Name: Rebekah George
Job Title and Description: Beauty and Fashion Expert
College/Major: Fordham University, BS in Communications & Media Studies
Website: www.getgorge.com and www.rebekahgeorge.com
Twitter Handle: @rebekahgeorge
Her Campus: What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical
day?
Rebekah George: Every day is very different and that’s part of what I love about my job.
I’m either shooting a webisode, making an appearance, meeting with beauty brands, or
sitting in my sweats at my home office (aka “The Get Gorge headquarters”) working on
my website and pitching segment ideas. I travel a ton and do everything from local
television to QVC to various work for cosmetic brands. That means heading to St. Louis,
then jetting off to Chicago, and hitting the west coast in cities like Los Angeles and
Portland. It may sound glamorous but it’s anything but. Being on the road is tough but I
love being on television and sharing beauty and fashion advice, so that’s the price I have
to pay.
HC: What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
RG: I started working as an assignment editor at WTNH in New Haven, CT (an ABC
affiliate). Then I decided to switch to magazines. I luckily landed a gig at Redbook where
I started working with the beauty department. I climbed up the beauty editorial ladder,
working at various magazines like Lifetime, Natural Health, and Prevention. I became a
beauty director by the time I was 28. At the same time, Prevention started having me do
television for our magazine, talking on-air about everything from beauty to nutrition and
exercise. I started to have a nagging feeling that I wanted to be on air full time. So after
two years I got the courage to quit my job. It’s been nearly three years and I’ve never
looked back. Fortunately, for me, it was the right move. You have to believe in yourself,
otherwise why would anyone else believe in you?
HC: What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first
started out that you know now?
RG: That online would be so big. When I first started, blogs and websites didn’t really
exist. If I had known, I would have taken the jump sooner. But it’s all meant to be!
HC: Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?
RG: My first boss in the beauty industry, Kathy Miller Kramer. I was this young girl
from a small town in Connecticuit and she really taught me the New York City and beauty ropes. We worked together for three years and she ignited my love for beauty.
HC: What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
RG: “Be in your own lane.” My colleague and friend always tells me this. Focus on
yourself and what you are doing and don’t pay attention to anything else.
HC: What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
RG: I had to decide between two competitive jobs once. My gut told me one thing but I
was listening to the noise around me—my agent, colleagues in the business, even friends
—and ended up making the wrong choice. Always listen to yourself first and don’t ask
too many people for advice. You know what you need best. I say, have an advisory board
of two or three people because anymore than that becomes noise.
HC: What is the best part of your job?
RG: I never know what’s ahead: Every day a new opportunity presents itself.
Fortunately, when you are working for yourself you are your own brand. I continue to
build my own brand ever day—that’s a satisfying feeling.
HC: What do you look for when considering hiring someone?
RG: Someone who shares my vision and is persistent. My new assistant, Lauren, was
very proactive trying to get my attention. She did it in a very patient, professional way
and I liked that.
HC: What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
RG: Don’t let anyone tell you “no.” I heard so many people say “You can’t just quit your
job and go off on your own.” Thankfully, I didn’t listen. Your career is a journey. I started
out in television as an assignment editor, left to be a beauty editor, and now have
combined the two—beauty and television. It was this path that brought me to my current
position.