Name: Beth Saravo (@Instabaeth) Class Year: 2015 College Degree: B.S. Digital Media, minors in Graphic Design & Photography Current Location: Los Angeles, CA What was your first job out of college, and what is your current job? Within two months of graduating, I packed up my things and took a chance on moving cross country. After a 16 day road trip and ten national parks, I arrived and immediately found a job retouching and handling printing for a photography studio right outside LA. It was satisfying finding a gig within my niche, but I knew I was capable of more. I reached out to the company that I worked on my senior thesis with (www.mltd.com), and interviewed to be their in-house Graphic Designer and Studio Photographer. I have been full-time at MLTD for a year and four months and was recently promoted to the Men’s Department Creative Lead. What do you miss most about Marist? It may sound strange but I miss the constant learning: classes such as Philosophy and Art History were so interesting to me so I miss having that bank of knowledge presented to me weekly. Of course I have to mention the Steel Plant, it was definitely a creative escape and by senior year, most of us had claimed our own Macs with projects constantly running. I also miss swimming for Marist, being a student-athlete was always an amazing feeling and our team was a huge support system for one another. I heard my girls just won again, GO FOXY LADIES! Tell us a little about your current job and how Marist prepared you for it. I currently am a jack of many trades at MLTD and freelance photographer on the side. On top of continuing to shoot menswear for e-commerce and social media, I manage the daily creation of media for use on social media and the company website. I work with our brands and buyers to keep our media fresh due to constant changes in fashion. I help plan our social media, ad buying for Facebook and IG and assist with creation of assets for anything mens related. I have also taken on Product photography for a handful of celebrities including Kimoji by Kim Kardashian, merchandise from Lil Yachty’s tour, Golf Wang by Tyler the Creator, 4Hunnid by YG, etc. Other side jobs include photography for ESL gaming, an eSports company that runs professional gaming tournaments, as well as for Rhymesayers Entertainment, where as part of their media team I photograph shows and festivals around the U.S. Marist helped get me ready for life postgrad by giving me the tools to grow my skill-set beyond the classroom. The professors in the Art department were always willing to talk, discuss and push my art to reach a bigger potential. For instance, Professor Luciana would let me use his studio lights if I wanted to test out lighting, or do a project differently if I had a method I wanted to learn. What is your favorite part of your job now? The freelance gigs I land are definitely “pinch me” moments and my favorite part of being a photographer. I am able to attend events and have behind the scenes access and take photos of people that I thought would be untouchable. For instance, I’ve shot alongside Van Styles twice now. To think that an employer was like, “Hey, lets get @VanStyles and @Instabaeth out here to shoot” is crazy to me. I also get to travel more than an average person, so I am very thankful for that. As far as MLTD, my favorite part is being able to work with models 1-2 times weekly. This is a huge break from desk work, and I am thankful that I get to hang out, explore SoCal to shoot and still call it my 9-5. What’s the best part about life after college? The worst? Bills are THE WORST. Money runs the world and it’s weird to be sucked into this adult space-time-continuum where you sometimes have to choose between having fun and paying for your electric bill. Moving cross country has also put a strain on relationships with people back home, but I am elated when I am able to see my East Coast friends. The best part about life after college is the independence you gain: everything you do is because of your own day to day grind and this is an extremely rewarding feeling. The more you do and the harder you work, the more doors that will open. Cliche, but true. What’s one thing you wish someone had told you about postgrad life? What’s something surprising? I wish someone would’ve told me that even though you may be ready for bigger jobs, that you still have to climb the ladder. Even though your skill-set may look like that of someone with more experience, their time in the field will almost always trump yours. Going along with this, it is so amazing what networking can do. It is definitely surprising what “knowing someone” or a simple referral can do. Whenever I am at events, just mingling with the person next to you can line up a gig or introduce you to the VP of your favorite company. LA is crawling with elite so it’s sometimes too easy to network here. Do you have anything you’d like to tell current seniors as they prepare to graduate? I know it’s all you hear but LIVE IT UP. College is a strange bubble before adult stress hits… Also, DO MORE. Reach out to work professionally even if you’re still in college; if you take yourself seriously, your clients will too. The freelance projects I had while in college helped me get real-world experience - even little things you don’t think about like writing contracts or cold pitching yourself in an email. Practice makes improvement, and the more you do, the easier things will get. What’s your dream job? My dream job goes in so many different directions - this is honestly hard to answer. Making a living off shooting music and celebrity portraits would be a dream, but I also see being a Creative Director as a fulfilling potential option. Only time will tell! For now, I plan to move out of the fashion space and into the music and entertainment industry.
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