictures with the lion, visit the labyrinth, or walk in Gring’s Mill.