Name: Abby Kawa
Year: Senior
Hometown: Melbourne Beach, FL
Major: Advertising
Her Campus (HC): You moved to New York this month but you’re still a senior at FSU. Would you mind telling me how that worked out?
Abby Kawa (AK): Yes, I moved to New York mid-January! I finished all of the credits for my major last semester, so I’m just enrolled in a few credits online to fulfil my graduation requirements. I figured I could do that from here and work on getting a head-start on my career!
HC: What made you decide on New York?
AK: After traveling to New York with AD Club, I realized that the amount of effort it takes to get a job in Advertising and I also realized how passionate people were about it, so it really made me want to take a risk and be a part of it.
HC: How recently was the AD Club trip and how quickly did things come together?
AK: The AD Club trip was in November and when I got to the airport to head home, I immediately put my Tallahassee apartment up for sublet. Everything happened pretty fast, no part of moving between the sublet and the actual move itself was a walk in the park but it’s actually amazing how well everything came together, just because I so badly wanted it.
HC: Yeah, I’d say that was pretty fast! So you mentioned you were aiming to get a head start on your career – are you looking for internships or jobs?
AK: After a lot of harassing people on LinkedIn and working with loose contacts, I was able to get my resume in the hands of the right people and I got an interview with Horizon Media. My first interview was on the phone, but my second job interview was with 5 different people and it ended up taking about 3 hours because the conversations were so good. I think the conversation flowed so well because it was obvious that I am passionate about the field and they must have noticed it because I was accepted for the position 24 hours later.
HC: So you essentially moved to New York and landed a job in two weeks?
AK: Yeah, I spent about a week getting adjusted and staying with friends while apartment hunting, then eventually moving into my own. The next week, I got in touch with a few different people at Horizon. One was an FSU alumni and she was able to pass my resume along to the entry-level recruiter. I should be candid though, that I have attempted to get informational interviews with many other companies and it just took getting my resume to a company that was receptive to what I have to offer. It took a lot of practice and a lot of contacting different people to get where I did, but it only takes one really helpful contact to make all the difference. My experience from FSU AD Club was hugely helpful.
HC: In a similar vein, what advice would you give someone who wants to up and move to a brand new place in search of a career, whether it be post-grad or pre-grad?
AK: Take the plunge and don’t let the uncertainty freak you out too much. Don’t be discouraged by other peoples’ view of what’s conventional or what’s right, if you feel stagnant in your life and you don’t think you’re challenging yourself in the ways that you should be, you shouldn’t be afraid to make a change. Get a LinkedIn and don’t be afraid to connect with people you’ve never spoken to, don’t be hesitant to take a risk and don’t forget to bring a box cutter when you move to a new apartment.