By Kristin Greenfield, Intern
Many of my professors and mentors have highlighted the importance of networking — and they’ve been right. I couldn’t have gotten my position at Hoffman without it!
Earlier this year, as I asked around to family and friends, explaining my career interests, one of my sister’s friends, who works in PR, graciously offered to forward my resume to some of her connections. Shortly after, The Hoffman Agency contacted me.
During the interview process, I was wowed by the care they took in seeking applicants who would be a good fit with the rest of the team. Furthermore, I reveled in the praises sung of the welcoming people, the involved CEO and the culture of celebrating accomplishments.
In my short time at Hoffman so far, I have found this reading of their culture to be 100% accurate. On my very first day, I was astonished by how many emails I received welcoming me to Hoffman! I’ve also had the privilege of receiving direct instruction from our CEO and founder Lou Hoffman himself by attending his storytelling workshops. All of this has helped ease some of my initial anxieties around joining the workforce for the first time.
As a psychology and strategic communication double major, I am very interested in human behavior, guiding narratives and the way things are perceived. Public relations feels like a great marriage of my two degrees as well as my skill set.
The tech space is a new one for me, but I did grow up in the Silicon Valley, and as the daughter of a semiconductor marketer, I’d like to think that I absorbed some semblance of understanding through osmosis. Jokes aside, I’m still learning the ins and outs of semiconductor companies, finding my way around Microsoft Teams and Harvest and figuring out how to navigate an inbox of 50+ new emails each day.
Immediately after I had graduated from university, a wave of panic washed over me. I felt like I was losing my identity as a student — something I have considered a core facet of my life since I was five years old. But the truth is, I’m not losing that part of me at all. Having an appetite to learn has proven to be an asset, not a hindrance to my growth.
While it is nothing short of terrifying to be out of my element in a brand-new scene with a surplus of new information to digest, this revelation has helped give me the boost of confidence I needed to fully apply myself. I’m still a learner, and not having all the answers is completely OK!
Beyond work, I enjoy being outside in nature, whether it’s hiking, skiing or just hanging out in my backyard oasis. I also love traveling, exploring new cities and meeting new people, and I am thrilled to meet everyone at Hoffman and begin this new professional chapter of my life!
