Selena Ponton graduated from Florida State in the Spring of 2020. Before graduating, she was a part of the FSU Chapter of Her Campus as a Staff Writer, a member of the Social Team and the Junior Social Media Director. Since graduating, she has landed two jobs in her field where skills she gained from Her Campus have been put to the test. While no longer a writer for Her Campus, she has still been able to carry her experiences with her to help serve her in her life post-grad.
Her Campus (HC): What did you get your degree in?
Selena Ponton (SP): I got a B.S. in Media Communication Studies with a minor in Film Studies.
HC: How long were you involved with Her Campus at Florida State?
SP: I was in Her Campus from January 2019 to May 2020 when I graduated. Over my time in Her Campus, I was a Staff Writer, on the Social Team, and then became one of the Junior Social Media Directors in my last year.
HC: What are you doing now post-grad?
SP: Now, I have two jobs that are completely remote. I’m a staff writer for a skincare company’s blog and I also work for an influencer marketing agency. At the agency, I first started out as an Editorial Staff Writer but now I’m an Industry Report Specialist. Basically, I use quarterly data to write reports on various industries and how they’re utilizing influencer marketing for their campaigns. When I’m not writing for the agency, I also work on Influencer Outreach for campaigns.
HC: How did you get the jobs you have now?
SP: I got my job at the influencer marketing agency when I was still at FSU. My G-Big from Lady Spirithunters had been working there for two years and when she heard they were looking for more blog writers, she put in a good word for me and I landed an interview. Then, after I was already at the agency for a year, one of the blog managers asked me to write for the skincare blog she was doing content marking for since she liked my writing!
HC: Have you faced any trials and tribulations since graduating?
SP: I had already planned to take a year off of school after I graduated, but I have put off grad school and internships a bit for now because of the pandemic. From a mental health standpoint, it’s also been hard to find motivation when everything seems so up in the air. For now, I’ve been focusing on my work until I can make more solid plans for the future. I’ve never been the type of person to be without a plan, but it’s been nice to have this time for myself to figure out what I like and don’t like and determine my goals. If I had jumped right into school, I might not have had time for reflection like this. I try to see the bright side as much as possible.
HC: Has the pandemic impacted your job?
SP: Luckily, both my jobs are completely remote, so they weren’t impacted too much by the pandemic. Instead, we’ve used this time to help us inspire content ideas for the blog—like, how has marketing changed during this pandemic?
HC: How has Her Campus impacted your life post-grad?
SP: Before I joined Her Campus, I was used to writing in an academic, serious, journalist way. From writing personal features and profiles, I learned how to write in a conversational way that would entertain people, and that has helped me so much in my career. In fact, I got my first freelance job from a recruiter that read my Her Campus articles online! Now, I’ve written copies for websites for some of the internet’s biggest influencers, and that wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the way I learned how to write with Her Campus. Besides writing, Her Campus helped me realize I had a passion for social media, marketing and content creation, which lead me to my job now at an influencer marketing agency. Many of the skills I learned on the Social Team as a Junior Social Media Direction have completely prepared me for the work I’m doing now. Plus, it has inspired me to continue studying social strategy in grad school.
HC: Do you have any advice for current Her Campus Staff Writers?
SP: My advice for current staff writers would be to put your writing out there and make the most out of your time in Her Campus. When you become a published writer, you want to get your writing out there as much as possible. Post your articles on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit—literally anywhere you can! You never know who will see it and could potentially hire you. Like I said, I got my first freelance job after a recruiter saw the link to my Her Campus articles in my Instagram bio and liked my writing enough to reach out to me. There are so many opportunities out there and you want to take advantage of them as much as you can. With that being said—please make the most out of your time in Her Campus! Join the social team, go to the events, run for exec—do everything you want and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. It’s so rewarding in the end and you won’t regret it!
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