Agency, Corporate, Freelance: Where Should I Work Post-Grad?

One of the most common questions I get is: Where should I work after graduation?

Well, it depends. Before I can start giving you my opinions based on my personal experiences, research, and podcast interview episodes, I must ask: have you taken the time to reflect and process one of the most memorable milestones of your life? You walked the stage and overcame many obstacles while beating the odds. You should be so proud of yourself. 

Now that we have acknowledged the importance of honoring you, let’s analyze your post-grad options. Just know you’re in a good place. You have options!

Having options is a good thing, even if it feels overwhelming at first. With all the different directions you could take but not really understanding what each industry expects, it is essential for us to do our research. Thankfully, we live in a world of Google, and you have me, Estrellita, your guiding Star (literally) to help!

After I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I was applying to any job that sounded good on Indeed and LinkedIn. This first-gen Latina was trying her best with the information she learned in school. If I had known what I know now, I would have tweaked my job searching techniques. The most important thing is that I learned and now I can go over the different companies you could work for post-grad. 

Agency

If you are a first-gen who loves a fast-paced environment and building solid friendships with colleagues, agency might be the place for you. Agencies tend to have a “work hard, play hard” mentality because of the campaign and/or creative deadlines that must be met for their clients. When I say clients, I am referring to the brands these agencies work with, such as big-name clients like Amazon, Walmart, or even small businesses that are still doing great work.

The hours can be long because of planning, launching, and reaching out to content creators to represent the brand. Think of midterms and finals week, but almost every week. Once the campaign is launched, you can breathe! A lot of networking, creativity, opportunities to advance, and steady income are involved.

Corporate

Now let’s talk about Corporate. The great thing about pursuing a career in this industry is having a workplace where career advancement opportunities are available. Also, there’s potential to have the company invest in your higher education if you want to further your studies.

During my time as a corporate employee, I enjoyed having a stable position and attended training and seminars to continue building my skillset. Teamwork is also a heavy factor in the corporate world because we need it to complete projects and other related tasks.

So, think of the time when you worked on that group project for your class, where everyone was assigned a role, and you had to stay in constant communication with your team until it was due. If you accomplished that, then you will succeed in the corporate world! 

Freelance

As a first-generation Latina myself, I never imagined that freelancing could be an option for me and maybe you feel the same. If you want to experience what it is like to work for yourself, not tied to a company, and test your creative research skills, I suggest giving freelance work a shot.

Something I’ve learned through my freelance work as the creator of “Cafecito con Estrellita,” is that I can do it while still having my 9-5. I won’t lie to you and say it’s a walk in the park. It takes a high level of discipline to keep a full-time job and develop your digital portfolio to freelance. However, if you have a passion, a center point that you feel in your heart you want to talk about on popular news outlets, then I invite you to give it a shot. It is possible to make freelancing your full-time career. If you continue to develop your craft, build your credibility, network, and stay persistent, you can get there. 

No matter what path you decide to pursue, just know that you deserve this role. You earned your spot in your line of work, and if you ever want to change career paths to explore other options, you most definitely can! 

Con mucho amor y cariño, 

Estrellita