My First Year Out
Tonight, I got home from work and realized, I’ve officially been at Edelman for an entire year now. I’ve officially been graduated for a year… completely on my own for a year… It actually struck me pretty hard. When I think about everything that’s happened in that one year, it blows me away.
I started trying to write down all of the things that have happened this year… the accounts, the crazy new biz pitches, the life moves made in the course of a few days (or how I ended up in Chicago), the mornings (every morning really) when I walked to work and felt a huge sense of responsibility (can you ever know enough in this business? can you ever really describe what it’s like to work in an area that’s so completely new) and opportunity (can I really describe what it’s been like to have a job that takes me from New York to Brussels to Seattle…to the headquarters of giant global brands where my bosses encourage me to speak up and share my ideas), to teammates who have become incredible friends, to figuring out giant internal business processes on the client and agency side that social media suddenly disrupts (for better or worse)…
I can’t articulate what that year has been like and I realize that I’m rambling on here. But really, overall, what I mean to say is a giant thank you to everyone I work with and, to anyone who’s just starting out like I am, I can’t tell you enough that even now…and especially now, it has never been a better time to be starting out in this business.
I thought I’d re-share a post I wrote a year ago, right before I packed my bags, moved to NY and started on my first day. My first year more than surpassed the anticipation I felt as I wrote and posted this at 3 a.m. that night.
Reading “Half Way There” as I’m Just Getting Started
It’s 3am in Boston, two days after graduation and I’m still up digging through my reader, pretty feverishly checking out posts and videos on the Web. I’m media snacking and studying up on new concepts, thoughts, ideas and news in digital. I’ve graduated but I’m studying with the fervor of finals because in a few weeks, I’m headed to New York and I’m starting my dream job at Edelman Digital. I’ve been waiting for this for several months (since the unforgettable day when the recruiter called and officially offered the position I accepted without a second of hesitation).
Now, as I sit here, blogging away the last few weeks before my official start, the reality of what I’m about to jump into (working alongside the people I looked up to most during my studies in school) is pretty scary and exciting.
Anyway, as I was going through my reader just now, I came across a post Richard Edelman wrote for his 6 A.M. blog. He posts “Half Way There” on the 30th anniversary of the day he officially joined the Edelman team. He writes, “I was to start immediately… So much for the cushy job at a family business! My father had an offer in 1978 to be acquired by DDB Advertising but preferred to carry on as an independent on the premise that I would try the business for a year. So here I am at age 53, half way through my Edelman career– my dad is 87 and works every day– prepared to tell a few stories.” He goes on to recount some of his memorable clients, pitches and achievements.
So here I am at 22, fresh out of college, about to begin work with Richard and his team, and it’s pretty incredible to imagine what my experiences will be in the next 30 years. What’s even more incredible is having a platform available to me that allows me to connect with my boss and his experiences with the company weeks before I ever officially join the team. I know this wasn’t available to my parents and their peers when they were my age and starting their big post-graduation jobs. I feel pretty lucky to have a boss willing to post his thoughts and experiences and have access to the Web, which makes reading his posts and sharing and reacting to them possible. It definitely makes the whole college-to-”real life” transition a lot easier.
-Amanda Mooney
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I’m seriously addicted to the work these guys at Multitouch Barcelona are doing (also love PSFK for introducing me to them). Enjoyyyyyy!
-Amanda Mooney
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Congrats to Sarah and Will!!!!
ASL’s own @sarahhutton and @willwheeler graduated from Emerson today!! Join us in congratulating them!
I thought I’d repost a video @lauranelson made last year for her, @amyyen, @pamelump @mariagarcia @melissaeddy and my graduation.
I seriously can’t believe it’s already been a year for us and I can’t wait to see what Will and Sarah do in their first year out!
-Amanda and all of us at ASL
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I’m interviewing this guy for PAPERMAG and I’ve found myself playing his songs on repeat. Check out his original track, Two-Step.
-Amanda
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A film written by Dave Eggers can be nothing less than epic amazingness. I haven’t even seen it yet and I already know it will be one of my favorite films of the year (hopefully. really hoping it lives up to that). Anyway, thought I’d post a little note to tell @focusfeatures that I have endless appreciation for making this little film possible but that I’m also really happy to see how you’ve engaged the community around its launch. A live Twitterview with Maya and John? Really, thanks for that. I only wish I hadn’t missed it and had to read the transcript on Facebook.
-Amanda
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