With graduation fast approaching, many students will soon face the competitive pressures of the real world. Most will seek jobs in industries where there are limited job openings. While Geneseo alumna Kate Navin, Class of 2002, agrees that the job search is daunting, she feels that with a little hard work and some persistence you can land your dream job.
Navin graduated with a bachelor's degree in theater. These days, she works as a theatrical literary agent for the Abrams Artist Agency in New York City. Navin says, "There will be hardships along the way, but if you maintain your focus you will eventually catch a break," and hopes students will heed this advice.
In her first job interview, she was quizzed on everything related to New York Theater. She didn't know any of the answers
and was not granted a second interview. However, that bump in the road did not deter her from following her dream. Navin loves her job as an agent. It allows her to work with artists at the top of their field, utilize her creativity, attend as many Broadway show openings as she wants, and all while still being able to maintain a nine to five work day. She also feels that her job as an agent keeps her on her toes because every day presents new issues and challenges. While most people associate agents with the HBO series Entourage or Tom Cruise in Jerry McGuire, Navin insists she doesn't yell or swindle people. Rather, she works to develop artists and their projects which take both a lot of time and effort. Navin says the best advice she can give to students is to remember people and names. Becoming familiar with people in the industry is the best way to break into any field because there is a chance that opportunities may arise from those contacts.
For more information on Navin and other Alumni Career Partners, visit the Career Services Web site at http://careers.geneseo.edu, and watch The Lamron each week for a featured Career Partner. The Alumni Career Partner Profile is a joint program between the Undergraduate Alumni Association (UAA), Career Services and The Lamron.