February 2010

No question sends chills into the hearts of graduating seniors more than “What are you going to do after you graduate?”  In the current job market, hopes of landing a dream job and achieving immediate success have been replaced with simple wishes for employment in whatever form in presents itself. 

For Kelly Eggers, who graduated from Wittenberg last year with a degree in Communication, the post-collegiate road seemed like a dim one until a lucky break and a lot of hard work landed her in New York City working for The Today Show’s top financial expert, Jean Chatzky. 

Now, Eggers has her work cut out for her.  “Being Jean’s assistant is sort of like having three jobs all wrapped into one!” she said.  As part of her responsibilities in her new job, Eggers manages Jean Chatzky’s calendar, which includes booking meetings, television appearances, and responding to requests for books or products.  “Jean has six books…and a brand new line of financial organizational products that are now available at Target.” 

Eggers gets to flex her journalism muscles as well on Jean Chatzky’s website, where she helps write for daily columns such as “Ask Jean Tuesdays” and “Entrepreneur Fridays.” 

“I do a substantial amount for the Entrepreneur Fridays posts. It’s pretty awesome, to say the least, to have the opportunity to publish my work weekly...Words can’t convey how exciting it is to have that opportunity. I really lucked out with that part of it,” Eggers said. 

As happy as Eggers is with her job now, her post Wittenberg success took some time to achieve.  “The transition was pretty fun, but also pretty brutal at the same time. It took me until December of 2009 to get a job — almost 7 months (to the day) after graduation.” 

And while flexibility is an important part of finding the perfect career, settling is not--at least, not for Kelly Eggers.  “I’m so glad that I didn’t take a job just because it was a job.  That opportunity presented itself more than once, but I really would have hated doing the work. I’m so fortunate to have a job where I do what I love and I actually enjoy going to work.”

For those who are approaching graduation, take heart:  there is success to be had, as long as you take advantage of your resources now.  Said Eggers, “I took so much from my four years at Witt.  I learned a lot about myself and what I really loved to do.”

Stepping out into the real world was a big adjustment, but one that Eggers found herself prepared for because of her Wittenberg experience.  “Throughout the job process, I sought the advice of my former professors, especially those in Communication…I trust all of my former professors’ judgments — they’re the ones that helped me improve my writing skills and become confident enough to think I could be a journalist after graduation.” 

And it’s paid off in a big way.  Instead of just finding a job, Eggers found a career--one that has allowed her to build a name for herself, and meet some other big names as well.  “The most exciting thing I’ve done so far is see Colbie Caillat perform live on The Today Show…and I made eye contact with Anne Curry.  She was ten feet away from me.  I almost passed out!  She’s my idol.”