Welcome to the Bri Books ‘Career Crash Course' mini-series! I’m sharing all the tips needed to help recent grads navigate the confusing yet exciting ‘real world’ after college. Join me as I discuss career topics that most students don't learn in college--like how to actually land a job--and go deep on lessons learned from my own career across tech, social media, and journalism. For job search coaching questions and partnerships, email at bri@bribookspod.com.
Your undergraduate career can be one of the most meaningful parts of your life. It gives you the chance to define new opportunities and interests for yourself, while also helping you build skills and the foundation for knowledge expertise that can guide you throughout the whole of your career. But with all of the pressures surrounding undergraduate expectations, it can be hard to answer crucial questions like, "Where should I focus my time?" and "What am I passionate about?" In this episode, we cover everything from how to make the most of your college courses to finding that elusive first job. We even speak candidly about how recent graduates can put themselves in a better position for success by not necessarily aiming for the top companies straight out of the gate. This episode is perfect for anyone who is trying to leverage their interests and passions to make more informed decisions about their college career.
In this episode, we sit down with Amelia Duffy, a junior and Research Associate attending the School of Information at the University of Michigan School of Information. Amelia and Brionna chat about how to leverage interests and hobbies in order to build a portfolio career for yourself postgrad, and the power of having multiple interests when it comes to the working world. For job search coaching questions and partnerships, email at bri@bribookspod.com, and follow @bribookspod on Instagram and Twitter.
SHOW NOTES
0:00-2:20 - Intro
2:45 - Meet Amelia Duffy, a junior at the School of Information at the University of Michigan, class of 2023.
“Amelia Duffy: “I went to college thinking I wanted to do straight business management and finance, and I started to realize as soon as I got to college that that lane wasn’t for me. I have an analytical brain, but I'm not fully the ‘software engineering’ type. I wanted a career path where I got to use my technical skills but in application of business practices instead of pure backend, so I was lucky to find the School of Information early on. Half of the classes are very learning based (learning different social media and user experience practices), and the other half of classes are Pyton and data-based. I also discovered the School of Public Policy’s minor program. One of my courses, Informational Foundations of Public Policy, helps me to look at things fro a different lens. I’ve enjoyed having multiple interests throughout college.”
4:00 - Amelia walks us through her thought process surrounding selecting courses, and how she’s using her college courses to help her make a more informed decision about her career path.
7:00 - “When you stop trying to force something on yourself, what you’re meant to do will come naturally.” - Brionna Jimerson
8:20 - Brionna’s podcast recommendation, “Side Hustle Pro” podcast by Nicaila Matthews Okome, a University of Michigan Ross School of Business graduate who pivoted her entrepreneurial passions into a full-grown career.
12:00 - On moving from company to company: “One of the things I’ve been trying to avoid is feeling pigeonholed into one space. It’s nice to hear about someone who has comfortably switched between roles and companies.”
13:00 - Brionna’s advice on how to switch jobs as a recent grad: “Once you’re on the boat, you can always change decks.” Find a company that has other business arms that interest you, where you can expand and grow into. Set up informational interviews with people who have the skillsets you’re trying to develop.”
20:30 - Amelia’s career advice: “You want to go into a career that goes on your strengths instead of one that just makes money, because 1.) You’ll enjoy it because it’ll come easier to you and 2.) You’ll constantly be trying to catch up because the career won’t ride on your strengths but will ride on the strengths of others.
22:30 - What Amelia wishes she knew about the job search and wants undergraduates to know now: “You don’t need a big name company right out of college. You can grow so much more in other areas of companies. Not every single person in the US from the top college is competing for the same jobs. Take a step back. You have to understand you can grow in other places.”
26:00 - How to pursue interests and extracurriculars as part of your career DNA
29:00 - Brionna’s #BriBooks recommendations for Amelia: “Data Science from Scratch: The First Principles of Python” published by O’Reilly, and “Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence” by Vicky Robin and Joe Dominguez.
