For each Campus Philly endeavors, the bottom line remains the same: to help students find opportunities to launch their careers in Philadelphia after graduating. 

With this in mind, the organization started a new Launch event series that is aimed at ensuring that students are able to connect to opportunities and jobs throughout the city. 

The first Launch event of the semester was titled Create: Philly, which was aimed at helping students who want to have creative careers find the confidence and connections to make that dream a reality. 

Deborah Diamond, president of Campus Philly, said having this particular event is important because “those are jobs that aren’t always the easiest to find, and they’re not necessarily the employers who are coming to campus to recruit,” she said. 

The event consisted of a panel discussion moderated by William Toms, founder and chief creative officer of REC Philly, and featured Sabina Fletcher, creative director at Comcast; Marissa Le, content strategist at Ubiq; and Mark Kuhn, CEO and Founder of Oat Foundry.

It was a diverse panel, representing different professional roles, and that highlighted the growth that the creative industry has seen over the years. One of the panelists praised the higher level of accessibility for many who want to pursue that type of career.

“This access really supports a lot of people jumping in, and brands need to find ways to leverage that on a large scale,” said Le.

College students in attendance at the Create Philly event. Photo Credit: Tayliyah Truong

The city of Philadelphia is filled with companies who are looking for young, creative individuals who can help bring more exposure to their brands. 

Diamond praised the city’s present opportunities and history, highlighting the resources that are available for students and young professionals to begin their creative journeys. 

“It’s so great to be a creative in Philadelphia,” she said. “There is an incredible community here. It’s big enough so that what you do can be really big, but it’s small enough that you can access… real experts with national and international reputations.”

“I think that unique mix of a really big canvas here to do creative things, but a small enough or accessible enough community that you can get guidance and advice and mentorship, it’s just an incredible combination,” she added.

Tierney is one of the companies that was a part of the event, and is constantly looking for young, creative minds to build their team. 

“I don’t think there’s ever been a better time to be in Philly as a creative,” said Patrick Hardy, chief creative officer at Tierney.

Technology has played a huge role in the advancement of the field over the years, said Fletcher, and in order to succeed in the creative field, it’s important to utilize that technology and allow yourself to be free.

“Be authentic,” said Kuhn. “Just be yourself and let that shine through with your work, with your voice and your actions.”

As a piece of advice, each of the panelists expressed the importance of networking and making connections with others.  

“Every single thing that you want in your life is most likely on the other side of another person… building genuine relationships is the key,” said Toms. 

In addition to networking with professionals, it’s just as important to network with peers, and like-minded individuals who have similar goals. 

“Part of what we’re trying to do is, yes, connect students to jobs and internships, but also introduce them to each other, so they have other people to rely on when they’re looking for the next job or the next internship… That’s really, really valuable,” said Diamond. 

Campus Philly’s next Launch event is set for Oct. 29 at the Quorum, University City Science Center from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. To register for the event, click here.