I remember being 21 and about to graduate college thinking I’d have to do 1 thing forever — it made me feel like I was back wearing a too-tight turtleneck to my orchestra concerts in middle school.
The choice I made at 19 was to study Communications, with a splash of IT (called ICT at FSU). It was more of an I-just-need-to-pick-something to graduate with my pals and get out than anything.
One of the main reasons I chose it was because of how broad the major was — I could do a lot of things with it (I like options). I learned some coding, some databases, some PR, and some marketing. A little bit of everything. But, truthfully, I’d also just had my 2nd concussion and was going through 6 months of vision rehab. My Exercise Physiology classes were kicking my butt and I was tired. Plus, if being a strength and conditioning coach was what I wanted to do, there were ways to get there without getting an Ex. Phys degree.
I’m now 4 years removed from graduation and I’m so glad I dropped Ex Phys. I love health and wellness, but as a means of caring for myself, not for making money.
As for my degree, I have never worked as an IT professional. Not one single day.
But, I have been in marketing in some way-shape-or-form for ~90% of my time. No thanks to my degree. 100% thanks to my podcast and a persistent effort to keep chasing opportunities (and acquire new skills on my own).
2 notes that would have been useful when I was pending graduation at 21:
1/ Jobs aren’t forever
Quick stat: The average person holds 12 jobs in their lifetime.
Currently, I’m sitting at 20+. At some points in my journey post-college this growing number made me feel shame — it’s one of the rare times when being above average isn’t necessarily celebrated by society. But now, I feel a sense of pride. I gave in to my curiosity. I tried. I failed learned. I stood back up.
What I’ve learned from all of these adventures so far is that jobs aren’t final stops, they are layovers.
You can change your mind (exciting!) about the industry you’re working in, the people you work with, the way you work (in-person vs remote), the problems you’re solving, and the money you make. All of it.
You are not bound to stay where you started.
I encourage you to persist until you land where you want. It will take longer than you hope most times, but it’s worth it, I swear.
2/ Each opportunity should do at least one of the following:
Allow you to learn what you don’t like
Acquire a new skill (soft and/or hard)
Make $$ — doesn’t have to be LOADS, but enough (whatever that means to you)
Build connections
15 New Opportunities (Jobs, Internships & Fellowships)
Junior Simulation Engineer at Draper — Cambridge, MA
Entry Level Software Developer at Smoothstack — Remote
SAP Support Analyst at Michelin — Charlotte, NC
Entry-level University STEM Program at Peraton — Herndon, VA
Project Coordinator, Data Monitoring at MedPace — Cincinatti, OH
Marketing Assistant at LaSalle Network — Nashville, TN
Associate at Big Village — Remote
Manufacturing Engineer at P&G — Bear River City, UT
Product Marketing Specialist at Cummings Electrical — Fort Worth, TX
Email Campaign Coordinator at DMi Partners — Philidelphia, PA
Marketing Data Analyst at Curology — Remote
Warehouse Associate at Curology — Fenton, MO
Entry Level Account Manager at Genesis Biotechnology Group — Covington, LA
Business Development Rep at Gravitee.io — Boulder, CO
Business Development Rep at Jellyfish — Remote
Resources I Recommend
📕 How to figure out what to do with your life — Julian Shapiro
🖨️ Resume scanner — land more interviews
🛟 Designing Your Life — figure out what you want to do
🧾 Resume builder — save time and effort
🎥 Merit — free tech mentorship to grow your career
Happy hunting,
Taylor
Ps - if you don’t like the writing at the top, please send feedback!