Question And Answer With Melanie Kania
Melanie Kania is a prime example of what being persistent is all about.
She graduated from Sam Houston State University in 2009 during the “great recession.”
She could have given into the notion of just settling for a job that was available.
Instead, she continued to be persistent and months later, she acquired internships with two public relations firms in the Houston area.
She is now with Weatherford International were she serves as a Communications Specialist.
We caught up with Melanie to get her perspective on the journey that led her to her current position.
Vallano Media: How long did it take for you to find that post-college job?
Melanie Kania: I graduated in 2009 during the height of the recession, so it took about nine months to find the job I have now. In the meantime I pursued internships to gain experience in public relations and was exposed to a broad range of industries, which led me to oil and gas where I am now.
V.M. : Were you involved in any organization while in college?
M.K. : Yes I was involved in: Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honors Society, Public Relations Student Society of America, National Society for Leadership and Success, Golden Keys National Honors Society and Order of Omega.
V.M. : Why should students get involved in an organization?
M.K. : I believe that organization involvement is very important to college students and is an intregal part of one’s college experience.
V.M. : Did you study abroad and if so, how has studying abroad impacts a student’s undergraduate/graduate career?
M.K. : Yes I studied abroad through Sam Houston’s Puebla program and lived in Puebla, Mexico with a host family for a month. This was one of the best experiences I have ever had, and the memories made and lessons learned will be with me forever. The program gave me first hand exposure to another culture and I was able to see how they live and do business.
V.M. : Looking back, was it worth attending college?
M.K. : Absolutely, in fact I am planning to go back to pursue my Masters.
V.M. : Final thoughts?
M. K. : Get as involved as possible. Networking through my collegiate/ post college organizations led me to my current position and the internships along the way.
Traveling Made Easy
Here’s the dream scenario: you decided to study abroad either for the summer, semester or year and you enjoyed yourself in the process.
At first, you were nervous because it was your first time away from family, friends, etc. for an extended period of time.
But during the duration of being overseas, you have adopted to a different way of live, made new friends, developed new skills and most of all, became more mature and after returning from the trip, you want to go back.
However, you face a dilemma on whether to live overseas after you graduate or go for the full time job that will give you the financial security that you have dreamed off since entering college.
You ask yourself, “is it possible to do both at the same time?”
Adam Costa and Darcie Connell believe that you can do just that.
The husband and wife duo have been traveling the world since 2009 and in the process have founded “trekity.com,” a company that provides travel destinations based on what you want and “travel blogger academy,” an online academy that teaches you how to build a successful travel blog and make a living in order to fund your travels.
They have written a book entitled, “Business In A Back Pack: How To Build and Run a Profitable Business While You Travel The World,” which shares their adventures and marketing strategies.
We recently caught up with Adam via email to find out their background, how both companies began and get their advice for those who want to travel the world and make a living at the same time.
To find out more about trekity and the travel blogger academy, visit at: www.trekity.com and www.travelbloggeracademy.com.
Vallano Media: Could you tell me of your background?
Adam Costa: My wife, Darcie and I both have marketing backgrounds. I worked as a copywriter (plus a small stint as a Market Analyst for Google) before we hit the road. We’re currently on a 14 month trip from Central America all the way down to Tierra del Fuego, the southern tip of South America.
V.M. : Were both you and your wife avid travelers?
A.C. : Yes! We’re both travel junkies, and have both spent over 2.5 years abroad in dozens of countries. Travel gets in your blood; after awhile you can’t help but wanna go somewhere new.
V.M. : How did you came up with the idea of “travelbloggeracademy” and trekity.com?
A.C. : Trekity was developed because we felt most travel sites aren’t organized in a logical way. We wanted people to say “I want to go somewhere in North America in June that is great for outdoor activities” and find exactly what they were looking for. And since we’ve both got marketing backgrounds, we created Travel Blogger Academy as a place to talk about the business and marketing side of travel blogging.
V.M. : When did the companies began?
A.C. : The company began over cocktails in Austin, Texas in 2011. We hammered out the details and development and officially launched May 1st – so while both sites have lots of content, they’re still very new.
V.M. : How do you fund your travels?
A.C. : Lots of ways. We make money from other websites we’ve built over the years, plus contract work (copywriting mostly) and consultations.
V.M. : How many places have you been to and for how long?
A.C. : Between the two of us we’ve been to 40+ countries and most of the states (I’m still dying to check out Maine, though). We’ve spent over two and a half years abroad, staying in most countries for 2-3 months at a time.
V. M. : For someone who dreams of traveling the world and making a living from it, what is your advice to them?
A.C. : You’ve got two options: either do something travel related (which won’t pay as well) that you love or just work a traditional job. It pays better and gives you more free time to do other things. Of course, if you love the work, it makes it all worthwhile.
One Little Step Can Make A Difference
by Cheval John
Everyone’s aspiration is to make a difference in the world.
Many believe that you need to have a whole lot of money, or to be well known in order to fulfill that aspiration.
The reality is that “you are already making a difference in the world everyday.”
Whether it is by saying words of encouragement to make someone’s day better, saying hi to someone to let them know that they are important or buying them a cup of coffee. You get the picture.
If you want to do more and make this world a better place, then watch this video by Marie Forleo of MarieTV.
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