Musings on Careers

Choosing a career path for the rest of your life can be a frightening notion, but it is a reality most college students face. Although I was lucky to find work I truly love, others have not fared as well. According to the Department of Labor, the average American transitions careers 3-5 times in their life, and I suspect that one reason for this is our need to specify our career paths early on. Throughout Europe, young adults have the option of taking a “gap” year for the sole purpose of finding their passions, instead of defining their futures. Here in the U.S., on the other hand, it is a common expectation for people to know exactly what career they want for the rest of their lives — before they are old enough to vote.

Even within my major at Seattle University, students are expected to know which industry they want to practice public relations in. I would be speaking to a classmate about internship opportunities and she would limit herself to the hospitality industry for the simple fact that she knew nothing about construction. Another friend would tell me he already decided it was his destiny to work with nonprofits, while I stood there, feeling the pressure to specify a lifelong career at the ripe age of twenty. I joined the Frause team without any inclination towards a specific industry, and twelve weeks later, I am proud to admit that I still do not know.


By working at a smaller agency like Frause, I am able to work on multiple accounts across a vast field of industries. On any given day, I will simultaneously work on a press release for a government organization and pitch a luxury resort to local media. I like to think that I am diversifying my arsenal of knowledge for the future, and it is already paying off. I can use what I learn from clients specializing in sustainable building to help restaurants that want to promote their eco-friendly features, among other paradoxes. I’ve learned that the best thing any young professional can do is stop focusing on the end result, and aspire to be a great generalist, absorbing all the knowledge they can before delving completely into any one industry. This client diversity is yet another reason that I love the field of public relations, as well as working at Frause.

- Emily Nauseda