Student Blogs

Wait, There’s Life After College? Uhhh..

August 17th, 2012 etmasi13

With 7 days left until I’m back on Mount St. James, the anxiety has started to set in about being a senior. I now realize how blissful abroad was, as if I didn’t realize it before… but I can see now how I really had barely any worries. I wasn’t at Holy Cross, filled with stress over life-changing decisions and applications. I was 3,000 miles away in a different country and time zone, more worried about finishing my essay on time and rowing well for Summer VIIIs. Now I feel like I’ve been massively slapped in the face. SURPRISE. You are no longer in la-la land, my friend. This is the time to start figuring out what I want to do with my life. Granted, my dad always assures me he still doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life. But I gotta think of something to do… something at all. Considering I can’t stay in college forever (maybe. maybe not. whatever.), I have really started evaluating life after college. Wait, what? College ends and I have to be… a real person? Breathe in, breathe out.

Albeit terrifying, I would be lying if I said thinking about it isn’t exciting. I think that’s because my internship this summer really solidified a potential career path for me. I had the lucky opportunity to intern at Town & Country Magazine at the Hearst Corporation in Manhattan. My boss graduated from HC in 2008 and I’ve really gotten a sense of how fantastic the alumni network is. Before I delve into details about my internship, let’s just sum up Liz’s career choices since her wee years.

Third Grade: Will be a third grade elementary school teacher in Rhode Island.

Fourth Grade: Will be a fourth grade elementary school teacher in Rhode Island. How fitting…

Fifth Grade: Will be a fifth grade elementary school teacher in Rhode Island. I’m sensing a trend.

Eigth Grade: Will be an 8th grade English teacher. Original, Liz. Realllll original.

Sophomore Year of High School: I. Love. Editing. Therefore, will be a book editor in a publishing house. Done.

Freshman Year of College: Wait… a graduate degree EXISTS for creative writing? SOLD. Will get an MFA and become a professor.

Sophomore Year of College: Not sure teaching is my calling. Back to book publishing.

Summer 2011: Completed a marketing internship at Time Warner Cable Media. More confused than ever.

Junior Year Abroad: What am I going to do with my life? WHO AM I? You know, all those deep existential questions.

My career goals have jumped between a few things but one thing remains pretty clear – I love the writing and editing process. Lovelovelove it. And I realized over time that it’s something I really missed from high school. I worked as editors of both my high school newspaper and literary magazine. I wrote, edited, designed, and more. It kept me busy. Very busy. So busy that I was sort of terrified to do it my first year of college. I really wanted to focus on my grades and didn’t want to spread myself too thin- something I definitely did in high school. Plus, I thought I was going to be a teacher. So I volunteered as a tutor through SPUD. I also debated getting an MFA, so I worked on declaring a Creative Writing Concentration and starting those courses. Over time, I’ve realized, however, how much I actually miss writing for a publication. And that was something that hit me full force when I started blogging last fall. Having the opportunity to intern for a magazine has shown me how awesome this industry is; it combines everything I want, including writing, editing, design, and digital media. While I haven’t closed the door to book publishing –or marketing or PR, for that matter!– there’s something about producing something of my own, both visually and content-wise, that really appeals to me.

Working at Town & Country has opened my eyes to what it’s like to produce a publication. I realized, by analyzing the magazine through archives and current issues, how fun it would be to cover features – topics that are both pertinent and fun. To discover things and share them with followers. T&C is an incredibly sophisticated, beautifully-designed, and well-written mag. The content it produces as well as its crisp and consistent style is something I’ll definitely want to model. I also think there are so many magazines out there that have blog-style voices with their writing and easily align with my own voice as well. I’m so excited at the prospect of working in the industry and for the first time, I really feel like I have a direction to pursue career-wise.

Major shout-out to my boss Micaela who is a rock star at T&C. She has helped me out so so much! And  treated her interns to a mani and pedi… enough said. Another reason why my internship was so fun? My crazy, awesome co-intern, Tyler (whom I affectionately call cupake, muffin, shnookies, etc.) She is as rad as they came, everyone. She and I shared a desk every day so we naturally became close. She’s a year younger but she better be living with my in New York City one day. I know you’re reading this Tyler. I KNOW YOU ARE. <3

Anyways, so my senior year will be spent focusing on that and possibly looking for entry-level work upon graduation. But who knows? I also want to see what else is out there possibly before I go straight into the work force. Like, what about studying abroad again? I loved it so much last year, who says it has to end? While I hope there will be many opportunities to travel when I’m older (hello travel magazines!), I do think that the year after you graduate college is a rare time to do anything and everything. So I’m looking into all options. And I’ll keep you guys posted 🙂

‘Till next time.

Liz xx

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