So You’ve Graduated…Now What?

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Claire Owens

Having just finished my four years at university, I don’t think a day has gone by in the past few months when I wasn’t asked what my plans were for after graduation.

The truth is, I had absolutely no idea.

Even more irritating were the condescending looks I got anytime I told someone I was studying Film & Media. “Where is that going to take you?” many people would ask. The stigma around areas of study that aren’t your classic business, science or engineering degree (hello sociology or English!) is surprisingly still common, and I think a lot of people’s minds are still wrapped around the idea that a specific area of study will send you in a specific direction career-wise.

What all those critics don’t know about my time at school was that I spent my spare time setting myself up for a full-blown catapult launch into the workforce. About halfway through my degree I realized that if I wanted to pursue a career in digital marketing, I had to find a way to get ahead of the competition, because my program didn’t offer many ways to do so. I applied for internships and extra-curricular positions that could help me do just that and after I landed a few of those (one at Springfree Trampolines on their digital marketing team), I was flyin’.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying getting my degree didn’t send me in the right direction, because it absolutely did. One course sparked my interest in digital marketing, which led me to pursue it as a career. I used the rest of my school time learning how to write well, work efficiently, and communicate my ideas, while having a bit of fun on the side too.

All of my “outside of school” work put me ahead of those still going to camp, serving tables or selling shoes, and inevitably helped me make awesome connections along the way. I literally wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for a connection who passed along the job description.

And now I’m here, sitting in my chair as a new Digital Marketing Coordinator at 88 Creative having finished school only a few weeks ago (I’m technically not even graduated until June!), and after years of hearing doubtful opinions on where my degree would lead me I’ve landed an unbelievably cool position.

Take that, world!

Claire is a Digital Marketing Coordinator at 88 Creative. Find her on Twitter at @clarenowens .