So, what do you do?
It’s a question, as an “AduLt,” I thought I would have a clear and concise answer to.
I studied Strategic Communications at the University of Colorado at Boulder and I thought I’d be on a clear and dry path in the advertising world. I thought I’d be a copywriter. I thought I’d know exactly what I was doing and know the path to the top. Do I? Not even close.
I don’t even work in an advertising agency for crying out loud. But, as I’ve grown into my post-grad self, I’ve come to understand that the name of your company matters way less than the culture of the company. I’ve learned that a title doesn’t mean anything. And, most importantly, I’ve learned that, sometimes, the amount of money you make is less important than the way the job makes you feel.
I started my job search after an internship after graduation. It was my absolute DREAM of an internship. It was at a a top ad agency, Crispin, Porter, Bogusky. I was working alongside five other interns that were selected from a pool of over 1,000 people, and I was the youngest intern. I was proud to be there and as sad as it is, I rarely find myself being proud of myself (or at least realizing how monumental something is in the actual moment). But anyway, I didn’t get hired after the internship so I packed all. my belongings and moved in with my grandpa in Alabama so I could spend time with him while I was searching for a job. I had no expectations of staying in Alabama. I interviewed for jobs in New York, California, Seatle. All over, really.
But, as fate would have it, I found a job here and it’s been a wild ride. No amount of school or preparation can make you ready for the difference between school life and job life. In school life, you know what to expect. You have the same schedule every day. If you don’t do your work it’s on you. You know when things are due, and the due dates rarely ever change. You are responsible for only your own fate.
In the job life, you’re working as a team and working for each other. Due dates fluctuate daily. If you don’t do your work, you’re letting everyone down. But, not only that, your entire job can change in a snap. Obviously, times are weird with COVID, and I realize how extremely lucky I am to have kept my job throughout this entire process. But, I figured this post would be interesting to read in the future and see how COVID has affected everything.
So, when I started my job, my title was “Creative Manager” at a sports marketing and event planning company. I helped with all things creative. From designing and sending emails for all our events. To helping create graphics for social media. To helping with photography. To helping brainstorm strategic pop-ups and takeovers. It was a ton of fun and I was learning new things every single day.
Then, COVID hit which meant that sporting events stopped. I was extremely worried that I was going to lose my job. I mean I started in January and COVID hit in March. I was barely two months in. But, the company I work for is awesome and really made sure that I felt secure and safe during these times, which I am forever grateful for.
So, how did I keep my job you ask? Great question, my company pivoted and started helping with the operations and management of COVID test sites for the universities and colleges in Alabama. It was a huge undertaking, but it was (and is). quite the experience. I first started by going to Troy, AL with my boss and that’s it. We spent three weeks in the middle of nowhere and worked from 7 am till 7 pm. I literally ate frozen or premade food from the local grocery store every night. I’m not going to lie, this was extremely hard mentally. But it pushed me to be a more “go with the flow” type of person and just learn to take things day by day. I also will never take my own bed for granted.
Now, I’m doing less of that specific type of testing and now I’m working at a big university in Alabama working on the COVID Housing team helping students that are sick or exposed go into separate COVID housing. It’s actually super fun to be hands-on with a university and learning in the in and outs of how it functions. I’ve also really enjoyed helping the students because they are going through such a scary and tough time, so I genuinely feel like I’m doing something good in the world. Which is great, because I rarely feel that way about anything graphic design related.
Anyways, this post is kind of a hodgepodge of thoughts, but the point is that I’m learning to be more of a go with the flow when it comes to my job. I need to realize that I can’t control everything and that’s ok. I need to remind myself what the most important part of a job is. I need to remind myself that the people you work with can make the job. I need to remember that everything always works itself out.
Thanks for reading!
xo
chloe