Hello hello! Thank you for coming back to Life After: 101. Today brings a new interview with a fresh perspective from Bryn W. of North Wales, PA. I met Bryn while interning for the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau and this girl has been on fire since. Bryn is a true definition of a hustler. She is a mover and a shaker and is on a fast pace to success with the moves she is making! Check out her story below:
- What College/University did you attend and what year did you graduate?
- Klein College of Media & Communication at Temple University. Class of 2017.
- Where are you from? Are you living there now?
- I’m from North Wales, Pennsylvania and I’m currently living there now.
- What was your major? Your minor?
- I majored in communication studies with a minor in public relations.
- What drew you to your major? What made you decide on your minor?
- A few things drew me to both my major and minor:
- I enjoy writing.
- I am definitely a social butterfly! Always have been, always will be. I enjoy meeting new people and getting to know them and their story.
- I’m passionate about the power of social media and its ability to reach a mass audience.
- I love a good challenge, and being under pressure.
- I enjoy staying up to date and on top of the latest media trends.
- A few things drew me to both my major and minor:
- How would you describe your overall college experience?
- Life changing. My college career started out kind of funky. I grew up as a multi-sport athlete, but my main sport was soccer. I was originally committed to playing soccer for the women’s team at Temple. As soon as I started my freshman year, I quickly realized that I no longer wanted to pursue soccer; I wanted to put my full-time and energy into pursuing my career. I had been an athlete my entire life, dedicating hours and days to practices, games and tournaments. After a few days on campus, my mindset completely changed. I’m not quite sure why this feeling didn’t hit me until I started preseason, but God has a funny way of showing you things sometimes and as a proud Catholic, I trusted His plan. A lot of people doubted me, questioned my decision and thought I was making a huge mistake by quitting. I never let that get to me. It added more fuel to my fire—the fire to push myself, learn and grow as much as I could and to take full advantage of every opportunity. With that being said, I am SO grateful to have been an athlete for all of those years. Sports taught me the true meaning of teamwork, how to think under pressure, how to take constructive criticism and most importantly: how to work my butt off. But, I knew that it was MY life, and that I’m the only person who knows what is right for me. For the first time, I was so ready to put my full-time, focus and energy in something else—my future career.
- I can’t say enough good things about Temple. Attending a college in the city of Philadelphia was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It was so much more than just waking up and going to class. It was so much more than spending every weekend drinking, partying, etc. As a Temple student, you have the entire city at your fingertips. The culture, diversity and hustle of going to college in the city gave me an immense amount of perspective and inspiration. Temple taught me how to grind. Every single semester I took five to six courses, immersed myself in extracurricular activities and worked on campus or interned. You’re surrounded by students who do the exact same thing. Students who juggle a job, an internship and multiple classes. Being surrounded by students like this continuously inspired me and pushed me to work hard.
- Did you have any internships while in college? How did they help you during and after college?
- I had three internships during college. I interned for the marketing communications department at the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, the marketing communications department at the Philadelphia Flyers and the corporate communications department at Aramark’s Global Headquarters. All three of these experiences taught me that there is never a dull moment in this field! Every day is extremely different. One day, you’re tasked to come up with story ideas to pitch to the media. The next, you’re writing a media alert for an upcoming event or a press release on a new company initiative. The following day, you may be coming up with a strategy to launch a new campaign. Each internship reaffirmed the fact that public relations matters. Public relations is vital to a company’s overall strategy. On a skills note, all three internships taught me how to write and communicate efficiently, strategize effectively and flex my creative muscles. On a more abstract note, these experiences have taught me how to tackle daily challenges and obstacles, to always be willing to learn and ask questions and to get out of my comfort zone.
- What extracurricular groups/activities did you participate in? What impact do you think they had on your college and post-college life?
- Anchor, Update Now (Temple University Television)
- Junior Reporter, OwlSports Update (Temple University Television)
- Social Media Coordinator, OwlSports Update (Temple University Television)
- Member of the Temple University Public Relations Society of America (Temple Public Relations Society of America)
- Building Supervisor (Temple University Campus Recreation)
- Administrative Assistant (Klein College of Media & Communication Office of the Dean)
All of these experiences helped me improve my social, writing, communication and public speaking skills. Each experience was a positive one and helped me grow as not only a professional, but as a human being as well. I could go into more detail on how each one truly benefited me, but for the sake of this blog, I’ll keep it short and sweet: each experience helped me build confidence, kept me on my toes in some way, shape or form and helped me build relationships and make connections. They’ve all shaped me into the person and professional that I am today!
