Say you do everything "right" in college – get an internship (maybe even two), be part of a professional association related to your degree, build up some business moxie and graduate with honors – and still don't land a job right out of school. What do you do? Blugold alum Faith Kierzek, pictured, offers her two cents on just that.  (Submitted photo)

April 8, 2026 was a red-letter day for Faith Kierzek. This spring, she began her new job as a marketing coordinator for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) – 11 months after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

She'd done everything "right" from her first day on campus, preparing for life after walking the graduation stage. Honors program graduate (with a degree in marketing and multimedia communication/design), check. Officer in the American Marketing Association, check. Internship experience (she did two internships), double check. Build up some business moxie (she founded Faith Kierzek Creative Services during college), check.

Yet that first job following college graduation eluded Faith, through no fault of her own. We chatted about what she learned during those 11 months post-grad. 

Network, network and network again. And again. 

“I initially spent a lot of time applying for open jobs online without knowing anyone at a particular company. That kind of applying for jobs online became frustrating and not fruitful for me at all. Once I started networking, I connected with people through my school alumni network, Blugolds Hire Blugolds, LinkedIn, and industry groups like the American Marketing Association and MMAC.

“I also talked about my search wherever I went, at coffee shops, restaurants and bars, hair salons and barber shops, grocery stores and more. I asked people if they could connect me to someone in my chosen field. My family spread the word through their networks too.”

Practice, practice, practice.

Practice interviewing and chatting with people you don't know, that is.

“Talking to real, live human beings is best, even though initially I felt uncomfortable. The more I did it, the better I became at meeting people and asking questions. I’ve heard that 80% of available jobs aren’t advertised and the way people find out about them is not via jobs boards, but through word of mouth.”

Identify your bottom line, financially. 

“I moved back home after college graduation – and I’m glad I did, although initially there was adjustment, being back in my childhood bedroom. It helped me save money and kept me humble.”

Keep up with your gig jobs.

“During college, I was a bartender for the first time in my life at a small, niche business in Eau Claire. I continued to bartend to earn money while on my job search journey and I love being a bartender. I do it now on weekends when I’m not at my big girl job.”

Don't be afraid to pivot.

“When I graduated, I was focused on working at one of the major agencies in Chicago. As I networked and spoke to more professionals in Chicago, I learned that layoffs were common in these fields and even more so, with the advent of artificial intelligence. I’m glad I asked lots of questions, because ultimately I decided I did not want to be in a career where there was a constant worry about being laid off. Once I pivoted, was when I viewed opportunities in Milwaukee and that’s how I attended meetings of the organization I now work for.”

You can connect with University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire alum, Faith Kierzek, via LinkedIn.

Looking for more resources? Here are a few recommended by contributing writer, Barbara Arnold: LinkedIn Learning – Networking in the Age of AI; Straight from the Grapevine: How to Crush Your Job Search, Your Starter Pack for Career Success by Rachel Zaslansky Sheer and Lori Zuker Briller; How to Start Discovering Your Life's Work by Jodi Kantor.