Turning Pandemic Related Uncertainty Into a Career Advantage

This Q&A has been edited and condensed.

What’s your job title and the place do you’re employed?

I’m an Account Coordinator with M&C Saatchi Sport & Leisure North America. It’s a New York Metropolis-based inventive communications company working throughout sport, leisure and life-style. I largely work remotely from my hometown in Maryland.

What does a day in your function appear to be and the way do you method new initiatives?

All of it depends upon the week, and the essential initiatives for various consumer accounts. As Account Coordinator, I’m certainly one of many individuals throughout the firm assigned to client-related public relations/communications initiatives. On any given day, my obligations embrace attending weekly conferences associated to consumer initiatives in addition to serving to with public relations and communications wants for numerous accounts.

Is there one thing about your skilled journey that individuals would discover shocking?

I’m unsure many would discover my journey shocking, however lots of it got here from networking. Throughout the peak of the pandemic in 2020, I related with a College of Maryland student-athlete alumna concerned in communications and PR. After studying a bit about what she did and the experiences that led her to the place, I used to be intrigued. She helped me join with a number of totally different individuals who ultimately assisted me in touchdown my job at M&C Saatchi Sport and Leisure.

Inform us about your path from commencement to your present job .

When it got here to what I wished to do after incomes my Bachelor of Arts diploma at Maryland in 2021, I used to be very misplaced. Issues felt very up within the air for brand spanking new grads seeking to enter the office. With my diploma in psychology, I knew I had an curiosity in folks, however I wasn’t enthusiastic about going to graduate college for psychology or in turning into a psychologist.

Due to the pandemic, the NCAA granted scholar athletes the selection of an additional yr of eligibility to play and make up for a season misplaced in 2020. My tutorial advisors had launched me to the Plus 1 program on the Smith Faculty, simply in case I made a decision to remain at Maryland for an additional yr. I assumed it was a as soon as in a lifetime alternative to play soccer in school longer and achieve extra tutorial data, so I took the additional yr. I used to be additionally not sure if going into the world of labor at the moment felt proper, so I utilized to the grasp’s diploma program at Smith.

The Grasp of Science in Enterprise and Administration program felt like the very best basis for me to realize extra enterprise data, whereas additionally easing again into speaking to folks head to head in an expert means once more. I’d have been too nervous about doing that if I’d chosen to work proper after getting my bachelor’s diploma.

Throughout the spring semester of 2022, I completed taking part in soccer and was centered solely on college in addition to subsequent steps after graduating. I reached out to a contact at M&C Saatchi Sport & Leisure North America. They provided me an internship, and I loved it a lot that I expressed an curiosity in working for them full-time.

Are you the place you thought you’d be in your profession? What are your targets?

No and sure. I had hoped that I’d be in a inventive subject – one thing like advertising and marketing, communications, or PR – after graduating, however I didn’t assume I’d get pleasure from interning for an company as a lot as I did. My preliminary objective was to get a full-time place with a sports activities league/crew.

I’d be mendacity if I mentioned I knew precisely what my long-term targets have been professionally, however as of proper now, I believe I’d wish to pursue public relations additional.

What Smith assets or relationships did you leverage to your profession?

I primarily used my professors and classmates inside my cohort to assist leverage my profession. Whereas my present function was gained by way of exterior contacts from Smith, it was affiliate professor of Administration and Group, Rellie Derfler-Rozin, my different professors, in addition to visitor audio system at Smith that actually helped me perceive my pursuits and profession potentialities.

How has your Smith training helped you together with your profession? Have been there particular lessons, experiential initiatives, crew initiatives, or internships which were particularly useful to you?

I earned a second diploma that constructed a basis for me in enterprise and gave me instruments like negotiating, writing, networking and crew constructing. As a result of the programs have been simulation-based with crew displays, it was a useful and practical introduction to work.

The negotiation and model administration programs have been actually useful to me.

What about your private journey has led to your success?

Being sincere with myself about my pursuits has helped my success. With the uncertainty that got here with the pandemic, I noticed that setting targets ought to solely be a baseline to your profession plans, not a guidelines. I had the objective of being in a full-time function after incomes my BA, with no plan to even return to highschool. I felt some stress, as many senior undergraduate college students do to have a job lined up earlier than commencement. That’s seen by many as the beginning on the street to success.

I additionally assume simply networking and having conversations with folks – formally or informally – uncovered me to a variety of jobs and careers I didn’t even know existed, however that match my pursuits. Listening to about others’ profession journeys made me extra snug about being not sure about what I wished to do. The recommendation I bought from a number of folks in my community helped me perceive there isn’t a set path to a profession, however having a couple of targets may help you work it out.