Kicking off a career after graduation can be daunting. But with the right role, team, and company, it doesn’t have to be.
In June 2018, I was offered the opportunity to be a part of the first cohort of Wrike’s graduate talent program. In the past, I’ve interned with different teams in a number of industries, from PR to biotech and from retail to a short stint in the U.S. Capitol. Still, I can confidently say that my time as a Wrike Rocket was a distinctly fulfilling experience that challenged me to work harder and smarter while connecting me with an unforgettable network of mentors and friends.
My journey with Wrike
I first heard about the Rockets program through LinkedIn, so it wasn’t until I eventually visited Wrike that I got a real taste of the company culture. The perks were obvious: free food, trendy working spaces, and a tight-knit community.
On a deeper level, I resonated with the energy and passion behind the product. It’s not often that you’re able to work in an area of such incredible growth. A recent market research report predicted the work management space will be worth a whopping $4.3 billion by 2023. I was equally impressed by my future team’s work ethic and camaraderie and thrilled at the idea of hands-on mentorship from seasoned content marketers with a diverse array of expertise.
All in all, Wrike nailed the first impression. I felt like the tremendous effort I was putting forward as an applicant was met with equal effort, respect, and compassion, which wasn’t the case with other opportunities I explored during this time. In the afterglow of my assessment day, I accepted their offer and started work the following week.
Slaying the social media monster
Before becoming a Rocket, I already had a few marketing and media internships under my belt, so I felt pretty prepared when I arrived on my first day. What I didn’t prepare for was the behemoth that is social media management. Given my previous experience, my manager felt comfortable transitioning responsibility for our social accounts to me by the end of my first week.
For someone with just 23 Twitter followers, managing multiple social accounts with a cumulative following of over 50,000 was no easy feat. While I struggled to deliver a consistent stream of curated content at first, the guidance of my manager and a personal goal of mastering the science of social media pushed me to test new techniques and refine my messaging until I was tweeting with the best of them.
After the first few months, my hard work was met with results. In that time period, I was able to increase our social following across all channels by 15%, even doubling the rate of growth on our LinkedIn account.
Diving into content marketing
When the Wrike Rockets program came to a close in September, I was extended an offer to work full time on the content team. This was a huge step for me. Now, with the basics of content production under my belt, I could tackle bigger and better projects.
The best part? The transition was so seamless I hardly noticed it. My teammates treated me like a bona-fide employee during and after the program, and I didn’t have to worry about starting from scratch. And to top it off, I had the same group of supportive and sage mentors to guide me along the way.
I won’t bore you with everything I’ve worked on in my time as a Rocket and full-time Wriker, but some of my favorites have been:
- Contributing to the Wrike Blog: I’ve had the opportunity to contribute over a dozen posts to our blog, spanning a wide array of subjects and competing for top keywords.
- Managing a website redesign: I oversaw a content update to our project management guide while learning more about SEO best practices and crafting metadata.
- Starting a video series: Recently, we launched a new investigative series, The Rundown by Wrike, on our YouTube channel covering project management topics and more.
It’s been awesome to work with a team that encourages new ideas and experimentation. I even had the chance to curate a Spotify playlist to promote a blog highlighting the benefits of music in the workplace.
Building community
I started the Rockets program with 4 other fresh graduates. While we were an eclectic group, the program brought us together and gave us a support group to deal with the transition from academia to full-time work. We’ve since gone on countless coffee runs, lunches, and many a happy hour, in addition to all of the social events Wrike offers.
Ready to kick-start your career?
Thanks for taking the time to learn more about my journey from new grad to Rocket to full-time employee. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my mentor Danny and teammates Rachel, Brianna, Matt, Michael, Nancy, Laura, Alena, and all of the other Wrikers I met along the way.
Are you a soon-to-be graduate who’s interested in learning more about the Wrike Rocket Program? Check us out on LinkedIn for information regarding current openings, program deadlines, and more.
About Andrew
Andrew Slate graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2018 with a B.A. in Business Management Economics and a minor in Technology and Information Management. He joined the Rockets program in June 2018 and later became a full-time employee on the content marketing team.
