How I landed my first PR job after graduation
Junior Publicist Lauren Fischer talks tips and tricks for securing your first job postgrad and following your own path
One year ago, I was dressed in a ridiculous cap and gown, ready to move my tassel from right to left but terrified to close out the collegiate chapter of my life. My first year of postgrad has been one of the most unpredictable, with a big move D.C. and the start of my first job. For anyone struggling with the question of “what’s next,” I wanted to give insight into the months following my graduation, along with some tips on the first job search.
Informational interviews are a must
After a relaxing winter break, I rolled back into lecture halls for my final semester of college, still unsure of what I wanted to pursue after graduation. Alumni always told me the last 16 weeks of college fly by, making the pressure to find “what’s next” even more intense. I felt confused, discouraged, and a little lost.
Unsure of where to begin, I chatted with one of my professors who gave me a great starting point: informational interviews. He suggested talking to people whose jobs sounded interesting and asking them questions about how they got their position. Seems simple enough, but this tip was a game changer for me.
I immediately reached out to alumni of my marching band, journalism program, and former internship connections to see if we could set up a time to meet. As a busy college senior working multiple jobs, I didn’t have a ton of extra time in my schedule. Most of my meetings happened via Zoom, but I was always surprised by how willing people, especially alumni, were to meet with me.
I chatted with a marketing director at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, a music publicist based in Nashville, and an account manager at a local PR firm, to name a few. The most validating part of these “interviews” was discovering that everyone’s path to their current job was different. Usually, their first job was something completely unlike their current position. It helped me realize that it doesn’t matter where I started, I just had to dive in.
Show your work!
After getting a confidence boost from the informational interviews, I felt ready to scroll through the job boards. I quickly realized pulling together my resume, cover letters, and work samples from the past four years was going to get messy.
To avoid the mess, I created a simple website for my work using Wix. I am by no means a web designer, but it helped to have all of my projects from internships and classes in one place. My website served as a digital portfolio that I could reference at any point in my job search. It also allowed me to critically think about my accomplishments over the last four years and the work I was most proud of. Best of all, potential employers could see what I was capable of and I got a chance to show off my hard work from the past four years.
Take every interview you can
Getting an interview opportunity in my inbox was always exciting, yet terrifying. It often was not for my top prospects, but I decided early on that I would take as many interviews offered to me as I could. This advice comes from my dad, who is a big believer in the “you never know who you’ll meet" mantra.
Unfortunately, job searching does often come down to “who you know,” so it’s important to meet with as many people as possible. As an undergrad, this concept scared me. Like many of my peers, I got my internship opportunities based on my applications and interviews alone. Finding a job through connections was something that felt more out of my control, and frankly still feels intimidating. I learned that the easiest way to make new connections is to show up to each interview ready for a conversation, and follow up regardless of the outcome. The worst that can happen is that they decide you are not the right fit (or they ghost you).
If you do get that rejection email but felt you had a good connection with the interviewer, follow up and ask if they know of anyone hiring, and see if the interviewer can share your resume. That’s how I landed my current position!
Use LinkedIn, with caution
It is hard to keep morale up when searching for that first job. LinkedIn is a great resource to get an idea of the jobs that are out there, but it often fueled my self-doubt during the job search.
Like any social media platform, I found myself scrolling aimlessly through the thousands of job postings, viewing how many people applied for the job, and closing out. The more time I spent on the app, the more I saw posts from my peers getting job offers, start dates, and promotions. Jealousy and self-reproach crept in, tanking my motivation.
I found it was important to set boundaries when using LinkedIn, such as only viewing the homepage with my friends’ posts once per week. It’s easier said than done, but simple fixes made the platform tolerable and allowed me to put my efforts into more important areas.
A different path for everyone
Early on, I had to accept that my first few months postgrad looked a little different from my friends’. Many of my peers began interviewing for their first jobs before spring break, and then went to work one week after graduation. This was not the path for me, but anxiety sneaked in regardless, and I often felt like I was not doing enough
Looking back, one of the best things I did for myself was spending one final summer in my college town with my friends, working as a barista while applying for jobs on the side. I soaked in all of my experiences from the previous four years while preparing for my next chapter. Another bonus of staying for the summer: completing applications at my favorite coffee shops and campus buildings. That summer gave me a chance to adequately say my goodbyes. When it was time to move out in July, I felt ready to move on.
Everyone has a different path after graduation, and I realized the importance of going at my own pace, despite what my peers accomplished. That goes for the entire postgrad experience, as everyone begins to write their own chapters, just one year after we moved our tassels.