It is common knowledge that finding a job after graduation is becoming more and more rare. With the economy on the fritz there are higher numbers of college graduates who are applying to graduate, medical and law school. However, there are those lucky graduates who are employed upon graduation.
Full name: Julia Blumenthal
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Class Year: 2010
1.Where do you work?
I work at Home Front Communications, a multi-platform PR firm, which specializes in broadcast and digital media outreach, web content, and video production. I am on the media team, specifically in the broadcast division. My team books satellite and radio media tours (live and taped interviews with local TV and radio outlets) throughout the country and creates bites and b-roll packages, which we feed out to TV stations nationwide.
2. What is your official title at work?
Media Results Coordinator
3. What is a typical day like at work?
On a typical day, I search for new airings for projects that have recently launched. Using an online database, I enter keywords (i.e. our client companies, spokespeople, terms from our press release, etc.) to search local affiliates nationwide (like WHAM (ABC) Rochester) for airings about our story. I then generate a report of all the airings, which we send to the client to show the coverage we have garnered for their story.
4. What do you love about your job?
I love that my job entails much more than what’s included in my job description. My bosses let me try new things like pitching stories to TV stations and producing satellite interviews. In the six months I’ve been at Home Front, I’ve already learned so much!
I also really like the relaxed work environment at my company. My co-workers are young and energetic, which makes the work day a lot more fun!
5. What lead you to this job?
I actually studied history in college, but I always knew that I wanted to work in Communications. Throughout college, I held a variety of internships in the field including a summer internship at Gloss PR outside Philly (my hometown) and Viacom in New York City for their Corporate Social Responsibility division. At the University of Rochester, I did PR/marketing internship for Todd Theater and served as a brand ambassador for ReadyU, a Procter & Gamble platform for college students through a company called RepNation. I also took a few Marketing courses at Rochester’s Simon School of Business.
When it came time to look for a job, I applied to companies I found on Google and job sites like Monster. I ultimately found a job by networking with a sorority sister.
6. What are your career goals?
I hope to someday work in Corporate Communications for a big company. I think this desire stems from my internship at Viacom. My dream title is Vice President of Corporate Communications!
7. Tell me about living in D.C.
Washington D.C. is the perfect city to live in after college. It is a big city, yet manageable. There’s so much to do with all the wonderful museums and national sites. I have also enjoyed exploring all the different DC neighborhoods.
I am so fortunate to be in the same city with some of my closest friends from Rochester! There are a ton of other Rochester alumni in DC and the university’s Young Alumni Council plans a lot of happy hours. It’s fun to see who else is living in the city and network with other alums!
I won’t lie, I also love DC for all its great restaurants!!!