Posted by: admin
The search for the perfect job continues! This is one post of the series; where I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned, who I’ve talked to, and what I like until I (hopefully) get hired. Stay tuned.
As a communication studies major, I’ve been able to take a variety of classes under the communications sector including PR, marketing, advertising, journalism, etc. In doing so, and interning throughout college, I’ve realized that each of these things are extremely important and in many cases go hand-in-hand in the creative department of companies. Companies who integrate each of these elements for clients know what’s up.
Great PR is necessary emerging startups – LaunchSquad understands this. But LaunchSquad isn’t your typical PR firm. They’re transitioning into what they like to call a “Narrative Media Firm” because they do more than just Public Relations. From branding, business growth, development, video production, strategic communications programs through marketing and social media, LaunchSquad does basically whatever it takes to make innovative companies become market leaders. They’ve worked with a wide variety of companies in web, mobile, finance, social, data and Cloud industries. Some of my favorites are AOL, City Eats, Evernote, Kurt Geiger, and H. Bloom. Check out their full client list here.
On a personal level, LaunchSquad’s environment is one I can see myself in. In October, I met with Meghan, VP of Talent, at LaunchSquad’s San Francisco office, and in December, I went to New York City where I met with Lindsey, who was recently named a VP at LaunchSquad. Taking informational interviews are an important step in the job hunt. In terms of getting hired, meeting with whoever will take the time to do so is huge. It gets your foot in the door and puts a memorable face on a stack of resumes. In addition, you can’t forget the finding the perfect job means finding a job you love and are excited about. By checking out the office, getting a feel for the environment and being introduced to people, you’ll be able to decide if you even want to continue on to the formal interview process if the opportunity presents itself.
The atmosphere at both offices is exactly what I’m looking for. The spaces had an 1871-ish feel in the sense that everyone seemed to collaborate and help each other in different areas of expertise. Everyone I met was friendly, and I could tell that they truly enjoyed their jobs. Meghan gave me some great advice for my job hunt that I won’t forget: “Find a company who you like, but make sure you like who you’re working for as well. If your values don’t align, it won’t work.”
On a professional level, LaunchSquad is great because there is a lot opportunity for growth within the company. I like to think of the first position you get out of a college as “College 2.0”, where you’ll be using everything you learned in 4 years, but are still continuing to learn and be challenged on a daily basis. I want a position that will allow me to learn from people who were once in my shoes. Many people at LaunchSquad started their careers there and will serve as great role models and mentors. The ability to start as an Account Associate and move to Account Exec, Sr. Account Exec, Account Manager, and VP over the years to come is exciting and shows that LaunchSquad is a great company to start your career. LaunchSquad assigns teams to clients, usually around 2-3 people, or bigger if necessary. I’d be working as an Account Associate, where I’d be helping with creating media lists, creating a media list database, contacting media, writing press releases, etc. It would be a great entry-level position in the sense of how much of a voice I’d have in the process.
I recently went back to San Francisco to begin the formal interview process. I met with Meghan, and was introduced to Tessa, a VP at LaunchSquad. Tessa has lived in both NYC and SF, so it was great talking to her about the perks of each city, as well as LaunchSquad’s office spaces which are located in SF, NYC and Boston. Over the weekend I was able to do some soul searching and could really see myself in SF; it’s a great city in the center of the tech industry. I’d be able to work alongside leading entrepreneurs in the startup world and gain a lot of great experience while doing so. I’m excited to move forward with LaunchSquad!
That’s why I like LaunchSquad.
