1) What was your major/minor?
Major in English/Creative Writing with a minor in Spanish
2) When did you start your job search?
I started my job search probably around the beginning of my Senior year.
3) How did you find your current job?
I found my current job through my dad, actually. One of his friends at the company (BlueLinx Corporation) was looking to hire and he mentioned that I was about to graduate. He also told my boss that he would not talk me up, though, and would remain a third party in the hiring process.
4) How many interviews did you go to before you found the job you are currently working for?
I went to two interviews, one for a “marketing company” that turned out to be a low paying sales position, and one for what was a potential dream job – working for a magazine that wrote about the behind the scenes of the Olympics and allowed for lots of travel. Unfortunately, they were only looking for a summer intern looking for college credit.
5)How did you choose your current job among the other offers?
Honestly, I chose my job because of the convenience. It was my first offer, it paid well for a college graduate, and my dad works there so by moving home I could save a ton of money through car pooling as well.
6) What initial mistakes did you learn from?
I think some initial mistakes I made were not following through with jobs or being too picky while looking. I didn’t realize that my first job wouldn’t be my career necessarily, but a stepping stone to get me going. Hiring managers want to see that a potential employee is driven; it may be annoying to call back for a follow up, but they will remember you.
7) What advice would you give to graduating seniors?
I would say be open to any possibility. You can really learn a lot from being in the actual work environment. Don’t let your position discourage you if it isn’t exactly what you want to do. Also, be humble and realize that you are the new college graduate – you will most likely get an entry level job with a company full of older people who may look down on you. Prove them you aren’t a kid and you worked hard to get where you are. Prove to them you have the potential to grow.
8) What have you learned from your current job that you didn’t learn at school?
So far I have learned a lot about working in a business environment; even the small things, like learning how to use Microsoft Excel. My job is basically an administrative position as well as handling operations for my sales team. When my boss originally interviewed me, I flat out told her that I had never heard of anything on the job requirements. She reassured me that it was fine; that was actually a good thing because then she could teach me exactly what she wanted me to do. Now I can look back at that list and see how much I have truly accomplished and learned.
9) How did you decide on your dream job?
I think a dream job could be defined as loving what you do. For me, two things I am most passionate about are writing and traveling. After interviewing with the magazine company I was over the moon! I wanted to ask the editor so many questions and as I looked around her office, littered with trinkets from all over the globe, I could only dream that one day my office could look the same. I truly have a passion for culture and learning about different people groups and I would love nothing more than to share that knowledge with the world.
10) Anything else you’d like to add?
I guess my final piece of advice would be to just realize how young you are and to not give up on chasing that dream. You may hit some bumps along the road, you may have to suffer through boring jobs and long days, but don’t let that boring job define you. Don’t get discouraged and don’t settle. Just give it time and you can really succeed.