Try 12-15!
As young professionals get exposed to the work force, their personal interests can evolve and their desire to explore can grow, guiding them to different positions and industries in their professional life.
Someone who understands this is Caitlin Friedensohn, an economics major from Tufts class of 2008 currently working as a Marketing Manager at the Food Network. She's a strong proponent for trying new experiences in the professional world and making each experience--whether an internship or a job--worthwhile. She shares advice on this as well as on the value of interning and the proper way to reach out to alum!
Explore your career field!
Caitlin took a chance her sophomore year at Tufts. As an economics major, she decided to try a journalism course, and from there, she developed her love for marketing. After graduation, she's worked in marketing for ESPN, Hearst Magazine, and now Food Network. Especially for marketing where things are constantly evolving, Caitlin is always thinking about the future and finding ways to adapt."Be adaptable. Be open to new things. Don't have tunnel vision." ~Caitlin
The power of internships
Caitlin's internship experiences range in interests and responsibilities (some cool places include Boston Bruins, Arnold Worldwide, Boston Cannons). While Tufts offered Caitlin a great liberal arts education, she identifies that most of her professional experience came from internships.
“The actual work you'll be doing is boring--you have to earn the real work.” ~Caitlin
Caitlin encourages all interns to push through the "grunt-work" and take initiative for additional responsibilities. Even though we hear this advice all the time, Caitlin's experiences and success are a testament to her strong work ethic.
When talking to alumni
As an alum, Caitlin has had many people approach her for career advice. As a busy professional, she can offer a few pieces of advice that respect the alum and help the student get the most from the interaction:
- " I don't like the long email." No need to write an essay about why you love marketing. Caitlin prefers a brief e-mail describing what you need help with and what you're interested in. Life story not required.
- "I also get a lot of people who reach out to me about somewhere I worked maybe five years ago." If you're going to ask this alum to take time to speak with you, you definitely want to respect their time and learn as much about the person beforehand. Don't waste your time or theirs asking questions that they wouldn't know the answers to anymore.
- "Be honest." Caitlin, along with other alumni, know when you're only reaching out for an internship or a job--no matter how you try to cover it. Just remember that these alum are more than just contacts--they're sources of knowledge and advice. When contacting alumni, ask honest questions, show genuine interest, and form a real relationship with them. It will pay off in the end.
Now, let's eat!
Before I said good-bye to Caitlin, I had to ask her a final question: do you get to eat delicious food on the job?
Her response was nothing short of a dream:
"We get treated to anything from a fancy-style burger to a stuffed cupcake or a Fourth of July cake...There's a little bit of eating when you're here." ~CaitlinThe Food Network office has a test kitchen where all of the recipes that go into the Food Network Magazine are tested to make sure the readers can follow the recipes and get delicious results.
Hmm. Maybe I should consider a career change to the culinary industry.
Thanks for reading!
Nina Joung
Class of 2018
