Post-Grad Life Updates Part II: From Auburn to NYC and Beyond

Outfit Details:

Sweater: Loft (on sale!) // White Denim: Gap // Clutch: Nordstrom // Heels: Target (these are under $30 dupes for the Steve Madden pair! ) Earrings: Baublebar

*Notes on my outfit: This sweater is currently 60% off and it’s literally sooo soft. I wish it came in multiple colors! You can also wear it on the shoulder in addition to off. Ok, now for the fun post-grad updates! Scroll to the bottom of this post to enter the giveaway!

Welcome to my so-called (Post-Grad) life

Attention all college graduates: the moment you walk across that stage, life truly begins. lol DUH. Don’t you love how people always try to remind you this? In all honesty, I’m in a smooth transition to full adulthood since my post-grad life won’t fully begin until 2019. But in the months after my graduation in December 2016, it took me a while to remember I was on my own. I moved from tiny college town Auburn, Alabama to the Big Apple. Just a small transition, right? But I was ready. I’ve known I wanted to live in a big city ever since I was younger and people knew my entire family history in my hometown in Georgia.

I got 500 sq. ft. apartment in Brooklyn and 2 random roommates (technically 3 thanks to an ever-present boyfriend 🙄 ) I found in a Facebook housing group. The housing situation barely bothered me though because of the incredible experience I would have for the next 6 months. I got to intern with one of the coolest companies in the world, INSIDER!

From viral food videos to unique beauty routines, we scouted, produced, and shared it all. I share a little bit more of my life as a social media intern for INSIDER in this blog post.  As a blogger, it was a dream come true. I was able to learn so much from working in media while also sharing the talents I already possessed from my blog. An old friend from Auburn introduced me to a wonderful community of friends that kept me laughing the entire time I was in the city. By the end of my internship, I seriously considered rejecting my acceptance to Clemson and staying in New York, but I’m so glad I didn’t! It’s a great place to live while you’re young, but I could never see myself there long-term.With the cost of living, my relationship with my boyfriend, and the opportunity to grow my career being better in the South, I moved back.

Clemson:

I’ve always known I wanted to work in business (despite graduating with a degree in Kinesiology. LONG story lol). The choice to pursue my MBA at Clemson had many factors. One of the biggest reasons was how I immediately felt a sense of community and support. The Clemson family is real! The program also allows me to graduate in a little under 2 years, be close to my family, cost-efficient, AND a great alumni-network. *Pro-tip for recent/future grads: This is really the best way to further your career, but especially in business. Since I’ve started in August I’ve been able to take courses I’ve really been interested and not just a class I have to take for my major! Graduate school requires a little bit more self-discipline because of the lack of restrictions, but I’m loving my program so far.

Summer 2018:

Because I worked less than two years full-time after graduating from Auburn, I have to complete an internship. Searching for internships could basically be a skill I add on my resume because I’ve done it so much! This will be my 4th and with each invaluable experience, I’m always grateful I found the opportunity. I’m excited and proud to say that I’ve accepted an internship with Intel in San Francisco for the summer! If you do the little “Intel bong” every time you hear their name, you’re not alone lol. I’ve never been to California and it’s my dream to work with an established company when I finish my degree, so this could not be more perfect!

If you’ve visited San Francisco before, please leave me your travel guide tips below! I want to squeeze in as much as possible in those 3 months. I’m sorry for the novel. :) If you guys would like to see how I prep for interviews, have questions about grad school, or how I use my blog to find these opportunities post-grad, feel free to message me! If I get enough responses, I might just write a blog post about it.

West Coast, here I come!

P.S.  If you’re looking for a job outside of something you graduated, I hope this is inspiring! There are so many careers now that require you to have stronger “soft-skills” and emphasize how they can teach you technical things on the job. All of your previous experience is valuable. Find ways that it could be applicable to the career of your dreams!

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xx

If you’re moving to a new city in your 20’s, check out my tips here!

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