Alumni Spotlight: Nicole Weissman

Moody alumnus, Nicole Weissman, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2017 with a degree in Advertising and Psychology. She was also part of the TexasMedia program within the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations. She now works as the Assistant Strategist at Horizon Media on the Adore Me account. Since having full-time jobs is just around the corner, we wanted to ask Natalie about job-hunting and networking. Read more to see what she what advice she gives!

1. When do you think the best time to start the job searching process is?

I think that it’s never too early to start networking and talking to people who work at companies that you might be interested in. Personally, it helped me figure out which agencies I was most interested in.

2. What is a sure fire way to land a job interview?

I honestly don’t think that there is one definite way. However, I think that reaching out to current employees and the HR team can help get you started! Also, try to tailor your resume for the job that you’re going after.

3. How did you land your job?

Our first client in the media sequence was Carmax, through Horizon Media. I remember getting the brief, researching Horizon and thinking how cool it would be to eventually worked there because their clients and culture really impressed me. When Shayna and Nancy came down for our presentations, I made sure to introduce myself and stay in touch afterwards. And then over spring break I went on the Texas Exes ad trip to NYC and go to actually tour the office. I eventually applied to a position and was invited to come in to interview and ultimately got the job.

4. What are the things you always do to prepare for job interviews?

I thoroughly read the job description and think about how my work/school experiences can relate to the position I’m interviewing for. I also research the company on their website, social platforms, and Glassdoor. I found it helpful to Google common interview questions and run through my answers to some of those the night before.

5. Everyone always says to have questions at the end of an interview. Do you have any go-to questions?

Yes! Definitely ask questions at the end because it will show you’re interested and have been paying attention.

If the interviewer mentions that they have been with the company for a while, I’ll ask what has kept them there that long (this is telling of how well the company pays attention to retaining talent and cares about their employees)

I always ask about the culture and work atmosphere

I also ask about the role-what some of the specific responsibilities include, the dynamic of the team I would be working with and other teams I would be collaborating with

And then anything else that might come up in conversation I want to know more about

6. What’s the best advice you’ve gotten about job searching or networking?

Update your Linkedin and start networking early.
 

7. Being a UT alumni, you probably see that Moody gives students a template to write resumes and cover letters. How do you set yourself apart when writing these?

In terms of content, I try to keep to my bullet points concise, yet detailed. I get straight the point as to what I did and how it helped accomplish/contribute to a goal. Anything not included on your resume becomes a great talking point. As far as formatting, I made mine unique without making it hard to read.

8. I think a lot of people fear to admit that they will choose the wrong job – what advice do you have if this happens?

I think that the best thing you can do is to talk to people who are currently doing what you want to be doing. This could help steer you in one direction vs. the other. Even if you end up picking the “wrong job”, there is always something you can learn and take away to help you in the future.

9. What are some pros and cons you’ve discovered about relocating for your job?

I’m actually from NJ so moving to NYC was more like moving back home for me. I like that there is always so much to do/explore/eat and that there is a strong Texas Exes chapter here so it’s fun to cheer on the Longhorns with other alum. Definitely miss the Texas weather and queso!
 

10. What do you find is the hardest thing to overcome when transitioning from being a student to being a full-time employee?

You don’t have as much free time/alone time. For about 8 hours everyday you have to be “on” vs. being able to nap between classes in college, which I definitely miss!

11. What is the biggest factor that you feel was most important for you when considering working for a company?

The company’s culture! It was important for me to find a company where I could see myself working. I was really drawn to Horizon’s open office and collaborative workspace.

12. What’s been the most exciting part of transitioning out of college?

Moving to NYC as it’s always been a dream of mine!

13. If you had the chance, which class would you go back and pay more attention in?

I wish I had remembered more from statistics class because my job consists of a lot of data reporting/analytics.

14. On average, how many happy hours do you go to with coworkers?

Every once in a while- we also had a company summer party and a holiday one coming up!

15. Any advice for our young longhorns in terms of preparing for a career?

Keep an open mind as you’re going through the interviewing/career searching process-you might discover something new you like/are interested in.

Reach out and talk to as many people as you can-Texas Exes will become your best and most helpful resource!