Disclaimer: The views expressed by our interviewees are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of GradSimple. We only edit these responses for clarity. All opinions remain those of the interviewee.
- Year Of Graduation: 2021
- College/University: Texas State University
- Major: Advertising
What do you do for a living, or how are you supporting yourself right now?
I am currently an Assistant Program Manager at a non-profit. That is my main source of income, and sometimes I dog sit here and there.
Can you share what a typical day in your life/at work looks like?
I serve as the main point of contact for program participants, where I respond to questions and concerns, and make sure their overall experience is positive and supportive. I recently managed a team of 10 summer staff, guiding their day-to-day work, ensuring responsibilities are met, and providing direction when needed. My role also includes helping with recruitment, onboarding, outreach, and training for both participants and seasonal staff. Additionally, I work with seniors on a gardening program at Governors Island, NY, where I support hands-on activities that encourage connection, creativity, and wellness.
When I first applied to this nonprofit, it was for a role in development (fancy word for fundraising) but they ended up giving that job to someone else after the final interview. Thankfully, I made a good impression during the interview process that they ended up offering me the current role I’m in now.
Can you tell me about your experience finding a job after graduation? Are you happy with where your journey has led you so far?
I have had a couple of jobs since graduation. My first job out of college was doing internal operations at a consulting firm in NYC. I landed this job in 2021 after sending hundreds of applications, and I took whatever I could get (I barely knew what consulting was when I took the job). I was there for about a year and 8 months, and ended up quitting to move back to Texas where I took on a contract job doing marketing for a small chiropractic clinic in Austin.
After that, I decided to teach English abroad in Romania for summer of 2024. It was an incredible experience and I can say taking on that opportunity was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my adult life. When I came back to the states, I temporarily moved back home to Houston where I worked part time at a nonprofit while I looked for full time employment in NYC. That’s how I got to where I am now.
I can’t say I’m the happiest with how everything has unfolded post grad, but I believe the past four years have shaped and grown me so much as a person. I try not to think too much about what could’ve or should’ve been.
Why did you choose your undergrad major? Do you feel your time spent in college was valuable? Why or why not?
I chose my degree because at the time, I was really interested in advertising and thought it was a career I wanted to take on. To be completely honest, I found the classes pretty easy so that was another reason why I decided to stick with the major. My main goal at the time was to graduate as soon as possible and start my adult life outside of Texas. I would say I had tunnel vision, in that aspect. I wish I had spent more time networking in college, though to be fair, the pandemic heavily impacted my college experience. I don’t particularly regret anything, though. I did what I thought was best at the time (like we all do).
What does purpose mean to you? Do you think you’re living a purpose-driven life?
To me, purpose comes from many things. For one, I would like to have a job that is at least, for the most part, meaningful. We spend much of our adult lives working so I want to look back at some point in my future life and feel accomplished with what I have achieved in my professional career. I never want to wake up one day and feel that I settled for something that was easy or convenient.
Additionally, I believe part of my purpose is to help and teach people. I believe in servant leadership and I would love to have a career where I am uplifting others. I do feel like my current job is meaningful in that regard. I think to some good degree, I have a purpose driven life, though I am not at my full potential.
What’s your biggest struggle right now? What led to it, and how are you moving forward?
My biggest struggle has been figuring out the right career path for myself. Since graduating, I’ve explored different roles, but none felt like the right long-term fit. Being very introspective, I’ve spent a lot of time debating what direction to take, which at times has led to self-doubt and comparisons to peers.
What’s helped me move forward is shifting my perspective, like reminding myself that everyone’s path is different, and focusing on taking proactive steps toward what excites me. Recently, I’ve developed a strong interest in financial planning and have started networking with professionals in the field. I have also started doing more research on breaking into the field which has given me a renewed sense of direction.
What do you want to spend more time working on, either personally or professionally? What’s stopping you?
I want to spend more time focusing on taking 35mm photography. It’s a hobby I picked up a few months ago and I love it. I would also like to spend more time exploring different neighborhoods in NYC. When I first lived here, I would travel all over the city, but since I’ve been back, I have not been as curious as I once was. I recently started psychotherapy in an effort to help me work through some mental challenges I’ve been dealing with recently. I am no stranger to therapy and am glad I grew up in an environment where managing mental health was discussed and thought of as important.
Professionally, I would like to continue networking with those that are in the financial planning space. I also would like to start working towards getting into that field. Nothing is really stopping me, other than making sure I dedicate the time for that while managing day to day life.
How do you define being a successful person?
Part of being a successful person is having a job that is meaningful to me while having financial stability and the means to support passions outside of work. I absolutely love to travel abroad and it is something I would love to do at least 2-3 times a year. In my opinion, family/friendships are what make up most of life and so being surrounded by people who love and care about me is a big part of success. I feel like I already have that, and that brings me a lot of joy.
Lastly, continuing to be in good shape and health is an essential component of success to me. Like they say, health is wealth. Overall, having financial freedom to just enjoy life outside of work is something I look forward to achieving one day. I am a relatively frugal person and try my best to manage my money well so I foresee that being possible.
If we traveled three years into the future of your life, what do you want to achieve? What would you hope has changed?
Three years from now, I’d like to be working at an advisory firm, building a strong foundation as I work toward becoming a financial planner. I hope to have grown in confidence with my professional abilities and knowledge, and to feel more certain about my career direction. Ultimately, I want to be in a place where I’m not only advancing in my profession but also making a meaningful impact on clients’ financial well-being.
I also hope to have joined NYC CERT by then. NYC CERT is a volunteer-based community emergency response team that assists with things like light search and rescue and disaster support across the city. To me, it feels like a purposeful and meaningful way to serve the community I call home. I also hope to have travelled to at least 5-6 new countries by then.
What’s the biggest lesson or piece of advice you wish you’d known earlier?
Looking back on the past few years, I’ve realized I had this tendency to overplan my life and stress when things didn’t go exactly the way I thought they would. I tried to map everything out, but things changed. Personal challenges came up, some opportunities didn’t work out, and I found myself constantly rethinking what direction to take. Sometimes, I felt a little chaotic but I’ve slowly learned to pivot and keep moving forward instead of holding onto plans that no longer fit. I’m still working on not overthinking or stressing over every outcome, but I’ve noticed that when I let go a little, I feel lighter.
Being comfortable with uncertainty has been less about telling myself that everything will work out but more about giving myself permission to trust the process.
Connect With Brandon
- LinkedIn: @BrandonKHargrove
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