Alumni Advice: Mollie Simon and Danimarie Roselle
Alumni Advice: Mollie Simon and Danimarie Roselle
Other alumni advice features:
Graduation is the end goal of attending college, but getting there can be stressful. Hear from recent Grady grads about their life after graduation and what they wish they had known before entering into the “real world.”
What do you wish you had known before graduating?
Mollie Simon, reporter for Anderson Independent Mail and the Greenville News: “Taking an internship after graduation is 100 percent OK. Applying for jobs can be like a full-time job, and you just might not have it figured out by May. Starting with a post-grad internship can help you gain more experience and give you fresh clips to share as you apply for full-time gigs.”
Danimarie Roselle, Social Media Strategist for M&M’S at MARS: “It’s not necessarily what I wish I had known but more what I could reiterate to myself. I would tell my younger self to be patient and to look at each step as a learning opportunity. Though I knew this, I would say that Grady has prepared you for life after graduation and what you learned here will take you to the most unexpected, wonderful places.”
What did you learn outside the classroom that could have been helpful inside the classroom?
Technology
“There are tons of really cool apps out there that can help you with your reporting, especially when you are required to be a multimedia journalist taking videos and photos while reporting. Download otter.ai. It is the best transcription tool I have come across and would have saved me some sleep in college.” –Mollie Simon
Foundations
“Working in social media, much of my career so far has been learning outside the classroom. As this field is constantly evolving with the social platforms, I think it would be helpful to learn the foundations for social and applying it within journalism and mass communications.” –Danimarie Roselle
What advice do you have for current students now that you have seen the other side of graduating?
Connections
“Keep in touch with your mentors (professors, former supervisors, even older friends who are a few years ahead of you). Just because you graduate doesn’t mean those people will stop wanting to invest in your success. The people who gave me great advice when I was still a student were the same people, I was able to lean on to ask for job and life advice after leaving Grady — and I am really grateful for that. Also, when applying for jobs, be ready to tell stories about your stories. It was helpful to have a few clips I could talk about where I could really break down how I came up with an idea, how I pursued it and why it mattered to me or others.” –Mollie Simon
One door closed, another opened
“My advice for students is to take advantage of Grady while you have it. Everyone in Grady is such an incredible resource, all with a unique story, that it’s truly a special place and you will absolutely miss it. I would also tell students to keep in mind that there’s no one path they have to follow and if one door closes, there will always, always be another door. Just be patient and keep on trying.” –Danimarie Roselle