If there’s one thing I’ve learned since graduation, it is that your career will take you places you may not expect – both figuratively and literally!

My name is Anna Osgoodby and I graduated from the University of Oregon in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism: Public Relations. Following graduation, I started my career in Portland at a boutique PR agency and a year later I was offered an opportunity to lead the social media department in New York. At the time I thought moving across the country was one of my biggest risks, but it turns out it was just the first of many I would take in my early career. After a great 6 years at that company I decided it was time to shake things up again, this time launching my own digital agency called Bold & Pop.

As cliché as it sounds, I truly do believe that every step along our path is preparing us for the next -- the next risk we’ll take, the next opportunity we’ll chase after or even the next city we’ll call home. Every choice we make has an effect on our outcome and I can honestly say the University of Oregon has had a lasting impact on the success I’ve had so far. Not only did I receive a great education, but the university also opened so many doors for me to gain valuable experience and build lasting connections.

I’ve always loved the motto “once a duck, always a duck” so today I’m going to share some advice for current students planning their futures. There are so many amazing opportunities at your fingertips in college and sometimes it can be overwhelming picking which to try. To help, I’m sharing a few pieces of advice that really helped jumpstart my career and hopefully will help yours too!

• Get involved on campus: Some of the best experiences you can have at college happen outside of the classroom. Check out different clubs or organizations and get involved. Often clubs will open doors to different opportunities for leadership or event planning which will give you hands-on experience as well as a boost for your resume.


• Don't be afraid to try different things: This goes hand-in-hand with getting involved. Check out different clubs and internships and find out what you enjoy. One of the most important things you can do is also find out what you don't like. Maybe you want to pursue a career in advertising but find out you don't enjoy ad sales, while you do enjoy creating ad campaigns. One of the best things you can do before you graduate is test the waters for a potential career and that means putting yourself into new situations.


• Diversify your skills: Some of my most useful skills came from unlikely places or courses I took on whims. Look into courses that are outside of your major or outside of your main coursework and explore your options. I definitely suggest looking into shorter classes that are offered that are 1 or 2 credits and happen a few evenings or on a weekend. I took intro courses on the Adobe Creative Suite through the art department and those skills have helped me way more than I ever would have thought.


• Take advantage of campus resources: You will likely not be exposed to so many career resources for free (ok included in your tuition) again. Take advantage of them! Visit the career center or Alumni Association and see what services they offer -- both while you’re in school and preparing to graduate. Attend weekend career workshops, resume workshops and mock interview classes. There are so many valuable resources and they are absolutely worth your time to check out. I can’t even tell you how many resume workshops I went to, but with each one I gained new insight and new view on how I could present myself professionally.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my tips and I look forward to sharing future stories on social media, branding and PR for the UOAA!

Go Ducks!

Anna Osgoodby
BS, journalism '09
anna@boldandpop.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaosgoodby
Connect with Anna on Twitter @AnnaOsgoodby