Hawks Hired highlights the accomplishments of soon to be and recent RWU graduates as they finalize the next steps in their career journeys. Emily graduated in May 2024, and is now a Visual Design & Marketing Coordinator at Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy in Boston, MA. Read on to learn more about her next chapter since graduation.
What was your program of study at RWU? Interactive Visual Design (Interdisciplinary)
Graduation Year May 2024
Where is your next adventure? Visual Design & Marketing Coordinator at Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy (Boston, MA)
What are you most looking forward to in this new role? In my role, I have the opportunity to be a part of a variety of different projects! Not only am I responsible for graphic design and visual materials for The Greenway (creating park signs, event flyers, social media posts, etc), but I also get to assist with planning various events and participate in the programs offered by The Greenway throughout the year. This role allows me to play to all of my strengths and interests, and work with an incredible team of people from various backgrounds!
I also have the unique opportunity to implement my own ideas as a graphic designer and marketing coordinator, and make a lot of decisions around the materials that we are putting out. Our team is quite small, so I am the only visual designer for the Conservancy. Although I am a recent graduate, I am incredibly lucky to have such responsibility in my first job, and I am excited to see how this role will help me grow my skills and my portfolio!
What was the process like of landing this job? I feel incredibly lucky to have had this opportunity presented to me just a few weeks after graduation. After months of applying to full time jobs and internships, just to see what options would be available to me, I actually started at The Greenway as a Marketing & Visual Design Intern. This was only supposed to be a 3 month internship to help me start my post-grad career, as I continued to job-search in the Boston area. When I began my internship, there was actually an opening for this full time position, so I took the chance and applied! Two weeks into my internship, I was offered the full-time position, and officially started my role about one month into my time at The Greenway. I had already grown to love the job that I was doing, and the environment I was working in, so it was a perfect fit for me.
Who helped you during your job search? I really leaned on both the RWU Career Center and a few of my professors to help assist my job search. I spent my senior year working as a Career Peer Advisor in the CCPD, which helped me learn the ins-and-outs of the job search process, and develop great relationships with the career advisors in the office. They were always great at answering my random questions here and there, reviewing my resume and portfolio, and helping find positions that would be a great match for me.
I also worked closely with a few of my professors to fine-tune my resume and portfolio, and they were also able to provide great references and recommendations for me. With both my professors and the CCPD staff, the more I got to know them, the more they knew exactly what I was looking for, and they were always my biggest cheerleaders when it came to my career search process!
What advice do you have to students who are in the process of finding a job/going to graduate school? My biggest piece of advice is to understand and use your resources! Take advantage of all of the workshops and online resources that the CCPD has to offer, and don’t be afraid to make a few appointments to check-in throughout the year with your career advisor. They are there to be a helping hand, and the more they get to know you, the more help they can be.
I would also highly suggest looking for both full-time jobs and internships, especially if you are still looking to grow your skills or just get a foot in the door. Oftentimes, internships can lead to longer-term positions, or help you network with people in your field to find the right full-time job for you! It is definitely worth looking into all of your options, and keeping an open mind when it comes to where your path can take you.
On that note, my last piece of advice is to always keep in mind that this is your path, and to make decisions that feel right to you! The job search process can be long, tedious, and honestly frustrating at times, but the right position will find you when the time is right! Networking and just putting yourself out there will be your best friend, whether that means attending a career fair, endlessly searching on LinkedIn (and connecting with people in your intended industry), or cold-emailing companies that you would be interested in working for to inquire about their opportunities. It is definitely not an easy path, but your efforts will not go unnoticed, and you will find the right path for you!
Want to share your next steps with the CCPD? Email Kevin (kdeeb@rwu.edu) in the CCPD to learn more about sharing with us!
