This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.
For our second Campus Celebrity, we wanted to highlight a notable alumna. Julie Tran served as Campus Correspondent and Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus UMass last year.
KM: What have you been doing since graduating?
JT: Well, when I graduated I took a couple months off, which I honestly recommend to everyone. It’s just a great way to relax before entering the “real world.” Word of advice: just enjoy the time off if you don’t get a job right after graduation. When you finally have a job you’ll regret all the time you spent stressing out when you could have been relaxing! After I did that, I landed a job as an Event Coordinator for a company called Rue La La, a flash sale site based in Boston (shameless plug, it’s amazing… check it out!).
KM: What’s the best part of your job?
JT: A big part of my job is troubleshooting issues that arise with the events that can jeopardize our deadline. I strangely enjoy the thrill of working out problems since you can learn a lot about the industry and about communicating with all different types of people. I like that I’m constantly learning and things are a little unpredictable. Our office is pretty cool too. Plus, we have sample sales and Bagel Fridays. Winning!
Offices at Rue La La. Photo Credit.
KM: What are some of the skills you took away from being a Campus Correspondent?
JT: I learned so much in that role that it’s hard to choose a select few skills. Being Campus Correspondent really sharpened my organizational, leadership, and communication abilities. Everyday I had 5-7 articles to edit on top of classes, my job, and other small issues that came up within and outside Her Campus. It was impossible to do all that without developing some kind of system. This position taught me that you really need to plan out your goals and the steps needed to achieve them.
KM: What’s the thing you miss the most about UMass?
JT: Just being around friends 24/7 and also having so many opportunities to be involved and meet new people. Special shoutout to the staff at the Student Legal Services Office. I miss the good local food there too, for sure.
KM: Best part of living in Boston?
JT: I’ve been a Bostonian my entire life so living in the city is what feels natural to me. For me, the best part of living in Boston is that most of my friends and family are here. I may be biased, but I think it’s one of the greatest cities out there. There’s a lot of history, great sports, and great people.
KM: What’s your favorite piece of advice that you’ve received?
JT: Don’t stress out so much about the little things. Everything tends to work out in one way or another. Do what makes you happy and try not to focus so much on the mold society set up for you. A 9-5 office job with good benefits and a fancy title is great and all, but it’s not the key to happiness.
KM: Where would you go on your dream vacation?
JT: When I think about my dream vacation it has a lot less to do with where I am than who I’m with. Then again, Hawaii sounds pretty good.
Thank you so much Julie! HCXO!