- What have you been up to since graduation?
- I’m VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s (also known as Visit Philly) Content Coordinator. The company’s mission is to build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy. To keep it short, as the content coordinator in VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s communications department, I manage our online pressroom; write, edit and update content (press releases, backgrounders, fact sheets, etc.) for our online platforms and support our communications team in the production of timely, accurate press materials. I truly enjoy this line of work and I’m so incredibly grateful for the daily opportunity to promote the city of Philadelphia (my favorite city in the world) on a daily basis.
- Do you plan on attending graduate school? If so what do you plan on studying?
- As of right now, I don’t plan on attending graduate school. If the opportunity does arise in the future, I would definitely be open to it.
- What is your top career goal?
- To make a positive impact, to never stop learning, to continue to work hard and improve upon my skills, to never lose my drive and passion, to build mutually beneficial relationships and to make sure that work never feels like work (: It doesn’t feel like work when you love what you do!
- Do you think you were prepared for Life After college upon graduation?
- Like I said earlier, Temple taught me how to grind. Every single semester I took five to six courses, immersed myself in extracurricular activities and worked on campus or interned. I developed great time management skills and learned how to thrive under pressure. Temple has a huge network, not only in Philadelphia but all around the world, so making connections was easy. My involvement in extracurricular activities prepared me as well.
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- As I mentioned earlier, my internship experiences taught me so much. All three experiences (in their own ways) played crucial roles for me scoring a job before graduation. With all of that being said, and while I do feel prepared, that doesn’t mean there are days I get struggle or get stuck. There are many days where I mess up, am confused about a certain project or task or just feel completely worn out and exhausted. I’m human! I do my very best to take one day at a time and go into every work day with a positive attitude and mindset. I remind myself how lucky I am to have a job. A positive attitude and mindset is everything!
- How was your adjustment to moving back home? If you did not move back home, how did you prep to move in your own place?
- It has been great so far. I’m so grateful to be a part of such a loving, supportive family. I’m very close with my parents and sisters, so the transition has been pretty smooth for the most part. The only tough part about moving back home has been my commute to my job. My train ride is about 45 minutes long. You know the girl you see sprinting through crowds of people trying to catch her train? Yep, that’s me.
- What tips and advice do you have for students preparing for life after college?
- Be humble. My mama taught me this one. I absolutely LOVE this quote: “Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise.”
- Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. If I’ve learned anything in these first months in my very first full-time job, IT IS THIS. Whether it’s giving a presentation at an all staff meeting, feeling the pressure to get the job done, being assigned a task where you have no clue how to begin or taking on a large and mighty project, you’ve got to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Once you master that, you’ll be prepared to handle whatever situation comes along in work and your own life.
- Get into a routine. My dad is a man of routine. He’s obsessed with the concept of routine—always has been. I definitely feel that I get this from him. For me personally, having a routine saves me time, helps me become more proficient, reduces stress and keeps me in check. My routine: The night before work, I lay out my gym outfit and work outfit, pack my lunch and make sure my purse is organized (Do I have my wallet? Do I have my car keys? Do I have my train pass?). I do my best to get to bed at a reasonable hour. In the morning, I get up at 5 a.m., work out at my local gym, get home and hop in the shower, get ready, drink my coffee and I’m on my way!
- Be confident in your skills and abilities. I started my job two weeks after I graduated. The nerves definitely settled in. I did my best to remind myself of my skills, abilities and my success in my previous professional experiences.
- Always strive to do your very best. This is a big one. I think it’s pretty self-explanatory.
- Own your personal brand. Always be yourself and never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. Be proud of who you are and what you do. Own it!
- Go into each day with a positive mindset and attitude. When you wake up and before you go to sleep, remind yourself that you’re lucky to be healthy and alive! Thanks to my local gym, REV Indoor Cycling & Fitness, for ingraining this motivating message in my head day in and day out!
- Treat everyone with respect. Obvious, but so important! Be someone who is enjoyable to work with.
- Dealing with constructive criticism. Don’t be afraid of it, embrace it!
- Work hard. WORK Hard. WORK HARD!!!!!!
Thanks so much Bryn for dropping your jewels of advice! Your story is definitely one that can inspire so many to keep striving and keep moving up, no looking back. Please keep us updated on what you are up to, I know there are many more amazing achievements ahead!
Check back tomorrow for another interview and much more advice to help you get ready for Life After: 101.
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