Cameron Veasey.

ADV 350
Assign 7
Interview Subject Name: Nicole Fosco
Title: Media Associate
Organization: Starcom MediaVest Group (Chicago)
Strategic Objective: Use the experiences of Nicole Fosco as a survival
guide for future college graduates. I transform her struggles, triumphs,
anxiety, and confusion into a narrative to illustrate to current media
students that the road to success isnt always easy but persistence is
key.

A Recent College Grads Survival Guide: for the Job Market

Place Nicole Fosco
One month into her new job at Starcom, Nicole Fosco sat quietly during
her board meeting wondering if she had chosen the wrong job. As she
listened to all the abbreviations, acronyms and media jargon being
tossed around, Fosco felt as if she were listening to a different
language.
Fosco, a 2011 College of Media graduate, was hired by Starcom after
spending five months as a special events intern at Red Frog events, a
event planning company primarily known for its work in the
entertainment industry. Looking back, Fosco recalls, the transition from
college student to full-time work wasnt easy.
As an undergraduate, Fosco was determined to become a creative at a
big advertising agency. But after interning as a creative, that dream
soon ended.
Immediately after graduation, Fosco joined the Red Frog Events staff as
an event-planning intern. But, her eyes were set on something much
biggeracquiring a full-time position. Red Frog hires only staff
members whove gone through their internship process. There were 50
interns during Foscos cycle, but only ten were hired full-time.
Unfortunately, Fosco wasnt one of them.
In September, her internship and it was back to square one. Fosco
applied for jobs everywherein person, on virtual job boards and even
on social platforms like LinkedIn. Three months passed and she still
had not received a full-time job offer.
Then one day, a Starcom representative contacted regarding an
incomplete online application she had started months prior. The stars
were finally beginning to align for Fosco. Two weeks after finishing the
application, Fosco was hired by Starcom as an associate on their media
planning team.
Although Fosco didnt feel media planning and audience analysis was
her strong suit, she was glad the College of Media exposed her to all
types of media, not just advertising. Fosco only took one audience
analysis course, so she was a bit anxious about taking the position.
However, her initial fear didnt deter her from trying something new.

Fosco was a month into her new position when she started to feel
overwhelmed. At the time Starcom was understaffed; so work was
fast-paced and a bit frustrating at timesespecially when companies
called demanding that their commercials be pulled from one week to
the next. These schedules are planned months in advance so that was
a bit nerve-racking. There was a lot of work and the pay wasnt great. I
could have quitas many others did beforebut Im glad that I stuck it
out.
People at Starcom often mention a six-month learning curve. During
the first few months youre primarily trying adjust to your new role and
work environmentalmost nothing makes sense. Youre just a sponge
absorbing information. Around the third month you begin to
understand the jargon and you feel at ease. But the sixth month is
when you start to feel comfortable in your role. Fosco currently works
on Starcoms Bank of America account, planning media buys and
building relationships between the organization and TV networks.
In retrospect, Fosco is happy she stayed with Starcom. Even though
there were some tough times, she feels shes gained so many valuable
skills working at Starcom thus far. She has learned about the TV buying
process, negotiation techniques and media planning. She has also
learned how important it is to be organized, and to communicate
effectively. Communication has been key in her role as she
communicates with TV networks, Bank of America leadership officials,
and her own team over at Starcom.
In the next five years, Fosco sees herself still at Starcom, but she
hopes to have been promoted to a directors position. Her personal
goal is to move up the ranks at Starcom. She has become an advid
supporter of the organization and its business model. She knows
achieving her goals will take hard work, and require her to further hone
her negotiating skills. But, shes willing to put in the time and effort to
make it happen.
One of the biggest pieces of advice Fosco has for recent grads is, Find
internshipsgood ones. A big name means nothing if all you did was
enter data or perform simple office tasks. If you worked for a small
company and were taking on tasks and seeing results, or did your own
freelance workthat means more than working for a big-name
company.
Job Market Survival Skills 101: What we learned from Foscos
story

1. Acquiring a job immediately after graduation is a luxury and is

not always guaranteed.
2. Your first job or internship doesnt shape your entire career path.
3. Full-time employment after an internship isnt always possible.
4. Its okay to feel nervous or anxious when thinking about your
future.
5. You might not initially like your first post-grad job.
6. Sometimes finding employment can be a waiting game.
7. Your undergraduate major will not limit your career path to just
one area.
8. Having some background knowledge and experience in other
media fields other than your own concentration can and will be
useful.