As the semester starts winding down, I’ve been hurtling forward towards the “I’m about to graduate, what am I going to do” phase of life. I knew I couldn’t expect to have my dream job without getting some more experience under my belt, but post-grad marketing/PR jobs that aren’t standing in Costco trying to sell DVRs are a little difficult to come by for December grads.
So, I decided to turn to our lovely clients here at Sara Hussey PR to get their advice and a little peek at their first jobs out college. Here’s what they shared:
Anna Crelia, Loot Rentals
I was working as a sales associate at OAK in NYC. I worked for all 3 of their stores in addition to interning at a fashion PR firm, People’s Revolution. After I graduated, I needed to decide if I wanted to pursue a career in PR or in retail.
I decided I wanted to pursue retail and try to work my way up to being a buyer. I asked the owners of OAK if I could take on a full-time position in the office. I worked for a year there managing the website and styling photo shoots for them, working with the head buyer as well.
My advice would be to try your hands in a few different areas so you can see what you really like before you graduate and make the decision to commit to one career path.
Rhoda Brimberry, Loot Rentals
My first job after graduating as an undergrad was a community support specialist for learning and socially disabled youth. Having a psychology degree under my belt, this was the area I thought would be a great launching point…I was terrible at it.
My point, don’t expect your first flight into the real world to be the end all. Every experience I had from my collegiate launch has been beneficial to me in every way even if the industry (or industries) where I started, weren’t where I ended up.
Cristina Facundo Bocanegra, Wardrobe Stylist and Founder of Love Child
My first job out of college was a substitute teacher. I graduated from UT in December from with an education degree and had 6 months before I started graduate school so I spent the downtime substituting to find out what grade I wanted to teach.
My advice would be to follow your instinct. I loved teaching but knew it wasn't my forever job. I followed my passion despite the fear of the unknown and have been happily styling ever since. Best of luck to you!
Catelyn Salpachai, The Distillery
I graduated with a finance degree from Texas A&M, and my first job was a portfolio management analyst at Dimensional Fund Advisors (a large mutual fund company in Austin).
My advice would be not to worry too much right away about "doing what you love" or wondering where your first job will take you. Just focus on learning as much as you can from the people you work with about the company you work for and the overall industry. Once you've been working for about 1.5-2 years, then reassess whether the work is right for you. Entry level jobs are inherently not the most fun, and many people miss out on valuable learning opportunities by checking out too early.
Kelly Truesdell, SOLID & Five Elements Furniture
I was an Admin Assistant at a recording studio in the Boston area. My advice would be: don’t sleep with the boss.
I’ve loved my time working at Sara Hussey PR and getting to be a part of all of her clients’ stories. I wish I could stay forever, but I want to say thank you to Sara for teaching me so much!
About The Author
Hey there! My name is Anaïsa, I was born and raised in Austin but have been adventuring around Denton, Texas for the past four years. I'm currently a student at the University of North Texas where I'm studying Public Relations and French. My hobbies include traveling, photography, and going to music festivals (how can I not be an Austinite, right?). One day I hope to combine all of that into a career. Learn more about my experience here.
