Julianna F. Fortain

Did anyone ever oppose your career plans when you were young or push you in a direction you did not want to go?

Unfortunately, yes. While I did have a wonderful network of support, sometimes the negative reactions to my chosen career path were 'louder' than the supportive ones. I always knew I wanted to write, and when I attended college I chose English as my major. I'd often have people ask: 'Will you find a job with a degree in English?' 'Oh, well do you want to teach then?' 'What are you going to do with that degree?' I just wanted to write, and I didn't care how I got there. But I knew I didn't want to teach, so I started looking for opportunities. Fast forward seven years, and I have a career where I write and create content every single day! My most recent position was as a copywriter for an advertising agency. To have "writer" in my job title was a dream come true. TL;DR Follow your heart (even though it may be tough) because you know what's right for you.

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

Yes! I applied for an internship that led to a full-time position after graduating from college. I took a gamble on this internship. I left my part-time job to completely jump up and learn as much as I could. Most of my industry experience came from that position. And, I had the opportunity to learn it in a real-world setting. If you have the opportunity to work an internship (or even volunteer for an organization) that aligns with what your passion is, go for it.

How did you start building your network?

I started building my network at an internship - by building professional relationships with colleagues, their contacts, and other individuals through outside organizations. Having a LinkedIn profile also helps to expand your reach to professionals worldwide. You can search for other experts in your desired field to make connections. Don't underestimate the power of LinkedIn! Often, professionals can find you based on keywords in your profile and reach out to connect.

When did you get your first Big Break? How did you get it? How did it go?

My first big break came was I was hired as a marketing intern. I had very little marketing experience at the time (almost none besides social media management), and I was not studying marketing in school. The hiring manager took a chance on me because of my writing skillset - which allows me to communicate clearly and effectively. Immediately after my internship ended, I was hired on as a full-time employee. I worked at the same company for six years and learned all of my marketing knowledge from on-the-job training.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I knew I wanted a career in writing at an early age, but I never thought I would be in marketing! It was a path I never considered, and I fell into it. I'm happy I did. Marketing allows me to write every day, on multiple topics. It never gets boring - truly. There's always a new way to express yourself creatively or think about things in a different way.

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

I tell stories, and I write the stories for however they will be shared (websites, social media, advertisements, etc.)